Chairs Homily – June 2025
This month I’d like to explore the twin topics of Diversity and Harmony and how these two factors can work together, or not.
The world in which we live is inherently diverse. Humans are a diverse bunch, we are all different. The evolution of the species, our species, in relation to our changing environment means that we are born similar but different to our parents. We are the combination of our parents and other hereditary traits and the conditions in which we find ourselves growing up in. Buddhism would also add to that mix, the karma-vipaka that maybe be associated with your new life, left over from some previous life or lifes. All these varied conditions combine to ensure that we are all unique and diverse, in large and small ways.
However, we still expect people to behave as we do, but as we are so diverse, that is unlikely to happen. We each act according to our conditions. In Buddhism we try to change and improve those conditioning factors, so that we can take some agency in how our lives play-out. This we see in the importance that ethics has in Buddhist teaching.
But there is another problem, we expect people to behave as we think we might behave, rather than how we would actually behave in any given situation. We often have an idealised view of our own actions, which can lead us to the path of ‘righteous indignation’; where we think that we are always in the right and are sticking to the precepts. At least to the level at which we understand them. But that is not always the case.
The Sangha in Ipswich is diverse. We encourage that diversity, and have tried to ensure that the Buddhist Centre offers a welcoming environment to all of those in Ipswich, whatever their background, gender, neurodiversity or one of the many categories in which society places people. About 10 years ago, when I first became Chair, we commissioned a Racial Diversity consultant to review the Centre. Their observations helped us increase one aspect of our diversity. I am sure there is more work to do in making us a more diverse Centre, and some of that work is in your hands.
Before moving onto look at Harmony I would like to rejoice in one of our Sangha who has recently been accepted to become a member of the Triratna Buddhist Order. That person is Sue Double who many of you will know from her support of classes and events at the Centre. It has been a few years, during Covid times, that we last had a women ordained in Ipswich so this is wonderful and inspiring news for us all in the Ipswich Sangha, and especially for all those women who have asked for Ordination. Saddhu!
Sue’s Ordination will take place in October so we will have to wait for a few months yet to see her wearing a shiny new kesa.
I have previously written about the ten vows that are taken at the ordination. These are an extension of the Five Precepts that we learn very early on, as we begin to delve into Buddhism. These 10 Precepts, taken by Order Members, include one that involves harmony. This is the seventh precept, “With harmonious communication, I purify my speech”.
So establishing Harmony is an important quality of an Order Member. This means working to ensure that those around them are harmonious, and not just in their speech but in the way that they relate to each other. If any Order Members are not in harmony then it has a very negative effect on the whole Sangha. Of the very few Centres that have closed it has mainly been because of dis-harmony amongst the Order Members, ‘a rift in the Sangha’, as it is often worded in the Pali Cannon.
But it is not just Order Members who have to work hard on Harmony, all members of the Sangha have to be aware of when dis-harmony arises and consider ways of working on re-establishing Harmony. In the spiritual life, there seems to be greater opportunity for falling out with one another, so working on Harmony needs to be a crucial part of our practice. So much so that it becomes second nature, it is just what we do, to bring about and maintain Harmony within the Sangha. The Sangha only really exists when it is in Harmony and works collectively for the spiritual benefit of all.
Hopefully, we can see that feeling like everyone should think and behave the same as you is not actually achievable and is not helpful. Harmony comes about when we accept people’s differences and learn to work collaboratively. This is often more difficult than just doing what you happen to think is the correct action to take in a particular situation. However, we are not really here for an easy life. It would be very dull if that was all there was. Arriving at a joint or consensus decision can take time and effort, but it is effort well worth spending. Because, out of that effort we not only get a good decision, we get friendship and harmony.
I have often said that I think the role of the Chair of a Buddhist Centre is to work on Harmony. To mend broken relationships and ensure spiritual friendship is the perfume that pervades the whole Sangha. The level of harmony of a Sangha, is the measure by which it should be judged.
In the Ten Pillars booklet by Urgyen Sangharakshita, which is essential reading for all those considering or working on the path to Ordination. Sangharakshita says this about harmonious speech:
The Buddha’s language here is very strong. One who observes the Seventh Precept does not merely abstain from malicious speech: he takes a positive delight in harmony, and it is because of this that `he utters speech which makes for harmony’, as when one tells somebody what good things a friend has said about him, or how he has defended him against criticism. From this it is evident that the positive counterpart of Abstention from Malicious Speech is not so much Harmonious Speech as Harmonising Speech, i.e. speech which transforms discord into harmony and raises the harmony that already exists between people to an even higher level. The applicability of this to the Spiritual Community should be obvious. The Seventh Precept is a pillar of opal. It is a pillar of opal, or of what is called precious or noble opal, because opal brings all the different colours of the rainbow together in a single gem, just as the Principle of Abstention from Malicious Speech, or of Harmonious – or Harmonising – Speech brings people of many different kinds together in a single society or community.
I started this piece by talking about Diversity, and exploring how infinitely diverse we humans are. So working towards Harmony means understanding this diversity and rejoicing in it, finding it beautiful. It means going beyond the narrow view that you are currently holding. Changing your view-point to that of other people, seeing more from their perspective and being open to new ideas, ideas from outside of oneself. We could think of it as ‘Other Power’ taking us beyond one’s limited Ego and self-view.
We can, with practice, be aware of our own negative reaction to other peoples ideas, perspectives and actions. Seeing maybe anger, envy or other negative emotions rise up in us. It takes effort, inner-strength and courage to replace that anger with interest and enthusiasm as we look to create harmony.
So by working on achieving harmony together, we are building a mutual self-transcendence. We are allowing the Bodhicitta to arise amongst our positive group, amongst our Sangha. In this way we can all move forward towards Enlightenment together, hand-in-hand following the Boddhisattva’s path.
All the Best
Bodhivamsa
