Sacred West

It took a few times coming to the Center to begin to grasp how much of what was happening was intentional, and dependent on the efforts of several people. Creating the container is a big thing. The public meditation sit has a timekeeper, and ideally a hallkeeper, and sometimes even a gatekeeper. All of this is to create a contained environment for meditators to give themselves up to their practice without need to consider anything else.

At that Level I that I never finished telling you about we had a Kasung practitioner present on Friday, and he gave a brief introduction to the Dorje Kasung, and the view of his role. I was glad to see this because I know the Mandala wants to enlarge the Kasung. I’d like to join myself. This is the ultimate perimeter of the container we consciously strive to create to hold the teachers and the students and the Dharma.

The Dorje Kasung are the true warriors, their slogan is Victory Over War. They are always awake and mindful, that’s their practice. I remember once at a program I staffed I was looking forward to sitting with the class, but the slot that opened was gatekeeper, and of course I took it, thinking just my luck. So I sat outside the shrine room, and discovered immediately that this was a high practice, to be guarding the door, in mindfulness meditation, with people coming and going. I had to be the example of dignity, and the reminder to the people to be soft. It was a wonderful experience. Kasung must be vast.