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Nandavajra

Something Lovely

Sun, 19 Apr, 2020 - 18:18

Something Lovely

Sun, 19 Apr, 2020 - 18:18


SOMETHING LOVELY

And people stayed home

and read books and listened

and rested and exercised

and made art and played

and learned new ways of being

and were still

and listened more deeply

someone meditated

someone prayed

someone danced

someone met their own shadow

and people started thinking differently—-

And people healed…

And in the absence of people who lived in ignorant ways

dangerous, mindless, and heartless….

The earth began to heal—

And when the danger ended

and people found themselves…

They grieved for the dead

and they made new choices

and dreamed of new visions

and created new ways to live

and heal the earth fully

just as they had been healed.

Kathleen O ’ Meara (1869) - after a plague devastated Ireland in...

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Nandavajra

Living creatively in turbulent times – Corona virus and Triratna Exeter activities

Sun, 22 Mar, 2020 - 18:46

Living creatively in turbulent times – Corona virus and Triratna Exeter activities

Sun, 22 Mar, 2020 - 18:46

Dear friends

Living creatively in turbulent times – Corona virus and Triratna Exeter activities

I hope that you are keeping as well and in good heart as possible under the present turbulent and uncertain circumstance. As many of you will know we have cancelled all our face-to-face Exeter Sangha activities in light of the corona virus crisis and government guidance. I am writing with some information on how we plan to sustain our Sangha here in Exeter and South Devon and to invite you...

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Nandavajra

Triratna Exeter Newsletter Early Spring 2020

Fri, 21 Feb, 2020 - 10:57

Triratna Exeter Newsletter Early Spring 2020

Fri, 21 Feb, 2020 - 10:57

Triratna Exeter Newsletter Early Spring 2020

Sangha Evenings Theme and  Weekend Retreat 

We hope that 2020 has started well and that you are in good heart. This edition of our newsletter brings you details of our Sangha evening on Thursdays (from 7 pm to 9 pm) and a weekend retreat we are running in May. 

Sangha evening theme

The Find Peace in a Turbulent world introduction to meditation and Buddhism course, which we have been running in the context of our Sangha evening, will reach its conclusion on 27th February....

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mokshini

Introductory Meditation and Buddhism course at the Exeter Triratna Group

Tue, 1 Aug, 2017 - 20:12

Introductory Meditation and Buddhism course at the Exeter Triratna Group

Tue, 1 Aug, 2017 - 20:12

Starting on Wednesday 13 September, at the usual time of 7pm, at the Exeter Natural Health Centre. 

The course will cover the essentials of meditation, including posture, mindfulness and loving-kindness meditation, and how to work in meditation; and will also include an introduction to Buddhism, the historical Buddha and his teachings, and what value they might have for us in the 21st century. 

There will be more information posted here over the course of August so if you wish to be kept updated please...

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mokshini

The Divine Abodes - the upeksha bhavana

Thu, 22 Jun, 2017 - 20:32

The Divine Abodes - the upeksha bhavana

Thu, 22 Jun, 2017 - 20:32

We are continuing our exploration of the body of practices collectively known as the brahma viharas or the Four Immeasurables, and this last Wednesday we spent some time practicing and talking about the upekka bhavana   - the development of equanimity, ” when a mind imbued with metta applies itself to looking at the nature of existence”   - ” a loving and insightful responses based on applying pratitya samutpada [ the law of conditionality] so as to illuminate how...

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mokshini

A bit more on 'The Divine Abodes'

Wed, 14 Jun, 2017 - 16:05

A bit more on 'The Divine Abodes'

Wed, 14 Jun, 2017 - 16:05

Last night at Exeter Sangha Night we continued our theme of the ‘Divine Abodes’ - AKA the brahmaviharas, or the Four Immeasurables. We are exploring this theme as part of Triratna’s Buddhist Action Month 2017

Our topic this week was to practice the skill of being joyful at other’s good fortune and rejoicing in their merits. We talked about taking every opportunity to express our appreciation for others (or in fact to ourselves too!) and noticing the effect that...

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Residing in the sublime abodes ...

Tue, 13 Jun, 2017 - 08:20

Residing in the sublime abodes ...

Tue, 13 Jun, 2017 - 08:20

Over the next few weeks we’ll be exploring and practicing the ‘Four Sublime Abodes’ in Exeter Sangha Night. The Sanskrit name for this body of practices is brahmavihāras (sublime attitudes, lit. “abodes of brahma”) are a series of four Buddhist core qualities and the meditation practices made to cultivate them. They are also known as ‘the four immeasurables’. 

They are: loving-kindness or universal goodwill (metta), compassion (karuna), sympathetic joy (mudita), and equanimity (upeksha). 

Here is a link to a guided meditation on the karuna bhavana, development of compassion,...

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mokshini

Celebrate Dharma Day

Tue, 6 Jun, 2017 - 14:04

Celebrate Dharma Day

Tue, 6 Jun, 2017 - 14:04

Come and celebrate Dharma Day Sunday 9 July 2017! 


Glenn, Sue and Colin from the Exeter Triratna Group are hosting a half morning at the East Devon Forest Garden (also known as Hridayabija, ‘seed of the heart’) - a beautiful spot about 15 miles from Exeter, full of magic and unexpected finds.

Please arrive by 10am for a half day of meditation and dharma readings followed by a shared lunch and a swim. For any that wish to stay on there...

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mokshini

Mindfulness and Just Sitting

Sat, 20 May, 2017 - 17:07

Mindfulness and Just Sitting

Sat, 20 May, 2017 - 17:07

Come and give your mind a rest!  Join us in sitting in stillness and spaciousness this coming Wednesday at the Exeter Natural Health Centre.  The evening is dedicated to the ‘Just Sitting’ practice: We’ll be asking ourselves “What is happening, right now, in my experience?”  We’ll see why this enquiry needs the qualities of curiosity, receptivity and openness. All levels of experience welcome. 

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mokshini

Sangha Nights in Exeter in May

Sun, 14 May, 2017 - 10:29

Sangha Nights in Exeter in May

Sun, 14 May, 2017 - 10:29

Thank you to all who came to Buddha day on May 10th. We had a beautiful shrine, created by William, and I thoroughly enjoyed practicing with a group of fellow truth seekers. Prajnananda led us in a puja dedicated to the Buddha Shakyamuni - thank you! 

Over the remaining weeks in May we will return to our theme of exploring our meditation practice. 

Wednesday 17 May: ‘Opening the Heart’ - another look at the metta bhavana

Wednesday 24 May: ‘What is ‘Just Sitting’?’ -  ways of...