lotusinthemud

The Tree of Life Sangha

 

This is our sangha's website :: here

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I am currently writing Bodhi Day ceremonies, to be held on Zoom, for the morning and evening of Bodhi Day, Friday 8th December. The morning's ceremony will be held with members of

:: Global Sangha

The 'Contemplation on No-Coming, No-Going' ~ Thich Nhat Hahn:

This body is not me,
I am not caught in this body.
I am life without boundaries.
I have never been born,
and I have never died.

Look at the ocean and the sky filled with stars,
manifestations of my wondrous True Mind.

Since before time, I have been free.
Birth and death are only doors through which we
pass, sacred thresholds on our journey.
birth and death are just a game of hide and seek.

So laugh with me,
hold my hand,
let us say goodbye,
say goodbye, to meet again soon.
We meet today.
We will meet again tomorrow.
We will meet at the source at every moment.
We meet each other in all forms of life.

By sheer power of aspiration ~ Acharya Susthama

Ever since my ordination back in Dec 2003 I have always loved being involved in or being a witness to someone taking a step onto the Buddhist path. The aspirant or candidate taking on the Amida precepts always appears solemn, and sincere, and as I listen to the vows and see how willing they are to aspire to live an ideal life they become even bigger with a certain amount of gravitas and I find myself shrinking and becoming less Significant. It is a wonderfully moving experience and so I always look forward to these ceremonies.

I think we are like caterpillars. Just like the hungry caterpillar that started off as an egg on the leaf and then popped out as a very tiny and very hungry caterpillar who then looked for food and ate pretty much everything it came across. We are like those very greedy caterpillars, consuming everything we can with very little awareness of the harm we are causing as we continue to consume and indulge ourselves. We are clinging, grasping creatures that need so much more than most of the other species that share our planet and we are very good at making sure that we survive. We now have a huge list of animals on the endangered species list and the number of animals now extinct is shocking and sad but we are very good at armouring ourselves and acting as if we are not guilty of that. We have no idea how spiky, or poisonous, or harmful we are until after the fact.

And even though it is a hard truth to face up to and acknowledge that we are greedy, selfish, harmful, and deluded beings it can be a bright day if this acknowledgement leads one to a point of contrition. For then, just like in the Life of no regret, where it says, “though Buddha lands and worldly realms be numberless like sand, by sheer power of aspiration, I will fill them all with light.” This is a moment of transformation...like the caterpillar in the chrysalis emerging as a butterfly, only it’s better than that because the transformation is instant.

One awakens to the reality, and to the Dharma, and one becomes a beautiful butterfly. Delicate, fragile, vulnerable, but never ceasing to travel from one place to another to bring beauty and to carry pollen from one flower to another to try to create conditions in which a Pureland can be seen. They flutter about in almost every direction, always busy but without a visible direction to us caterpillars. But they have their own vision and they know that they will cease to exist one day and so they work tirelessly and effortlessly, together with other Buddhas to try and awaken other caterpillars to the Bodhisattva path. They will not stop long enough for us to truly see their beauty but they are fluttering about in and out of our lives enough to give us a glimpse and an intuition of something much greater than any one of us.

I use to take Selena to a place called butterfly world. It had a glass house in which many different exotic species of butterflies and moths lived and we would all try and stand still, hoping that maybe a butterfly would come and land on us. And one time we saw one land on a little boy and his mother said, ‘That is a gift.’ And then the butterfly flew away to the other side of the plants and disappeared.

To have the opportunity to attend and witness an ordination ceremony is a gift. It doesn’t last long, but the vows and the aspiration to follow a different tune is a beautiful and wonderful gift that Amida has bestowed on us.

Namo Amida Bu

:: link

Whispers from the Bamboo Grove #33: Amida Bodhi Retreat, 2015

News of Amida Events to celebrate Bodhi Day

Amazingly, it'll soon be December, during which many spiritual communities hold their Celebrations of Light. Here, in the Northern Hemisphere, the days are shortening and, as our ancient ancestors have done for thousands of years, we all long for the return of light. For Pureland Buddhists, Amida is the Buddha of Infinite Light and, however gloomy and dark it may seem, Amida's Light is always shining. It's good to join in person or in spirit with our fellows as we bring this to mind.

Bodhi Day, which marks the Enlightenment of the Buddha, is celebrated on December 8th each year. It is traditional to hold a retreat at this time. Always the most important event in the Amida calendar, the Bodhi Retreat has grown in significance as the Amida-shu and the Amida Order have developed.

Every two years, we hold an international retreat, which will include periods of continuous chanting of the nembutsu, which we know, from past experience, has a wonderful effect upon participants. The retreat may  also include teachings, seminars, silent periods, Amidist ceremonial, and opportunities for personal sharing.

During this time the Order holds ordinations, commitment ceremonies and renewals of refuge, membership and precepts.
 

