Amida Buddhism Newcastle

Dharmavidya's Pastoral Letters

Links to Dharmavidya's Pastoral Letters can be found as follows:

Awake to Amida's Light

Dharmavidya's Pastoral Letter of 13th March 2006

Continue reading "Awake to Amida's Light" »

Fellowship of the Unlikely

Pastoral Letter 15^th May 2006

Continue reading "Fellowship of the Unlikely" »

The Undergrowth of Desire and the Canopy of Faith

Pastoral Letter 21^st June 2006

Continue reading "The Undergrowth of Desire and the Canopy of Faith" »

 

Life of Utmost Satisfaction

Pastoral Letter of 8th July 2006
Continue reading "Life of Utmost Satisfaction" »

Expanding Not Contracting

Pastoral Letter of 19th August 2006

Continue reading "Expanding Not Contracting" »The Very Long Term

Pastoral Letter of 26th December 2006

Continue reading "The Very Long Term" »

Madness of Faith

Pastoral Letter of 23rd February 2007

Continue reading "Madness of Faith" »

At 60, Do Something New and Useful

Pastoral Letter of 30th March 2007

Continue reading "At 60, Do Something New and Useful" »

 

 

 

Pastoral Letter 15^th May 2006

Pastoral Letter 21^st June 2006

Pastoral Letter of 19th August 2006

Pastoral Letter of 26th December 2006

Pastoral Letter of 23rd February 2007

Pastoral Letter of 30th March 2007

Ordering Dharma Talks on CD or to download from the internet: in UK

From September 2007 all Dharma Talks will be available on CD or can be downloaded by subscription from the internet. The prices will be announced in September when they will be handled by Ray and Sue King from Amida Sheffield. You can contact them at this address:

Ray and Sue King

e-mail    amidatalks[at]yahoo[dot]co[dot]uk

44 Gartrice Gardens
Halfway
Sheffield, South Yorkshire S20 4SU

Please cut and past the form below into an e-mail or Word document and send them the relevant information plus payment

Ordering Dharma Talks on CD or to download from internet: Europe and the rest of the world

From September 2007 all Dharma Talks will be available on CD or can be downloaded by subscription from the internet. The prices will be announced in September when they will be handled by Ray and Sue King from Amida Sheffield. You can contact them at this address:

Ray and Sue King

e-mail    amidatalks[at]yahoo[dot]co[dot]uk

44 Gartrice Gardens
Halfway
Sheffield, South Yorkshire S20 4SU

 Updated 15th September

Autumn Term 2007 at Newcastle University - Castle Leazes

For students at Newcastle University
Havelock TV Room, Castle Leazes is booked for the following dates:
Autumn Term
Wednesday evenings from 7 - 9pm -

September 19, 26
October 3, 10, 17, 24, 31
November 7, 14, 21, 28
December 5, 12

Ordering Dharma Talks on CD or to download from internet in USA

Updated 15th September 2007

From September 2007 all Dharma Talks will be available on CD or can be downloaded by subscription from the internet. The prices will be announced in September when they will be handled by Paul from Amida Hilo, Hawaii. You will find his contact details here

Ichimai Kishomon

Honen's "One Page Document" - his final testament, written for his disciple Genchi.

The method of final salvation that I have propounded is neither a sort of meditation, such as has been practised by many scholars in China and Japn, nor is it a repetition of the Buddha’s name by those who have studied and understood the deep meaning of it. It is nothing but the mere repetition of the “Namo Amida Bu” without a doubt of his mercy, whereby one may be born into the Land of Perfect Bliss. The mere repetition with firm faith includes all the practical details, such as the threefold preparation of mind and the four practical rules. If I as an individual have any doctrine more profound than this, I should miss the mercy of the two Honourable Ones, Amida and Shakyamuni, and be left out of the vow of Amida Buddha. Those who believe this, though they clearly understand all the teachings Shakyamuni taught throughout his whole life, should behave themselves like simple minded folk who know not a single letter, or like ignorant nuns or monks whose faith is implicitly simple. Thus, without pedantic airs, they should fervently practise the recitation of the name of Amida and that alone.

::link

Honen's "One Page Document" - his final testament, written for his disciple Genchi.

