The Power of the Individual

0:00 Thank you and good evening. Can you all hear me? Report an error in the passage at 0:00

0:07 One of the joys of being here is the ability to turn away from the world, the world I have been inhabiting for this last week, full of pain, full of worries. Report an error in the passage at 0:07

0:22 And I don't know if you saw how relaxed I felt and how separate from the troubles of the world. And I'm going to invite you now to join me. In a meditation which will lead into the talk I want to give. And if you feel inclined and your normal meditative practice, I would like to invite you to gently recognize in your bodies where you are. Report an error in the passage at 0:22

1:00 Feel every limb in your body and notice it's okay to feel discomfort. Settle yourselves. Make sure you're absolutely comfortable. Report an error in the passage at 1:00

1:15 As you allow muscle by muscle, thought by thought, to just let go. Report an error in the passage at 1:15

1:28 And as you let go, you might consider focusing on your breath. You Report an error in the passage at 1:28

1:39 can breathe in, Report an error in the passage at 1:39

1:47 appreciating as you breathe in, and notice the flow of air as you breathe out, and settle, and Report an error in the passage at 1:47

2:02 again. And Report an error in the passage at 2:02

2:07 as you do this, you might now allow To feel the muscles in your neck, simply letting go. Allow that relaxation to spread through your head and feel a sense of warmth from the top of your head begin to flow down through Report an error in the passage at 2:07

2:34 your body and over your body like a blanket, gently covering. And allow yourself to feel that relaxation spread. Bring your neck through your shoulders into your hands and notice as you do how comfortable that feels, how natural. Report an error in the passage at 2:34

3:07 Remembering to breathe mindfully and notice the emptiness that may enter your body as your back notices how easy it is to just let go. Report an error in the passage at 3:07

3:28 Allow that warmth to flow down from your head over that relaxed neck and back and down into your legs. And as it warms you, allow the muscles to just let go. And all that is left is your breathing. And Report an error in the passage at 3:28

3:56 in that beautiful state, allow yourself in that other place just to look at yourself as we sit here quietly. Beginning to separate. And if you choose, you can join me and rise up above yourself now. Begin just to look down on everything that is here and notice how Report an error in the passage at 3:56

4:38 calm and free. And as you rise higher, whether you see yourself floating higher or feel yourself floating higher or hear yourself separating as you go higher, and notice the cares and worries begin to recede and allow you to float high and as you recede and Report an error in the passage at 4:38

5:14 as you notice the sounds no longer matter they simply strengthen the knowledge that you are and Report an error in the passage at 5:14

5:27 we can simply float breathing and Report an error in the passage at 5:27

5:38 in this peaceful place that you know so well let us take time To just as Report an error in the passage at 5:38

· · · silence, 15 minutes

20:24 maintain a sense as Report an error in the passage at 20:24

20:33 we move back into this world. In Report an error in the passage at 20:33

· · · silence, 1 minute

21:06 your eyes, Report an error in the passage at 21:06

21:13 who hasn't had dust in their eyes? Who doesn't have dust in their eyes now? Report an error in the passage at 21:13

21:26 And as we reflect on the day we have just had and as we reflect on the week we have just lived and experienced the troubles of this world, who of us is not troubled? Report an error in the passage at 21:26

21:46 We see suffering everywhere. The Report an error in the passage at 21:46

21:55 Buddha advises us, Kailavasutta advises us, do not blindly accept tradition. Do not blindly accept authority. Or hearsay, we must see for ourselves what leads to harm and what leads to profit. Report an error in the passage at 21:55

22:27 In my main job as a politician, I sit and listen to how people intend to fix the problems hurting our society. I listen to people speaking untruths knowingly and telling us we will help, we will make things better, and they do not. In Report an error in the passage at 22:27

22:58 the world where I work in medicine, I hear people telling me, how can we fix the health of people? Here are some medications which actually cause harm. Report an error in the passage at 22:58

23:14 How do we live under such circumstances? Report an error in the passage at 23:14

23:21 We could blame, we could point fingers. Many do. But Report an error in the passage at 23:21

23:32 when we see injustice, do we contract or do we open? So Report an error in the passage at 23:32

23:48 when we have injustice, do we contract or do we open? And Report an error in the passage at 23:48

23:59 perhaps as you listen now, you'll notice that your deepest wisdom has always known the best way forward, deep inside. And Report an error in the passage at 23:59

24:18 I wonder how long it will be. Until we all understand that our deepest wisdom is telling us we must do something. We Report an error in the passage at 24:18

24:35 point the fingers in blame, find others to accuse, fix this problem, do that. Do we start with ourselves? Report an error in the passage at 24:35

24:50 So when we look around ourselves now, we see injustice. We see confusion. In my political life, is this hurting you by the way? Is this bothering you? We Report an error in the passage at 24:50

