The London Buddhist Centre

TheLondon Buddhist Centre

Magazine and ProgrammeMay–August 2016

The London Buddhist May–Aug 2016The London Buddhist May–Aug 2016

Giving is a fairly simple thing to do: money to a good cause, time to a friend, food to the hungry, energy to a situation. But sacrificing what you hold most precious – your very own life – is an altogether different giving up. How, and why, would you give your life? For an offering to be truly selfless, the ideals behind it need to be of the purest kind. Then you would need to examine how you relate to those ideals, since this forms the motive, and the ethical basis, for your offering. Then you would need to do it! For Buddhists, of course, the Buddha represents those highest ideals. The Dharma is then the means with which you move towards those ideals, and the Sangha forms the context in which you do it. All these areas that are explored in this new issue of The London Buddhist. In a bold new essay, Devamitra examines the motives behind self-immolation, a potentially shocking form of self-sacrifice. Those motives may be quite different in the cases of the most widely known example, Quang Duc, the Vietnamese monk who burned himself publicly in 1966, and the more recent wave of young monks who are self-immolating in Tibet. Another Buddhist monk, Chatral Sangye Dorje, who recently passed away in Nepal, is a vivid example of selfless sacrifice. Karunamati remembers the life that he gave so completely to the world.

Closer to home, in Bethnal Green, we hear from Sal Campbell, who shares with us her journey towards ordination into the Triratna Buddhist Order. We learn what she has given, and given up, in offering her life to transcendent ideals. In our photo feature, we see Sassirika giving herself to expressions of her ideals through the creation of beautiful works of art. And finally we enter the day-to-day life of Ollie Brock and discover, through his reflections on living and working full-time at the centre, another way of giving one’s life to the Dharma. I have been moved to read these stories of lives so fully given. After all, it is a courageous act to move away from the mundane ideals of possession and gratification, and face the challenge of offering yourself to the highest human ideals of compassion, energy in pursuit of the good and wisdom. But as we see, through doing so it becomes possible to transform yourself and change the world. I hope that the articles you read here, and the events that are happening over the summer at the LBC, also move you to consider how fully you can give yourself to this great project of transformation. – Vidyadaka

Transforming Self and World

Magazine: The London Buddhist 3 Editorial 4 Symbolism or Suicide? Devamitra on cultures of self-immolation 9 Beauty and Imperfection Local ceramicist Sassirika at work 10 Why I Asked for Ordination by Sal Campbell 12 Master of Masters Farewell to a great yogi, by Karunamati 14 Diary of a London Buddhist The sail and the canvas. By Ollie Brock

Programme: May–August 2016 17 Introduction 18 Getting Started 20 Going Further 24 Sub35 & Sub25 25 Festivals & Special Events 26 Calendar May-August 30 Yoga for Meditation 31 PoetryEast

3

Contributors to the magazineOllie Brock is Bookings Manager at the London Buddhist Centre. He has visited the White House only once. Barry Copping (proofreading), a mitra, retired from scientific and technical publishing in 2014. His interests include choral singing and railways. Devamitra was ordained in January 1974, established the Norwich Buddhist Centre in 1976 and was Overall Mitra Convenor 1982–2002. Karunamati was ordained eleven years ago in India. She has worked in women’s rights and health promotion in Nepal for over twenty years, and also practises as a GP in London. Sal Campbell is an academic writing tutor at a London university, a cyclist, a mitra, and a dharma revolutionary. Sassirika is a ceramic maker living in Bethnal Green. She has previously worked as a dancer, and in the Wild Cherry, a Buddhist-owned cooperative restaurant. She was ordained in 2006. Singhamanas (photos of Sassirika) was ordained at twenty-four and so has next to no experience of ‘the world’. He is pretty much making it up as he goes along. Vidyadaka used to work in televsion as a graphic designer, after studying visual communication in Birmingham. He has now also learned to communicate with words.

The London Buddhist onlineFor commenting, following and sharing.

The London Buddhist is now available as a blog.Visit thelondonbuddhist.org

Contents


10am, June 11th, 1963: a 66-year-old monk alights from a car at a busy intersection

in central Saigon. A younger monk lifts a large tank from the boot, then takes his senior’s hand as they step into the heart of the junction. Three hundred monks and nuns, none of whom know what is about to happen, lie in the road across the four entrances, blocking access for vehicles. The elder sits in full lotus and tells his rosary. Malcolm Browne points his camera. Click! The younger monk’s hands shake uncontrollably. Much of the petrol spills onto the ground; sufficient splashes onto the self-possessed figure at his feet. The junior retreats. His elder flicks a lighter. Flick, flick, flick. He calls out, ‘No fire!’ Duc Nghiep tosses a replacement. A policeman rushes forward. Flick! Too late. A huge flame spirals around and above Quang Duc. Click! He sits serenely motionless through endless minutes. Click, click, click. His lifeless body falls back. And the world wakes up to the severe persecution Vietnamese Buddhists suffer at the hands of their Catholic rulers. (Even though it later forgot: the ‘burning monk’ became identified, quite wrongly, with the protest movement against the Vietnam

war.) Thanks to Duc Nghiep’s meticulous organisation, the presence of the American journalist Malcolm Browne, a huge amount of luck, and Quang Duc’s fearlessness, the impact of his self-immolation was immense and world-wide, even comparable in its stunning effect to the terrorist attacks of our era. More recently, perhaps inspired by his example, as a means of protesting against the Chinese occupation of Tibet, Tibetans began burning themselves. Since 2009 there have been 142 known cases, yet the world barely notices and nothing changes. Given that suicide is generally considered unethical within Buddhist tradition, as it is usually driven by negative emotions such as self-hatred, why have so many Buddhists acted in this deeply shocking way? Some answers can be found in James Benn’s fascinating book, Burning for the Buddha, the only detailed account of this tradition. I met Benn several years ago in Chicago, when he moderated the presentation of three papers to the Association for Asian Studies, including one by me on Quang Duc. Although a professor at McMaster University in Canada, he is originally from Leyton.

It all began in China in the late fourth century CE. While Buddhism was becoming gradually

more established there, not enough monks were arriving from India to teach the growing number of Chinese Buddhists. All that most had to guide them were a few translations of Buddhist texts including the Sutra of Golden Light and the White Lotus Sutra, which were to become two of the most popular throughout the region. Both contain tales of bodhisattvas – mythical beings who have vowed to lead all beings to Enlightenment before attaining it for themselves – sacrificing their lives. In the Lotus Sutra, one such figure, named Bhaisajyarāja, burns himself in expression of his intensely felt devotion to the Buddha. Although this text was composed in India, there are no records of Indian monks following Bhaisajyarāja’s example. They understood that the story was to be interpreted symbolically, not literally – unlike some of their Chinese spiritual descendants who, in their eagerness to become bodhisattvas, did what

the bodhisattvas in the sutras did and thereby initiated the tradition of self-immolation. This is how dangerous it can be when an excess of zeal combines with a lack of proper understanding. The practice of self-immolation continued well into the twentieth century throughout China, Vietnam and Korea. As the tradition developed, although there was no fixed pattern, in practice there were several elements that often recurred in differing combinations. For example, many made vows to burn themselves at some unspecified future date. This might then be followed by a lengthy period of preparation and purification. Requesting permission of fellow monks or nuns, or even of state rulers, was also common. Many practitioners wrote death poems on the eve of their dramatic passing. Self-immolations were often publicly staged and immolators might recite a text, or a mantra, as they burned. It was considered particularly auspicious to die seated upright with palms together. And there was always the

