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Feb/Mar newsletter
February and March have been busy months at the centre with a whole host of activities taking place...Monday nights had a rich series of talks from Manjuvajra on evolution and the meaning of life - available here  if you missed them; whilst Tuesday nights have been buzzing with lively sessions exploring themes from 'Tools for Living Your Life'  We've also had another  urban retreat, mitra ceremonies and much more.  Some reports below...

February saw our Parinirvana Festival

Judith wrote:
Around 16 people gathered on Sunday to celebrate Paranirvana Day. Skilfully and sensitively led by Jvalamalini and Dharmavajri, the day started with readings from the Paranirvana sutta, some 'scene setting' words from Jvalamalini, and meditation. The theme for the day was 'life, love and letting go', and gave us an opportunity to reflect on what is important in our lives and how we might benefit from letting go of those things that aren't helpful or important.
After the (as always) delicious shared lunch, we returned to the Shrine room to hear a moving and thought provoking talk from Dharmavajri on her own experience of death and loss.
Others then followed with their own thoughts and experiences, which were in turn sad, joyful and ultimately , I felt, life affirming.
The day concluded with a puja, which had been largely written by Vimalavajri specifically for Paranirvana day, and encapsulated some of the key teachings of the Buddha about death, and its impact on self and other.
A beautiful, contemplative, reflective day, which left me feeling calm and more able to address those 'unimportant' things in my life.
 

 

Friday Night Fever!

Alice Malpass writes about the practice night:

Since 2005 I have made the pilgrimage down Gloucester road on a Friday evening for the practice night-an evening of sitting and walking practice followed by a puja. For me, puja is simply a way of dwelling in the heart, it opens us up so we can hold ourselves up to the light to see what's inside. I have taken everything to these Friday nights-restlessness, heartache, longing, sadness, illness, contentment, unease, joy. In the offerings section of the puja, I have offered it all up. Offered myself up to lay down before my own intention (in prostration). After these evenings, I walk home under the stars, under the smile of the moon and something has always changed. I have softened, opened and allowed what was weighty to loose its heaviness. I am drawn to the silence of the Friday evening and the absence of tea. It is just bare practice, bathed in tenderness, shrouded in companionship. On arriving, one can head straight for the shrine room, enter and leave at the end of the evening, simply smiling and not speak a word, if that is what is needed. And all the time, connected through the practice. As we sit in a horse shoe of sangha around the shrine, I feel I have 'come home'. I mindlessly tried to use my house keys one week to open the door to the centre. 'Yes!' The body knows, even when the mind does not, This is home'!

Bristol Blokes in Spain 

 Ryan writes:
Productive practice comes from creating the perfect conditions!
There are a million blessings I could shower upon my recent week long working retreat in Guyhaloka in February, including the stunning landscape, luxurious peacefulness, great camaraderie, etc...  but the most treasured experience was an invaluable lesson learnt in reflection - the need to create perfect conditions at home to enable productive practice away from retreat like conditions.
Needless to say a daily practice of early morning meditations, physical forestry work, a leisurely afternoon, a nourishing diet, early nights and removing all distractions from everyday life had a profound effect upon my meditation practice whilst on retreat... but why stop there I thought?  Surely the whole point of retreat is to help identify ways in which I can improve my practice at home, and if that means taking earlier nights, improving my diet, increasing my quota of exercise and removing more distractions at home, then I'm happy to oblige as an improved daily meditation practice is proving as rewarding as any holiday! 
That said, Guyhaloka was such an enriching experience I'd go back in a heartbeat for whatever lesson or opportunity was available... just an amazing place and fun with Dan, Lewis, Peter and Silajala in tow! 
 

Meanwhile Kate German went to the new Triratna property Adhisthana  not far from Bristol...
I recently spent 6 days at Adhisthana as a volunteer. I didn't quite know what to expect - I just had this heart response to their call for help. I arrived on a cold and snowy day, and received a warm welcome from the team working there. Within an hour of arrival I had a paint brush in my hand and set to work! Three other volunteers were there too. We meditated together, ate our meals together (fantastic food!), and worked together, sometimes talking, sometimes in silence. Adhisthana is far bigger than I imagined, and is set in beautiful countryside (I walked around the area on an afternoon off). There are so many buildings and rooms - my favourite is the big domed building that will become the library. And there is plenty of wildlife. One morning we saw a heron by the side of a pond. I came away feeling nourished and inspired. This is such an amazing project, with plenty of work still to do. I plan to go back - anyone fancy joining me? I even caught a glimpse of Bhante, well, his legs anyway! Sadhu to all the team at Adhisthana!

