triratnanews

This June we're celebrating Manjusvara's life and work at Windhorse Publications

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 16:00:20 -0400

Manjusvara, author of Writing Your Way and The Poet’s Way would have been 60 this month so we’ve decided to dedicate it to celebrating his life and all that he created.

Manjusvara co-led Wolf at The Door writing workshops from 1997 until his death in 2011, and his two guides to creative writing, Writing Your Way (published in 2005) and The Poet’s Way (published in 2010), emerged from this work. This month, two previously unpublished works by Manjusvara are also being released: Lost and Found, a collection of his poems, and a detective novel, the The Deal Runner.

Over the next few weeks we’re going to share excerpts from Manjusvara’s books and tributes from his colleagues and friends, and we’d like to encourage you to contribute as well. Perhaps you have a favourite poem of Manjusvara’s or a memory that you’d like to share with us? We’d love to hear from you.

With best wishes from the Windhorse Publications team: Priyananda, Michelle and Hannah

‘Writing Your Way‘ and ‘The Poet’s Way‘ are available to purchase from the Windhorse Publications website. ‘Lost and Found‘ and ‘The Deal Runner‘ are available from Amazon and www.lulu.com

Adhisthana announces plans for August Celebration and Dedication

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 15:43:00 -0400

Vidyatara writes with news of the plans for the public opening and dedication of Adhisthana, Triratna’s new ‘central’ UK retreat centre and home of Sangharakshita. She says - “Members of the Order and Movement worldwide are invited to be part of the celebration and dedication of Adhisthana. The two day event will take place on the weekend of 3 and 4 August, with a day for Order members only on Saturday 3 August and one for the Movement on Sunday 4 August. The programmes for the events are outlined below. Children are welcome on both days”.

For more information, including directions and public transport information, please visit the Events Page on the Adhisthana website. We are also asking people to use this page to indicate their interest in participating and to book accommodation for the weekend.

The timetable for the two days is as follows -

Order Celebration and Dedication Event - 3 August
10.00am Arrive
10.30am Meditation
12.00pm Talk
1.00pm Lunch
2.00pm Talk
3.00pm Rejoicing and Dedication Ceremony
5.30pm Finish
There will be guided tours of Adhisthana at 10.00am, 11.00am, 12.00pm and 2.00pm

Movement Celebration and Dedication Event - 4 August
11.00am Meditation
12.00pm Talk
1.00pm Lunch
2.15pm Talk
3.00pm Rejoicing and Dedication Ceremony
5.30pm Finish
There will be guided tours of Adhisthana at 11.00am, 12.00pm and 2.15pm

For those unable to travel to Adhisthana, ClearVision will be recording the event, and we are developing a ritual which will invite overseas centres to send something to Adhisthana to be incorporated on the day - details to be announced! See more background info on Adhisthana and the story so far.

Men’s ordinations at Guhyaloka - The Secret Valley

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:48:58 -0400

In Spain every year, in a secret valley, men travel to be initiated into the Triratna Buddhist Order over the course of a four-month retreat…

If you missed them, here’s news of the recent women’s ordinations, also at a beautiful hidden location in the Spanish mountains!

The Public Preceptors are pleased to announce that the following men were publicly ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order on Monday 10th June 2013 at Guhyaloka Retreat Centre in Spain:

Public Preceptor Moksananda
Martin Silva Nava becomes Amalasiddhi. A Sanskrit name meaning “He who accomplishes the Stainless”.
Private Preceptor Arthapriya.

Mario Anselmo Peña Trujillo becomes Viryakirti (line over the first and second i). A Sanskrit name meaning “Renowned for Energy in Pursuit of the Good”.
Private Preceptor Virasiddhi.

Public Preceptor Arthapriya
Adam Berrisford becomes Jnanadeva (accent over the first n, line over the second a). A Sanskrit name meaning “Deva of Knowledge”.
Private Preceptor Maitreyabandhu.

Andrew Wilkinson becomes Jnanabhasa (accent over the first n, line over the first and third a). A Sanskrit name meaning “He who is a Light of Knowledge”.
Private Preceptor Tejananda.

Bill Park becomes Suvarnamanas (dot under the first n). A Sanskrit name meaning “He whose mind is like Gold”.
Private Preceptor Suriyavamsa.

Graham Patterson becomes Manidhara (dot under the n). A Sanskrit name meaning “Bearer of the Jewel”.
Private Preceptor Manjumitra.

Graham Tooth becomes Vimoksaja (dot under the s, Westernized spelling Vimokshaja). A Sanskrit name meaning “Born to Liberation”.
Private Preceptor Jinapalita.

