Amida Buddhism Newcastle

No meeting on December 18

Apologies - our meeting on December 18th is cancelled

- next meeting is on January 8th, 2013

Related articles

let grace in ~ dharmavidya

the true teaching

Amida Newcastle July - September 2012

Please note - no meetings between July 25 and September 17

The first meeting following the Summer break will be on September 18

Whispers from the Bamboo Grove - Amida newsletter number 6

News from Dharmavidya [David Brazier],
Head of the Amida Order
Dharmavidya will be in Korea for the whole of August as guest of the Korean Association for Buddhism and Psychotherapy giving courses in Buddhist psychology.
 
Dharmavidya was the lead speaker at the University d'Ete, a persona centred conference in the south of France, 1-4 July
 
In September Dharmavidya will be visiting Japan and giving events in Kyushu, Hiroshima, Tokyo and Nagoya.
***
Rev Prajnatara's
  vows as an Amida minister have been confirmed
Watch the ceremony here
***
Fiona and Kaspalita went to Buddhafield
Fiona writes:
Kaspa & I attended the Buddhafield festival  in place of Modgala this year. She was a hard act to follow! Many people asked after her and wanted us to pass on love.

Amida Newcastle newsletter May 30 2012

 

Please note - some of the dates below have changed since the April newsletter:

Amida Newcastle Meetings
June and July 2012

All meetings include Pureland Buddhist practice

and social time

June 5:   No meeting

June 12:  Closed

June 19:  Informal sangha evening

June 26:  Informal sangha evening

July 3:     Dharma Talk

July 10:   Closed

July 17:   Pureland Buddhist Service and Larger Pureland Sutra Recitation

July 24:   Dharma Talk

July 31:   Informal sangha evening

   Time: All meetings are from 7 - 9 pm

   Venue:  Amida Sanctuary, Beacon House
   49 Linden Road, Gosforth
   Newcastle upon Tyne
   NE3 4HA

'How to find us' - please note the details regarding parking!

Travel well, Priscilla!
Priscilla is leaving Newcastle today to return to Malaysia and onward to continue her studies.
We will miss you!
If you'd like to stay in touch you can find Pris Hong on Facebook.

Amida Newcastle sangha, linked together by Amida's Golden Chain

The following verse is taught to children in the Pureland tradition:

"I am a link in Amida Buddha's Golden Chain of Love
that stretches round the world.
Let me keep my link bright and strong.
Namo Amida Bu."

This verse teaches us that we do not practice just for ourselves. We are part of a chain of love. We trust that whatever good we do in life contributes to something bigger than ourselves.
*****
There's an interesting discussion on sangha here
on Friends of Amida. Do join FOA if you're not a member yet, and join in the discussion or any others that take your fancy!


Namo Amida Bu

 

Amida at Sukhavati House, London

You are welcome to visit and to attend any courses.

Here is their new website - have a look through it for details

'Whispers from the Bamboo Grove' number 5

Uniting Zen and Pureland

'The essence of Zen is big mind and big heart. The essence of Pureland is that there is nowhere where the Light does not shine. These two are sides of a coin. Nothing is outside of the compass of one's spiritual life. There is nowhere where one's spiritual life is not supported.'
~ Dharmavidya

News from Dharmavidya

Dharmavidya was in Seville at the beginning of April taking the first legal steps toward the setting up of the
Instituto Terapia
Zen Internacional

 

Dharmavidya led a
workshop in Milan
13-15 April for the Mindfulness Project and gave a talk to a dance therapy school on the Sunday afternoon. These were well received and he will be going again the same time next year.

 

As part of the setting up of ITZI, Dharmavidya is moving his base of operations to Belgium in early May.

ITZI  already has local reps in UK, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Canada and USA

ITZI facebook group

 

Whispers from the Bamboo Grove - Amida Newsletter no 4

Modgala's new grandson Max has arrived!
Here's a gorgeous photo of the two of them - and she doesn't look as though cuddling him is anything but a delight! Modgala is still 'down under' and has travelled on from New Zealand to Australia, where she is visiting Rob. Hard to leave Max and Nelson, I imagine!

From Amida Hawai'i
Two Amida Hawai'i sangha members, Michelle Medeiros and Jan Wizinowich, joined the Amida USA Board of Directors.

Katrien sends news from Belgium
where she is busy preparing her house for Dharmavidya and other sangha members, who will use it as a part-time 'seat' from the beginning of May, and a base for Amida and ITZI events and visitors:

Free newsletters

You can now sign up for our free newsletters, which come out once or twice a month.

