In light of the struggles I have seen with Chris and Stephanie trying to get some sort of sangha-wide community service project going it occurs to me that doing so is sort of like herding cats. Why is it so difficult to get us all lined up behind one idea and then go act on it? We are great at talking about it, but when it comes to action it seems we end up with paralysis by analysis. Why is that?

Are we too diverse? We are literally all over the world, which means vast distances and social environmental differences, but is it so much so that it becomes impractical to act as One?

Is it the medium? Is it because this sangha is based on and in the Internet that we can't come together as One? Do face-to-face sanghas have this kind of struggle when it comes to deciding on and carrying out a group action?

Is it the individualist nature of our Zen practice? Do we spend so much time looking at our own lives that we can't get more involved in our group life outside of this cocoon we call Treeleaf?

Is it the messenger? Would we be more willing to act as One if Jundo or Taigu, our designated and respected leaders, says this is what we are going to do? But when someone in the rank and file makes a similar call to action we balk because they don't hold the same level of authority?

Or is it the message? Are the ideas just not that good? Or do we give up on ideas too soon because we are so good at finding the flaws in them. Are we waiting for the perfect idea? We know there is no such thing, right? But is that an excuse not to act on any idea?

Is this even a problem? Is it even an issue that we have such a hard time coming to some sort of consensus on a community action project? Is it okay if we keep doing our own small things in our own small communities? Do we even need a group project?

Is it all of the above? Is it something other than the above?

I don't know the answer to any of these questions, but they seem like good questions to ask. I think we need to look at ourselves, as a group, and reflect on these questions whether we come to any answers or not.