James Turnbull becomes Akasamitra (line over first and second a, acute accent over the s, Westernized spelling Akashamitra). A Sanskrit name meaning “Friend of Infinite Space”.
Private Preceptor Jnanavaca.

Johan Stake becomes Bodhisakta. A Sanskrit name meaning “He who is intent on Enlightenment”.
Private Preceptor Satyaraja.

Matthew Widdowson becomes Sthanasraddha (line over first a, acute accent over second s, Westernized spelling Sthanashraddha). A Sanskrit name meaning “He whose faith and confidence is strong and firm”.
Private Preceptor Saddharaja

Obafemi Adewumi becomes Nandaraja (line over the third a). A Sanskrit name meaning “King of all Joys”.
Private Preceptor Jnanavaca.

Peter Chandler becomes Amalabandhu. A Sanskrit name meaning “Kinsman of the Stainless”.
Private Preceptor Arthapriya.

Sean Quigley becomes Ratnadeva. A Sanskrit name meaning “Deva of the Jewels”.
Private Preceptor Kamalasila.

Sebastian Beaumont becomes Maitrivajra (line over the second i). A Sanskrit name meaning “He who is a Diamond/Thunderbolt of Loving Kindness”.
Private Preceptor Jnanottara.

Shaun Bhattacherjee becomes Munissara. A Pali name meaning “Lord of Sages”.
Private Preceptor Ratnaprabha

Mike Osgood becomes Vimalamoksa (dot under the s, Westernized spelling Vimalamoksha). A Sanskrit name meaning “Pure Liberation”.
Private Preceptor Shantinayaka.

Helping the first Polish-Ukrainian-Russian retreat

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:31:17 -0400

Suvannavira teaches the Dharma in Moscow. He writes:

In an exciting new development for Central/Eastern Europe, Saddhaloka (UK) and Nityabandhu (Poland) are leading the first Triratna retreat for our sanghas in Russia, Poland and the Ukraine. The retreat will take place at the end of July, in Poland.

We need the help of a translator, and this is where you can help. Could you meet some of the travel costs for Jenya Lipilina, a mitra who has asked for Ordination in Moscow, to come and translate for Saddhaloka and retreatants from Odessa and Moscow?

We’d like to raise half her total costs of 350GBP, or 175 GBP. (Her flight to Poland costs around 250 GBP, and the visa costs 100 GBP.)

Donations can be made from anywhere in the world by credit/debit card card using Just Giving.

Please reference your donation “Polish retreat” in the comments box.

Thank you. Every little bit helps!

Suvannavira

Indian computer heroines make good!

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:15:11 -0400

Shakyajata lives most of the year in Manchester, UK. However, she spends her winters in India, helping young people training at the Aryaloka Computer Education project run by Aryaketu.

Shakyajata writes:
Six young women trained at Aryaloka Computer Education’s third branch in Bhilgaon, Nagpur, recently completed their training. After a brief visit to their home villages, in a matter of days five of these Chhattisgarhi women came together again in the state capital of Raipur and formed a new community in rooms leased to them by Amrutratna, their mentor and friend, in his family home.

In less than a week, to my utter astonishment (felt quite faint, when I heard!) they had all found work, all in the same office, doing Photoshop work at a decent starting salary.

With impressive ingenuity they managed to communicate with me from their village: by phone using a mobile-to-landline translated voice message; and then by email, presumably from an internet café. It was a staggering message, heartwarming in its clarity and commitment. Working full time, they are spending their weekends communicating their Dhamma knowledge and sharing their computer skills with other mitras in Raipur and environs.

A sixth young woman came from the even more impoverished state of Bihar. With the support of Aryaketu’s family and other Aryaloka ex-trainees, she has coped with the awful grief of missing her grandmother’s death, and is now teaching at the Aryaloka Computer Education Institute herself.

The heroic qualities of these young women beggar belief. From poor families (some arriving with their clothes full of holes), with no prospect of career development in their home state, they have created a new life for themselves. This they have done through their own efforts, with support from Young Indian Futures, the Triratna sangha in India, and most of all, the example of Dr B.R. Ambedkar and his vision of the Dhamma Revolution.

Furthermore, they have opened a doorway for other young women facing a life of poverty, discrimination and drudgery.

Six more young women from Chhattisgarh villages have already been selected for the next Aryaloka computer training community. Big congratulations to them all.

Inspired? Please support Young Indian Futures!

A beautiful encounter: Dantacitta shares her experience of week...