Don't forget we will be having a Bristol Big Sangha Retreat there 18-20 Oct

Jvalamalini writes: During February 500 members of the Triratna Buddhist Order from around the world met for an international convention at Bodhgaya, India, where the Buddha gained Enlightenment. Hearing news of them all gathering for puja in warmth and full-moonlight, and to do the going for refuge and prostration practice together under the bodhi tree in the misty early morning, I was surprised by my strength of feeling. At first I thought my longing to be part of the gathering was tinged with envy, but then I realised it was more open and devotional than that. I've experienced what can come into being when the Order gathers with a shared purpose or focus - (Subhuti elaborates in his most recent paper A Supra-Personal Force) - and for me, the image of the Order gathering to worship under the bodhi tree is a potent symbol of that spirit.  I could tune in and let whatever was happening within and beyond the Order in Bodhgaya reach my heart here in my room in Bristol - any supra-personal force is surely not limited by space - so in a sense I was part of the gathering, touched by the 'sanghakaya'.
For online pics, audio etc of the convention, see Triratna Online.
For more on what happens when the sangha gathers see Subhuti's fab talk to the convention Revering and Relying on the Sangha where he coins the term 'sanghakaya'.
And come along to our Sangha night on Mon 22nd April to hear from Taranita who was there in person at the bodhi tree!
In March we held another Urban Retreat during the course of which we had mitra ceremonies for three people - Ryan James, Alyson Hurst and Alice Rooney. They were warmly welcomed into the mitra sangha in the course of a three fold puja. Sadhu! The urban retreat itself was much appreciated by those participating.  It was my(Khemajoti's)  first urban retreat  and I found it a great way to bring some focus to my daily life practice and to bring more awareness to what I was actually doing with my time during the week.  On the first day of the retreat we looked at our lives under the headings of ethics, meditation and wisdom and made individual resolves for what we wanted to practice or change during the week. On the day retreat at the end of the week we reviewed and shared how we had got on. As well as benefiting myself  I found it very moving listening to the other participants and how the retreat had helped them.  If you've not tried an Urban retreat before there will be another international one in November (9-17)when Triratna centres throughout the world will be participating.

On Thursday eves during this period we had a whole range of activities and topics ranging from a meditation eve for Order members to vegan cookery, forest gardens, pali explorations (the three refuges above), a poetry book launch and an evening on emptiness! So quite an eclectic mix.

the vegan eve:
Nigel Hurst writes: We attended a pleasant, informative 
and ultimately filling event at the centre when Jane presented 
an evening on the ethics and environmental impact of food
 production and the pleasure and advantages of a vegan diet.
On the menu for the veggie evening was Moroccan stew with 
wholemeal rice or cous cous (or both!). Whilst we ate this 
tasty treat, Jane presented some slide shows and videos 
on why a vegan lifestyle and diet was better on a global and 
individual level. Jane talked us through different ingredients
 that might be used to make a meal instead of the traditional 
meat and two veg.  Chocolate cake and a cup of tea were 
next on the menu - wonderful vegan cake. More learning as 
Jane highlighted different aspects of current animal food 
production. It is surprising how little we know about how 
our food is produced and where it actually comes from; 
this prompted some interesting conversations amongst 
those present.  The evening was rounded off with a skilful 
demonstration on how quick it is to make a tasty vegan stir fry 
with easily bought supermarket ingredients - less than 5 minutes!!

For tasty recipes and ideas to try at home, click here

Karen and Sagaravajra's evening on their project of creating a forest garden down in Devon was fascinating and inspiring.  A completely different way of growing food.  The link to the film they showed clips from is here  Their own project is quite amazing and they would love to have Sangha folk visiting whether for a look round or to help out.  Contact Karen via the centre if you are interested.

Karunavapi  & team organises and hosts school visits at the centre as well as going out to schools and colleges to share the Dharma. In the last months we've had some very large groups (100 students at a time)visiting from as far afield as Dorset as well as smaller groups nearby. Karunavapi writes this of one of her visits: I was delighted to deliver a Vitarka visit to a meditation group at Bristol grammar school on 5th Feb. The visit was organised by Sue Pringle and her son ,Marchant.  Sue was a regular at the Buddhist centre for many years. I had heard her speak of her son, Marchant, who has cerebral palsy. Marchant is now 16 and has been meditating for two years. He organises the meditation group at his school. At Marchant's request, I explained and led a short Metta bhavana and we had a few chats. He said he found it helpful and smiled broadly a few times so I sensed his positivity. He gave me flowers which I was very touched by. Marchant said after: " I thought it worked out perfectly and loved the meditation and chat."
Picture of Karunavapi and Sarah Chatterton during a school visit

Sangha Walks have been continuing in spite of the freezing weather. Here's a photo of the snowdrop walk in Feb and one of the poems read:

Snowdrop
Now is the globe shrunk tight
Round the mouse's dulled wintering heart.
Weasel and crow, as if moulded in brass,
Move through an outer darkness
Not in their right minds,
With the other deaths.  She, too, pursues her ends,
Brutal as the stars of this month,
Her pale head heavy as metal.

Ted Hughes

More volunteering happened with four women mitras going to Tiratanaloka retreat centre in S.Wales for some gardening days.  Another opportunity to do that coming up at the end of April.  Women mitras and order members welcome - contact Khemajoti if you are interested.

And last but not least there was a Sangha retreat at a snowy Anybody's Barn over the Easter weekend.
'A spiritual feast' said Neil Winter.

If you'd like to contribute to the next newsletter do email me articles or send photos to info@bristol-buddhist-centre.org  It's always good to read about our varied experiences of centre activities and sangha visits further afield.  Khemajoti (compiler/editor)

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