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Prajnaketu's Reflections on the Four Reminders - Turning Arrows into Flowers: Day 1

By Sadayasihi on Fri, 15 May, 2020 - 11:49

Prajnaketu's Reflections on the Four Reminders - Turning Arrows into Flowers: Day 1

By Sadayasihi on Fri, 15 May, 2020 - 11:49

We are delighted to say that this week we will be joined by a team of Young Order members who will be sharing their reflections on the Seven-Point Mind Training material. First up is Prajnaketu, Triratna’s Young Buddhist coordinator. 

Prajnaketu, from sunny Oxford, UK, shares his thoughts on the teaching of the Four Reminders: our precious human birth, death and impermanence, karma and rebirth, and the defects of samsara. Noting that these reflections can be a bit of...

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Dedication Ceremony - Turning Arrows into Flowers: Day 1

By Sadayasihi on Fri, 15 May, 2020 - 09:48

Dedication Ceremony - Turning Arrows into Flowers: Day 1

By Sadayasihi on Fri, 15 May, 2020 - 09:48

Today, day 1, you might like to spend some time figuring out how you are going to take part - how much time do you have, what supports do you need, what is your wish for this retreat. It can be helpful to support this intention with a bit of ritual.

Often on the first night of a retreat this is marked by some kind of ceremony - in our community, this is often done with a Dedication...

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Welcome - Turning Arrows into Flowers: Day 1

By Sadayasihi on Fri, 15 May, 2020 - 07:52

Welcome - Turning Arrows into Flowers: Day 1

By Sadayasihi on Fri, 15 May, 2020 - 07:52

Globally, the coronavirus and all its implications presents us with an enormous challenge - but how are we responding? With ill-will and aversion, or with curiosity and compassion? Today marks the start of our latest home retreat: Turning Arrows into Flowers - an exploration of the Seven-point Mind Training, where we are learning to cultivate a mind free of blame and reactivity, a mind that is open, kind, interested. By delving into these teachings, facilitated by Yashobodhi, and with personal reflections from...

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The Community Toolkit for Uncertain Times

Turning Arrows Into Flowers (The Dharma Toolkit Podcast, Episode 26)

By Centre Team on Thu, 14 May, 2020 - 16:17

To mark the start of our Home Retreat on the theme of turning towards difficulties and moving through them well, a great, practical conversation with Yashobodhi about the meditative, reflective work of the Seven-Point Mind Training tradition in Buddhism. 

A mythic image to sum up and symbolize this is that of the Buddha on the cusp of his Enlightenment. He is sitting still at the point when Mara attacks him with all the weapons he can muster. But, as the story...

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The Community Toolkit for Uncertain Times

New Home Retreat: Turning Arrows Into Flowers - Starts Friday!

By Centre Team on Wed, 13 May, 2020 - 22:36

New Home Retreat: Turning Arrows Into Flowers - Starts Friday!

By Centre Team on Wed, 13 May, 2020 - 22:36

Turning Arrows Into Flowers
A Seven-Point Mind Training, May 15-22

A mythic image to sum up and symbolize the theme of this week is that of the Buddha on the cusp of his Enlightenment. He is sitting still at the point when Mara attacks him with all the weapons he can muster. But, as the story goes, even though the Buddha is attacked he does not react with anger, hatred or defensiveness. Instead he sits in complete peace and openness;...

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Closing the Being Divine Online home retreat

By kusaladevi on Fri, 1 May, 2020 - 17:01

Closing the Being Divine Online home retreat

By kusaladevi on Fri, 1 May, 2020 - 17:01

We hope you have enjoyed Being Divine Online with us this week! 

The retreat ended with this beautiful song by Ratnavandana, which retreatants sing together at the end of her Brahma Viharas retreats.

Thank you so much to Ratnavandana for supplying us with these fantastic resources around the Brahma Viharas, for sharing her practice and experience so fully and for her wonderful evocation and explanation of the Divine Abodes in the Q & A where 138 of us gathered together.

Look out too for a ...

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A Sustaining Community of Meditators: Reflections from Cambridge on Being Divine Online

By Vidyasakhi on Fri, 1 May, 2020 - 11:04

A Sustaining Community of Meditators: Reflections from Cambridge on Being Divine Online

By Vidyasakhi on Fri, 1 May, 2020 - 11:04

Arthasiddhi, myself and around 40 friends, mitras and Order members from Cambridge sangha have been following the Being Divine Online Home Retreat as a community within the wider community, adding to the mix some of our own meditation sessions (every day at 8 am), three zoom plenaries (or check-ins) and WhatsApp home groups, as well as attending evening events at Cambridge Buddhist Centre online. It has been such a joy: and we’ve deeply appreciated the richness of Ratnavandana’s experience and teachings...

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Song of the Brahma Viharas - Being Divine Online home retreat

By Sadayasihi on Fri, 1 May, 2020 - 09:06

Song of the Brahma Viharas - Being Divine Online home retreat

By Sadayasihi on Fri, 1 May, 2020 - 09:06

It’s always good to finish things with a song - and happily, today, here’s one! It’s Ratnavandana chanting the Brahma Viharas song that is usually learned on each ‘Living in the Mandala’ retreat that she leads.

As Ratnavandana kindly sent on some lovely nature photos she has taken, we have made this into a short video which you can enjoy, and hopefully get a feeling for the Brahma Viharas “pervading all quarters”.

The text from this song comes from...

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Reflections from Ratnavandana - Being Divine Online Home Retreat: Day 7

By Sadayasihi on Thu, 30 Apr, 2020 - 09:05

As we come towards the end of our Being Divine Online home retreat it is my great pleasure today to share with you some further reflections from Ratnavandana on this theme.

She beautifully evokes where and how she is currently spending this time of lockdown in rural Wales, UK, and shares how the Brahma Viharas have been helping her at this strange and difficult time. What she gives us is her deep confidence in these practices and a rich tapestry...

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The Community Toolkit for Uncertain Times

Navigating the Brahma Viharas - Being Divine Online Home Retreat: Day 6

By Sadayasihi on Wed, 29 Apr, 2020 - 09:18

Navigating the Brahma Viharas - Being Divine Online Home Retreat: Day 6

By Sadayasihi on Wed, 29 Apr, 2020 - 09:18

Years ago I did a mountain navigation training over the course of two weekends. As part of that we had to bring an Ordnance Survey map of the area and, more excitingly, a fancy compass that included a magnifying glass, twirling dial and ruler. I was impatiently looking forward to using said compass - probably having visions of myself as a cross between a detective and a code breaker. To my surprise we seemed to spend much more of the time standing...

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