4 5

June 11th, 1966: as flames lick around Quang Duc’s body, passers-by and his fellow monks and nuns look on

Young Tibetan monks continue to burn themselves in protest against the Chinese government. There is a well-known historical precedent, but they have misunderstood it. By Devamitra

Symbolism or Suicide?


former monks or nuns. Their actions were not an obeisance to religion or the performing of virtue. Rather, they signify something entirely different: they are a product of “rage,” induced by daily humiliation and intolerable demands for conformity and obedience. Religious figures in Tibet have been particularly subjected to the discipline of patriotic education and the campaigns opposing the so-called “Dalai clique.” These campaigns ... require them to endlessly feign compliance, obliging them to demonstrate repeatedly their patriotism and fidelity to the Communist Party.’ Such a reaction is perfectly understandable, given the inhuman and vicious treatment to which they are subjected by the Chinese authorities, tacitly supported by the shameful hypocrisy and indifference of Western governments like our own, who, presumably from economic interest, dare not offend the Chinese. Even so, the ‘rage’ referred to above cannot be reconciled with the spirit of the Dharma. This was implicitly understood by Sopa Rinpoche, a reincarnate lama who set fire to himself on January 8th, 2012. His final testament is remarkably free from any hint of ill-will and one senses that here at least was someone whose preoccupations transcended the concerns of Tibetan patriotism. His ‘offering of light,’ as he put it in the statement, was ‘for all living beings’ – which would, of course, include the Chinese. From the few images available on the internet of Tibetans burning themselves, there is an evident absence of the tranquility and stillness so shockingly visible in Malcolm Browne’s photographs of Quang Duc, who, in addition to his many other outstanding qualities, was a highly regarded meditation master. The most recurrent image that I found in my searches is of Jamphel Yeshi, his whole body ablaze, running down a street in New Delhi in unmistakable agony, protesting against a visit by the Chinese president. Westerners may be predisposed to regard such protesters as martyrs, but martyrdom is not a Buddhist concept or practice. In Buddhist tradition, there is no intrinsic merit

in dying for one’s religion and no guaranteed reward. The website of the Central Tibetan Administration gives a detailed and sobering breakdown of the bare facts of the recent Tibetan self-immolators. Twenty-four were monks, or former monks, of Kirti monastery in Ngaba, the district which has had the greatest number of such protests, and the site of repeated clashes with the Chinese. What is most unsettling is the age of so many of these ‘protesters’: the vast majority of them – 101 out of 142 total cases – were under thirty. Of those, forty-one were twenty or under, the youngest being just fifteen. The latter, simply named Dorjee, set himself on fire together with two other young men called Samdrup and Dorjee Kyab, both sixteen, and all three of Ngoshul monastery, also in Ngaba. What is the likelihood of a fifteen-year-old boy and his friends grasping the deeper significance of such an act?

As Buddhists in the West, it is difficult to know what to make of all this. For

example, are these monks and nuns committing suicide, as we normally understand that term? Suicide is often committed in an impulsive, clandestine way, and is frequently associated with psychological disturbance. However, this did not characterise the tradition described above. Chinese auto-cremators of past tradition were modelling themselves on Bhaisajyarāja and their sacrifice would be regarded as an expression of devotion, not of negative emotion. Like the bodhisattva, they were making an offering of what was most precious to all of us – their bodies – to the Buddha. This seems to be what they understood to be necessary if you aspired to bodhisattvahood, as they presumably did. That is very likely what was driving them, but what the myth of Bhaisajyarāja probably points to is that in extreme circumstances we may need to give our lives for the sake of Buddhism. Is it possible that so many people missed the point in this way, suffering an

expectation of the accompaniment of miracles and the production of relics. Self-immolation was sometimes enacted during political crises, though that was far from the norm. Burning oneself in this way, sometimes also described as ‘auto-cremation’, is just one method within the broader practice of self-immolation. ‘Immolation’ does not necessarily denote a death by fire – it also has the more general meaning of making a sacrifice, or of offering oneself as a sacrifice. The two are often conflated. But traditionally the Chinese set about self-immolation in a variety of ways. For example, imitating the bodhisattva in the famous story of one of the Buddha’s previous lives recounted in the Sutra of Golden Light, some practitioners sought to offer themselves for supper to starving tigresses – a more difficult task than you might imagine. (Even hungry tigers, like human beings, could be picky about their food!) Others even resorted to cliff-jumping, starvation, drowning and other practices for which I can find no canonical precedents. Down the centuries the practice of self-immolation, by whatever means, became an established feature of Buddhist tradition throughout the region, though its

devotees were a very small minority. When I began this article, I emailed Tenzin Tsundue. Tenzin is a well-known Tibetan political activist and poet who writes press releases to publicise Tibetan self-immolations, and with whom I spent two weeks in India last year. I warned him that my article would be critical of the recent wave of protests and asked if he wished to comment. He did not reply, possibly because his email is constantly hacked by Chinese authorities.

The self-immolations by Tibetans are described on the Free Tibet website and

others almost exclusively in terms of protest. Significantly, by contrast, Quang Duc spoke not of protest, but of making an offering of himself to the Three Jewels, the embodiment of the three highest ideals of Buddhism. Protest is too often, if not invariably, tainted by anger and hatred. In 2012, at the height of the current Tibetan wave of self-immolations, Tsering Shakya, a Tibetan scholar and historian currently attached to the University of British Columbia, observed that, ‘... most of the Tibetans who have committed self-immolation have been monks,

6 7

Kirti Monastery, in the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Ngaba, at least 24 of whose monks have self-immolated


8

appallingly painful death on the basis of a misunderstanding? One must always allow for exceptions, and I for one am convinced that one such exception was Quang Duc. In his case, it is perhaps significant that Vietnamese Buddhists universally consider him to have been a living bodhisattva – and I can imagine that he was. Some will argue that self-immolation is never reconcilable with the principle of non-violence, but actually it can be. ‘Non-violence’ is the bodhisattva’s attitude to life expressed negatively. But it can also be expressed positively, as universal compassion, and it is in this overriding spirit that Quang Duc acted. Even though he sacrificed his own life, he did so in the spirit of non-violence. Unlike suicide bombers, or the 9/11 hijackers – assassins seeking to harm or kill others – Quang Duc harmed no other living being. Moreover his action almost certainly saved the lives of 300 monks, nuns and others on the verge of starvation in the principal temple in Hue which had been besieged by government forces. It was the desperate plight of these people that finally convinced his brother monks to help Quang Duc fulfil his vow. His high-profile and shocking death forced the government, under pressure from their embarrassed American allies, to call off the siege. What about self-immolation in other, less glorious circumstances? It has happened in our very own Buddhist community. In 1985, Mahadhammavir, an elderly Indian Order member, whose health was beginning to fail, and who did not wish to become a burden either to the Order, or to his family – a particularly significant matter in India – attempted to burn himself to death beneath the full moon one midnight at the back of our retreat centre at Bhaja. He was discovered, and dragged from his pyre. Even so, he spent the remaining twenty-four hours of his long life seemingly unaffected by the pain that he must have borne consequent to his fatal burns. He had worked indefatigably in his last few years to spread the Dharma. Sangharakshita, the founder of the Triratna

Buddhist Order and community, was so moved by Mahadhammavir’s nobility of spirit that he wrote a long poem commemorating his death.