Thu, 13 Jun 2013 12:04:57 -0400

A beautiful encounter: Dantacitta shares her experience of week one on the Karuna Green Tara Appeal

In this delightful blog, Dantacitta shares her experience of starting a Karuna doorknocking appeal.

She speaks really movingly about an encounter with a stranger whilst out doorknocking. This perfectly captures the magic, mystery and power of a Karuna doorknocking appeal.

Please send the ‘Magnificant Seven’ your well-wishing via the Karuna Fundraisers Facebook page.

To find out more about the powerfully transformative impact of Appeals and our work in India please visit the Karuna Appeals website.

DharmaJiva project builds bridges between East and West

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 16:09:11 -0400

Viradhamma writes from North America with news of the DharmaJiva project - an exciting project looking to build bridges between American Buddhist Sanghas and the Buddhist revival in India. He says:

“I would like to let you know a bit about what is happening with the Buddhist revival in India and the work we are doing with the DharmaJiva project. Most people in Triratna are aware of how the Dharma has returned to India in the last 60 years, but this movement is largely unknown among other Buddhist groups in the West. In my trips to India I see a dynamic movement and I’ve attended public events with hundreds and sometimes even thousands and tens of thousands of people. Unfortunately, the new Indian Buddhists are very poor and they get little support or attention from people in Asia and the West.

Triratna is one of the largest and most important Buddhist groups working in India today, with dozens of centers, social projects and retreat centers. It plays a very special role by supporting Dr. Ambedkar’s original vision of social transformation based on Dharmic principles.

The Buddhist revival faces huge challenges, but it has the potential to show that Buddhist ideas and values can change society as well as individuals. If it can reduce and eliminate a deeply-ingrained system like caste oppression it will provide an inspiring example for Buddhists around the world. Through the DharmaJiva project we are working to raise awareness of what is happening in India.

In particular, we are trying to connect with other Buddhist sanghas and encourage Buddhists from all traditions to visit India and see for themselves what is happening. The Order Members I know in India say that it is very important for people from the West to come and experience the Buddhist revival first-hand. In the past two years we have taken two groups with a total of twenty-two people to see the meditation centers, social projects and community centers run by Triratna in central and north India. Participants had an opportunity to meet with Sangha members and learn about the reality of their daily life, the Indian social system and the challenges of reviving Buddhist practice. They also visited places where the Buddha lived and taught including Sarnath and Bodh Gaya. Although India can be a difficult place to travel, everyone who has participated in these groups has been deeply inspired by the experience. We are currently planning a two-week trip in October, and a three-week trip in February 2014. Of course not everyone can travel to India, but there’s other ways to participate:

First, many of the people who participate in our pilgrimages learn about them through word-of-mouth. If you know people or groups who might be interested in visiting India please let them know about our upcoming tours. Mentioning the trips on blog posts or in Facebook and other social media has been very effective.

Second, we are very interested in meeting representatives of Buddhist sanghas in North America and giving public talks. If you have friends or contacts in other Buddhist groups it would be very helpful to us in our work. It turns out that having a personal introduction is very helpful in “getting in the door.” Contacts would be especially useful in San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, Boston and New England.
Third, please take a moment to look at our website (www.DharmaJiva.org) and the website for Nagaloka (www.Nagaloka.org.) These sites provide a good overview of the Indian Buddhist revival and the Triratna training center at Nagaloka.

If you have any questions or ideas please feel free to contact me. Thank you very much for your help.

With Metta, Viradhamma (www.DharmaJiva.org)

Ordinations at Akashavana

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 16:06:44 -0400

We’re delighted to report the first of several batches of ordinations into the Triratna Buddhist Order. Parami writes from Spain saying - “On behalf of the Public Preceptors, I’m delighted to inform you that the ten women on the Akashavana course were privately ordained over two days: 29th & 30th May. The public Ordinations took place on Monday 3rd June at 11am local time”.

Bernadette Gee becomes Sraddhadharani (acute accent over ‘s’, long second and third ‘a’s, dot below ‘n’, and long final ‘i’), a Sanskrit name meaning ‘she who possesses faith and confidence’. Westernised spelling: Shraddhadharani. Private Preceptor: Kalyanavaca.

Helen McConville becomes Vimalanandi (long third ‘a’, and long final ‘i’), a Sanskrit name meaning ‘she who delights in purity’. Westernised spelling: Vimalanandi. Private Preceptor: Gunasiddhi.

