By Sister Trang Uu Bat

Recently, I had the good fortune to tour Australia where our Sangha offered retreats. I appreciate how easy it is to stay focused on the Dharma and practice when immersed in the flow of the Sangha river. Without any extra energy, conversations naturally flourish around awakening and liberation.

Following the tour, I spent time with my family in what many would call mainstream daily life. Without a practice, we could feel overwhelmed. Endless advertisements come at us from every direction that sell the idea we need many things to function and to be happy. This can easily make us feel pressured because this is the kind of life most of the people around us pursue. We need the support of people who know our goals and aspirations. Otherwise, we can get swept away and try to keep up with the pace of the world, which appears to be getting faster and faster.

I have heard many times the recitation of taking refuge in the Triple Gem: the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha. Cultivating the qualities of loving kindness, compassion, joy and equanimity the Buddha exemplified speak to my heart. As an experiential learner, to be told to put the Dharma into practice for myself and accept only what I find to be true makes complete sense. But taking refuge in the Sangha has taken more time for me to unpack because I was raised to be self-sufficient and independent. My understanding of what it means, true to form, constantly changes.

When we spend time with the community, we can understand why we are asked to join or create our own Sangha to have support on the path. In this kind of environment, we are naturally supported to stay focused on the practice.

The goal to live in harmony and awareness as a community is also a practice. I can hear my teacher’s voice asking, “Live in harmony with who?” “Awareness of what?” These are good questions. Initially, I spent a lot of time and energy into getting to know the people I lived with, the habit energies they had inherited from their parents and cultures, the life experiences that had shaped them, the things that brought them joy and their triggers. This is helpful in taking steps towards harmony, but not everybody has the same amount of time to do that. The Sangha is constantly in a flow of change with people coming and going, making it a practice that needs sustained energy and enthusiasm.

Living in community, eating, working, studying, playing and sharing rooms and bathrooms together 24 hours a day, 365 days a year means that we can’t leave our problems at work. Rather, we have to face them. It becomes more and more obvious to me that living in harmony with the Sangha means to be able to live in harmony with myself.

Awareness means to be aware of my mind and in which direction it takes me. Can I live in harmony with myself no matter the situation in which I am placed? Can I only be happy when things go my way, or can I find equanimity in whatever situation arises? Am I aware when greed or desire arises and unsettles me? Am I aware when I push my energy in the direction of samsara and constantly chase things that do not bring lasting happiness? Am I aware when aversion arises in me, and resistance mounts to situations around me? How does my face look in those moments? Am I bringing happiness to others?

Whilst far from perfect, I am aware that when I take the time to respond to life based on Right View and thought, this leads to more skilful speech—both around self-judgements and in my interactions with others. It creates an inner harmony that fosters a more peaceful Sangha environment around me.

On his passing, the Buddha asked us to take refuge in the Dharma and in the island of oneself. When we return to ourselves, we are able to live in harmony and awareness. And so goes the interconnected web of all things.

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Sister Trang Uu Bat originates from Australia. She received full ordination as a bikshuni in 2013 and lives at Blue Cliff Monastery, in New York.