How then are we to view the recent wave of Tibetan auto-cremations? As there

is no tradition of self-immolation in Tibetan Buddhism, it seems likely that Quang Duc’s example triggered them, as it was so widely reported. Moreover, although he was not politically motivated, his self-immolation had a huge political impact and is widely regarded as the event which, five months later, triggered the collapse of the South Vietnamese Government. While I sympathise deeply with the plight of the Tibetan people and hope that one day Tibet will be free of its Chinese tyranny, I for one cannot see that any number of Tibetan auto-cremations are likely to bring about their desired end. Sadly, the world is not interested enough. From a Buddhist perspective, the ethical status of any individual act is determined by the intention behind it. This holds true whether we regard self-immolation simply as a method of suicide or as a discrete phenomenon. But that is problematic because it is very easy to rationalise unskilful mental states, giving them a positive spin. As I hope will be clear from this account, it can be particularly difficult to determine the mental state behind a person taking his life (suicide) or giving it (self-immolation). It is further complicated by the fact that often we act with mixed motives. Furthermore, as in the case of the Tibetans of the recent wave, I am left with an uneasy question: are they really giving their lives? More than that, if they are, for what are they giving them – for their country, or for the truth as taught by the Buddha? Their actions seem to blur several lines. Perhaps that would not matter if one could be confident that they were acting for the benefit of all, but after 142 self-immolations, given the implacability of the Chinese Government, it is difficult to see that they are benefitting anybody. I think it is time this tragic episode was brought to a close. ■

‘I am moved by the beauty and imperfection of being human. Fluidity of mind and body,

impermanence and vulnerability, identity and illusion of self, are themes I come back to

repeatedly. I work mostly with porcelain because as a material it has a quality of purity and delicacy, but once fired is the hardest ceramic clay body. Its characteristics seem to suit my ideas, aesthetic and

even spiritual aspirations.’

Beauty and ImperfectionSassirika, a local artist, at work


could handle it, and if they could handle me. They could. It’s still a bit of a compromise, one I hope won’t compromise me. I found it helps to not take the labels ‘male’ or ‘female’ that seriously, regarding them as an approximation at best. I can hold them lightly, even irreverently, and don’t have to be one or other to belong. The order is made of the people who are in it – and one day, I will be one of them. And so things change. I was finally able to commit myself when I understood the true nature of the spiritual community. It’s not a homogenous group to which I have to conform to be accepted, but a

collective of individuals, united by a common aspiration and ideal. More and more, it becomes clear that there doesn’t need to be a ‘them’ in order to be an ‘us’, and I have to act accordingly to this insight. We don’t have to agree in order to help each other grow, but knowing we’re interconnected helps us keep talking. There are creative, loving ways to deal with difference, with conflict, both within Triratna and in the world. I need to devote myself to a Buddhist life, with others, if I want to develop the wisdom, energy and positivity it will take to transform myself and the world at the same time – for as long as it takes, for all our sakes. ■

1110

For most of my adult life, the radical queer community has been home and family. The

trans folk and genderqueers, the sissies, femmes and butches – these are my brothers, others, sisters and lovers. We could see we were not the only ones in need of love and protection in an unjust world. I spent years involved in alternative social movements, most centrally in queer and antiracist activism, but also fighting related systems of power: the excesses of capitalism, immigration border regimes, the prison-industrial complex. I was – and am – trying to build a better world, together with others. Anger at injustice was our sword and our shield: it motivated us to act, and prevented us sinking into fear and despair. Sometimes we hurt ourselves, and each other. Gradually, as I’ve got older and wiser, I’ve put that weapon down. I find myself fighting not capitalists, fascists, or police, but more insidious foes: cynicism, complacency, conformity. How to stay engaged with suffering without rage? Anger burns everything it touches. At the same time, my Buddhist practice had been developing for almost a decade, to

the point where it seemed to take on a life of its own. I had come along to the LBC in part to heal personal demons I didn’t know how to combat. It helped, but it felt selfish – abandoning social justice for my own happiness. I thought Buddhism was basically self-serving, but I’d misunderstood what the Buddhist vision really is. The commitment to attain enlightenment for the sake of all beings is an ideal that fills me with inspiration and hope. Increasingly I felt drawn – wordlessly, urgently, joyfully – to commit my life to it. Asking for ordination came at a price. Being ordained currently involves joining the ‘men’s’ or ‘women’s’ wing of the movement – so what do you do if you’re neither? Gender diverse, transmasculine, non-binary; even the words I could use to describe myself are often lost in translation. I hesitated for a long time. I couldn’t ask to join the order if it meant denying my own identity and experience, and that of so many of my loved ones – to do so would be a betrayal. I had to find a way to bring my whole, authentic self into the Order, or I couldn’t join at all. In the end I went to Tiratnaloka, the women’s ordination training centre, to see if I

Sal Campbell explains a shift in perspectiveWhy I Asked for Ordination


12 13

Chatral Sangye Dorje Rimpoche, the last living teacher of our own founder,

Sangharakshita, died at the end of last year at his home in Pharphing, Kathmandu, Nepal, aged 102. One eulogy, by the Bhutanese lama Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse, praised a man who ‘associated with some of the greatest beings, and became master of the masters.’ The Green Tara Trust, a charity that I founded, had a field programme improving maternal health in Pharphing, where Rimpoche had spent the last ten years of his life. As Rimpoche’s life health deterioritated, Green Tara Trust local staff and their families were involved in caring for him. He lived in a house with a basic monastery attached, with his wife, daughters and grandchildren, who brought him great pleasure. He spent much of his time in the final years doing puja and not seeing many students. His wife has been especially kind to me, and has said she considers me part of their Sangha, or spiritual community. The main thing that has stayed with me from my own meetings with Rimpoche has been a very pure, even vibratory energy that I could feel in his presence and still experience now. I can only describe it as a sort of bass throb that seems to emanate from him. It is likely that he is the most realised being I have had the opportunity to meet.There was a sense of compassion, purity and clarity in sitting with

him that I have not experienced with anyone else. This is still accessible and, as such, I do not feel that he has ‘gone’, even though his body has died. He was very encouraging and supportive of our work to help local people in his area, and he was very happy to hear about how Sangharakshita was getting on. Chatral Rimpoche is a treasured figure in our own tradition because of his connection with Sangharakshita, who went on to found our own Buddhist community after many years of practice and study in India. Sangharakshita became Rimpoche’s student in Kalimpong, the northern hill station where he lived and worked in the 1940s and 50s. In 1956 Rimpoche gave

Sangharakshita the meditation practice of Green Tara, the figure who embodies the ideal of compassionate action in the Buddhist tradition. Sangharakshita practised it daily for seven years, as many of us in the Triratna Buddhist Order still do. The name of the Green Tara Trust was decided on before we arrived in Pharphing, and so it was a co-incidence, or maybe some sort of connection that was coming to fruition – who knows – that we ended up working there, our staff living next door to Rimpoche.

