This evening Hastings sangha gathered together to remember Bhante Sangharakshita and the remarkable legacy he leaves behind for the benefit of us all. A single evening was really only an opportunity to start to reflect and process this huge event in the life of the movement – the conversation will continue as everything settles into its new form. We started with the Metta Bhavana, calling to mind both Sangharakshita and those who were closest to him. We listened to Vishvapani’s...
The day after hearing the news of our precious teacher’s death I awoke to a strange feeling that the world seemed more empty somehow. Reading some of my favourite poems by Bhante I came across one with which I was not familiar, however these appropriate lines almost leapt off the page…
Now you are gone; but only as a star,
Which, though extinct, sheds radiance from afar
To those who on this dark earth wandering are.
Go n-éirí an bóthar leat Go raibh an ghaoth go brách...
By salutation on Thu, 1 Nov, 2018 - 23:58Now passing through time and condition you have gone beyond, and your life The Light Beyond all obstruction that knows no night, and your voice does call To Awake not sleep, To Joy not Sorrow, To Wisdom not ignorance, To Freedom not oppression, To Love not hate, To Nirvana not samsara, and so here I sing to you, in the dusk of day, for all who find themselves in the howl and gale and storm of the world, and our...
Tonight, in our Buddhist centre in Ghent, we did Maitreyabandhu’s puja for Bhante in Flemish and sang mantras for him. Next to that we sat in silence and remembered our beloved teacher, did metta for him and some memories and rejoicings were shared. Also we listened to Bhante himself singing the Tiratana Vandana. May our Teacher live on through our friendships in the sangha.
This was how we started our puja on tuesday evening, with a walking meditation chanting Padmasambhava mantra for Bhante. Then Upekshamati recited the sevenfold puja for Bhante that Maitreyabandhu wrote. Then we chanted other mantras that Bhante requested.
Here’s a request from the team co-ordinating Bhante’s funeral arrangements at Adhisthana: If anyone has (or would be able to bring) a mini bus on the day of the funeral (Saturday 10th November) to help with bringing people from the nearby train stations to Adhisthana, please get in touch by email admin [at] adhisthana.org. All offers of help appreciated!
Knowing that I’d be at Adhisthana this month, I was hoping to meet Bhante. I haven’t been with him one to one since I used to read to him in his warm annexe at Madhyamaloka over fifteen years ago; those readings being one of the great pleasures and privileges of my life back then.
I wrote to him early last year to reconnect after a period of struggle in my life during which I tasted many sour fruits, the most plump among them being pride. Having tasted it, and its core of fear and...
If you would like to express your gratitude for Bhante Urgyen Sangharakshita’s life you could give to a project which we know was very dear to Bhante’s heart and currently faces a funding crisis: the editing and publication of his Complete Works.
Bhante Sangharakshita’s wish was to see “a complete, uniform edition” of all his writings, published and unpublished.
Many people’s generous gifts for Bhante’s 90th birthday began to fulfil this wish with the...
