“The truth of Zen, just a little bit of it, is what turns one’s humdrum life, a life of monotonous, uninspiring commonplaceness, into one of art, full of genuine inner creativity.”
- D. T. Suzuki
This year Urthona Buddhist arts magazine has been published in virtual form as an e-magazine - due to many Buddhist centres (where most of the printed copies are sold) being still closed.
Srimala, author of Breaking Free – glimpses of a Buddhist life, is offering further glimpses in a collection of poems – No Toast, No Marmalade.
Srimala is one of our first Public Preceptors. She is now more or less retired, although still working in India to support the appointment of women Public Preceptors there. For the past 16 years she has been living at Maes Gwyn in Wales, from where most of the poems were written.
And for our last day of the Twelve Days of FBA we are delighted to have Ratnaghosha recommend a late talk by Sangharakshita entitled ’Fields of Creativity’.
Ratnaghosha was the host on the occasion of this recording when Sangharakshita returned to London to launch the final volume of his memoirs, ‘Moving Against the Stream’. From Yogi Chen to Beowulf, Aristotle to William Blake, this is a sparkling evocation of the crucial role of creativity in any Dharma...
On Day 11 we welcome Shraddhavani, who joined the Dharmachakra Board of Trustees just over a year ago.
Initially dismayed that her favourite talk had already been selected by another team member, a further look through the many speakers who inspire her surfaced a beautiful talk given in 2020 by Parami on the mythical creature, the ‘windhorse’…
In this first podcast of 2021 we turn to the magic of inner transformation, with a special episode to mark our forthcoming Home Retreat on meditation: ‘The Alchemical Heart’ with Paramananda.
Happy New Year! May 2021 prove a kinder, more hopeful year for all.
First in a three talk series exploring the Rumi quote: 'Your task is not to seek for love, but merely to seek and find all the barriers within yourself that you have built against it.'
Session two this time delving into the challenging but necessary process of forgiveness.
Depending on our life experiences this can be extremely challenging, do be sensitive to yourself. Maybe the most important thing to do is forgive the parts of ourselves which are holding onto past hurts.
Final talk in the series. Personal and in process, Dharmashalin evokes his own experience of closing down as a protection and the price we pay for doing so. No clear answers, but an invitation to explore this crucial topic.
On Day 10 Parami recommends a scintillating title by Sangharakshita entitled simply Padmasambhava. Originally unreleased (because it was given off-the-cuff after Sangharakshita lost his notes!), this inspired talk sees Triratna’s founder intrigued by the Great Guru’s ability to transform the demons of the world, especially in the West.
In the Dhaniya Sutta, the questions arise: ‘how do we move in this world with a freedom to be creative?’ and ‘how often do we follow the addictive tendency?’ Saddhanandi looks at vertical and horizontal nourishment as she explores these questions.