Chatral Rimpoche was born in 1913 in Kham, Tibet, and left home at the age of

fifteen to study with local Buddhist masters. He would stay in tents or caves, always walking and never taking a horse. In his early days, he spent much time meditating in caves blessed by the great teacher, or ‘second Buddha’, Padmasambhava. He is considered by many to be a manifestation of Padmasambhava. There is a cave in Pharphing where Padmasambhava and his consort Yeshe Tsogyal are said to have gained full Enlightenment, and it is in this area that he has lived for many years. Rimpoche was vegetarian and insisted on this in his monasteries. One sign outside his Tibetan monastery reads: ‘How can we practise true compassion while we consume the flesh of an animal to fatten our own flesh?’ For many years, he engaged in a practice of buying around 70 truckloads of fish in Calcutta and freeing the fish back into the water. He was also known for taking off for weeks at a time with his rucksack to meditate. In fact, the last time he took off was only a few years ago, at a time when I thought he was not able even to walk around his house much; yet he disappeared again, returning a few weeks later. Chatral means ‘one who has abandoned mundane activities’. He picked his students carefully, and would only give initiations to sincere practitioners. He was not moved by money offerings, and often gave money back to people who offered it. He and his attendants became wary of westerners for

some time after a student tried to strangle him for not giving him an initiation; the student was mentally unwell and needed to be repatriated. Rimpoche later called on him to check he was improving at the hospital. Rimpoche was in his 103rd year when he died. According to reports, he faded away at home. In another report, he had a fever for a couple of days before he died. Practitioners gathered and did not touch his body for three to four days until he had finished his meditation and had left the body, as is customary in Tibetan Buddhism. While I concur with Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse that we have lost a great master, and feel greatly saddened by his death, his energy and the effect his life has had cannot be lost. Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse also remarked that ‘to try and express the great qualities of this enlightened being is like trying to measure the depth and width of the sky’ – and this we can celebrate wholeheartedly. I had just one opportunity to discuss Buddhist practice with Rimpoche. I asked him about what practices he felt would help me given I had problems meditating. He looked out of the window to where our work was going on, and said to me, ‘You have done enough. I will do puja for you.’ I have taken that as a strong hint to practise receptivity ever since. ■

Chatral Sangye Dorje, the great Buddhist yogi and the last of Sangharakshita’s teachers, died last year. Karunamati remembers him

Master of Masters


When I’d heard about the Paris attacks the previous week, I had thought straight

away about my old friend Ali. She lives in the exact area that was worst hit. I got to know her working at Time Out Paris, when at the tender age of nineteen I had briefly moved with a crowd that knew the tucked-away cafes and bars so well that they even left one or two of them out of the guidebooks, keeping them for themselves. I’d sent her a text – no reply. It’s on my mind on Friday morning as I unpack no fewer than 120 little boxes of incense down in the bookshop. I lay them out on the rack, a different vivid colour for each of the twenty or so scents. I’m in the sort of mood to disrupt the colour combinations, rather then gradate them in a perfect rainbow. An old man who’s forgotten his glasses asks me to pick out the pine-scented one for him. ‘Just one?’ I ask, and he tells me I’d sell snow to an eskimo. As he pulls the money out of his pocket, a few bits of paper come with it, landing among a hail of coins that bounce on the space-ship white reception desk of the centre. They include his dog-eared birth certificate: 1935. Later he asks me to fetch his Bible, which he’s dropped in the fountain. It’s too wet to carry, and he abandons it. I head back upstairs and get into the office just in time to pick up the phone. It’s Adam, to get the bookings list before leaving for a retreat he’s leading that weekend. Do I know ‘Horses’

by Ted Hughes, he asks me, as we wait for my computer to start up. He thinks he might read it out during one of the meditations. I tell him I don’t so he recites it to me over the scratchy iPhone connection while I log into the database. A bit bleak for a meditation, I say, when he’s finished – actually when he’s halfway through. He asks if I have other suggestions. I mention ‘The Silence at the Song’s End’ by Nicholas Heiney. Amid a persistent struggle with depression, Heiney had spent long, often happy trips at sea, on replica tall ships and training vessels, before he lost the battle and committed suicide aged twenty-six. I saw his parents launch a posthumously published book of his diaries and poetry, much of it written on those voyages, when I was volunteering at a literature festival after my degree and feeling rather lost. Perhaps Heiney would have developed a taste for meditation, too. The image of the ocean has always seemed to me an appropriate one for it – big vistas; moving into the unknown; using the weather to your advantage. The sea somehow makes physical work, sadness and beauty all reconcilable. But he had certainly loved sailing and all it came with, including the songs. The poem ends,

I catch the dew and set a course amongst the ocean curls

The silence at the song’s end, Before the next Is the world.

Later in the morning I head up to Jnanavaca’s room to talk to go through three items with him. First up is Subhuti’s diary for his next visit to the LBC. Subhuti is the president of the centre, and a uniquely inspiring friend to the community – so understandably a lot of people want to meet him. It’s not so much a diary as a diplomatic dance. Jnanavaca and I also need to talk about arrangements for cooking for the big winter retreat that’s coming up. 120 people times ten days equals a lot of food. But the main item on the agenda is wave-particle duality. I’m helping Jnanavaca put together an essay on Buddhism and quantum physics, from transcripts of talks he once gave on the subject, that hangs on this principle, and I still haven’t grasped it. (On another level, no-one has, but that’s another story.) The piece still wasn’t finished at the end of yesterday’s session, so we come back to it today as the deadline creeps closer. The winter light is paler but the instensity in the room is the same. Luckily, Jnanavaca isn’t content for me simply to transcribe what he says and edit it later; he wants me to understand. So transcribing and revising the essay comes with a blast of metaphysical Buddhist study. We’re on another ocean image, and this time it’s not so appropriate. Jnanavaca is cautious of describing something called vacuum energy – bear with me – using the metaphor of something as far-ranging and fundamental to the planet as the sea, as it might suggest an original ‘ground of being’, or essence from which everything else arises, a notion that Buddhism rejects. We’re at the finishing touches, though. We ditch a rather dutiful summary at the head of the article in favour of a provocative Einstein quote about our limited perceptions and our limited love. It looks like a small adjustment,

but in fact it’s like finding the right frame for a picture: the whole thing is lifted, brought to life. I make a final series of changes at my desk and put a print-out by Jnanavaca’s door at 5 o’clock.

In the community that evening, I’m sitting in front of the West Wing in a tracksuit. I’m

daydreaming a (faint) parallel between the atmosphere of the fictional White House and this strange, full-time life at a Buddhist centre. The president’s senior staff are fully immersed in the White House and its project; there is no sense that their ‘work’ and their ‘life’ are two separate items kept in sealed containers. They may occasionally dash out to a restaurant in DC to refresh themselves, but really where they want to be is back at the White House. They are just trying to make happen the things they want to see happen. So if something’s not good enough yet, it doesn’t matter what time it is. Sure enough, just before 10pm, there is a knock at my door. Jnanavaca has spotted that we’ve referred to observable phenomena seeming to play out on the illusory ‘canvas’ of space and time. He wants to change ‘canvas’ for ‘stage’, as a stage is three-dimensional, like our apparent experience of space and time, whereas a canvas is 2-D. For reasons I’ve now forgotten, I argue it the other way. We stay with ‘canvas’. The weekend arrives, and on Saturday I speak to Ali. She had indeed been in a local restaurant when the attackers struck – and in fact she and her friends had spent all night there after the owners locked them in for safety. She wasn’t hurt, and amazingly didn’t know anyone who was. But having to take one phonecall after another from distant friends and family the next day, going over the whole thing again and again after a sleepless night, was leaving her so drained that she had turned her phone off and gone to bed. We spend a while catching up on the phone, twentieth-century fashion, weaving together a few old bits of the canvas, and some new ones. ■

Thirty-six hours, last November. By Ollie BrockDiary of a London Buddhist

14 15

Programme May–Aug 2016

Booking InfoFor many of our events, booking is essential.

