The Sangha

I went to Geshe Michael's teachings in Phoenix last weekend and will go again this weekend. The content of what he said was profound and beautiful but that's not what I want to talk about here. I want to talk about the people that were there. In particular, my friends.

The word Sangha has a couple of meanings in the lineage I am in. On one level it means the ordained monks and nuns in the lineage. It can also mean your fellow dharma practioners. The people who are moved by the same vision and practice that you have. I am here to say that they are indeed crucial to my path. The Sangha is for sure one of the Three Jewels. They are rare and totally precious. I need them so badly. I had forgotten. I came back from Phoenix far more awake and happy then I have been in many months. It's as if, by their mere presence, they picked me up, filled my tank, and put me back on the road.

The Sangha that I have here at DMU also looks more precious with my refueled eyes. I thank Nicole for feeding my cat while I was gone, in particular. All the caretakers that stuck around while several of us went to Phoenix, I thank you as well.

If I ever have kids or if a kid ever sees me as someone to ask questions of or listen to, I would tell them this; "Find the thing you love to do. Find other people who love to do that thing as well. Then stick to them like glue for the rest of your life." Follow them from state to state or country to country. Move in with them or close to them. Put them on your weekly calendar and don't forget to call them. It may be just one person. If it's just the two of you, share your love with the larger world and find those others who are sitting at home wondering what it is that's missing. They are out there right now waiting for you.