Sangha, 

Let us step into November together!

An invitation to again incline your mind toward the in and of-dwelling highest qualities of the human heart! These immeasurable states are said to be instinctual, and therefore basic, to our humanness. Each is equal in their belonging, like the four directions of a compass. In the language of Pali, used by the Buddha, they are referred to as the 4 sides or faces of the heart: metta (loving-kindness), karuna (compassion), mudita (empathic joy) and upekkha (equanimity). The Hindu deity Brahma (the archetype representing the totality of the divine) is said to dwell (vihārā) here, so they are commonly referred to as the Brahmavihārās, or “divine abidings.” Not surprisingly, Brahama is often depicted as having four faces. Just this past week, many of us had the inspiring opportunity to see ancient temples in Cambodia, adorned with the four faces of Brahma (see my photo above)!

According to Indo-Buddhist tradition, each moment presents an opportunity to take an appropriate and supportive action via the heart. We have the capactiy to think, speak and act in a skillful way that will steer us from the clinging and delusion that keeps us and others caught in unnecessary suffering. How we see the world matters. How we place our attention matters. How we think, feel and act, matters and will ultimately determine the quality of our lived experience. With a little bit of inspiration, intention and practice, we can train in our ability to incline our attention in a heart-centered and connected way. When heart-centered, we can more aptly connect to our agency or capacity to extend the faith and motivation required to repair, heal and socially harmonize with one another.

This month we bring our focus and practice to the third of the attitudes: mudita or empathic joy. There's no doubt that love is the work of mirroring and magnifying each others light. Seeing those we love in their confidence, relief and joy is a beautiful thing. We too are moved to be seen and to share when experiencing such confidence, relief and joy. Consider the last time you felt really lit up - who did you reach out to first to share it with? This said, in reality, there are conditions and circumstances where sharing joy is easy and those that it is not so easy. Emotions are all mixed up, each of us feeling on a spectrum, via an array of percentages. When talking about the four faces of the heart, it wouldn't be realistic to say that we are feeling 100% loving, joyful, positivity all the time. To be human is a dynamic thing. To be enlightened is to be available to the tapestry of reality, which is filled with paradox, and to then respond appropriately.

I want to share a story from our recent karma yoga retreat in Cambodia as a means to lightly illustrate mudita. As many of you know, a large group of sangha members spent a year getting ready to travel to Siem Reap to immerse in a landscape, with people, who share a tragic and beautiful history and present day. We were deeply moved to be as connected and as intentional as possible while there. We studied the history and culture. We sought to best understand the needs of the people in the communities we were staying. Under the guidance of Vanessa, we readied to provide funding, resources, love, learning and play at a school called ABCs and Rice. Being there for such a short period of time, we were motivated to be as instrumental as possible and stayed close in our communication with the founder and staff of the school so we could best provide the unique skills of each participating Heartling per their immediate needs. Each of us is unique; our own character, skill and motivations. Leading up to the trip, I felt some serious awe for the group's talents: makers, designers, healers, teachers, connectors... I myself waffled - was I able to provide a positive impact or was I producing more harm? In my heart of hearts, I knew that both were reality and tried my best to produce the least amount of negative impact possible. I tried my best to keep an open mind and heart, understanding that the best way to prepare was through presence so I could take appropriate action as it was needed.

Once we arrived, I became aware of what was needed and was particularly fascinated by the demand for medical care and supplies. We had a nurse on our team and I felt so grateful for her presence. I told her that I was both in awe of her skill and simultaneously self-conscious of my own. It seemed like such a paradox yet that was the reality. Flying home, there was a medical emergency on our flight. She was able to assist! I burst into tears. My heart was in awe again of her great talent to be such a profound resource on the spot. The next thought that entered my mind was a question, "do I need to change careers?" Followed by, "your skills and energy are not being put to good use." Followed by, "you'd likely not make it through nursing school." Insert mind training here. Thoughts noticed and gently disrupted. Feelings felt and breath deepened. This is where mudita plays a crucial role. Right there I was called to recognize that alongside any feelings arising around comparison, competition or scarcity, that I also had unlimited capacity for an open-hearted attitude of joy, appreciation and selflessness in the face of others successes. Cultivating mudita shows us how dynamic the human experience is and that we can feel and accept what appears to be conflicting emotions regarding our situation and the ever-shifting perception of it. Here's what I did next to foster compassion and to cultivate mudita (gratis for long plane ride):

1. I noticed the slippery slope that is absolute thinking and chose to disrupt the thought pattern so I could get a more realistic view.

2. I chose to practice gratitude for the situation, my friend and my own body, mind, and heart.

3. I chose to practice growing my innate capacity for compassion. This is my tireless wish for all to be well and free from harm. I could see that my care of humanity was bigger than any inner criticism or perceived difficulty.

4. I chose to tend to mudita where I could easily experience it and express it. I focused on my friend and let my heart grow in appreciation, respect and care for her, her hard work and skill.

5. I asked myself how I could feel inspired instead of threatened. Earlier in the week, a retreat guest made a point to remind me that I facilitated the coming together of 20 lives across the globe. Funny enough, I hadn't thought of my work in that light. What a gift to be so profoundly trusted. I took some time to consider how much fun and satisfaction had been born in the last year. I felt so in love with the opportunity - one to be treasured for all time. I took a few moments to revel in my own gifts and abilities. This grew into a mental slideshow of every person I hold dear - seeing them in their uniqueness, their talents and tireless capacity to be happy, free from harm and to be a living, breathing force for such in the world.

This my friends is the living and breathing world of the almighty ampersand or both/&! I am so humbled by this work. I am astounded by the capacity of the human heart and feel that much more dedicated to the path. I look forward to exploring this topic and teachings with you this coming month. It's an honor and for this I say thank you!

Hands to heart,

Meg Lucks

El Getsu En Dō | "Brilliant Moon, Way of the Circle"

​

​

Cambodia Karma Recap

Prior to heading to Cambodia, the Heart Revival community raised a total of $16,084! One million thank yous to this incredible sangha! This amount goes far in Cambodia and has made a tremendous impact for the staff and students at ABCs and Rice. Read below to hear how our donations impacted the school and see a few photos from our trip. We look forward to our return!

Of the $16,000+ raised…

• $6500 supports the full cost of the Dragons (senior) class, which includes teacher salary, giving every child the supplies that they need (books, pencils, notebooks etc.) and proving supplies for the classroom teacher

• $2040 will support a foster child for a year

• $200 towards maintenance of the 2 bathrooms

• $800 to reinforce the floors in two of the classrooms

• $620 for photo copying of work books and curriculum development

• $500 towards a new playground - ABCs prioritizes joy & play, in a place children often work

That leaves about $6,000 which equates to 8,690 kilos of rice. This rice covers 4 months of “reverse tuition”, an incentive provided by ABCs to families. This program encourages families to continue to send their children to school, rather than to work.