You'll receive these by email. Just add your email address to the box underneath this post, halfway down the page.

Note, there's the option to unsubscribe at any time at the bottom of every newsletter.

Kuvalaya is moving again

Following her stint in Costa Rica and her time back in Newcastle, Kuvalaya will be travelling to Zurich tomorrow and starting work in her new position on Wednesday. 

Travel well, Kuvalaya...the Amida Newcastle sangha look forward to connecting with you on Skype for study sessions in a few weeks' time!

A New Year message from Dharmavidya

(1 January 2012)

Dharmavidya: "Here is part of a message that I recently distributed to members of the Amida Order...

New year is a time for important reflection. Looking back I remember earlier in 2011 there was a lot of talk about "the changes" but recently we have been seeing real change happening rapidly. Beside all the specific developments, which are wonderful, one thing that I am noticing is an increasing dispersion of activity and responsibility. The "new" Amida Trust looks well set to be a collective effort in a stronger sense than the old one was. I am delighted by this and I hope that the process will go further. If each member of the Order takes responsibility with others for one or two significant functions within the whole we shall have a very vibrant community.

 

At the core of all our rapidly diversifying work is the nembutsu. I consider the limited nature and the smallness of my individual life - how little I can do alone, how soon my life will be over, how many mistakes I make - and I see how even in this small dew drop which is my life, there reflects a light much greater than anything I could generate alone. I see that each of you similarly reflects this great light and that together we can illumine the world, each, perhaps, reflecting a slightly different hue from the spectrum. The light that we reflect is one that animates us to collectively do wonderful things. In many systems of Buddhism the first thing to realise is the preciousness of human rebirth. We are here with a tiny amount of time and energy and it is vitally important that we not squander it, and that we each actively live in the best light that we know. New Year is a good time to think of these things, to "begin anew" and rededicate ourselves to spreading love and understanding in the world together.

 

I am approaching the New Year with much enthusiasm. The situation that has recently unfolded was not particularly what I was expecting or looking for, but I can see in it great possibilities and one can hardly avoid feeling the energy that it has let loose. The future is always uncertain. What matters is that we approach it in good heart and I know that we are doing so. NAMO AMIDA BU.

 

Love to each of you

Dharmavidya"

::link

The new Institute for Zen Therapy is up and running

Here's the information from their brand new website:

Welcome

This site offers information about IZT and its course programmes. The IZT is the section of the Amida Trust concerned with Buddhist psychology practice and training. AT is a Buddhist community concerned with the application of ancient wisdom to modern situations. IZT is a new development, but inherits a training with an unbroken history reaching back to a first programme established in 1981.

 

IZT offers 

• Psychotherapy, Counselling, Analysis & Guidance
• Professional training in counselling and psychotherapy
• Short & longer courses in Buddhist psychology topics 
• Groupwork & Pandramatics
• Support & supervision for counsellors & therapists
• Access to the wider world of Amida Trust

 

News

Most news can be found in the section Dates for your Diary

Amida Newcastle on January 18th and 25th, 2011

Please note that there will be no meeting on Tuesday January 18th.

We will meet as usual from 7 - 9 pm on Tuesday January 25th.

Venue: Amida Sanctuary, 49 Linden Road, Gosforth, Newcastle NE3 4HA

Meditation For Relaxation and Introduction to Buddhism at Newcastle and Northumbria Universities, January 2011

Meetings are suspended at the two Universities from the beginning of January 2011 due to personal circumstances. This website will be updated when they resume.

No meeting on January 11th 2011

Please note that there will be no Amida Newcastle meeting on the evening of January 11th, as Sujatin is away and Kuvalaya is conducting a funeral.

There will be no meetings at Newcastle and Northumbria Universities during the week beginning January 10th.

We will advise you as to meetings during the week commencing January 17th nearer the time.

No meeting 4th January 2011

Please note that due to personal circumstances, the meeting for 4th January has been cancelled.

We apologise for any inconvenience, please check back for further updates regarding the meeting on the 11th of January.

Simon, a member of our Amida Newcastle sangha, graduates

On Tuesday of this week, Simon Stephenson graduated from Newcastle University, receiving a Bachelor of Music with Honours in Folk and Traditional music...we have a fine traditional folk tradition here in the NE of England. As Buddhist Chaplain to the university, Acharya Sujatin was in the academic procession, wearing her Buddhist robes at the head of the line of those in what are essentially Christian ecclesiastical robes.