25:09 see cruelty. I'll speak louder in that case. We see cruelty happening. Behind me sits animal justice, who tell about the cruelty to animals and how people can behave so badly to that beautiful dog we saw outside, which is blessedly kept with love. But when we see dogs who are being kicked and beaten, this happens. Report an error in the passage at 25:09

25:40 I spoke with a man today who has suffered since year 10 in school because he was beaten in school, bullied in school, and now his life is ruined. Report an error in the passage at 25:40

25:49 What can we do? This is suffering. We know. This is our place in the world. It's not only from the world out there we know, but also from the mind in here. Report an error in the passage at 25:49

26:05 Now, let Report an error in the passage at 26:05

26:14 me see the pages are missing. This is the trouble. From the middle discourses of the Buddha. It is in this very fathom-long body, with its perceptions and thoughts, that the world arises, the world seizes, and the path is found. Report an error in the passage at 26:14

26:36 We are not powerless. We are not powerless. We hold responsibility, each one of us, individually, not just for what happens to us, but how we respond within to what happens to us. Report an error in the passage at 26:36

26:58 I think of the example when we're walking in the wild we want to go from place to place and in front of us there are many obstacles and we come across our river a wild river there's Report an error in the passage at 26:58

27:16 been a storm and all kinds of things are coming down the houses are being shoved down that river we've seen this on the television We may have experienced it ourselves, but also in our own lives, what rivers are in front of us where there's chaos and crisis and things being swept away and our existence is being hurt. Report an error in the passage at 27:16

27:39 And then we have a raft to cross that river, the dharma itself, the raft that keeps us afloat. And we can choose to hold fast onto that and leave it by the bank of the river, but that is not its purpose. It's purpose. It's to get us across the river to the other side. And sometimes we face that current of life, the raging torrent of life, and it feels too far. Report an error in the passage at 27:39

28:12 It feels too deep, too dangerous. And the stranger will stand by the shore and point to us and say, don't go there. That river is dangerous. It will kill you. It will sweep you away. It will take everything you know away from you. Stay where you are. And some Become paralyzed with fear. Some wonder, is there a better raft I can look around? Some others dive in recklessly, but they don't have a raft to hold on to. Report an error in the passage at 28:12

28:47 The Report an error in the passage at 28:47

28:51 clever, the wise traveler will pause, breathes deeply, as we began breathing deeply this evening. And as you do that, you notice something. You pause, you breathe, you take the time, and you notice. Report an error in the passage at 28:51

29:13 For others have dived in or run away, you notice under that water there are stones. And if I examine closely, I can see that I can find a stone to stand on, to the next stone, and to the next stone, and step by step, stone by stone, that raging torrent has gone. Report an error in the passage at 29:13

29:44 This is the first responsibility we carry. Not to demand that the river be calm. But to steady the heart that crosses that river. When Ajahn Brahm speaks of that lake which is torn up with waves and wind is blowing it up and that wave of that mind that we have, that lake it represents, is all unsettled. Report an error in the passage at 29:44

30:10 And we can't just pat it down and make it quiet. We have to actually quieten all of ourselves to allow that to become calm. The same is true when we see that river. Report an error in the passage at 30:10

30:23 We are frightened of that we know we cannot cross, but we take the time, we rely on the teaching, and we practice, we learn, we move. We take our courage in our hands, cautiously, with wisdom, but we act. In our world, there are people there who are doing monstrous things. Report an error in the passage at 30:23

30:55 We see this in the news. I see this in my work in parliament. When we hear about legislation for domestic violence, to realize that no one's actually really doing anything for that. The violence is increasing. The society is becoming more violent. And what can I do? Well, what can we do? Are we not doing it? No. Are we not paying attention that we can individually and together, we can do something? Report an error in the passage at 30:55

31:35 The way has been shown to us. If you look at the Lotus Sūtra, the Buddha uses the lotus as a metaphor for purity, for the mind. I Report an error in the passage at 31:35

31:53 wonder if you can already sense something about that beautiful flower. Because let us look at that river, that frightening river that we're frightened to cross. The stones are there. The raft is here. There's mud on both sides of the river. It's a raging torrent. But what do we see growing in the bank in the mud? We see a lotus. A lotus growing in the mud. Report an error in the passage at 31:53

32:28 You see, without the mud, there is no lotus. The roots are deep in the mud. Report an error in the passage at 32:28

32:40 And that same mud makes the water unclear. Report an error in the passage at 32:40

32:47 And we might wish the mud was not there. Would it not be nicer to have a clean river? I wonder where the lotus would be if there was just a clean river. Concrete on the sides. Report an error in the passage at 32:47

