lotusinthemud

Buddhism and the Climate Crisis ~ a Bright Earth Newsletter

Kaspalita writes:

At the beginning of the week the IPPC released its sixth report. You’ve probably seen the headlines in newspapers and on the radio and television. The headline from the IPPC press release is: climate change: rapid, widespread and intensifying.

This is a longer newsletter than usual. But it's an important topic to address. Perhaps the most pressing issue of the day. I also wanted to share with you the video from last Saturday's practice session, which included our first refuge ceremony since the temple's change of name: Practice, Sh*t, and refuge.

Over the past few weeks the news has been full of flooding in Europe and wildfires around the world, in Turkey, Greece, California, Siberia and so on.  The fire in California now covers 724 square miles. There have always been forest fires there, but the climate crisis means they are bigger, more damaging and more unmanageable.

On Monday morning I sat and watched the beginning of the live-streamed press conference from the IPCC. I listened to a couple of speakers and then I couldn’t listen any more. I stood up and decided to get on with the day’s work. I went into the bedroom to change into my painting clothes, collapsed onto the bed and sobbed.

After a minute or so I picked myself up, got changed and carried on with my day. Throughout the morning the grief and upset sat just behind my other thoughts and feelings.

The Tree of Life Sangha

Since I and other members of my Amida Scotland sangha left the Amida Order and Shu, we have been nameless.

During our Zoom meeting on Tuesday evening, which was an opportunity for 'sharing', passing the stone and giving space for deep listening, I offered the friends gathered together the possibility of three new names.

The unanimous choice was 'The Tree of Life Sangha' - and so we have our new name!

 

:: the Tree of Life in Buddhism

:: the Tree of Life in Buddhism 2

Bright Earth Buddhist Temple

Kaspa and Satya write:

The new name for Amida Mandala is... BRIGHT EARTH.

After stepping back from the Amida Order in November, Kaspa & Satya will continue to run the Malvern temple with a changed name to reflect our heart values.

'Bright' to signify Amitabha's golden light, streaming all over everything. To remind us that this light is always present, whether we are able to open our eyes to it or not. To help us to see the world around us as illuminated. 

'Earth' to remind us of our dependence on this magnificent, beautiful planet. To encourage us to practice outside and in the temple garden. More than anything, to inspire us to take courageous action for the Earth's behalf - as eco-activists, as individual consumers, speaking up for her, mobilising with others, and living on her as gently as we can. 

As we move forwards with our new name, lots of things will stay the same. We'll still offer Buddhist practice twice a week, offer other events and do ministry in the community. We will still be financially and legally supported by the Amida Trust. We will still have the nembutsu as the heart of our practice.

In other ways, we will be very different. We are no longer members of the Amida Order. Instead we have joined with other Pureland Buddhist teachers to form the Amitabha Fellowship, where we will receive both support and accountability. Our Buddhist practice sessions are simpler. We want to become more accessible, and for it to be easier for people from different walks of life to feel welcome. We feel more able to bring more of ourselves into our work, and into serving our fellow fallible humans. 

We hope that you'll come along with us. Whether you read these emails, or join us on Zoom, or practice in the temple garden with us, or come and stay in our guest room, we hope that we can continue to reflect some of the light that has been beamed at us over the years. We remain grateful for our time with the Order, and we are excited about a new chapter. 

Namo Amitabha,
Satya & Kaspa & all the temple animals

***
Blessed by Amitabha's light
May we care for all living things
And the holy Earth

everything changes, everything evolves...

News From Perth

09/12/2020: My personal news is that I left the Amida Order some 2 1/2 weeks ago - though that’s another story.

I may have, in doing so, put aside titles but they were attached to roles that were useful for work within the Order itself. However, I’m still a priest, an independent Pureland priest.  So I will continue sharing meetings from the shrine room here, overlooking the garden. My sangha will no longer be 'Amida Scotland'. There will be another name, in time.

