West London Buddhist Centre
West London Buddhist Centre

Mandala of the Heart with Paramananda & Bodhilila

By Sophie_WLBCPublicity on Mon, 19 Jul, 2021 - 16:00

Mandala of the Heart with Paramananda & Bodhilila

By Sophie_WLBCPublicity on Mon, 19 Jul, 2021 - 16:00

This online retreat runs from Sunday 25 July at 7pm and runs till Sunday 31 July at 5.30pm

Mandalas are cross cultural symbols of the relationship between the macrocosm and the microcosm of the human psyche. Helping us to understand, on the deepest level, our place in the universe. Within Buddhism they are used as an aid to meditation and contemplation.

On this retreat we will be imagining our own bodies as a mandala with our hearts as the central organising principle around which...

Bump elbows, say hello!
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...

Sangharakshita Memorial Space
Sangharakshita Memorial Space

An impromptu 'Indexer's Obituary'

By Satyalila on Sun, 4 Nov, 2018 - 12:59

An impromptu 'Indexer's Obituary'

By Satyalila on Sun, 4 Nov, 2018 - 12:59

I’ve been working on the index for Volume 13 of Bhante’s Complete Works for the last few weeks and finished it on Friday morning, having worked late into the night before.  It has felt like its own kind of vigil for Bhante to be doing this.  A great privilege to tend his ‘Dharma body’, or one physical manifestation of it, at least.  I’m not a professional indexer but a (supported) amateur - tho’ as Vidyadevi kindly reminded me, the etymology of...

Community Highlights
Community Highlights

Tonight: Stream Jnanavaca's Mandala Evening talk live from the LBC

By Aryanisha on Mon, 16 Jan, 2017 - 18:10

Tonight: Stream Jnanavaca's Mandala Evening talk live from the LBC

By Aryanisha on Mon, 16 Jan, 2017 - 18:10

Tune in to the London Buddhist Centre’s Facebook page at around 7.20pm UK tonight. Jnanavaca, Chair of the Centre, will be giving his annual Mandala Evening talk to kick off the year. 

https://www.facebook.com/LondonBuddhistCentre/

The spiritual community, the Sangha, is the ideal context in which we can practise the Dharma. It is also a force for good in the world and an ideal in its own right. But how is the Sangha sustained? Continuing our exploration of ‘The Four Sangharavastus’ (or Means...

The Urban Retreat 2015 - November 21-28
The Urban Retreat 2015 - November 21-28

Introductory Talk: Parami - Living In The Greater Mandala

By parami on Fri, 20 Nov, 2015 - 12:15

Introductory Talk: Parami - Living In The Greater Mandala

By parami on Fri, 20 Nov, 2015 - 12:15

Parami gives the introductory talk for the 2015 Triratna International Urban Retreat live in Adelaide, Australia. Her theme - and the theme of the whole retreat - is ‘Living in the Greater Mandala’, and she brings this alive in the most human, poetic, and inspired of ways.

Her range is broad as she evokes the mandala itself, and the profound, playful path of the Bodhisattva. Calling forth Rumi and Hafiz, the great Buddhist Perfection of Wisdom texts, Keats, Yeats, Robert...

Bristol Buddhist Centre
Bristol Buddhist Centre

Day 8: meditating, rejoicing, puja to Bhante, and clear up!

By jvalamalini on Sat, 21 Mar, 2015 - 20:53

Day 8: meditating, rejoicing, puja to Bhante, and clear up!

By jvalamalini on Sat, 21 Mar, 2015 - 20:53

Late post today - it’s been a full last day.

We had our usual silent meditative morning, with more beautiful words from Ratnavandana. The shrine room felt very still as we sat with her open approach to practising with all the brahma viharas again.

After lunch - and much rejoicing in Ratnavandana, the team, and the retreat - we did a puja to Sangharakshita, ending with dismantling the central five Buddha shrine. I found it...

Bristol Buddhist Centre
Bristol Buddhist Centre

A Note For Online Rainy Season Retreatants!

By Centre Team on Fri, 20 Mar, 2015 - 21:56

A Note For Online Rainy Season Retreatants!

By Centre Team on Fri, 20 Mar, 2015 - 21:56

Hi all,

Two reasons for this post. First, a chance to post some rather lovely spring photographs from Bristol now the retreat has come to a close. Secondly, there’s been so much good material from it that we have fallen behind on remastering all the audio for internet use. Over the weekend and through the week we’ll get the remaining days’ worth of material up - plus a few extra treats! So, in a way, the retreat...

Bristol Buddhist Centre
Bristol Buddhist Centre

Day 7: All Brahma Viharas & Vairocana

By jvalamalini on Fri, 20 Mar, 2015 - 14:55

Day 7: All Brahma Viharas & Vairocana

By jvalamalini on Fri, 20 Mar, 2015 - 14:55

Today is the Spring Equinox, and this morning brought the mysterious dim-bright light of a partial solar eclipse, before turning into a glorious sunny day. We’re at that stage of the retreat when the end is in sight and my mind starts turning to other things, yet we still have this special chance to drop deeply into the divine abodes.

This morning Ratnavandana talked about “bhavana” as tending the conditions for growth. Just as with plants in...

Bristol Buddhist Centre
Bristol Buddhist Centre

Connections between the Brahma Viharas and Jinas

By jvalamalini on Thu, 19 Mar, 2015 - 15:34

Connections between the Brahma Viharas and Jinas

By jvalamalini on Thu, 19 Mar, 2015 - 15:34We can restore our innate mirror-like wisdom, transform our hatred, by developing Love-Metta. In this way we become like the blue Buddha Akshobhya.

We can restore our innate all-distinguishing wisdom, transform our greed and attachment, by developing Compassion-Karuna. In this way we become like the red Buddha Amitabha.

We can restore our innate all-performing wisdom, transform our envy and jealousy, by developing Sympathetic Joy-Mudita. In this way we become like the green Buddha Amoghasiddhi.

We can restore...
Bristol Buddhist Centre
Bristol Buddhist Centre

Day 6: Upekkha & Ratnasambhava

By jvalamalini on Thu, 19 Mar, 2015 - 15:17

Day 6: Upekkha & Ratnasambhava

By jvalamalini on Thu, 19 Mar, 2015 - 15:17A cold bright day in Bristol, and a deep quiet atmosphere in the Buddhist Centre, as we move into cultivating upekkha (equanimity).

As a brahma vihara, equanimity is more than the dictionary definition of ‘calm and composed especially in adversity’. It is a composite of metta, karuna and mudita pervaded by Dharmic understanding, like metta with a wisdom eye. It sees joy and suffering, their conditionedness and the constant flux of everything.

After just sitting in the mandala,...

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