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The Community Toolkit for Uncertain Times

Only Possibilities - Sailing the Worldly Winds Home Retreat Day 5

By Sadayasihi on Tue, 7 Apr, 2020 - 12:37

Only Possibilities - Sailing the Worldly Winds Home Retreat Day 5

By Sadayasihi on Tue, 7 Apr, 2020 - 12:37

Today, like every other day, we wake up empty
and frightened. Don’t open the door to the study
and begin reading. Take down a musical instrument.
Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground. 


- Rumi, translated by Coleman Barks with John Moyne

This beautiful poem by Rumi popped into my head when I was reflecting on today’s home retreat material, which is about...

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The Community Toolkit for Uncertain Times

A Buddhist Way Through the Ups and Downs of Life: Live Q & A (The Dharma Toolkit Daily, Episode 11)

By Centre Team on Tue, 7 Apr, 2020 - 00:41

As part of our week-long Home Retreat on ‘Sailing the Worldly Winds - A Buddhist Way Through the Ups and Downs of Life’, we are delighted to host here for a live online Q & A, Vajragupta the author and Dharma teacher behind the retreat itself.

A great, wide-ranging and practical discussion about what this classic Buddhist teaching has to say to us about caring for ourselves and each other during the current coronavirus / Covid-19 pandemic. And what...

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The Community Toolkit for Uncertain Times

Changing Practice in Times of Crisis - Sailing the Worldly Winds Home Retreat Day 4

By kusaladevi on Mon, 6 Apr, 2020 - 12:36

Changing Practice in Times of Crisis - Sailing the Worldly Winds Home Retreat Day 4

By kusaladevi on Mon, 6 Apr, 2020 - 12:36

In today’s reflection, Vajragupta suggests we review our practice so far and how we are getting on with Sailing the Worldly Winds. In times of adversity, I am often more able to honestly review my practice - how am I coping with the uncertainty? Based on my response to a crisis, I can often see more clearly which areas of my practice require attention and where I have set up positive conditions and responses within my mind. I...

Bump elbows, say hello!
The Community Toolkit for Uncertain Times

How I'm Remembering to Remember - Sailing the Worldly Winds Home Retreat Day 3

By Sadayasihi on Sun, 5 Apr, 2020 - 14:02

How I'm Remembering to Remember - Sailing the Worldly Winds Home Retreat Day 3

By Sadayasihi on Sun, 5 Apr, 2020 - 14:02

In these times, when so much is going on - when there’s a constant flow of information and the situation is seemingly changing by the hour - it can feel hard to maintain one’s practice. It can be hard to not be blown about by the worldly winds. 

I’ve been acutely aware of the extremes of my responses to even the smallest of things these past few days: joy at the sunlight streaming in the window, at exchanging smiles with a stranger...

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The Community Toolkit for Uncertain Times

Truthfulness As a Teacher - Sailing the Worldly Winds Home Retreat, Day Two

By kusaladevi on Sat, 4 Apr, 2020 - 14:00

Truthfulness As a Teacher - Sailing the Worldly Winds Home Retreat, Day Two

By kusaladevi on Sat, 4 Apr, 2020 - 14:00

Truthfulness has always been very important to me. It’s something which I valued long before I came across the Dharma. So I was quite struck when Vajragupta suggested the opportunity to practice truthfulness when the winds of Praise and Blame are blowing. Praise and Blame are the Worldly winds I notice most in my experience, or perhaps the ones I am blown about by most strongly.

So I started to reflect on this - how might truthfulness help me when...

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The Community Toolkit for Uncertain Times

Covid Emergency in India: A Home Retreat Appeal (The Dharma Toolkit Daily, Episode 10)

By Candradasa on Sat, 4 Apr, 2020 - 00:12

I confess, when I sat down to record this podcast yesterday I somehow didn’t expect it to have the impact it did. I’d seen all the news stories, shaken my head, wondered at how human beings can meet such complex, painful realities as what’s unfolding in India right now. But here they were - my friends - talking about what I can do about it. What you can do too. 

We’re spending a week - in whatever ways we can manage...

Adhisthana
Adhisthana

Daily Circumambulations

By Khemabandhu on Thu, 2 Apr, 2020 - 15:55

Daily Circumambulations

By Khemabandhu on Thu, 2 Apr, 2020 - 15:55

Bhante’s body lies at Adhisthana and Bhante’s spirit lies at the heart of what we do. During the lockdown the community is circumambulating every evening at 7am in an act of worship, devotion and rememberance.

Here’s a short snippet that was live-streamed last night.

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The Community Toolkit for Uncertain Times

Breathing Space (The Dharma Toolkit Daily, Episode 9)

By Centre Team on Wed, 1 Apr, 2020 - 16:30

Dr. Paramabandhu Groves is the co-author with Dr. Jed Shamel of ‘Mindful Emotion - A Short Course in Kindness’, and the pioneering spirit behind the Breathing Space project in London. Using mindfulness-based cognitive therapy he specialises in recovery work with those suffering from long-term depression and addiction issues.

As you might expect from someone who has lived for 30+ years in Dharma-centred community, Paramabandhu has also turned to developing resources for mental health based around core Buddhist practices...

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The Community Toolkit for Uncertain Times

Podcast Brasileiro! (The Dharma Toolkit Daily, Episode 6)

By Centre Team on Fri, 27 Mar, 2020 - 22:33

Standing in the idyllic gardens of Chintamani Buddhist Retreat Center in México and Manjupriya from São Paolo, via Dublin, is telling us, “Time is poetry in Brazil.” Listen to the birdsong, close your eyes and you can almost smell the blossom.

Tom Jobim used to say “Brazil is not for beginners”. Manjupriya attests to this in the best of ways, describing frankly what it’s like to change culture and learn the long lessons of experience away from all you know. We discuss...

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The Community Toolkit for Uncertain Times

Guarding the Gates (The Dharma Toolkit Daily, Episode 5)

By Centre Team on Fri, 27 Mar, 2020 - 01:18

The Internet doesn’t always make things better! What do you do in the face of 24 hour news media that is just not going to stop? 

Join us for a conversation about how to guard the gates of our senses when it matters in order to stay sane. Inspiring words about the practice of beauty, being rooted in the body and the senses, staying centred in a storm of input and opinion and views. And a practical pathway towards life done differently,...

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