Like much of the world, our sangha meetings have been held via zoom for a number of months, and I expect that this method of gathering will continue for some time to come. Although I miss seeing my sangha in person, one advantage is that I can be joined by friends in different parts of the country or even further afield, as I can join them, in turn. And even friends who live close are not deterred from sangha gatherings by feeling unwell or contending with Scottish winter weather and dark nights. So it may transpire that this may be a better way to continue at least some of our gatherings.

Connections with others felt particularly precious yesterday, Bodhi Day. Now, as with others who made the same decision, I ease into a time which will become ripe with new beginnings, as yet, not knowing what shoots will emerge from the dark earth and what those new shoots will flower into. This season of darkness is one of turning inward for us all. As a friend said a few days ago, all that we have received can be broken down into rich loamy compost, nothing ever wasted, to nourish what comes next.

As well as feeling a huge sense of grief and of loss, of course, at this parting of the ways after 22 years, the hint of a sense of that new life to come - that there are new buds on the trees, shoots under the earth - gives a feeling of hope. Not a time for the shoots to emerge, the buds to open yet but there’s a sense of a freedom from structure, hierarchy, expectations, constraints of role and form - the possibility of new types of gatherings, the forging of new friendships and new understanding, new directions - eco dharma, Therapeutic Shamanism, the insights and inspiration of Bill Plotkin - and more.

So, while I tussled with making my decision and in the days since, faith and friendship have been a great refuge and solace, as clouds obscured some of the light.

Taigh an t’Solais means ‘house of light’ in Scottish Gaelic
(as opposed to Taigh Solas, which means a lighthouse).

This house, on the side of Kinnoull Hill, across the Tay from the city of Perth, faces West and is flooded with light.

The light?

Both on days when I’m aware of it and on days when it feels covered by outer and inner clouds, the light is always there.

NAMO AMIDA BU

Sujatin

How to subscribe to the Amida Newsletter: 'Whispers from the Bamboo Grove'

These are newsletters from the Amida Order, highlighting such things as Dharmavidya's Buddhist teachings, Susthama's Pastoral Letters, news from Amida Mandala and to let you know what various Amida sanghas are up to. They come out, usually, at between monthly and three-monthly intervals.

You can subscribe

:: here

And it's always easy to un-subscribe in the future, should you want to.

Past issues, sent to the previous subscription list, can be seen

:: here

 

Amida Shu in Delhi: An Introduction and a Request for Help with Funding: Whispers From The Bamboo Grove, Amida News #45

Introducing Amida Shu in Delhi: A Request for Support

Reverend Jnanamati writes:

I’d like to tell you about the Amida sangha in Uttah Pradesh, Delhi.

The sangha began over 10 years ago, when Rev Sahishnu and Acharya Modgala were invited to go to Delhi to carry out an educational programme which taught English to Dalit children on the streets of Delhi. The Dalits – or so-called ‘Untouchables’ – are the lowest caste in the Indian system and are subject to the most extreme prejudice, seen as less than human, worthy of no respect and restricted to work regarded as unclean. Dalits generally live in great poverty and often fear for their lives, especially if they challenge the system. Learning English is an essential first step to improve the prospects of Dalit children.

The educational programme was a great success, teaching English to many dozens of street children and their Dalit families, and helping to gain respect from the local authorities.

The Delhi sangha grew as the fruit of this work. Children and their families asked for classes in Buddhism and then became Buddhists, inspired particularly by the legacy of Dr Ambedkar’s Dalit Buddhist Movement, which sees Buddhism as a way out of the Dalit predicament.

When Rev Sahishnu retired 3 years ago, Rev Suvidya, a local member of the Dalit community, was ordained as a full minister and took over the leadership of the project, to great success. A local organisation, the Amida Buddhist Association (ABA), was set up at the same time and now oversees the work of the project. Last year, new premises were rented to become the sangha’s first Dharma centre.

Rev Suvidya runs three busy weekly children’s classes in three different locations, teaching English and Buddhism, as well as leading two adult/mixed family services. He also makes regular pastoral visits to Buddhist families and others needing support.