Annie Leatt becomes Dhammamegha (long final ‘a’), a Pali name meaning ‘she who has a cloud of the Dhamma’. Westernised spelling: Dhammamegha. Private Preceptor: Ratnadharini.
(Public Preceptor for the above was Parami)

Julia Driscoll becomes Muditakari (long first ‘a’, and long final ‘i’), a Sanskrit name meaning ‘she who creates gladness’. Westernised spelling: Muditakari. Private Preceptor: Suchitta.

Maya Simson becomes Sridaya (acute accent above the ‘s’, long ‘i’, and long final ‘a’), a Sanskrit name which means ‘she whose radiance is her kindness’. Westernised spelling: Shridaya. Private Preceptor: Sridevi.
(Public Preceptor for the above was Ratnadharini)

Anne Monaghan becomes Dayapurna (long second ‘a’, long ‘u’, dot under the ‘n’, and long final ‘a’), a Sanskrit name meaning ‘she who is filled with compassion’. Westernised spelling: Dayapurna. Private Preceptor: Sihapada.

Vicky Forman becomes Sumnadipa (long ‘i’ and long final ‘a’), a Sanskrit name which means ‘she who possesses a lamp of benevolence and grace. Westernised spelling: Sumnadipa. Private Preceptor: Dharmottara.

Kay Chaloner becomes Alokasanna (long first ‘a’, tilde over both ‘n’s, and a long final ‘a’), a Pali name which means ‘she who perceives light’. Westernised spelling: Alokasanna. Private Preceptor: Dharmottara.
(Public Preceptor for the above was Dayanandi)

Nancy Muir becomes Jinamati, a Pali name which means ‘she whose mind is on the Victorious Ones’. Westernised spelling: Jinamati. Private Preceptor: Ratnadharini.

Annemieke Vellema becomes Viryamani, (long first and final ‘i’s and a dot under the ‘n’), a Sanskrit name which means ‘jewel of energy in pursuit of the good’. Westernised spelling: Viryamani. Private Preceptor: Vajragita.
(Public Preceptor for the above was Padmasuri)

SADHU!

Elsewhere in Spain, the Private Ordinations of the men attending the 4 month Guhyaloka retreat are taking place between Friday 31st May and Thursday 6th June. The Public Ordination ceremony - by invitation only - will take place at 12pm local Spanish time on Monday 10th June.

Buddhafield celebrate new event - Green Earth Awakening

Fri, 31 May 2013 15:58:41 -0400

Green Earth Awakening is a new Buddhafield event held for the first time in late May 2013. Not a retreat and not a festival, it brought together Buddhists, social change activists, craftspeople, families, children - over 140 in total - to a beautiful site in Devon,UK, for “a chance to connect with the land, re-learn forgotten skills and live communally, exploring practical and spiritual pathways towards a sustainable future”.

It was a bold vision, with no one quite knowing beforehand what would happen - what manifested, in fact, was a wide range of craft workshops, many social change workshops and ecology talks, meditation, rituals and Dharma talks plus generous time and space for quality meetings and conversations… all complemented by a ‘sharecare’ kid’s area, storytelling, poetry and acoustic music around the camp-fire at night. And of course the magical Full Moon of May, offering a chance to remember the Buddha and his Enlightenment.

In the Audioboo Rosie - its main organiser and visionary - reflects on its success and her dreams for its future - all present agreed it had to happen again! Before that though, comes the rest of the Buddhafield programme: the 18th Buddhafield Festival, the Family-Friendly retreat, the Total Immersion retreat, and lots more - check the Buddhafield website for details…

Sangharakshita’s diary, May 2013

Thu, 30 May 2013 18:17:00 -0400

This month Ashvajit writes for the first time with a round-up of Sangharakshita’s health and activities during the past month, following his recent move to Adhisthana, his new home and headquarters near Malvern in the UK. He says -

“The past month has seen Vidyaruchi depart both in his capacity as Bhante’s Secretary and as resident of Adhisthana. Bhante has appreciated both his secretarial work over several years and his service as lunchtime cook, and wishes him well in his next venture. Bhante’s health continues to be variable, but continues a slow upward trend, with increasing periods of wakefulness and interest in his correspondence. He takes regular exercise by walking up and down periodically in the ‘Urgyen Annexe’ at Adhisthana.

Meanwhile the sudden access of summery weather has come and gone, one hopes temporarily, and noises of building are gradually subsiding as the work at Adhisthana draws slowly but surely towards a conclusion. I, together with Buddhadasa as assistant secretary, have taken over from Vidyaruchi, while I prepare Bhante’s lunches.

Bhante is still unable to see people as he did previously, but has had the pleasure recently of seeing just a few old friends for a few minutes when they visited Adhisthana.”.

