lotusinthemud

dharmavidya and prasada on dvd and youtube

Last year Dharmavidya, the head of my Order, and Prasada, his wife, spoke at St James' church, Piccadilly as part of St James' Alternative series of talks. There's now a DVD available and you can view 2 clips from the talk on You Tube.

Clip one

Clip two

amida france retreat centre - events summer 2008

Details of events and booking information, what to bring with you etc to our wonderful retreat centre in the middle of France.

friends of amida social network

If you are interested in the work and activities of Amida Trust and would like to join the associated social network do check out this site and join. Once a member, there are a number of groups you can join, including Buddhist counselling and psychotherapy, Travel, Buddhist arts, Multi-faith discussion. The membership is world-wide and growing...

the dalai lama in seattle

Tens of thousands of people packed a Seattle sports stadium on Saturday to hear the Dalai Lama, Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, call for nonviolence and to make the 21st century a "century of dialogue."

::read more

treasure indeed!

A deep bow for this post to Reverend Mugo, with words of her teacher Reverend Master Jiyu-Kennett, which made my heart leap in delight:

Found on the Lions Gate Buddhist Priory website an extract from a letter Rev. Master Jiyu-Kennett sent in 1979 in answer to one from a lay trainee.

I cannot explain how to keep the mind bright except to say that it is an internal looking up, a raising of one’s aspirations in the midst of it all. Faith is essential here.

And here's another treasure in the form of a Journal article published on the OBC web site. The River is the Ocean; The how is as important as the why.

It is when we are spiritually on hands and knees that we learn the deepest meaning of bowing, of true gratitude and of asking for help. When the call of the Eternal is heard clearly, we must not stifle the uprising within in our heart, and "quickly, quietly and obediently say ‘yes’."

amida france is opening in may + news of dharmavidya's teachings, 10 - 30 july

Susthama and a couple of members from The Buddhist House will go to France in mid-May (2008) to open it up for the summer season. The retreat centre has been closed for the winter period and so there will be alot of work initially; getting the place aired out and clean, digging the garden to get the beds ready for planting, clearing paths for outdoor walking meditation and also to make a way to the meditation hut ready for anybody interested in doing a solitary retreat in the woods.

It's a great time of year to be in France. If you're in need of space, fresh air, and a retreat atmosphere then do come along.

::link

During the three week period of the July Retreat,
Dharmavidya & Prasada
will give lectures on
Pureland Buddhism and its Application in Society, Culture and the Arts

* 12 lectures over the three week period

There will also be

* periods of Pureland practice
* introductory seminars for the less experienced on the basics of the Pureland approach
* seminars and coaching for the more experienced related to Buddhist chaplaincy and ministry

As usual there will be plenty of opportunities for outdoor life, community living, discussion and sharing with stimulating company, and good vegetarian food, much of it from the centre's own garden.

::link

happiness

Watch a video of Buddhist monk, photographer and author Matthieu Ricard talking about the habits of happiness ::here

the dalai lama teaches compassion

.....the memories of 1959 uprising sit heavily on the Dalai Lama's mind.

"It's just like those days — March 10 to 17 in 1959. The Chinese convoys kept coming in. Both the Chinese and the Tibetans were determined to take on each other and I was in the middle, hoping things would cool down. But, there's one difference this time. In 1959, there was a risk to my life. Now, I am quite safe here"

.....He has been following the Chinese army's brutal crackdown but it doesn't make him spit fire at the Chinese. He still believes in showing compassion to them.

"If I develop anger and hate, it will not help the people in Tibet. And it will destroy my inner peace. Hate is self-destructive."

::link to The Times of India

vishvapani's thought for the day march 14th 2008, on becoming the change you want to see in the world

::here it is:

Protests by Tibetans have marked the anniversary this week of China's rule over their country. In Lhasa, Buddhist monks shouted slogans, while in India a hundred exiles set out to walk across the border and right into Tibet. But the Lhasa monks were met by tear-gas; and Indian police stopped the exiles long before they reached the border.

The protests inside Tibet are the largest for many years and they aren't over, but what is the value of such demonstrations? Overthrowing an occupation surely takes more than placards and marches, or even hunger strikes, and the demonstrators' apparent weakness could be seen as an argument against non-violence. Of course, protests can win publicity, and these were obviously timed to attract attention in the run-up to the Beijing Olympics. But to regard non-violent protest as a form of propaganda is to make it just another weapon. The real justification is moral.

Like the Burmese monks last year, and the Vietnamese monks in the 1960s, the marchers heading for the Tibetan border were doing what they felt was naturally right. If they were stopped, that would be the choice of others. For themselves, they were following their consciences. They were going home. Gandhi called this stance satyagraha, or 'holding to the truth'.

The Buddha didn't offer detailed guidance in how his followers should respond to injustice or political conflict. He taught people to have patience and courage, and to be aware of their motivations rather than driven by blind reactions. In that way, individuals develop moral intelligence. He trusted that if people hold fast to these qualities they'll find a positive response to whatever difficulties they encounter.

Buddhist teachers say that if someone feels anger towards you that will hurt them; if you feel anger in response that hurts you. So you should stick to your values whatever happens. It's good advice. It's something to hold to when you feel under attack.

Tibetan protests have never remotely threatened to displace Chinese rule, but in the current demonstrations the Tibetans are speaking up for their beliefs and reminding themselves who they really are. That has an effect, and under the Dalai Lama's leadership the Tibetan exiles have become respected for their moral integrity.

Politics is usually about achieving your objectives and using force if necessary. The non-violent approach, as Gandhi said, is that you yourself 'become the change you want to see in the world.'

::link

After a few days you can find a link to the text and listen to it here. For today you can find it on this page

in harmony with life

::via Susthama:

Summary of a Dharma Talk on Harmony in Buddhism by Dharmavidya

Broadly speaking Buddhism has developed a reputation for cultivating peace both individually and collectively. The intention is to create peace and harmony. The Buddha was very practical man and his attitude was to engage in a practice that works. If you've got to repair something then use whatever tool you need to do the job.

He gave many of his disciples very different practices. For example, one disciple came from the highest caste and had spent his life being waited upon and living in comfort and so when he asked the Buddha what practice he should do the Buddha gave him many ascetic practices. Another man came along some time after, who was a low caste man, always struggling and scraping to put two pennies together and serving others wanted to know what practice he should do. He said he saw so and so doing ascetic practices and should he go and do the same thing. To which the Buddha replied, 'no no, don't do them, they won't help you.' And the Buddha put him in charge of organizing others: in a position of authority, taking care of others.

So you might choose a spiritual path that gives a broad framework of peace and harmony but the practice depends on you and what you need depends on what you're used to. The point of spiritual practice is to round people out. It's about going out of your comfort zone and challenging yourself to be in a different kind of situation. And it's not only solitary but social, it might be that what one needs is to go out and develop different kinds of relationships with people.