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ratnadharini

Chair's Letter – November 2023

From College of Public Preceptors on Thu, 30 Nov, 2023 - 16:56

Chair's Letter – November 2023

From College of Public Preceptors on Thu, 30 Nov, 2023 - 16:56

Dear Order members and friends,

November is when the international meeting of the College takes place at Adhisthana, and this recent meeting was especially rich and satisfying. I’m going to attempt to describe how it unfolded day by day…

However at the beginning of the month I was still on the Pan American Convention in Mexico. I wanted to visit Chintamani retreat centre on the way back into Mexico City, and in the end around 20 of us were very generously hosted there for...

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Maitriyogini

Science and Buddhism III: Investigating Reality

From Adhisthana on Thu, 30 Nov, 2023 - 09:30

Science and Buddhism III: Investigating Reality

From Adhisthana on Thu, 30 Nov, 2023 - 09:30

How do you find out what is the case? Consider the criteria of the Kalama Sutta in which the Buddha provides a list of what he regards as unreliable sources of knowledge or advice:

  • something asserted repeatedly
  • tradition
  • hearsay
  • scriptural texts
  • sophistical reasoning
  • logical inference
  • prolonged consideration
  • getting carried away by a view that you identify with
  • indulgence in the pleasure of speculation
  • a person who makes a plausible impression
  • your respect for a spiritual teacher

None of these are reliable sources of knowledge. Instead, he says, ‘when you know of yourselves that these teachings are skilful, blameless, recommended by sensible people [viññugarahitā], and that followed through and...

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akasajoti

Public Preceptor Appointment: Sucimani

From College of Public Preceptors on Wed, 29 Nov, 2023 - 16:33

Public Preceptor Appointment: Sucimani

From College of Public Preceptors on Wed, 29 Nov, 2023 - 16:33

Dear Order members + friends,

The College of Public Preceptors is delighted to announce the appointment of Sucimani as a Public Preceptor. 

You can read more about Sucimani in her own words, below.

With metta,
Ratnadharini

+++

Sucimani writes:

I was born in Crystal Palace, South London in 1962 to young parents. I love that I was born there as I was later named Sucimani which means pure jewel.

I had two younger brothers. 

I came along to the Croydon Buddhist Centre after a passionate love affair ended. I was...

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Viryabodhi

Буддійські ритуальні тексти та церемонії українською мовою

From Ukrainian on Wed, 29 Nov, 2023 - 15:35

Буддійські ритуальні тексти та церемонії українською мовою

Ось перші ритуальні тексти українською мовою в перекладі Дхармачарі Адбхутаджі.

Щиро дякуємо за це!

З найкращими побажаннями, Вірьябодгі (для ITTB)

–––––––––

Here are the first ritual texts in Ukrainian, translated by Dharmachari Adbhutaja.

Many thanks for that!

Best wishes, Viryabodhi (for the ITTB)

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kamalashila

Freeing the Mind - Anapanasati with Kamalashila online and in person at West London Buddhist Centre

From Online Meditators on Mon, 20 Nov, 2023 - 16:06

Freeing the Mind - Anapanasati with Kamalashila online and in person at West London Buddhist Centre

From Online Meditators on Mon, 20 Nov, 2023 - 16:06

If you have been around Triratna and meditating for say three years you are welcome to come to the West London Buddhist Centre for this non residential Weekend on the third tetrad of Anapanasati meditation, which is mainly about the citta, heart or mind.  The retreat is primarily for people on my weekly online meditation classes* but I’d imagine most regular meditators can benefit.  The event is by donation whether you attend in person or online. 

Both online and in-person retreatants will...

Maitriyogini's picture
Maitriyogini

A Second Renaissance? Part 2

From Adhisthana on Mon, 20 Nov, 2023 - 10:30

A Second Renaissance? Part 2

From Adhisthana on Mon, 20 Nov, 2023 - 10:30

How are you reading this?

Forgive me for being so forward. Of course, you haven’t really got going yet. It’s probably too open a question anyway: the how of reading could mean lots of different things. First, there’s the medium – are you on your phone, a tablet, a laptop or desktop (though of course you might have printed this out, or be asking a text-to-voice AI to read it to you)? Then there’s the speed – are you scanning, skimming,...

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Munisha

European Buddhist Union + Buddhist Teachers in Europe 2023

From Triratna in the Buddhist World on Fri, 17 Nov, 2023 - 15:56

European Buddhist Union + Buddhist Teachers in Europe 2023

From Triratna in the Buddhist World on Fri, 17 Nov, 2023 - 15:56

As every year on the last long weekend in September the European Buddhist Union held its annual 3-day meeting, this year outside Brussels, followed by the annual 3-day meeting of Buddhist Teachers in Europe.

(These meetings meet in different places around Europe year by year but this time we met in Brussels to mark the EBU’s transition to being registered as an organisation in Belgium, to enable easier access to the European political institutions in which the...

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Windhorse Publi...

'The Subtle Art of Caring' by River Wolton

From Windhorse Publications on Fri, 17 Nov, 2023 - 08:00

'The Subtle Art of Caring' by River Wolton

From Windhorse Publications on Fri, 17 Nov, 2023 - 08:00

Today we are pleased to be publishing a new book titled The Subtle Art of Caring: A Guide to Sustaining Compassion.

The Buddha taught the practices of loving kindness, compassion, empathetic joy, and equanimity. These guide us in cultivating positive emotions and minimising harmful ones.

Poet, writer, activist, mentor, and Buddhist teacher River Wolton gives new life to these teachings as resources for a life in which compassion for self and other are mutually sustaining.

You might feel a response when you see...

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akasajoti

Babasaheb Ambedkar arrives at Adhisthana

From College of Public Preceptors on Fri, 17 Nov, 2023 - 00:33

Babasaheb Ambedkar arrives at Adhisthana

From College of Public Preceptors on Fri, 17 Nov, 2023 - 00:33

For several years now, during each international Preceptors’ College meeting, time is dedicated to hearing from the kula of Public Preceptors in India. This was a special year, with all ten of them able to travel over, making up more than 20% of those gathered for the meeting. 

One morning was spent hearing about the work of the ordination teams and public preceptors in India, including the establishment of a new retreat centre dedicated to ordination training, Sudarshan Bhumi, named ...

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ratnadharini

The Next Chair of the College of Public Preceptors

From College of Public Preceptors on Wed, 15 Nov, 2023 - 08:49

The Next Chair of the College of Public Preceptors

From College of Public Preceptors on Wed, 15 Nov, 2023 - 08:49

Dear Order Members and friends,

I’m writing from Adhisthana during the annual international meeting of the Preceptors’ College, where you may be aware we have been deciding who will take over from me as Chair of the Preceptors’ College when I step down in a year’s time.

I’m delighted to let you all know that there was a clear consensus to invite Mahamati to become the next College Chair. Happily, Mahamati was able to respond wholeheartedly,...

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