Simon started to come to Sujatin's Buddhist classes at Castle Leazes Halls of residence when he first arrived at Newcastle University and eventually began coming along to Amida Newcastle (when the evening fitted in with his gigs!), and Took Refuge with us in October 2007 ::blog post here

'Unconditional Love': An evening with Dharmavidya, 20th May 2009

'Living in the Light of Unconditional Love'

Rev Dharmavidya David Brazier is the Spiritual Teacher and Head of the Amida Order, a Socially Engaged Pureland Buddhist School. He is the acclaimed author of a number of books including The Feeling Buddha, Zen Therapy, Who Loves Dies Well and The New Buddhism.

Donations  welcome  suggested amount £5/£3 students, unwaged, retired

Date: Wednesday 20th May, 2009

Time: 7 - 9 pm

Venue: Northumbria University Chaplaincy

Room 116, Wynne Jones Building (1st floor - there is disabled access)

Northumbria University

Ellison Place

Newcastle upon Tyne

NE1 8ST

no 17 on the Campus map

Donations welcome: Suggested amount £5/£3 students, unwaged, retired

Contact: Reverend Sujatin Johnson, Buddhist Chaplain - sujatin[at]gmail[dot]com

Hosted by the Buddhist Chaplaincy at Newcastle and Northumbria Universities

This is an open meeting - All Welcome!

Amida Newcastle meetings, April - June 2009

Special meetings:

Tuesday May 19th: Caroline Brazier (Prasada) will give a talk at Northumbria University Chaplaincy:

Beyond Guilt
7 - 9 pm

Wednesday May 20th: the head of the Amida Order, Dharmavidya (::see more here), will give a talk at Northumbria University Chaplaincy:

Unconditional Love
7 - 9 pm

These talks are open to the public.

All welcome.

Donations welcome - there will be a bowl by the door

- suggested amounts £5/ £3 concessions (students, unwaged, retired)

Further details to follow

.

............................

April 14th: we are going to the Tyneside Cinema ~ Unmistaken Child (PG) 
Time: 5.50pm ::see more information here

April 21st: again, we are going to the Tyneside Cinema ~ Tibet’s Cry for Freedom (PG)
Time: 6.40pm ::see more information here

Our regular meetings at Amida Sanctuary:

Time: Tuesday evenings ( 7 - 9 pm)
(see above, no meetings in Gosforth on April 14th, 21st, May 19th)

 NOTE: April 28th (no meeting - cinema trip - follow link to see details),

Introduction to Buddhism lessons on the following dates:May 12th, June 2nd, June 9th

On the following dates we will have readings and discussions: May 5th, May 26th*, June 23rd, June 30th.

*On May 26th we will be holding a Taking Refuge and Precepts ceremony for David Gardner

News: On May 27th Jackie Haq Took Refuge

All meetings at Amida Sanctuary will include Buddhist practice - both Pureland chanting and sitting meditation with Nei Quan and Chih Quan practice  - discussion, tea and time for personal catching up.

Note: If you would like to join the Introduction to Buddhism course, which began in September 2008, email me - sujatin(at)gmail(dot)com - and I will send you notes for the lessons you have missed.

Amida Newcastle is located at
Amida Sanctuary, Beacon House,
49 Linden Road, Gosforth,
Newcastle upon Tyne NE3 4HA

A map of where to find us - here

Diversity Week at Newcastle University 2nd to 6th March 2009

Newcastle University is a 'community of communities': national, ethnic, cultural, linguistic, religious and many more.

2nd to 6th March 2009

See our brochure for an overview of Equality and Diversity at Newcastle University.

The University is unequivocally committed to the goal of fostering mutual respect and understanding between individuals and its constituent communities and to promoting equality of opportunity among staff and students alike. It encourages all staff and students to enjoy and celebrate its diverse culture.

You'll find the programme of events here

and further information, including the events each day, here

Newcastle University is a 'community of communities': national, ethnic, cultural, linguistic, religious and many more.

2nd to 6th March 2009

See our brochure for an overview of Equality and Diversity at Newcastle University.

The University is unequivocally committed to the goal of fostering mutual respect and understanding between individuals and its constituent communities and to promoting equality of opportunity among staff and students alike. It encourages all staff and students to enjoy and celebrate its diverse culture.

You'll find the programme of events here

and further information, including the events each day, here