You can read more about his work here :: Amida India



For the last three years, Amida Trust* has supported Rev Suvidya in his work by providing him with a modest allowance and paying the Dharma centre rent. However, the Trust now needs to find additional donations to maintain the level of financial support needed to sustain this wonderful project. We are fundraising and have a team concentrating efforts on new ways of attracting donations, but………

We need your help. 

Please help us to support Suvidya, Suando, Sudoshin and the community by making a donation today. 

No matter how small, your contribution will make a difference and help us secure the future of this project. 

We would particularly welcome regular monthly contributions.
Even £5 per month would have a significant impact.

You can make a donation online

In the UK - use this link ::CAF Donate

Based outside the UK - you can donate in euros, USD or CAD using PayPal or by card at the bottom of the page :: here
*****
Follow Amida India on :: Facebook

* Amida Trust is a registered charity in the UK. The Trust supports the work of the Shu in the UK and Delhi. It supports people to come to the dharma, to learn and practice and to open their hearts to give and receive loving kindness.

NAMO AMIDA BU

Whispers From The Bamboo Grove, Amida News #44 February 22 2017: Amida Shu Home Groups

Introducing Amida Shu Home Groups

We have a new offering for people who would like to practice and study Amida Shu Buddhism in their local area - Amida Shu Home Groups. 

These are local groups which can be run by anyone who is interested in our form of Buddhism. Group leaders will be offered ongoing support from an Amida Shu mentor and a pack of resources, including a suggested script to make setting a group up nice and easy. 

If you are interested in starting one of these groups you can have a look at the resources here. 

These include:

:: How to run a Home Group

:: Home Groups Introduction

:: Home Groups welcome

:: and more
 

We are hoping that this will be a new way of spreading the wonderful seeds of Amida Shu Buddhism, and bringing Amida's grace to people through Dharmavidya's teachings and through this wonderful sangha. 
If you have any questions or would like to ask for a mentor
do contact Satya

Namo Amida Bu
*****
Amida Academy
This is the on-line academic platform which delivers distance learning programmes: 
:: link

Amida Newsletter #43, announcing a retreat in the UK

Summer Retreat - Dwelling in Entrustment

13th - 18th August in Holland House, Worcestershire, UK



A residential retreat

Spend a week learning to trust, 'lean in' and be held on this Pureland Buddhist retreat led by priests with the Amida Order:
 Rev. Kaspalita, Rev. Jnanamati and Rev. Satyavani.

The perfect opportunity to deepen your connection the sacred. Dharmavidya is not running any retreats in France this year, so come and join us at this beautiful location in the UK. 

This retreat will include silent contemplation, chanting, personal enquiry through the creative process (including writing, poetry and visual art), group sharing and dharma talks. The retreat is open to all - Pure Land Buddhists, Buddhists from other traditions or other spiritual practitioners interested in learning experientially about the Pure Land way and a more faith-based tradition of Buddhism. 

This retreat is an opportunity to enter more deeply into the Pure Land practices. Dharmavidya has referred to Pure Land Buddhism as refuge Buddhism, and explains that rather than being a tradition that encourages the cultivation of practice Pure Land invites us, over time, to deepen our refuge. The various practices we engage in are devotional and are in this context ways of deepening our refuge in Amida Buddha. They are also ways of opening to the grace of tariki or Other Power of the Buddhas.

Venue: The retreat will be held at Holland House near Evesham in Worcestershire, a beautiful retreat centre with lovely gardens with a great kitchen. The cost includes all accomodation, delicious food and dana for the retreat leaders.

Cost: A £40 deposit is required to book your space - this deposit is non-refundable. The earlybird fee (until end Feb 2017) is £365, after this the fee £395. Unwaged fee £345. Payment by installments is also an option. For details of how to pay your deposit and secure your place, contact Satya: [email protected] 
Phone 01684 572444. 

You can read more about the retreat leaders below, read more about the Amida-Shu school of Buddhism at www.amidashu.org, or more about the Amida Mandala temple at www.amidamandala.com. 

