Here is a small teaching that I ran across recently that spoke to me. Particularly the two sentences in the middle "The purpose of the Dharma is to liberate all beings. To live the Dharma is to be immersed in that aspiration." I’ve been looking for guidance in what living the dharma really means, this helps.

Our temple is made up of individual lives that are unique. At each moment in our life, our attention is focused on what is, at that moment, important and relevant. Because our lives are different and our individual lives pass through many phases, what is important and relevant at any one moment will be different from the lives of others and other times in our own life. Within the sangha, our individual understanding and appreciation of the Dharma, at any moment, will vary greatly because of these differences. The Dharma, however, encompasses all of our diversity and more.

Within the Dharma it does not matter whether you’re Nikkei or non-Nikkei, gay or straight, young or old. Shakyamuni spoke to the common experience of living beings. The fears, anxieties, hopes and aspirations we all share. The purpose of the Dharma is to liberate all beings. To live the Dharma is to be immersed in that aspiration.

The Dharma is not a static thing. It transforms us and expresses itself through our lives. Each moment we consciously live the Dharma is a moment of deepening appreciation.

~ Rev. G. Sakamoto Sensei,
www.fogbank.com