The method of final salvation that I have propounded is neither a sort of meditation, such as has been practised by many scholars in China and Japn, nor is it a repetition of the Buddha’s name by those who have studied and understood the deep meaning of it. It is nothing but the mere repetition of the “Namo Amida Bu” without a doubt of his mercy, whereby one may be born into the Land of Perfect Bliss. The mere repetition with firm faith includes all the practical details, such as the threefold preparation of mind and the four practical rules. If I as an individual have any doctrine more profound than this, I should miss the mercy of the two Honourable Ones, Amida and Shakyamuni, and be left out of the vow of Amida Buddha. Those who believe this, though they clearly understand all the teachings Shakyamuni taught throughout his whole life, should behave themselves like simple minded folk who know not a single letter, or like ignorant nuns or monks whose faith is implicitly simple. Thus, without pedantic airs, they should fervently practise the recitation of the name of Amida and that alone.

::link

Larger Pureland Sutra

Full text of the Sukhavati Vyuha Sutra: manifesting the land of bliss in the recension used by the Amida-shu

[The Scene] *
1. Thus have I heard. At one time the Blessed One was staying at the Vulture Peak at Rajagriha.

2. At that time the Buddha was attended by twelve thousand monks, all of them arhats.

3. Among them were
- the Buddha’s first five disciples, the first arhats, Ajnatakaundinya, Ashvajit, Bashpa, Mahanama, and Bhadrajit;
- the first lay disciples who had all subsequently ordained: Yashas and his four friends, Vimala, Subahu, Purna son of Maitriyani, and Gavampati;
- the three Kashyapa brothers, Uruvilva Kashyapa, Gaya Kashyapa and Nadi Kashyapa, together with Kashyapa the younger and Kashyapa the great;
- the two friends, Maudgalyayana and Shariputra;
- the disciples Kapphina, Chunda, Aniruddha, Nandika, Kimpila, Subhuti, Revata, Khadiravanika, Vakkla, Svagata, Amogharaja, Parayanika, Pantha, Pantha the younger;
- the Buddha’s half brother Nanda, his son Rahula, and his cousin and closest disciple Ananda;

4. The Buddha was also attended by a great many bodhisattva mahasattvas with Maitreya at their head.

[Ananda’s Enquiry] *
5. [23.] Then the reverend Ananda rose from his seat, uncovered his right shoulder, approached the Buddha, and knelt with his right knee touching the ground. He joined his palms in anjali and said:
“The Blessed One’s sense powers appear serene, the colour of his skin is pure, his countenance is cleansed, radiating with a golden glow. As the jujube fruit turns bright yellow in autumn, pure, cleansed, radiating a golden colour, or as a skilfully made ornament of Jambu River gold displayed on a white cloth shows its purity, so the Blessed One appears radiant today.

::continue reading

Full text of the Sukhavati Vyuha Sutra: manifesting the land of bliss in the recension used by the Amida-shu

For Love

Every community has at its core its discernment of the sacred.

Our community has at its heart the nembutsu, which is our expression of our love for the Buddha and, more importantly, our gratitude for his love of us. We gather round the Buddha as the bearer of light: the light of love, the light of compassion, the light of joy, the light of peace, the light that outshines sun, moon and stars, the unimpeded light, light of eternity. Buddhas discern such light, declare it, and walk their talk. In love of Buddha, therefore, we who are not particularly brave in nature work for peace, for an end to cruelty, for mutual respect, for freedom.

::read more

Every community has at its core its discernment of the sacred.

Special Features of Amida Buddhism

What's special about Amida Pureland?

Amida Pureland Buddhism is about

• remembering and celebrating Buddha rather than trying to be him
There are basically two approaches in Buddhism. One approach (self-power) is about following in Buddha's footsteps, perfecting various practices, and thereby becoming Buddha oneself. The other (pureland or other-power) approach is about encountering Buddha, remembering and celebrating what that encounter brings or brought into our lives, but not trying to be Buddha oneself.

• being accepted in our imperfect state
Buddha does not condemn us for being what we are even though we ourselves are never really content with ourselves. In Pureland we do not get judged by an outside authority, but neither do we think we are perfect as we are. When we look honestly at ourselves we know that we have many failings and shortcomings. Nonetheless, it is precisely for the likes of ourselves that Amida Buddha's light shines in this world.

What's special about Amida Pureland?

Questions in the Sand

At Questions in the Sand you can find answers that Dharmavidya, head of the Amida Order, has given to a variety of questions raised by enquirers. If you would like to pose a question, e-mail dharmavidya@amidatrust.com