Meanwhile, at Adhisthana, work is progressing rapidly as they work towards the grand opening in early August. Check the photos for a sense of the task they face!

PS - our apologies for inadvertently publishing, in a previous version of this post, a report on Bhante’s activities from 2012.

Eknath Awad - one of India's most respected Dalit leaders visits Karuna

Thu, 30 May 2013 18:13:01 -0400

Last week at Karuna we received an important visitor from India, Eknath Awad. In a moving talk held at the North London Buddhist Centre to an audience including the Karuna team, Karuna supporters and volunteer fundraisers, Eknath described his life.

Born an ‘untouchable’ in the mang caste, Eknath started his life as a bonded labourer. He described how because of their ‘low-caste’ status his family had to perform the most menial and degrading jobs such as removing human waste and dead animals from the village. Eknath is now one of the most prominent and respected Dalit leaders in India.

It was a rare opportunity to hear how he has liberated himself from caste oppression, and his work leading the Campaign for Human Rights, which is realising Dr Ambedkar’s vision in the Marathwada region, one of the most caste-ridden and patriarchal areas of India.

Eknath shared what it means to him to be Buddhist. He described how Dalit and other ‘low-caste’ communities cannot enter temples yet dogs and cats are allowed in. This is why he is so inspired by the Buddha’s radical vision that enlightenment is a possibility for all human beings.

He also spoke about the importance of Dr Ambedkar’s unique vision, his revolutionary contribution and his radical approach to gender, by encouraging low-caste communities to shake off the ‘hell of caste’.

Karuna is a Triratna charity and has been supporting India’s Dalit community for over 30-years. We send £1 million every year to India supporting grassroots organisations to overcome caste discrimination.

Triratna's International Council launches web space

Thu, 23 May 2013 15:00:00 -0400

The Buddhist Centre Online has become home to the new public web space for Triratna’s International Council. Vidyatara, Secretary to the Council, writes saying - “The web space is one way in which the Council is engaging more actively with the Order and the Movement about the work it is undertaking on behalf of the Triratna Buddhist Community”. And Dhammarati, Chair of the Triratna International Council, said that the space was designed not only to inform but also give a sense of its membership and spirit, through interviews, videos, talks and photographs.

“The space holds information about the aims, guiding principles and working practices of the Council, together with Minutes and outlines of the two International Council meetings,” he said. “Through some of the mixed media it also features the Council membership which I think makes the work of the Council more personal and relevant.”

To stay engaged and connected with what’s happening on the Council, you’re invited to visit the space and them simply clicking the ”+ follow” tab on the home page (If you aren’t a site member yet, you’ll be invited to join first). Then you’ll get email summaries every time a new post is added and in your ‘My Sangha’ space.

A quick look at the Second Meeting of the Triratna International Council
The most recent postings on the site relate to the second International Council meeting, which was held in India earlier this year, prior to the International Order Convention. Vidyatara offers a short summary of what happened, saying -

“The second meeting of the Triratna International Council took place in February this year in Nagpur, India, under the compassionate gaze of Nagaloka’s 36ft gold walking Buddha. From 16-22 February, this truly international gathering brought together 29 Order members from nine countries representing the three Strands of the Triratna Buddhist Community - the Preceptors’ College, the Order and the Movement), and the six Areas in which Triratna has a presence. For more background on all these, see the article ‘How Triratna Works’ available elsewhere on this site.

Dhammarati compared this second meeting (the first was held at Padmaloka in 2011) to a rock band releasing its second album. The second effort is a test of whether the group will be of lasting importance or amount to little more than an interesting one-off. If the evaluation responses from the meeting’s participants are anything to go by, then the Triratna International Council looks set to continue contributing to the Triratna Community well into the future: some 86% of participants rated their overall satisfaction with the meeting as “very satisfied” and 14% as somewhat satisfied. Three quarters or more “strongly agreed” and “agreed” that the meeting had 1) achieved the International Council’s aims, 2) were clearer about the role of the International Council going forward and 3) individuals were clearer about their roles as communicators and connectors between their Area/Strand and the wider Triratna community.

Focus
The focus of the gathering was to learn about, discuss, reflect on and try to get clarity around a range of issues of importance to the Triratna Community, as identified by International Council members through consultation with the Order and the Movement in their Area. This work has provided a basis for International Council members to take those conversations and discussions back to the Order and the Movement around the world to engage with and build on.

To provide the balance between work and practice at the meeting, each day included periods of collective meditation and devotional practice as well as whole-group discussion sessions and smaller group discussions. There were also opportunities for people to meet in Area and Strand groups.