33:03 Without the mud. There is no lotus. And we see the mud in the world. And I wonder where the lotus is. I look around and I see lots of lotuses. Report an error in the passage at 33:03

33:20 And we know that without difficulty, there is no awakening. Report an error in the passage at 33:20

33:29 The Buddha himself, how many lifetimes, countless, speaks of not escaping the mud, but of using it. Now, you might now begin to realize something, perhaps. The very challenges you resist, the people who upset you, the systems that seem unjust, they are not obstacles to our practice, are they? Report an error in the passage at 33:29

34:03 They are. Report an error in the passage at 34:03

34:10 I'm minded to think about the actions of those who we trust. With our children, for example, we hear about this regularly. Children who have been mercilessly abused by people who are actually supposed to care for them. Report an error in the passage at 34:10

34:24 Even in their religious institutions, the churches, The scouts, the kindergartens, the child care centers, the horrors that happen to children, in fact in families, when it seems like a normal family but the child has been traumatized. Every day I deal with children who are now adults who are still carrying the four-year I wonder if we can allow ourselves to notice where in our life the mud has become Our greatest teacher. Report an error in the passage at 34:24

35:07 Because it is not that we are powerless, it is that we choose to remain powerless. You see, we are owners of our actions. We are heirs to our choices. Report an error in the passage at 35:07

35:21 In a world where morality falters, it is tempting to point outward. If only they changed. If only society changed. If only my neighbors were different. If only my family was different. If only my son or my mother was different. If only our state leaders, our national leaders, our world leaders, Acted differently. We can all find examples of that. We hear from the Buddha, I am the owner of my actions. Report an error in the passage at 35:21

35:51 I am the heir to my actions. It is me. When we act from clarity, from kindness and wisdom, we create conditions where others can awaken too. Report an error in the passage at 35:51

36:08 There are cases, I'm sad to say, where there have been poor behaviors even within our monasteries. Report an error in the passage at 36:08

36:20 What action do we take? What action should we take? Should we point and blame and shout and scream? Or should we lead? Should we show by example? Should we show by the teachings and live the life that we are supposed to lead? That we can choose to lead? Because when we act from that clarity, when we act from that kindness, when we act with that wisdom, and notice the word I've repeated, act, we create conditions where others can awaken too. Report an error in the passage at 36:20

36:53 Responsibility doesn't mean walking with the whole weight of the world on our shoulders. It means being so deeply aligned with that compassion and truth that the world around us begins to shift. We can do this. Not because you fought it, not because I fought against it, but because I now become a mirror for what is possible. Report an error in the passage at 36:53

37:21 It's the individual and how we choose to act within. Our society, within our group, within our body of friends, it's our choice. Report an error in the passage at 37:21

37:37 Choices matter. Choices are seeds. The seeds become forests. Report an error in the passage at 37:37

37:47 Sometimes people ask, well, what can I do when the world feels too large? And here's the secret of the Buddha. Report an error in the passage at 37:47

38:00 This is what he offered. He said, each thought, each thought, each word, each word. Each action is a seed. Report an error in the passage at 38:00

38:17 This is the Buddha giving us the insight. Shall we plant seeds of anger and anger will grow? Shall we plant seeds of hate and hate will grow? Our thoughts, our words, our actions, our seeds. This is our power. Report an error in the passage at 38:17

38:41 And I wonder how much dust we need to wash from our eyes to realize. Rather than focusing on my own problems, I can wash them with the clear learnings that we all know, that we all believe, and that we practice. Wash our eyes. There'll be some dust there remaining, yes, of course. And then we can begin to manifest that which we can expect of ourselves, that we embody that which is good, that which is right, that which is clear, because we are moving to fulfill our potential. Report an error in the passage at 38:41

39:24 When others act without morality, our power is here, in the space between that stimulus and our response. Report an error in the passage at 39:24

39:36 It's like when we meditate and we find that peace between the world and the void and we begin to realize that here we are, floating in our existence, wondering how we move forward as we meditate. in that space of emptiness and realize that yes this is not just thoughts that remain thoughts not just words that remain words but they become seeds which I can then plant and grow that the tree becomes a forest so Report an error in the passage at 39:36

40:24 maybe the dust in our eyes is just a hint that we need action So it's not a bad thing, it's a good thing. And we can welcome that. Because once we begin to listen instead of arguing, once we choose to breathe rather than reacting, once we choose to meet even suffering with curiosity instead of fear, already we are becoming transformative in this world. Report an error in the passage at 40:24

40:56 I'll give you an example. Report an error in the passage at 40:56

41:00 I treat people who come to me who've done bad deeds. And I ask them, tell me, about yourself. I want to know more. And they'll sit and they'll say, you're not blaming me. I'm here for something which you don't want to give me and you're taking me on. Why are you listening to me? Report an error in the passage at 41:00

