Today on the Women’s Convention we have been with the Buddha of Infinite Light, Amitabha. This morning we celebrated Bhante’s birthday, and passed on gifts and cards to Suvajra, singing Happy Birthday in three languages- Dutch, English and Hindi! Then Satyajyoti and Padmabodhini invoked Amitabha’s presence with two very personal, and tender talks about their bonds with him and Maitrimala led us in the Amitabha Sadhana. We heard a reading of Bhante’s vision of Amitabha holding up...
Ratnaguna shares his excitement on his new book and tells us why he wrote this book on Pure Land sutras, who it’s written for, and the extras! :) Enjoy!
A new three-part series from Ratnaguna introduces the Pureland texts as a practice in themselves, and discusses their relationship to Sangharakshita’s core teachings.
In the first talk Ratnaguna takes us on an excellent exploration of imagination itself, essential for understanding the sutras on their own terms. The second talk discusses how the texts hint at what Sangharakshita calls the supra-personal force of the Bodhichitta. The third talk is on the importance of sangha in the sutras and its relevance...
At the end of the second full day at Adhisthana on the European Chairs Assembly, Mokshini and Dassini report in on a rich, full and delightful day spent in the company of Ratnaguna - an Order member who has just written a commentary on the Pure Land Sutras.
Ratnaguna shared some of his insights during the day on common themes between the Pure Land Sutras and Sangharakshita’s teaching, which underpins Dharma practice in the Triratna Buddhist Community.
The Pure Land Sutras are described as practices, not texts to be read and understood, but rather engaged with as if a piece of music, inviting us to awaken our imagination. Ratnaguna gives us a in depth look at the beauty in the Sukhavati Sutras in this week’s FBA Podcast: “Adventures In the Pure Land – Beauty.” This is...
Karunavapi leads a rather beautiful puja to Amitabha, the archetypal Buddha of the west, red with the love and light of compassion. Featuring some excellent readings!
By jvalamalini on Tue, 17 Mar, 2015 - 14:57After days of gloom outside it’s wonderful to have spring sunshine today as we move into contemplating karuna - which Sangharakshita has described as like metta with a shadow over it.
Ratnavandana says: It is good to reflect on our attitudes to suffering, whether it’s physical or emotional. I know for a long time I had this a sense that somehow suffering was wrong, that I shouldn’t be suffering, so there was a feeling of failure there which was...
Ratnavandana lead us through a meditation where we just try to be present with our experience in the context of the mandala of the Five archetypal Buddhas. Today we are invited to sit in the “heart’s natural state” of metta (loving kindness) and to visualise the great tree of the Brahma Viharas.