You can book online at lbc.org.uk drop in to reception 10am-5pm Mon-Sat

or call 020 8981 1225Twitter @LDNBuddhist

Facebook facebook.com/LondonBuddhistCentre

ProgrammeOne aim of the London Buddhist Centre is to help people achieve

their highest potential by introducing them to Buddhism and meditation. The centre runs on generosity: all teachers and class teams offer their time, skills and experience voluntarily. We are

keen to develop this culture of generosity (‘dana’), so you will see that many of our events are free of charge, but with an invitation to give what you can (of course you do not need to give anything

if you do not want to or cannot afford to).

This culture of generosity extends to all levels of the centre. For example, everyone employed by the LBC is paid a ‘support’

package which covers their basic financial needs (food, rent etc), with a little extra for spending and travel. On this basis, people

give what they can and take what they need. It is therefore generosity that is the principal motivation for a deepening

commitment, rather than status or the accumulation of wealth. Generosity is a virtue that is highly regarded in Buddhism and we hope that this quality is brought to the fore at the LBC. In

particular we hope that, if attending one of our free events, you will feel able to contribute appropriately to the running costs of

the centre.

Alongside our programme at the LBC, we run drop-in classes and courses in meditation at St Martin’s Lane in Central London.

We also run retreats throughout the year which offer excellent conditions in which to explore and deepen your awareness of yourself, of other people and of the world around you, away

from the habits and restrictions of your daily routine.

Programme May–Aug 2016Programme May–Aug 2016

Getting startedFor anyone interested in getting a taste of Buddhist meditation and those new to the Mindfulness of Breathing and Metta Bhavana meditation practices

Lunchtime MeditationMonday to SaturdayDrop in and learn the basics of two crucial meditation practices in a lunch-hour. 1-2pm. All welcome. Donation/dana.

Evening Meditation Tuesday and WednesdayIdeal for newcomers. Drop in any week to learn two fundamental practices that cultivate clear awareness, peace of mind and emotional positivity. 7.15-9.45pm. Free. Suggested donation £11/£6.

Open Mind Club Tuesday afternoons After school club for young people aged 11–17 (doesn’t run during half term and the first and last week of each term)Led by Srivati4.30-5.30pm. Free. Suggested donation 10p-£1.

Daytime Class Wednesday MorningMeditation and the Buddha’s teachings for more clarity, self-awareness, open-heartedness and peace of mind. Our focus this term is on the value of friendship and community in the spiritual life. 10.35am-12.30pm. Creche facilities for children 6 mths - 5 yrs, supported by experienced staff. Donation/dana.

Yoga, Chi Kung & MeditationThursday EveningsA meditative evening starting with yoga or chi kung, followed by sitting meditation, to bring harmony to the mind and body. Suitable for beginners. Wear warm, comfortable clothing.7.15-9.30pm. Free. Suggested donation £11/£6.

Sub35 ClassFirst FridayThe alternative Friday night! Meditation, discussion and friendship. An evening of practice with time for hanging out after the class. Everyone welcome, especially newcomers. 7.15-9.45pm (tea bar till 11pm). Free. Suggested donation £7.

Weekday YogaDrop-in sessions of yoga for meditation. These classes encourage flexibility, strength and awareness of bodily sensations, to improve our concentration and ability to sit in meditation. Suitable for all levels. Weekday lunchtimes 12-12.45pm. Free. Suggested donation £6. Mon/Tues/Wed/Fri evenings 5.45-6.45pm. Free. Suggested donation £8. No need to book, just drop in.

Saturday Morning YogaStarts with yoga and finishes with sitting meditation. 10-11.30am. Free. Suggested donation £10. No need to book, just drop in.

Complete yoga listings: page 29

Open DayCome and discover the LBC and what it can offer you. Find out about Buddhism, learn to meditate and try a taster session in Breathing Space, our project offering mindfulness for well-being. Sun 22 May, 10am-5pm. Refreshments are provided and all events are free. No need to book.

Introductory DaysOne Sunday a month. Learn how to keep both your mind and heart in steady focus, with meditation practices that help cultivate openness, clarity and courage.Sun 8 May, 12 Jun, 10 Jul, 7 Aug. 10am-5pm. Lunch provided. £40/£30. Booking essential.

Introduction to Buddhism & MeditationAn essential overview of Buddhist principles, introducing two meditation practices which offer a means to self-awareness, change and spiritual insight. These courses are a step-by-step guide to Buddhism that can transform your perspective on the world and provide you with tools you can use for a lifetime. 6 weeks from Mon 23 May or Mon 4 Jul, 7.15-9.45pm. £100/£80. Booking essential.

Introductory RetreatsThese introductory weekend retreats are an ideal way to encounter meditation and Buddhism for the first time. So join us Learn two fundamental, far-reaching meditation practices, while living communally with diverse but like-minded people. 24-26 Jun, 26-28 Aug at Vajrasana. £180/£140. Booking essential.

Summer RetreatBeyond HatredLed by Maitreyaraja and SrivatiHow do you move beyond petty irritations and small mindedness, and embody a love which extends beyond family and friends to others in difficulty and the wider world? On this retreat we will be exploring a set of four loving kindness meditation practises. These will give you an emotional training and a perspective on the Buddha’s Enlightened experience where Wisdom, Compassion and Energy unify. There will be a programme of activities including meditation and teaching, talks and rituals, plus time to get to make friends and to deepen our awareness of the natural world. Suitable for newcomers to meditation and those who have been meditating for up to two years.12–19 Aug at Vajrasana. £350/£265. Booking essential.

The Journey and the GuideA Practical Course in EnlightenmentLed by Maitreyabandhu and AbhayanandiHow do we make the most of life? Buddhism is a non-theistic, practical path of human growth and fulfilment. This eight-week course leads participants step by step along the Buddhist path from mindfulness and emotional strength to receptivity, spiritual death and rebirth. On the course we will be learning how to put spiritual life into practice here and now. Course participants will receive Maitreyabandhu’s new book The Journey and the Guide as part of the course.8 weeks from 4 May. 7.15-9.45pm. £140/£110 (price inc. book). Booking essential.

The Journey and the Guide: Intensive Meditation MorningsLed by MaitreyabandhuDeepening our exploration of meditation in terms of the Five Great Stages of the Path, cultivating each stage, including spiritual death and rebirth. All welcome, whether or not you have attended ‘The Journey and the Guide’ course.Saturdays 18 & 25 Jun, & 2 Jul. 9am-12.30pm. (Doors open at 8.45am and close at 9.15am – no entry after this time.) Free. Suggested donation £15/£8. No need to book.

18 19

Classes Courses, days & retreats

Outreach: Courses & classes in central London and EssexNewcomers’ ClassesIntroduction to meditation every Saturday, 1-2.15pm and 2.45-4pm. £8/£6. No need to book.

Four-week Foundation courses in Buddhist MeditationFour Saturdays at 10am-12.30pm, starting 7 May, 4 Jun, 2 Jul, 6 Aug. £90/£70. Booking essential.Both of the above are held at 52 St Martin’s Lane, London WC2N 4EA

Weekly drop-in classes and courses are also happening in Hornchurch, Essex (hornchurchbuddhistgroup.org.uk) and also in Mid Essex: seemid-essex-buddhist-centre.org.uk for details.


