In a heartfelt offering, Francis Olivier shows the gift of being vulnerable: “It was during that night that I realized how difficult I’ve been, how unpleasant at times I’ve been in the world. Despite this, my friends in my community have always put up with me. Always supported me.”
Sangha member Ben Mikolaj challenges us to look closely at our path: “The dharma has never been about pleasing people. It’s about waking up. And waking up can mean walking away.”
“When I think lightly, like a child who has not yet consolidated their concepts, I can see others without barriers,” Sebastião Miranda writes. “I can appreciate them solely for their existence. We must regain this lightness and learn to love like a child or a devoted mother.”
“It may seem impossible to live without being carried away by emotions, but we can respond differently. We can let emotions be part of our life, but not be controlled by them. And we must control our negative actions in response to those emotions. This will benefit ourselves and everyone around us,” writes Brazilian sangha member Sebastião Miranda.
Engaging with sangha members could be likened to jamming with other singers and musicians. We are all learning together how to read music, play scales, and ultimately improvise as we seek to benefit ourselves and all beings with our body, speech, and mind.
Sangha member Paolo Mazza writes: “The path is sometimes hard and full of obstacles, but we share the same long-term goal. Although we are spread all over the globe, it is comforting to know that there are many others struggling to practice daily and not giving in. This is a great support.”