Amida Mandala, Malvern, UK

International Bodhi Retreat 2015
with Dharmavidya David Brazier

Monday 7th – Sunday 13th December

Dharmavidya:"The Essential Meaning of Nembutsu: Nothing to Hide

I take refuge in the unimpeded light. The “I” that seeks refuge and the light that illuminates mutually interpenetrate. There is no part of oneself that is not illuminated, therefore there is nothing to hide. The light is unimpeded, therefore there is nothing to be ashamed of. The light is present in all worlds, therefore there is nowhere to go. Being present in all worlds, liberation is freely available. Caught up in nonsense, life passes in vain, yet on the very pathway to disaster, the Buddha awaits, catching us as we fall. In this retreat we shall reflect upon the essential, secret meaning of nembutsu faith and practice: the purity of heart that is like a lost diamond that Buddha retrieves from the bottom of a muddy pool."

It's possible to attend all or part of the retreat -
look :: here
:: details here

To give you a taste of what continuous nembutsu chanting is like, and to get an inkling of how joyful it feels, look ::here

This year's chanting and dharma talks will be streamed live - more details nearer the time.
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Here are details of other Bodhi celebrations that the Amida Order are holding this December:

Amida Hawaiʻi Bodhi Day Service & Celebration
 

Saturday 12th December

 

2:00 - 4:00pm - Bodhi Buds Youth Service Group

4:00 - 5:30pm - Sangha Gathering, Practice, and Advancements

6:00 - 8:00pm Sanga Potluck Year-End Celebration

 

Advancements will include some members taking/re-taking the Fivefold Pureland Refuges and some members joining Amida-shu!

 

Aloha & Namo Amida Bu

:: for more details contact Shantikara
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Amida Mosaic, London, Ontario, Canada

The Amida Mosaic sangha will celebrate Bodhi Day on
12th December 

9am - 7pm. at the home of Prajna and James. 
We will chant and meditate  9am-4pm.
conduct a Vow ceremony at 4:30pm and
host a festive potluck at 5:30pm.
Vows will include Lay Order (Mitra) membership, Amida-shu admission, and the 5 Refuges.
:: website
:: registration
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Amida Northeast, Durham, UK

Saturday 5th December
10am - 4pm

Kuvalaya: "The 5th of December will be our northern Bodhi Day. I'm delighted to say that Sujatin will travel down from Perth and join us for the day! There will be chanting, Pureland practice and teaching, and a ceremony."
For further details, if you are in the Durham or NE England area,
:: contact Kuvalaya
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Amida Scotland Bodhi Day in Perth

Tuesday 8th December
7 pm - 9 pm

Delighted that we will be celebrating Bodhi Day in 'The Fair City' of Perth, for the first time. During the evening there will be Pureland Sutra reading, a period of extended nembutsu chanting, renewal of vows, warm community and, of course, seasonal refreshments.

:: for more details
:: website
 

:: link

'Whispers from the Bamboo Grove 17' - featuring a seasonal message from Dharmavidya'

Dharmavidya's Seasonal Message

December 18th, 2013

It is always the case that in this samsaric world some things are getting better and some are getting worse. We pray that the sages will stay with us, turning the wheel of Dharma until samsara ceases. At this time the world is seeking for new ways to live in peace. Large scale associations of nations are forming with a view to avoiding old causes of war. This, however, brings with it the problems of organisation on a grand scale and the great swings of fortune and differences between individuals that can arise in such large structures. The incidence of poverty and unemployment that can follow from social reforms. Those that have may be tempted to exclude those that have not in order to preserve their advantage. Yet some concentration of power is inevitable to maintain such structures. The answers are not simple. Again, we have raised huge industry which benefits millions, yet now we are realising that this same abundant spending of energy is bringing vast and unpredictable changes to the biosphere. Where will it end? We are blessed and cursed to live in such a world. This is samsara. It is here that we can have faith, let love grow in our hearts, find the noble way and walk hand in hand. Each of us in our own stumbling way searches for solutions. One of the most obvious is to help one another.

 

On our recent retreat near Oxford I was deeply moved to see that there was indeed harmony in the community and we could then proceed. Our lives then become a vast ritual expressing all that is best in us. It was particularly touching to see the children present, to see individuals advancing in commitment, to witness a thousand small acts of kindness and co-operation, to see old friends returning and new ones appearing, to see them welcomed with open arms. It was a further delight to see it all recorded in such exquisite photography. This kindness transcends the ups and downs of past problems and is a great healing, not only for those present, but, through them, radiating out into the world. This is Buddha's lighthouse and we, circumambulating, are like the revolving light that both brings hope and helps travellers far away to avoid obstacles. It is through such harmony that the Buddhas demonstrate an alternative.