Going FurtherIf you know both meditation practices or are a Mitra or Order member, all these events are for you

Monday Morning MettaStart the week well, cultivating positive emotion within, for others and for the world. With meditation, simple ritual, reflection, chanting and occasional readings. Stay on if you like until 9am to share breakfast and talk informally about our practice as Buddhists in a troubled world.Led by Ambaranta, Sanghasiha & friends.7am-8am. No need to book, just drop in. NB: enter only through Breathing Space entrance between 6.50-7am. No late admittance possible. Free. Suggested donation £3

Lunchtime MeditationMonday to Saturday Drop-in meditation for regulars.1-2pm. Donation/dana.

Dharma NightMonday Evenings Explore Buddhism through lively seminars and talks, meditation and puja. Whether you have undertaken one of our introductory courses and want to learn more, or you have learned to meditate with us and are wondering what being a Buddhist is all about, you can drop in and participate any Monday evening. 7.15-9.45pm. Free. Suggested donation £7.

Evening Meditation Tuesday and Wednesday Meditation is more than just a technique. After learning two fundamental practices, explore how to work with your mind more deeply and thoroughly. With led meditation, further teaching and guidance.7.15-9.45pm. Free. Suggested donation £11/£6.

Daytime Class Wednesday Daytimes This term we will be exploring the meaning and significance of Sangha: spiritual friendship and community. This will include exploration of Dharma texts as well as stories from the Buddha’s life, our own lives and from the Triratna Buddhist Community. The first class of every month is a practice morning, devoted to meditation and ritual practices – a wonderful way to start the month!10.35am-12.30pm. Creche facilities for children from 6 months to 5 years, supported by experienced staff. Donation/dana.

Yoga, Chi Kung & MeditationThursday EveningsA meditative evening starting with yoga or chi kung, followed by sitting meditation, to bring harmony to the mind and body. Wear warm comfortable clothing. All welcome.7.15-9.30pm. Free. Suggested donation £11/£6.

Meditation and PujaFriday Evenings Bring the week to a contemplative close with meditation and ritual. Devotional practice helps us to engage with the Sangha and strengthen confidence in the Dharma.7-9.45pm. Free. Suggested donation £7.

Transforming Self and WorldMonthly SaturdaysA morning exploring what Buddhism has to say about the world today and how we can use the Dharma to transform both ourselves and our communities. Including meditation, Dharma talks and group discussion on

different themes each month. There are also opportunities to help organise social and environmental projects as a Sangha. Hosted by the Transforming Self and World team, with talks from Order MembersLast Saturday of the month, 10am-1pm. Free. Suggested donation £7. No need to book.28 May, speaker TBC25 June, with Vaddhaka30 July, with Kalyanavaca27 August, with Akashadevi

Women’s ClassMonthly SaturdaysA meditation and Buddhism class for women who know the Mindfulness of Breathing and Metta Bhavana meditations.Led by Mahamani, Sudurjaya & Tareshvari.3-5.30pm. 21 May, 18 Jun, 16 Jul, 20 Aug. Free. Suggested donation £8/£5.

Lunchtime CourseMeditation ToolkitDuring this week of teaching, Maitreyabandhu will lead six consecutive lunchtime classes, exploring how to work fruitfully, creatively and playfully with the mind. Drop in to any of the classes, or come to all six.Mon 16–Sat 21 May. 1-2pm. Donation/dana.As part of the lunchtime drop-in meditation class.

Meditation DaysIt is easy to stop deepening your connection. Why not come and renew your inspiration? For meditators who know both the Mindfulness of Breathing and the Metta Bhavana.Sundays 5 Jun, 17 Jul (Total Immersion Day), 14 Aug. 10am-5pm. Bring vegetarian/vegan lunch to share. Free. Suggested donation £30.

Days & evenings

Presidential VisitRambles Around RealityAs well as leading the Opening Retreat at Vajrasana as part of his Presidential visit, Subhuti will also be giving a series of informal ‘rambles’ on the Dharma. Subhuti has been ordained for over forty years and is known for communicating the Dharma with great skill, clarity and insight.Mon 23, Tues 24 & Wed 25 May, 5.30pm-7pm. Doors open briefly for latecomers just before 6pm. Donation/dana.

Grand OpeningThe New VajrasanaLed by Subhuti and MaitreyabandhuAfter five years of planning and two years of construction, the new Vajrasana will open. Don’t miss this great occasion! Saturday 28th will be an Open Day for the general public and local people around Vajrasana. Then on Sunday 29th there will be a day for the Sangha where we will ritually dedicate the new retreat centre. This will be followed by a retreat (Sunday 29th May–Friday 3rd June) led by Subhuti, for Order members and Mitras only. More details, including on transport, nearer the time.Sat 28 May. Open Day. No need to book.Sun 29 May. Sangha Day. No need to book.Sun 29 May–Fri 3 Jun. Retreat. £310/£260. Booking essential

Men’s Intensive Meditation RetreatMastering the MindLed by Jnanavaca and MaitreyabandhuTo deepen our life we need to become happier, calmer and more energized and we need to reflect deeply on the fundamental issues of life. So on this retreat we will learn how to cultivate Samadhi (energized calm) and Prajna (wisdom). The retreat will include seven days of silence and regular one-to-one meditation reviews. 15–24 Jul at Vajrasana. £450/£340. Booking essential.

Women’s Intensive RetreatA Naked BeautyLed by Maitrivajri, Shubha, Sudurjaya, Vishvantara & friendsWhatever is happening, meditation provides the conditions for an encounter with that truth. This retreat will explore the what, why and how of this encounter, using the Buddha’s teachings. We will be sitting for at least six hours a day, performing Buddhist ritual and maintaining several days of silence. Open to women who have been on a Triratna retreat before and who have been meditating regularly for at least six months.29 Jul–7 Aug at Vajrasana. £450/340. Booking essential.

Classes

20 21


Full Moon Pujas These monthly rituals give a regular point of devotional focus and the chance to explore Buddhist ritual.Sat 21 May, Mon 20 Jun, Tue 19 Jul, Thu 18 Aug. Times to be announced. Donation/dana.

Buddhist Sunday SchoolEncouraging and developing our children’s mindfulness and kindness through Buddhist practice and storytelling. Includes meditation, chanting and craft activities. For 3-10 year olds, parents/carers welcome.Led by Jyotismati and team10.30am-12.30pmLast Sunday of every month: 29 May, 26 Jun, 31 Jul (no class in Aug)

Buddhism & 12-Step Recovery These days are for people who are in 12-Step Recovery Groups and are also interested in Buddhism and meditation. Come and join us for a day of Sangha, fellowship and practice. For those familiar with the Mindfulness of Breathing and Metta Bhavana.Led by Sanghasiha & ShraddhasiddhiSun 8 May, 10am-5pm. Bring vegetarian/vegan lunch to share. Free. Suggested donation £30. No need to book.

A Night of Furious IntensityTo celebrate the Summer Solstice we will generate our own inner heat, spending the night in silence, in sitting and walking meditation. Practising in such a way highlights the importance of attention and the necessity

of working directly with the wandering mind. For meditators who know both practices.Led by Vidyadaka & SinghamanasTues 21 Jun, 10pm-7am. Free. Suggested donation £30.

Summer FayreJoin us for all the fun of the fayre! With live music throughout the day, home-made food, craft stalls, face painting, book stalls, yoga, meditation, and lashings of community spirit. All funds raised go towards Vajrasana, our new retreat centre.Sat 25 Jun, 12pm-5pm. All welcome.

