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The Community Toolkit for Uncertain Times

The Travellers from Orissa – Countdown to #buddhaday – 5 days to go...

By akasajoti on Mon, 4 May, 2020 - 22:01

The Travellers from Orissa – Countdown to #buddhaday – 5 days to go...

By akasajoti on Mon, 4 May, 2020 - 22:01

As a special treat for you all this week as we countdown to #buddhaday we will be releasing a series of dharma reflections each day…⠀

Here, Maitreyabandhu reads us a poem from his second collection called Yarn.

According to tradition, two travellers met the Buddha just after his enlightenment and became his first disciples, Tapussa and Bhallika. They disappear from literature after that point, and the Travellers from Orissa is a long dramatic monologue, written by Maitreyabandhu, imagining their story.

Make some space and sit comfortably...

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The Community Toolkit for Uncertain Times

Countdown to #buddhaday - 10 days to go...

By akasajoti on Wed, 29 Apr, 2020 - 11:35

Countdown to #buddhaday - 10 days to go...

By akasajoti on Wed, 29 Apr, 2020 - 11:35

Countdown to #buddhaday!

“A thousand brilliant hues arise,⠀
More lovely than the evening skies,⠀
And pictures paint before our eyes…”

During this day of recollection and celebration of the many beautiful qualities of Enlightenment, Saddhanandi and Saddhaloka will offer a special Buddha Day Q&A live-streamed from Adhisthana.

🎧 “The Poetry Interviews – Saddhanandi + Sangharakshita” 

thebuddhistcentre.com/buddha-day for the full programme and to connect⠀ 

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

The Triratna Haiku Challenge

By padmacandra on Tue, 14 Apr, 2020 - 11:24

The Triratna Haiku Challenge

By padmacandra on Tue, 14 Apr, 2020 - 11:24

What is it?
An invitation to pause, open to all the senses, and notice… write the noticing down in three short lines as a “haiku”. Write a few in turn, see what occurs to you. Then if you wish, send your favourite/s to me (details on how to submit them below) so I can post them on the triratnaarts* Instagram or facebook page where the challenge began. (Perhaps at the end we can post a selection...

Triratna News
Triratna News

Maitreyabandhu talks to Archbishop Rowan Williams, poet

By Munisha on Wed, 30 Mar, 2016 - 23:35

Maitreyabandhu talks to Archbishop Rowan Williams, poet

By Munisha on Wed, 30 Mar, 2016 - 23:35

On 19th March, Poetry East, at the London Buddhist Centre, UK, welcomed poet Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury. (Video 44 minutes)

Maitreyabandhu interviewed him. He writes: “We invited Dr Rowan Williams - Archbishop of Canterbury 2002-12, currently Master of Magdalen College, Cambridge -  to talk about poetry, faith, religion and suffering. Here he is in the main shrine room of the LBC, talking to me about his life, his poetry and his faith. He read from his two collections of poetry with ...

Community Highlights
Community Highlights

Maitreyabandhu - Poetry and Receptivity

By Candradasa on Tue, 24 Nov, 2015 - 18:47

Maitreyabandhu - Poetry and Receptivity

By Candradasa on Tue, 24 Nov, 2015 - 18:47

It’s not too late to join the Urban Retreat! 

A lovely short talk by Maitreyabandhu, illuminating why poetry is itself an act of receptivity and requires that of us as readers and, in the context of an Urban Retreat, Buddhist practitioners. Taking as his source Kay Ryan’s poem ‘The Niagara River’ we get a simple but encouraging close reading of how poetry can help us slow down, take things in, and really...

International Retreat 2014
International Retreat 2014

Music from the clear-up team's campfire

By Munisha on Sat, 31 May, 2014 - 13:13

Music from the clear-up team's campfire

By Munisha on Sat, 31 May, 2014 - 13:13For most of us the International Retreat is long over, but the doughty clear-up team have only just left, after a further week’s work dismantling the marquees, showers, toilets and kitchen.

Happily we can know something of their playtime too, with this great little recording from Suvajra. It’s Sumana’s folk setting of Sangharakshita’s poem, “Secret Wings” about our resistance to acknowleding our own spiritual potential.

Sumana main voice and banjo; guitar Joe Richardson: backing vocals Joe Hill and Shantikara.
Lights In The Sky - living dharma
Lights In The Sky - living dharma

POEM BY SANGHARAKSHITA

By Suryaprabha on Tue, 3 Dec, 2013 - 21:37

POEM BY SANGHARAKSHITA

By Suryaprabha on Tue, 3 Dec, 2013 - 21:37THOUGH THIS poem has been taken out of context, the ending of Time of Fire, I find it apt to reflect on the inferred death of Sangharakshita (long may it be postponed). As the film, part three of my history of Triratna, has several themes of conflict, I wanted to end on some sober reflection, and the author was kind enough to read his poem (or part of).
Community Highlights
Community Highlights

Poems on Metta - Loving Kindness

By Candradasa on Sat, 9 Nov, 2013 - 17:11

Poems on Metta - Loving Kindness

By Candradasa on Sat, 9 Nov, 2013 - 17:11If you didn’t already catch this during the week, here’s a great video from Manidha and Alice in Seattle, USA using poems from different spiritual traditions to explore what metta (loving kindness) is!

Watch out for the outtakes at the end… :)

This piece was originally posted on the Urban Retreat 2013 space on the site.
Loving Kindness - Blazing Like The Sun
Loving Kindness - Blazing Like The Sun

Manidha and Alice - Poems on Metta

By Manidha on Wed, 6 Nov, 2013 - 19:21

Manidha and Alice - Poems on Metta

By Manidha on Wed, 6 Nov, 2013 - 19:21Manidha and Alice here from Seattle in the U.S. sharing a collection of poems we feel inspired by when we think about metta and its central importance for the life of the heart. Drawing on different religious and spiritual traditions the poems bring out some of the qualities of metta and of a person turning their effort towards cultivating loving kindness in their life.

This video was produced and read with the help of our friends...
San Francisco Buddhist Center
San Francisco Buddhist Center

Sangharakshita's 86th Birthday Celebration: USA - Poetry read by Suvarnaprabha

By Candradasa on Wed, 25 Sep, 2013 - 16:34

Sangharakshita's 86th Birthday Celebration: USA - Poetry read by Suvarnaprabha

By Candradasa on Wed, 25 Sep, 2013 - 16:34Poetry read by Suvarnaprabha in a celebration of Sangharakshita’s 86th birthday held at the Triratna Buddhist Order Combined International Convention at Wymondham College 21 August 2011.

Complete with her singing the Jackson 5: “I’ll be there…”!

Many thanks to Savanna Jo Luraschi for pointing to this.

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