 

All times are one time. Gratitude, love and generosity have no season but are eternally valid. They are the spirit of nembutsu, of keeping the Buddha in mind. Rather than seeking our own ends, our path is to honour and delight in the grace that falls to us through the vows made by innumerable great beings, and especially Dharmakara who thereby became Amida Buddha. These great beings include the sages of all the religions, all those who have brought peace, wisdom and kindness into our midst. Thinking of them our hearts naturally soften, and thinking of our own limitations we give rise to fellow feeling to all our neighbours far and wide. These two forms of mindfulness, mindfulness of great beings who truly live the way and mindfulness of our own human condition, are like the pillars of a bridge. These pillars are only joined by some form of nembutsu. If we have this kind of understanding then all sincere religious expression becomes nembutsu and nembutsu working in our heart brings us close to the life beating in the heart of every sentient being. All love life. All commit that life in some way. Life reaches beyond itself. It manifests as love. So, although love is an eternal, and we can celebrate it any and every day, let us do so now, at this season, with those close to us, while keeping in our hearts those further afield, and let us pray that when this season has slipped into the past we shall all still be blessed and that the great beings will continue to take us by the hand and lead us across their nembutsu bridge day by day. 

 

In the sincerity of such practice a Pure land will surely arise where all will speedily awaken.
 

 

Namo Amida Bu.
Peace to each and all.

 

Dharmavidya

 

written at Eleusis, Berry, France 18th December 2013
 

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beginning anew

As we begin 2013, this new beginning brings to my mind the ceremonies of Ordination that were performed in a number of Amida centres around the world at the beginning of December. Before making any new vows, we always recite the Sange Mon - which connects us with our many foolish deeds and proclivities. We usually use a longer form but here is the short form which was used when I first took the 5 Mahayana Precepts:

If you wish to grow in spirit, give yourself first to contrition. Do not think of this as a burden, but as liberation. Put yourself in the position of the other and inquire deeply. Then a change of heart may arise naturally and the energy of enlightenment will flow in your veins like the nectar of bitter-sweet tears.

Here is an ancient verse. Please take it to heart:

All the harm committed by me

Is due to beginningless greed, hate and delusion

All this is the work of my body, speech and mind

I now confess everything wholeheartedly

And resolve to begin anew

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.
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Rev Prajnatara's
  vows as an Amida minister have been confirmed
Watch the ceremony here
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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.

small stone blogsplash – we need your help…

Kaspa & Fiona have taken over my blog for today, because they need our help. 

 

They are both on a mission to help the world connect with the world through writing. They are also getting married on Saturday the 18th of June.

For their fantasy wedding present, they are asking people across the world to write them a ‘small stone’ and post it on their blogs or on Facebook or Twitter. 

A small stone is a short piece of observational writing – simply pay attention to something properly and then write it down. Find out more about small stones here. 

If you’re willing to help, we’d love you to do things: 

1) Re-post this blog on your own blog any time before June the 18th and give your readers a chance to hear about what we’re doing. You can simply copy and paste the text, or you can find the html here. 

2) Write us a small stone on our wedding day whilst we’re saying our vows and eating cake, post it on your blog, and send it to us.

You can find out more about our project at our website, Wedding Small Stones, and you can also read our blog at A River of Stones. 

We also have a July challenge coming soon, when we’ll be challenging you to notice one thing every day during July and write it down. 

Thank you for listening, and we hope we’ll be returning from our honeymoon to an inbox crammed with small stones, including yours. 

Kaspa & Fiona

::link

the bodhi retreat begins with 72 hours of chanting

Every year during the Bodhi Retreat (the most important event in the Amida year), which is held at Amida's Buddhist House, Narborough, we chant the Nembutsu continuously for a period of time. We will be chanting the Nembutsu for 72 hours and would like to invite you to come and participate/experience some or all of it. The aim will be to keep it going for 72 hours between all of us therefore we do not expect anyone to chant continuously without taking any breaks. The practise will be shared and so people are welcome to dip in and out according to their needs for rest and food.              

It would be lovely if you could join us. Along with the three days of chanting there will be special ceremonies on the 9th.

Timetable:

Noon 1st to noon 4th December
72 hour continuous nembutsu chanting

Sunday 5th December
Refuge and Admission Ceremonies for people becoming or confirming their Buddhist commitment or entering or confirming membership of the Amida-shu.
Evening session of Other Power Life Dance

Monday 6th December
Day of Silent Contemplation (Quan)

Tuesday 7th December
Meetings for Practice, Devotion, Sharing and Instruction

8th December - Bodhi Day
Ceremonies for Ordination, Admission to the Amida Order, or Admission to Aspirancy or Postulancy.

The retreat is a wonderful occasion for entering into the heart of the sangha, its community and its practice.

Please pay for your accommodation and give a suitable donation toward the work of the Trust and the Order. Thank you.

Click here for further details of the event.

a photo of the amida mosaic sangha in ontario

Dharmavidya writes: On the evening of 14th November seven members of the Amida Mosaic Sangha took refuge. This marks a big step forward in the development of the Amida-shu on this side of the Atlantic. Congratulations to all these wonderful pioneers. Afterwards we had another party !!