The Art of TeaTea harvested from ancient trees is a medicine that can restore the balance in our life. Done in a mindful and ritualised way, the simple act of drinking tea becomes an aesthetic experience of simplicity, beauty and connection. Come for just the morning, just the afternoon, or for the whole day.Led by PrabhasvaraSat 30 Jul, 10am-12.45pm and 2.30-5pm. Suggested donation £15 per session. Booking essential

Heart of Mantra DayChanting & MeditationMantras are sound symbols that can point towards the mystery and beauty of Enlightenment. The day will be an exploration of this mystery, and will include chanting, discussion and meditation. Suitable for those who know both pactices. Led by DayabhadraSun 31 Jul, 10am-5pm. Bring vegetarian/vegan lunch to share. Free. Suggested donation £30. No need to book.

Film NightTashi and the MonkLobsang, a Buddhist monk, left behind a life as a spiritual teacher in the USA to create a unique community in the foothills of the Himalayas. Now five year-old Tashi is the newest, and most challenging, arrival. The evening will include some meditation, and refreshments.With SanghasihaSat 20 Aug, 7.15-9.30pm. Free. Suggested donation £7. No need to book.

Deep Ecology Day‘We are capable of shutting off the sun and the stars because they do not pay a dividend.’ – John Maynard Keynes. A day exploring our appreciation, as Buddhists, of the intrinsic worth of the environment. With sitting and walking meditation, sound, talks, poetry, music and puja.Sun 28 Aug, 10am-5pm. Bring a vegetarian lunch to share. Free. Suggested donation £30. No need to book.

Retreats

Awakening Your PotentialThis weekend retreat will enable us to recognise and deepen our potential for kindness and wisdom. We will bring this into being through meditation, chanting and ritual. For those with at least three months’ experience of the Mindfulness of Breathing and the Metta Bhavana.Led by Nandaraja, Sajjana & Svadhi 17-19 Jun. £180/£140.

Going Further Continued

Great Gathering for MenThe Buddha’s Vision of Friendship‘Meeting Spiritual Friends’, from a work by the great Tibetan master Gampopa, inspired some of Sangharakshita’s early teaching. The text reveals the Buddha’s vision of the whole range of spiritual friends, from the Buddha, down to the most important of all: the spiritual friend in the form of an ordinary human being. Led by Vajrashura and Padmavajra1–3 July at PadmalokaBook at www.padmaloka.org.uk

A series of events in June emphasising compassionate activity in the 21st Century. These events are focus on how to act in ways that are explicitly practical, and that benefit the local community and the world.

Afternoon EventRising TideHow can we harness the tide of the Dharma to tackle the rising tide of global warming? An afternoon of talks, discussion and meditation. Hosted by the Transforming Self and World Team, with guest speakers. Stay on for a Mojo Box vegan meal before the evening film screening.Sat 11 Jun, 3-6pm. Supper 6-7pm.Free. Suggested donation £20. No need to book.

Film NightChasing IceChasing Ice is the story of one man’s mission to change the tide of history by gathering undeniable evidence of our changing planet. Balog’s hauntingly beautiful videos

capture ancient mountains of ice in motion as they disappear at a breathtaking rate. Hosted by the Transforming Self and World TeamSat 11 Jun, 7.15-9.30pm. Free. Suggested donation £7. No need to book.

Ratnasambhava DayThis is the year of generosity at the LBC, and this festival day will explore the rich yellow figure of Ratnasambhava, the Buddha of abundance and generosity. His wisdom shows us that giving can take us beyond ourselves, into an expansiveness beyond measure.Led by Sraddhagita and DayaruciSun 19 Jun, 10am-5pm. Bring vegetarian/vegan lunch to share. Check the programme for the day nearer the time. No need to book.

Transforming Self and WorldWith Vaddhaka (author of The Buddha on Wall Street)What’s wrong with our current financial and banking system, and what would a Buddhist banking system look like? A special morning with Vaddhaka, hosted by the Transforming Self & World team.Sat 25 Jun, 10am-1pmFree. Suggested donation £7. No need to book.

Compassionate CommunicationWhen we choose to hold on to a grievance, the problem never ends. Grievances give us tacit permission never to experience joy. Forgiveness, on the other hand, affirms our essential human and spiritual dignity. On this day we will look at how we can choose forgiveness.Led by VajraghantaSun 26 Jun, 10am-5pm. Bring vegetarian/vegan lunch to share. £40/£30. Booking essential.

Monday Morning MettaStart the week well, cultivating positive emotion within, for others and for the world. With meditation, simple ritual, reflection, chanting and sometimes readings. Breakfast 8-9am optional, plus informal conversation around our practice as Buddhists in a troubled world.Led by Ambaranta, Sanghasiha & friends.7am-8am No need to book, just drop in. NB: enter only through Breathing Space entrance between 6.50-7am. No late admittance possible. Free. Suggested donation £3

Double your impact: switch to Ecotricity and raise money for the LBC!Switching to green power is one of the most powerful actions that individuals can take to tackle global warming. For every gas and electricity account transferred, Ecotricity will donate £60 to the London Buddhist Centre. Just quote LBC1 when you contact Ecotricity and they do the rest. See ecotricity.co.uk for details.

Volunteering can be a sat-isfying and energetic way of giving to the centre.See the section of our website labelled ‘Support Us’ for more

Monday & Thursday afternoons2.30pm. Straight after the lunchtime class join in with the work period, cleaning the centre and looking after the shrines.

If you would like more information or would like to chat with someone about this, please contact Vajrabandhu at [email protected] or drop in at one of these times.

22 23

Buddhist Action Month

Volunteering


Buddha Day FestivalLed by Jnanavaca and SraddhagitaThe LBC’s key festival celebrating the Buddha’s attainment of Enlightenment. We will explore this central mystery through talks, reflection, meditation and ritual.Sun 15 May, 10am-10pm. Bring vegetarian/vegan lunch to share. Check the programme for the day nearer the time. No need to book.

Ratnasambhava DayLed by Sraddhagita and DayaruciThis is the year of generosity at the LBC. A festival day exploring the rich yellow Buddha Ratnasambhava, the Buddha of abundance and generosity. His Wisdom of sameness dissolves the boundaries of self and other revealing that giving takes us beyond ourselves and leads to an expansiveness beyond measure.Sun 19 Jun, 10am-5pm. Bring vegetarian/vegan lunch to share. Check the programme for the day nearer the time. No need to book.

Dharma DayEssential Truths for Our TimeLed by Vandanajyoti and Akashamitra‘The Buddha taught out of compassion for the world for the welfare and happiness of all beings.’ The Dharma inspires and guides us in our lives today when we find ways to be receptive to its meaning. Join us on in meditation, devotion and reflection on the significance of the Buddha’s teaching. Dhammarati will give a talk in the afternoon and the day will end with a puja with mitra ceremonies.Sun 24 Jul, 10am-10pm. Bring vegetarian/vegan lunch to share. Check the programme for the day nearer the time. No need to book.

Welcome Back EveningOrdination is a highly significant aspect of the Dharma life which has the potential to radically transform the lives of many dedicated practitioners. This special evening will be celebratory and devotional. We will be welcoming back ex-SuYen Tan, ex-Sarah Bannock, ex-Joe Krohn, ex-Glenn Kitsune and ex-Adam Showman who, all being well, will have recently returned from the long ordination retreats in Spain.Mon 1 Aug. 7.15-9.45pm. Suggested donation £7

108 Year Puja for BhanteLed by MaitreyabandhuThe 14th of 108 pujas celebrating Bhante Sangharakshita, who founded the Triratna Buddhist Order, on the occasion of his 91st birthday.Fri 26 Aug, 7.15-9.45pm. Suggested donation £7

Festivals & Special EventsOpen to all

Sub35 & Sub25 groups

25

Sub35First Friday of the MonthSub35 ClassThe alternative Friday night! Meditation, discussion and connection. An evening of practice with time to hang out after the class. Everyone under 35 welcome.7.15-9.45pm (tea bar till 11pm). Free. Suggested donation £7.