Namo Amida Bu

The Retreat Leaders
Rev. Kaspalita runs the Amida Mandala Buddhist Temple in Malvern with his wife Satya. He is a practising psychotherapist and offers mindfulness classes as a part of Mindfully Whole. He co-runs Writing Our Way Home, a mindful writing company, with Satya. 

Rev. Jnanamati is a Pureland Buddhist Priest with the Amida Order. He works as an art therapist and also does chaplaincy work in health care settings. He is the Amida-Shu representative for the Worcestershire Interfaith Network. 

Rev. Satyavani is a Pureland Buddhist Priest, psychotherapist in private practice and a writer. She co-authored 'Just As You Are: Buddhism for Foolish Beings' with Kaspa and has written several novels.

See the Facebook event or get in touch for more information.

:: link

Amida Scotland Newsletter 18: 28 December 2016 ~ A message at the turning of the year

Amida in Scotland: Next meeting

Tuesday 17 January- see below

**

*Seasonal Message from Dharmavidya, the Head of the Amida Order

The years 2016 and 2017 may well be seen from the future as a turning point in world politics. There is certainly a sense that the current order is fragmenting in Europe and North America, and that the balance of power in the Far East is shifting. In the Middle East there is still no sight of the end of war, but we can pray that some new arrangement can be found that will bring the killing to an end and start what will be a long process of reconciliation. We can sense what may be passing, but it is not yet clear what is emerging.

How does all this bear upon our faith and practice as Amidists? Buddhism arose at a time when the world was changing. New political powers were rising and society was becoming more money oriented. Into this context Buddha brought the Dharma that gave people a higher vantage point, a perspective that was not dominated by personal needs nor by the quest for power and status. In an increasingly materialistic world he taught sharing, generosity, co-operation and minimalism. Our need for this message has not lessened. The tendencies that he led us away from have grown stronger in the time since he walked the earth and our need of faith in a simpler, purer way of life remains just as important.

Whispers from the Bamboo Grove #39: News of the UK Faith Leaders' letter to the Prime Minister in support of refugees

UK Faith Leaders Write In Support Of Refugees

Over 200 leaders of the UK's major faiths met yesterday morning in London to call on the Prime Minister to do more to help refugees fleeing Syria, Iraq and other areas of conflict. The Amida Order's ::Acharya Modgala Duguid, who does sterling and important work as the ::Network of Buddhist Organisation's interfaith officer, is one of the signatories and spoke at this event (see below).  

Here is the Faith Leaders' Open Letter to the Prime Minister, signed by leaders and representatives of the Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, Sikh and Buddhist communities. It includes the words “The best of this country is represented by the generosity, kindness, solidarity and decency that Britain has at many times shown those fleeing persecution, even at times of far greater deprivation and difficulty than the present day. We rejoice in the mosaic of different faiths and British communities that we now represent.” :: link to letter. 

This is a ::newspaper report on the event: "Rowan Williams and 200 faith leaders call for revised refugee policy."

and a ::reflection by the Bishop of Croydon
"Why faith leaders are demanding urgent change to the refugee system."

Amnesty is arranging many 'Refugees Welcome' events, including ::this one in London on Saturday, which members of our Amida Malvern sangha will attend.
 

*****

Acharya Modgala

Some of our great Buddhist teachers came to the west as refugees and brought with them the teachings of wisdom and compassion. 

I travelled giving teachings and in 2003  spoke at a psychology conference in Sarajevo. The main concern of the participants was how to help their traumatised children. From running workshops I learnt more about the terrible long term psychological effects of such a war. 

 Amongst the refugees here in the UK we have many traumatised children and families, the trauma made worse because they are separated and are worried about family members and the dangerous journeys they are taking to escape war. Families need to be together to recover and then can take their place in society. 

 Once here much help is already available, many of our Buddhist groups are already linking with local communities to help refugees. In the UK  there are many people of all faiths and none waiting to help refugees. 

 As humans we feel an ethical imperative to help and I join my fellow faith leaders in making a plea to this government to design a safe, legal route that can enable reunions.
 

Acharya Modgala Duguid

Namo Amida Bu

 

Read previous Whispers from the Bamboo Grove newsletters here

:: link