Time was set aside to allow the western participants to get more of a sense of the context in which our Indian brothers and sisters practice, with visits to a girls’ hostel and to Diksha Bhumi – the site at which Dr Ambedkar and over 380,000 of his followers converted to Buddhism in 1956.

Themes
The issues that were brought forward to the Council for discussion were grouped into seven themes, of which three were considered by all Council participants and the remaining four, together with two topics raised by the Indian Area were considered by small groups during ‘Open Space’ sessions.

The three themes considered by the whole Council were:
· Intensity of practice – collective and personal;
· Ethical standards; and
· Leadership in Transition.

The four ‘Open Space’ themes were:
· Growth and development;
· Ordination training;
· Finance/Care of older Order members; and
· Communicating Triratna.

The Indian Area topics focused on how westerners teach the Dharma in India and how the west can make informed decisions about raising funds for projects in India.

Actions
By the last day of the meeting the discussions had resulted in 38 separate actions related to these themes. These were priortised by the whole meeting and the three Strands then each developed Priority Action Plans to address specific issues.

These Priority Action Plans, together with detailed information about the meeting itself and day-to-day activities, an executive summary of the meeting, talks, interviews and photographs are all available on the Triratna International Council web space:

www.thebuddhistcentre.com/internationalcouncil.

Next steps
The Triratna International Council Steering group, which meets 3-4 times a year, will monitor the work on the Priority Action Plans and progress will be reported on the Triratna International Council web space.

Buddhist Action Month is coming! (UK)

Wed, 22 May 2013 15:53:33 -0400

July sees the UK’s second annual Buddhist Action Month, with the environmentaltheme Earthkind.

Earthkind is a great opportunity for Buddhists of all traditions to get together and volunteer for the good of their local communities.

Centred on the festival of Dharma Day, BAM:Earthkind promotes local actions on environmental themes: organise a talk, a neighbourhood litter-pick, a tree planting, a nature walk or whatever else you can think of!

How about an Earthkind medmob? Using social media, a horde of people agree to descend on a local public space at a given time, clear it up and then stage a public meditation.

Earthkind highlights issues around climate change, reduction of energy consumption, improving local environments and reduction of Buddhists’ carbon footprints.

Organised by the Network of Buddhist Organisations UK, it’s part of a year-long series of projects organised by all major faith groups in the UK. Last year’s Buddhist Action Day followed the same theme and was such a success (largely because of Triratna involvement) the NBO thought they’d make it a month this year, on the same theme.

Dharma Day marks the Buddha’s first discourse after his Enlightenment. Like Earthkind, it emphasises Right Action, to encourage the development and expression of wisdom and compassion for our world and the welfare of all living beings.

Set up your own local event
Facebook See the Earthkind Facebook page for support, resources and inspiration and find out what’s happening in your area. Share ideas with other groups and advertise your events!

Earthkind Event Starter Pack A simple guide on how to set up your event, including an Event Planning Tool, event ideas, and a poster to assist with promotion.

Free online video See Clear Vision’s Us and Them materials using the Four Sangrahavastus to look at social issues including the environment, from a Buddhist perspective.

Support & advice For advice on getting started, project ideas, a copy of the Earthkind Event Starter Pack, or to discuss your ideas please message us via the Facebook page.

Good luck with your project!
Together we can make BAM:Earthkind 2013 an even bigger success than 2012!

Buddhafield Week On The Buddhist Centre Online - Part 1

Fri, 17 May 2013 17:54:42 -0400

Over the next seven days or so on The Buddhist Centre Online we’re celebrating one of the most significant developments in the Triratna Buddhist Community to happen in the last 20 years. Buddhafield is more than just an annual Festival (though a quite amazing one!) - it’s a distinctive, radically alternative way of living in and relating to the world. And, in the run-up to their new Green Earth Awakening Camp, we want to share the sights, sounds, philosophy and experience of Buddhafield with you.

Join the site or loginthen + Follow this spaceto keep up to date with the latest from Buddhafield Week, Part 1.

Book now for Green Earth Awakening!

We’ll be bringing you a flavour of Buddhafield’s spirit, the community they are building, the challenges they face, the events they run, and their importance to the wider Triratna sangha that holds Buddhafield dear as an essential part of their practice lives. And we’ll be back later in the summer with Part 2 leading in to the main summer Festival itself, an event not to be missed!

