Centre Guidelines
Simple Life is the Way Out of the Current Destruction.
1. Dedication
The four immeasurables:
- May all beings have happiness and the causes of happiness.
- May all beings be free from suffering and the causes of suffering.
- May all beings rejoice in the well-being of others.
- May all beings live in peace, free from greed and hatred.
2. The context
The wild plants and animals of planet Earth sustain us all, and in order to survive we must do so in a manner that protects and replenishes them. This is our interbeing.
Our land properties have many living beings on them now. How do we care for them?
3. The guidelines of our practice
A mindful community is a collective effort of all its participants. In the community life, we weave mindfulness into all our daily activities, training ourselves to be mindful throughout the day: walking and sitting meditation, working and playing, gardening, preparing and having meals, cleaning, resting and other daily activities.
Together we create a healthy, simple and nourishing environment where all can learn the art of living in harmony with one another, with nature, developing our compassion, and cultivating the mind of awakening leading to the liberation from our illusions.
Our practice is very concrete based on cultivating awareness of the breath and living deeply in the present moment, aware of what is happening within and around us. We aspire to transform our own suffering, nourish our happiness and contribute to a healthy and compassionate society.
We apply the 5 Mindfulness Trainings, 14 Mindfulness Trainings of the Order of Interbeing and the Six Principles of Harmony as the guidelines for the community.
3.1 Simple life is the way out of the current destruction
In today’s materialistic world, the urge to buy comes from every direction: on the internet, in public spaces, TV, newspapers, magazines, radio and other media. There are advertising messages telling us to purchase a product or to get a service because we are not good enough, not attractive enough, not smart enough and we are vulnerable. We do not understand our true needs. With our attachment to sensual impressions and careless exposing our six sense organs (eye, ear, mouth, nose, body and mind) most of us are trapped in the vicious cycle of:
desires – slave in long hour/meaningless work – fulfilling our desires
– temporary enchantment – dissatisfaction – new desires
Practicing in the community with everyday mindful walking, sitting, gardening, preparing nutritious meals, cleaning and many other daily activities nourishes our peace and true happiness. It is the foundation for deep healing and transformation. We learn to guard our six senses and have a chance to understand the nature of the sensual attachment and be able to let go of it.
Simple communal way of life reduces tremendous impacts on the environment:
A simple communal way of sharing material needs reduces tremendous impact on the environment and stress of the individualistic and nuclear family lifestyle.
As a result, together in the mindful and simple ways of living, we support each other on our journey of self-understanding, true happiness and compassion, to protect the Earth and all beings, and to respect other people’s right to live with their dignity and peace.
3.2 Powerful collective mindful energy
The Buddha said, “Bhikkhus, there is a most wonderful way to help living beings realize purification, overcome directly grief and sorrow, end pain and anxiety, travel the right path, and realize nirvana. This way is the Four Establishments of Mindfulness.”
Mindfulness is a kind of energy that we generate when we bring our mind back to our body and get in touch with what is going on in the present moment, within us and around us. The energy of mindfulness helps us touch life deeply throughout the day, whether we’re brushing our teeth, washing the dishes, walking to work, eating, or driving. We can be mindful while standing, walking or lying down; while speaking, listening, working, playing and cooking. And by that, we can cultivate the energy of mindfulness.
In addition, the energy of mindfulness is the energy that can bring about the energy of concentration, and when our mindfulness and concentration are powerful enough, we touch things deeply, and we discover their nature. This understanding is insight. Our insight is a liberating factor; it will liberate us from our delusion, our anger, our fear, our despair and many other unnecessary sufferings.
When we practice mindfulness together with others in community; we generate a powerful collective energy that can help bring healing and transformation to ourselves and the world.
4. Ongoing support for mindful living
In the last 30 years, many local sanghas have been formed and become a place of refuge, nourishment and support for many friends from different paths of life where everyone’s spiritual and cultural roots are honoured.
Many sangha friends have attended the retreats or the Days of Mindfulness organised by local sanghas or led by the monastics. In these retreats, we all experience joy and peace. This provides great benefits when we apply the practice in our families or at our workplaces. No matter how beneficial the practice could be, it is definitely not easy to maintain the art of mindful living in a busy, hectic environment. However, many of us may find that it is impossible to live outside the cities because of our jobs, the needs of our children and responsibilities to our family.
Coming to a retreat centre and opening ourselves to the collective mindful energy and the calm and beauty of nature, we can be recharged and refreshed easily.
Also, the continuous practice carried on by the Dharma Teachers, members of Order of Interbeing, long term practitioners, friends who live at the centre permanently or long term, will guide and support the transformations and healing of those who come for a short time.
Submerging ourselves in a healthy and supportive environment like a retreat centre, our suffering will be transformed and our childhood damage will be healed.
5. Supporting programs
As a community, we practice to go forward with one breath at a time, to walk one step at a time, to change one person at a time, beginning with ourselves. We understand our needs as well as our capacities, and practice with enjoyment and peace.
Living in the mindfulness community with on-going practice, we can become a better support for:
- children and teens to develop understanding and love by offering the appropriate programs to their ages and interests,
- friends who wish to deepen their practice with the community in or out of retreat time,
- friends in their solo retreats to deepen their insights,
- local sanghas by offering the regular Days of Mindfulness and short/long retreats,
- conditions to develop the practice in a more holistic approach in all aspects of life to all members of the sanghas (long-term/new, old/young practitioners, different cultures/ background etc.) by offering a great variety of mindful activities,
- collective movements and insight (for example: social injustice, climate change)
- monastic and lay Dharma teachers will hold retreats for people with addictions as well as for educators and social workers.
- holistic health retreats