an Art of Dying fragment
There is a strong (and undeniable) spiritual parallel between the Buddhist Sangha and Our Prince’s Sea Organization. They are both congregations of harmonized belief. Harmonized, mutually supported and reinforced belief.
Fortified belief:
As I believe, you believe. As you believe, I believe. As I trust, you trust. As you trust, I trust. And if my belief, or trust, for whatever reason flags, I only need look your way to see (and drink in) your firm and in-no-way flagging belief and trust and so re-charge, un-flag mine.
I only have to look at my friends down there on the aft well deck, loading stores from our Portuguese chandler (whose large orange and white van is parked near the gangway for easy access), stocking up for our next voyage; I only have to see them smile and hear them banter and laugh to know their beliefs are strong and shared and beyond question. Seeing and knowing this I feel my own belief pulse in unison and, like the Phoenix, rise again and flex fresh, strong wings. Soaring again.
Ananda, the Buddha’s PA of many years, once suggested to the Buddha that the spiritual friendship of the Sangha was better than half of the holy life. Gotama Buddha corrected him and said that the spiritual friendship of the Sanga was more than that — it was all of the holy life.