Listen to talks from and about Buddhafield

About Buddhafield
“In Mahayana scripture the word buddhaksetra, which literally translates as ‘Buddha-field’, indicates ‘the field of influence of a Buddha’. Buddhafield obviously refers to that as well, but actual fields - green ones, sometimes muddy ones! - are at the heart of it. (So far these have been mostly English fields, though the phenomenon is spreading with new developments springing up in Holland and New Zealand, and a few other first stirrings elsewhere.) Buddhafield is the Triratna Buddhist Community as lived in the great outdoors, amongst the elements. It consists of practitioners who, from freezing January through to the end of autumn, conduct Dharma activities on the land.

It’s a way of practising Buddhism that has a noble precedent: the Buddha himself lived and taught on the land. For most of his long life, he wandered here and there at the edge of society, meditating, reflecting, and communicating his Enlightenment. Even during the monsoon rains, the period for intense meditation retreat, his community didn’t shelter in conventional buildings but meditated in leaf huts or caves. Likewise those attending a Buddhafield retreat meditate in tents, yurts, benders, geodesic domes, under the open sky and under trees…”

Kamalashila, Buddhafield’s President

Photographs copyright and courtesy Mim Saxl: www.mimsaxl.com

Full time vacancy for a Programmes Manager at Karuna

Tue, 14 May 2013 12:38:00 -0400

Karuna is a dynamic Buddhist charity formed in 1980 as the Triratna Buddhist Community’s response to the suffering of India’s Dalit community. We work with some of India’s most disadvantaged and discriminated people, sending more than £1 million every year to India. Our partners enable Dalit and tribal communities to fulfill their potential through social and Dharma projects. Karuna is a vibrant and dynamic organisation and that offers an amazing opportunity to transform both self and the world!

We currently have a full time vacancy for a Programmes Manager

The successful candidate will be responsible for managing a portfolio of grassroots projects in India. Previous management experience is preferred. The role is based in the Programmes Team whose vision is to support and empower the Dalit community to meet their needs, access their rights, and participate fully in society.

This role is a great opportunity to deepen your Dharma practice the within the context of a Triratna Team Based Right Livelihood. We offer a generous and flexible support package including pension contributions. For the full Job Description and Person Specification please contact Chandrasurya in full confidence on 020 7697 3009 or email csp @karuna.org. Closing date for applications is Monday 3 June.

Karuna are recruiting volunteer fundraisers for a phone campaign...

Mon, 13 May 2013 12:50:19 -0400

Karuna are recruiting volunteer fundraisers for a phone campaign starting on 3rd June running for 6-weeks until 12th July. Full training in Karuna’s unique fundraising approach will be provided. Reasonable expenses will be covered as well as a retreat allowance.

Bryan Hamilton from the LBC shares his inspiration, motivation and experience of doing a Karuna phone campaign in conversation with Nisha (who’ll be leading the campaign).

Karuna is dynamic Buddhist charity formed in 1980 as the Triratna Buddhist Community’s response to the suffering of India’s Dalit community. We work with some of India’s most disadvantaged communities, sending more than £1 million every year to India. Our partners enable Dalit and tribal communities to fulfill their potential through social and Dharma projects. Karuna is a vibrant and dynamic organisation.

Doing a phone campaign is an amazing opportunity to transform both self and the world!

Please contact Nisha on 0207 700 3434 or email her nisha [at] karuna [dot] org as soon as possible.

Friend us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/karuna.fundraisers

To find out more about Phone Campaigns visit http://www.appeals.karuna.org/index.php/telephone-campaigns.html

Karuna video channel on Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/freefromcaste/videos

Touching the Earth - New Buddhist Music by Bodhivajra

Wed, 08 May 2013 09:58:16 -0400

Dayabhadra writes to say: “The Triratna Choir goes on tour in May! The first concert is on Saturday 18th May at the London Buddhist Arts Centre, with a performance of ‘Touching the Earth’ . Performed by the Triratna Choir and Bodhivajra on piano, this is an exciting new piece, written by Bodhivajra, which dramatically re-tells the story of the Buddha’s Enlightenment.

The choir will also be performing the winning compositions from the last two Triratna composer’s competitions, by Graham Patterson and Vipulakirti. Additionally, the concert will feature performances from Stephen Svanholm, baritone, accompanied by Akashadeva on piano and Bodhilila on viola, accompanied by Vishvantara on piano.

Other tour dates include:

Anteros Arts Foundation, Norwich Sunday 19th May 3.30pm

Birmingham Buddhist Centre, Saturday 25th May 3pm

Sheffield Buddhist Centre, Sunday 26th May 2pm (to celebrate Buddha Day, full moon May 2013)

Video Tour of Mexico Buddhist Centre Triratna’s Buddhist Centre...

