This weeks meditation and discussion led by Rob was particularly special as we were visited by Padmajata who we met at Cambridge Buddhist Centre on Dharma Day. In fact Padmajata has said that she would be able to attend for the next six weeks in support of the Hertford Sangha, which is wonderful.
A mindfulness of breathing practice was followed by a continuation of the theme of the Dharma, which led to some lovely insightful discussion of some of the stories of the Dharma, we closed with a Metta Bhavana practice.
Meanings of the Dharma
Sangharakshita has said that there are five meanings of the term The Dharma as that there is no one English word to translate it. These are:
1. 'Things' or any phenomemon.
2. A mental object; anything that arises in the mind, one of the six senses.
3. A state or condition of existence; the Eight Worldly Winds (Lokadharmas).
4. Law, principle or truth. Dhammapada says hatred only ceases by love.
5. Doctrine or teaching. 'Dharma' (Sanskrit) or 'Dhamma' (Pali) is the teachings of the Buddha; the buddha Dharma, the Dharma Vinaya.
The Source of the Dharma
The source of the Buddha Dharma is the Buddha's enlightenment experience and the cardinal doctrine is Buddha’s teaching of Conditioned Co-production (pratitya samutpada). Common to all schools of Buddhism, it states that phenomena arise together in a mutually interdependent web of cause and effect.
From the Dharma, this teaching of Conditioned Co-production is described in the story of a young monk who when asked, as was common in those times, 'what is your Dharma and who is your teacher?' he replied:
This being, that becomes.
From the arising of this, that arises.
This not becoming, that does not become.
From the ceasing of this, that ceases.
There are two types of conditionality;
Cyclical conditionality - reacting between pairs of opposites and illustrated by the Wheel of Life.
Spiral conditionality - the path leading to Nirvana - the Four Noble truths and the Noble Eightfold Path.
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