This morning a friend sent me a message: Birken was evacuated last night. Birken is Birken Forest Monastery, a Theravada Buddhist Monastery not far from Kamloops, perched on a hill, in an area where the wildfires are out of control. The last time I visited Birken was the summer of 2018. The whole coast was blanketed with smoke and the air quality in Victoria was worse than Mexico City. The drive from Vancouver Island towards the interior of the province seemed foolish, but I had been invited to come and record some of my stories, so I went. Now I am imagining the small community of monks and nuns and lay supporters, gathering their few belongings and getting out, leaving behind the structures that have housed them and countless guests over many years.
What do we put in our "to go" packs, in preparation for sudden departures? Beyond the material essentials, I started thinking about what is known as The Triple Gem - Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha.
It seems that each day is a new departure (not just a new arrival, as in Rumi's poem "The Guesthouse"). Each day we leave more of the familiar terrain of our lives behind, not just because of the truth of change, or because we are aging, or moving through different transitions in our lives, but because the climate emergency is real and the world is on fire.
To carry the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Sangha in our hearts, when we are forced to leave behind everything we hold dear, what might that look like?
Words can be a conduit to calm, resilience, faith, and energy. Words that hold a long association, through devoted repetition, can act as a protection from habits of fear and anxiety. They show themselves to be a guide in times of doubt and confusion.
I take refuge in the Buddha. I take refuge in wakefulness, in presence, in kindness and compassion.
May I summon the courage of the Buddha to meet this moment of my life.
I take refuge in the Dhamma. I take refuge in the way things are, in the teachings that reveal themselves in every moment. I take refuge in non-harming, in generosity, in mindfulness.
May I learn to let go, even as I engage in compassionate action for the good of all.
I take refuge in the Sangha. I take refuge in the awakened ones who have safeguarded the treasure of the Dhamma through the centuries and who safeguard it now. I take refuge in my community.
May I always remember that I am not alone. Caring for myself I care for others, and caring for others, I care for myself.
By deepening my connection to these familiar Pali words, by unravelling their meaning for me, I empower myself to remember the gifts I already have in my "to go" bag.
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