Our Own Direct Experience

I’ve been challenged recently to try to write more from my own perspective when sending out these Tuesday emails.

It’s one thing to borrow from the inspiration of another and drop in a quote but a different task to draw on your own experience and share from your own ‘well’  …..

In a way meditation does this to us. Every time we sit down on the chair or cushions to meditate we have the opportunity for an intimate meeting with...

Day Six at the International Council 2016 - Setting Priorities

Today the International Council looked to the future, starting with a time machine journey in which we were all transported forward 30 years. Apparently British intelligence services were particularly wanting their prototype time machine tested by a group of Buddhists with a courtyard. And they found us!

Chanting the maitri mantra we circled three times clockwise around the courtyard, then broke into small groups to look back at today’s Triratna from an imagined future, which yielded many imaginative ideas. Coming back to the...

Day Four at the International Council

Today there’s a large marquee in Adhisthana’s green field, ready for the international Order convention next week. After days of cloud and rain the sun has been shining.

Meanwhile, through talks and questions, the Council heard about Triratna’s College of Public Preceptors, the body of senior Order members who ensure common standards of ordination worldwide.

We heard short personal talks on their experience of being in the College from Saddhaloka, Chair of the College, and Yashosagar from India. Saccanama, who provides the College...

Triratna's International Council meeting at Adhisthana this week

Triratna’s International Council is meeting for at Adhisthana all this week. This is the fourth meeting of the Council, which held its first meeting in 2011.

What is the International Council?

Thirty three delegates from across Triratna’s six Areas are using their time to consider matters of common interest brought to them by Order members all over the world, including ethics, how and what we teach and responding to the needs of the world.

Follow reports from each day of the meeting over on the Council’s...

Day One at the International Council 2016

The International Council’s first full day started with meditation, ritual, lively breakfast conversation and introductions from around the world.

The Council’s membership spans six Areas: Spain & Latin America, India, North America, Mainland Europe, the UK & Ireland and Australia & New Zealand. These in turn are subdivided into Regions, to enable consultation across the Order.

There are about 40 of us here this week, including some guests. The 33 delegates present, roughly 50:50 women and men, introduced themselves in groups from these Areas and...