Wed, 01 May 2013 16:40:41 -0400

Video Tour of Mexico Buddhist Centre

Triratna’s Buddhist Centre in Mexico City is a large, handsome and busy place, with up to 1,000 visitors/week passing through its doors. Visitors are welcome - but if you don’t happen to be in Mexico anytime soon, you can now take a virtual tour, courtesy of Ivan. He also introduces us to Triratna’s new Centre in Coyocan, in the south of the city, which opened in November last year. .

To know more about Triratna’s activities in Mexico visit their website www.budismo.com.

Lama’s Pyjamas Celebrate Record Year

Wed, 01 May 2013 15:58:40 -0400

Lama’s Pyjamas is the London Buddhist Centre’s ‘Right Livelihood’ charity shop in the East End of London. They’ve just celebrated a record year, and Claudine, one of its founders, writes with the good news. She says - “Headline: This year Lama’s Pyjamas made £117,166 gross profit and a net profit of £44,500. This along with gift aid in the region of £12,000 means that our dana to the LBC this year is £56,000. She continues -

“This year has seen Santavajri leave our team to go to join the wonderful women at Tiratanaloka. This was particularly bittersweet for me as she is my private preceptor and as well as working together, we lived together in the same Buddhist community. Sad for me that she left Lama’s and London but good because our loss is very much Tiratanaloka’s gain and she has so much to offer women in the ordination process. While Santavajri worked for us she set up our gift aid system which this year alone has meant an extra £12,000 in dana. The bright silver lining to the cloud of Santavajri’s leaving is that left an opening for Sraddhagita to join us. Sraddhagita has strong Team Based Right Livelihood experience having spent many years working in the Wild Cherry Café and is a competent and delightful addition to our team.

“We are all on support (as opposed to wages) and are advocates of the support system. Our experience is that it fosters a spirit of generosity and for us that feels abundant and rich. We use our work as an opportunity to practice embodying our spiritual ideals. We have a weekly study session with Subhadramati, at the moment we are looking at Subhuti’s paper on the Suprapersonal Force. In addition to our weekly study, this year as a team we decided to put our focus on Maitreyabandhu’s ‘Life with Full Attention’ book, spending a month on each section of the book and reporting in to each other each week as to how we are getting along.

“We have experienced enormous generosity from the local community in terms of donations, from the women’s sangha in terms of volunteers and from people like Taravandana and Vajraghanta who have given us their time and expertise by providing training for us on our Team Days.

“As a team we would very much like to encourage any centres thinking of opening a charity shop to do so. The work is simple and suited to practicing mindfulness, patience, kindness etc, it is an opportunity for the general public to experience Buddhism in action and last but not least it could be a way of raising dana for your centre.

“Yours in the Dharma, the Lama’s Pyjamas Team (Padmalila, Sraddhagita, Claudine)

For more information how Lama’s pyjamas do it, listen to this talk by Claudine to the Triratna New Ventures group in Autumn 2013.

Mitra Ceremony celebrations at Triratna’s Brixton centre

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 10:39:52 -0400

Ratnachuda writes from Triratna’s small but buzzing centre in Brixton Buddhist Centre, South London, where they’ve been celebrating their first Mitra Ceremonies into the wider Triratna Buddhist Community. He says - “Last month saw us here in Brixton celebrating four new mitras, Elena Blanco, Gitta Baum, Jill Thompson and Mirel Stambuk, all publicly making their commitment to the Triratna Sangha - plus a traditional ‘reaffirmation ceremony’ by Steve Hughes.

The evening was beautifully led by Amarapuspa, women’s mitra convenor for Triratna’s Brixton and Croydon centres. Three of the mitras had backgrounds in other countries - Croatia, Germany and Spain - which brought up resonances of how the Buddha Dharma transcends nationality. An added dimension to the ceremonies was the presence of Order Members, mitras and others who had been part of Utpala, the old ‘FWBO South London’ Buddhist Centre, from which our current sangha in Brixton has arisen. Amarapuspa commented there were five people present who had been present at her mitra ceremony in the mid 90’s and that Sthiracita had been one of her first teachers.

Sthiracitta’s introduction of Steve celebrated the close friendship they’d had for over twenty years, built by living together in two communities and working in Hockney’s restaurant; his words evoked a real sense of the beauty of spiritual friendship as taught by Sangharakshita. And Amarapuspa rejoiced how doing Triratna’s ‘Foundation Year study’ with the four new mitras had brought them into much deeper relationship and friendship together.

SADHU!