Relentless Respect

During MAPLE’s most recent Vesak celebration, we had the enormous good fortune to be visited by a fully ordained Tibetan nun, Reverend Bhikshuni Lozang Trinlae. Each Vesak, MAPLE has facilitate a lay ordination ceremony. This year, the Bhikshuni acted as our community’s lay ordination preceptor and facilitated the ceremony. Because of her ordination status and training, she is authorized to facilitate others in taking on the lay precepts or vows.

Lay ordination is an opportunity for the lay (non-monastic) Buddhist community to come into deeper relationship with the religion through taking on certain lifelong vows. These vows aren’t as elaborate or intense as those a full monastic would take, but they do signify a deep commitment to one’s path as a Buddhist and an inflection point along one’s spiritual path.

To receive this level of kindness and care from the Bhikshuni demanded the whole community step into a mind of reverence. This individual has dedicated her life to living by many precepts and uphold impeccable ethical conduct. The only appropriate way to honor this kind of dedication is a dedication towards service, kindness, and respect towards the Bhikshuni. Sometimes this is very easy, or obvious, for example holding the door, offering food or tea, giving the Bhikshuni your undivided attention, or bowing or prostrating. Yet, the respect should influence even the smallest of actions.

Towards the end of the evening, Soryu was to give a Dharma talk. Of course the Bhikshuni was invited to attend in the front row. Upon arrival, the Bhikshuni entered the building and needed to refold her robes. It was a simple matter ultimately, but the way Soryu was facing on his meditation cushion, he was directly facing her.

In a very subtle, non-verbal manner, Soryu began taking small actions to draw attention away from her as well as keep his eyes off of her as she rearranged her robes. Checking his watch, adjusting the meditation bell on the floor, adjusting his shawl, reading and writing notes, signaling a student to come over and whisper a question, etc. As I saw Soryu demonstrating this kind of kindness and respect to the Bhikshuni, I settled my gaze forward, allowing her uninterrupted privacy.

I recall as she walked to the front of the zendo for her seat in the talk, nothing about her attire seemed to change all that much. It really was just a rearrangement of her robes to meet the occasion, and yet Soryu, on principle, demonstrated the level of politeness and respect needed to appropriately meet someone of her caliber, a fully ordained Buddhist nun.