41:30 Because you are you and I want to share with you. I want to hear with you. I want to actually understand you. And the more I listen, the more I ask questions. This is in my clinical practice. It's astonishing how many of these people who've done bad things have suffered throughout their lives since their early childhood, how they have been beaten and abused and forgotten and maltreated and found their way through the world, not with love and kindness, but mastering hate and anger and resentment through their lives. Report an error in the passage at 41:30

42:13 and to find someone who actually accepts them and loves them with kindness, meta. Report an error in the passage at 42:13

42:21 I can Report an error in the passage at 42:21

42:29 choose. I can choose. Report an error in the passage at 42:29

42:37 To follow that path, to become another seed, to join the forest, to become trees which give fruits, which give seeds, which help others to grow. Report an error in the passage at 42:37

42:49 There are examples, are there not? Is it not our task, our duty? By doing this, we transform our world. Report an error in the passage at 42:49

43:03 So there is that lotus in the mud, and we accept that, we appreciate that, and realize that without the mud, there would be no lotus. And the river can be crossed and Report an error in the passage at 43:03

43:21 the raft is strong and the stones are there and the trees will grow and we can rise above that mud while staying rooted in that, rooted in compassion, rooted in love, rooted in kindness, loving kindness for all. Report an error in the passage at 43:21

43:48 So I wonder, I wonder if you began this evening imagining your own lotus? Report an error in the passage at 43:48

43:56 I wonder if you can sense how naturally that lotus can open and it reaches for the light without rejecting the roots. And Report an error in the passage at 43:56

44:16 this can give us pause. This can allow us to settle and take what we know in theory and turn it into practice because we act. We act. So let's return then and imagine. As a lotus, and the mud of the world surrounds us, it still be rise above that mud, unstained, that pure lotus. This isn't withdrawal. This isn't separating from the world. It's leadership of the heart. And by taking personal responsibility, this is who I am, by taking personal responsibility, we can, we do inspire others. Report an error in the passage at 44:16

45:05 Not with sermons, but with presence. Be. The Report an error in the passage at 45:05

45:16 more we turn towards our own practice, the more we become the very refuge we once sought. Verily I seek refuge. Report an error in the passage at 45:16

45:30 And perhaps the night after we leave, we can notice something different, a small shift in how we breathe, how we listen, how we choose. The Report an error in the passage at 45:30

45:49 world may not always be how we want it to be. Never is, as far as I'm concerned, but the path. The path is always there. I can choose to follow the path. How often have I chosen another path? How often is it so easy to find another path and forget that that lotus is actually me, to make other choices, to discard the seeds and just leave them to sit somewhere unprofitably? Report an error in the passage at 45:49

46:18 We all do this, do we not? And as we sit and as we turn away from this world, as we did this evening, and became withdrawn, Report an error in the passage at 46:18

46:31 And turn to who we really are. Allow ourselves to understand the power of that simple lotus of who we really are. The power of the mud to form us. The power of the river while it washes away that which is unhelpful and frightens us from crossing is the very challenge we need for rising to the occasion of being who we truly are. Report an error in the passage at 46:31

47:02 When we bring mindfulness to our actions, I do wish Ajahn Brahm was here to tell us about mindfulness, do we not? The wonderful learnings we got there. When we learn to rise and bring compassion to our everyday thoughts, and importantly, kindness to ourselves. Report an error in the passage at 47:02

47:29 Without kindness to ourselves, how can we be kind to our neighbours? We discover then the power we always carry. carry. It is always within us. It is always there. Report an error in the passage at 47:29

47:43 It may be covered at times, but it is always there. The lotus does not wait for the river to clear. The lotus blooms anyway. So may we be like that lotus, may we be grounded in the realities of this life, yet unstained by the sorrows, compassionate in our actions, fearless in our responsibilities. And boundless in our love. Report an error in the passage at 47:43

48:29 I wonder, very, very few simple thoughts. I'm sure we've all thought them as well. I was troubled preparing this short discourse tonight with all of the things I've seen in this last week and heard and felt and asked myself that very real question, what can I do? Report an error in the passage at 48:29

48:54 Am I good enough? Am I strong enough? I wonder what arose for you tonight in the meditation and the stories I've told. In the silences between the words, I'd like to give you the chance of just connecting with the thoughts that you've had tonight. Report an error in the passage at 48:54

49:14 And let us share any insights we have or questions you have about my life as a doctor, as a politician, or your experiences, how we are transforming the world, what we can do, the power we have, that we can go from here and feel that we do work, we do transform. Report an error in the passage at 49:14

49:38 We are. We are. My friends, I Report an error in the passage at 49:38

49:50 have to say thank you to all because allowing me to share with you my thoughts is a huge privilege. I thank you all for that. Report an error in the passage at 49:50