In gratitude

In deep gratitude to my teacher who has given me so much, my favourite of his poems.

INVOCATION

Field-freshening rain,
White night-rain lingering on in drizzles till the dawn,
Pools of bright silver making, birthing streams
In dry clay river-beds, pour down, O rain,
All day, all night, pour down pour down, O rain,
Pour down…

World-welfaring Compassion,
Void-born Compassion diamond-hard and petal-tender,
Peace to wild heartwaves bringing, birthing love
On the low...

Voices from the Buddhist world 10: Venerable Seelawimala

Venerable Seelawimala of the London Buddhist Vihara has sent this message of appreciation:

“Venerable Urgyen Sangharakshita was a great Buddhist leader in the West. In a long and dedicated life, he authored more than seventy books and gave hundreds of lectures communicating to people all over the world and from all walks of life about the Buddha’s Dhamma. His vast writings have given tremendous inspiration to many and there are many Buddhist followers today whose lives have been transformed under his spiritual...

Voices from the Buddhist world 8 - Sulak Sivaraksa

Here is a further appreciation of Bhante’s life and work, from Sulak Sivaraksa of the International Network of Engaged Buddhists, which will appear in the next edition of the INEB magazine ‘Seeds of Peace’.

“Sangharakshita was born Dennis Lingwood in London in 1925. When he was young, there were very few English books on Buddhism. However, he felt that he had always been a Buddhist, and began reading about the religion from the encyclopaedia and other...