Second Saturday of the MonthMeditation MorningA chance to meditate together, for longer, cultivating stillness and friendship.10am-12.45pm. Meditation experience recommended.Donation/Dana.

Final Friday of the MonthYoung Women’s NightJoin us to explore meditation and Buddhism in a friendly, relaxed and intimate environment. An opportunity to make friends with other young women at the centre and support each other’s spiritual practice. With meditation, discussion and tea.7.15-9.45pm. Free. Suggested donation £7. Experience of both meditation practices required.

A Vision of RealityThe Buddha’s core teaching encapsulates both the cyclic grind of day-to-day life, and a path of creative growth. We will explore what this means in our own lives through meditation, talks and Buddhist ritual in a communal context. Everyone under 35 welcome, including newcomers.Led by Gaelle and David10-12 Jun. £180/140. Booking essential. Everyone under 35 welcome.

The Sub35 team runs a programme of events for men, including Dharma study and socials. For an invitation email [email protected]

Sub25Third FridaySub25 ClassA chance for those aged 16-25 to come together to explore Buddhism and meditation.7.15-9.30pm. All those under 25 welcome, especially if it is your first time. By donation.

Day RetreatA rare opportunity to spend a Saturday gathered with like-minded people under 25 to explore Buddhism and make friends through meditation, talks, ritual and discussion.Sat 21 May, 10.30am-4.30pm. Bring vegetarian/vegan lunch to share. By donation. No need to book.

24

23Ram

bles A

round Reality

with Subhuti, 5.30pm

& 6-w

eek intro course starts, 7.15-9.45pm

16Meditation

ToolkitSix lunchtim

es this w

eek, 1-2pm

9 2

24Ram

bles A

round Reality


17 10 3

25Ram

bles A

round Reality


18 11Mastering the

Mind

6 week drop-in course

starts. 7.15-9.45pm

4The Journey &

the G

uide8 w

eek course starts. 7.15-9.45pm

26 19 12 5

27Grand O

peningPublic open day at Vajrasana

20 13 6

28Grand O

peningSangha open day at Vajrasana

21Wom

en’s Class

3-5.30pm

Full Moon Puja

Buddhist ritual

14 7

29Grand O

peningFirst retreat at Vajrasana, till 3 Jun

Sunday School 10.30am

-12.30pm

22Open D

ayFree talks, m

editation, yoga and m

ore.

15 8Intro Day

Learn to meditate

10am-5pm

Buddhism

& 12

Steps 10am-5pm

1

27 20Full Moon Puja

Buddhist ritual

13 6

21A Night of

Furious IntensitySitting &

walking,

10pm-7am

14 7

22 15 8 1

23 16 9 2

24Intro Weekend

at Vajrasana starts

17Regulars’

Weekend

Retreat at Vajrasana starts

10 3

25Journey & G

uide M

editation morning

9am-12.30pm

Summ

er Fayre 12-5pm

18The Journey &

the G

uide M

editation morning

9am-12.30pm

11Rising T

ide3-6pm

, then supper

Film N

ightC

hasing Ice, 7.15pm

4

26Sunday School 10.30am

-12.30pm

Com

munication

day, 10am

-5pm

19Ratnasam

bhava D

ay 10am

-5pm

12Intro Day

Learn to meditate

10am-5pm

5Meditation D

ayFor regulars 10am

-5pm

June

Monday

Tuesday W

ednesdayTh

ursdayFriday

SaturdaySunday

May

Monday

Tuesday W

ednesdayTh

ursdayFriday

SaturdaySunday

Not all events are listed in this calendar

Our daily, w

eekly, daytime and evening classes can

be found in the Getting Started and Going Further

sections, near the start of this programm

e. Retreats are also listed there.

29 22 15 8 1

30 23 16 9 2

31 24 17 10 3

25 18Full Moon Puja

Buddhist ritual

11 4

26Intro Weekend

At Vajrasana

19 12Summ

er Retreat

Till 19th, at Vajrasana.

5

27Transforming

Self & W

orld10am

-1pm

20Film N

ightTashi and the M

onk, 7.15pm

Wom

en’s Class

3-5.30pm

13 6Entering the Path of Im

agination 10am

-5pm at the Arts

Centre

28Deep Ecology

Day

10am-5pm

21 14Meditation D

ayFor regulars 10am

-5pm

7Intro Day

Learn to meditate

10am-5pm

August

Monday

Tuesday W

ednesdayTh

ursdayFriday

SaturdaySunday

25 18 11 4Intro to B

uddhism &

M

editation6 w

eek course starts. 7.15-9.45pm

26 19Full Moon Puja

Buddhist ritual

12 5

27 20 13 6

28 21 14 7

29Wom

en’s IntensiveAt Vajrasana till 7 Aug

22 15Men’s Intensive

At Vajrasana till 24th

8Yoga &

Meditation

weekend retreat starts,

at Vajrasana

1

30The A

rt of Tea10-12.45, 2.30-5, 10-5Transform

ing Self &

World

10am-1pm

23Spring Retreat

At Kench H

ill until 3 Apr

16Wom

en’s Class

3-5.30pm

9 2Journey & G

uide M

editation morning

9am-12.30pm

PoetryEastw

ith Alex Danchev

31 H

eart of M

antra Day

10am-5pm

Sunday School 10.30am

-12.30pm

24 17Total Imm

ersion D

ay 10am-5pm

Yoga Day For

regulars.10am-5pm

10 Intro D

ayLearn to m

editate10am

-5pm

3

JulyM

ondayTuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

FridaySaturday

Sunday

Not all events are listed in this calendar

Our daily, w

eekly, daytime and evening classes can

be found in the Getting Started and Going Further

sections, near the start of this programm

e. Retreats are also listed there.


Yoga for Meditation

30

These yoga classes encourage flexibility, strength and awareness of physical sensations. Loosening up the body and deepening our awareness can be a great way into sitting meditation. Yoga and meditation are complementary practices.

Weekday Lunchtime and Early EveningDrop-in sessions of yoga for meditation. All levels. Weekday lunchtimes 12-12.45pm. Free. Suggested donation £6. No need to book.Mon/Tues/Wed/Fri evenings 5.45-6.45pm. Free. Suggested donation £8. No need to book.

Yoga, Chi Kung & MeditationThursday EveningsA meditative evening starting with yoga or chi kung, followed by sitting meditation, to bring harmony to the mind and body. Suitable for beginners. Wear warm, comfortable clothing.7.15-9.30pm. Free. Suggested donation £11/6.

Saturday MorningsDrop-in sessions of yoga for meditation. All levels. 10am-11.30am. Drop-in Yoga and Meditation. This class starts with yoga and finish with sitting meditation practice. Free. Suggested donation £10. No need to book, just drop in.

Yoga and Meditation RetreatLed by Priyavajra, Shraddhasiddhi and HollyCome and join us for a weekend in the countryside working to integrate our bodies and minds to create a positive and unified whole. We will be teaching meditation suitable for both newcomers and regulars and the yoga will be a mixture of restorative and energising poses suitable for all levels.8-10 Jul. £180/£140.

Alex DanchevProfessor Alex Danchev’s new biography of Paul Cézanne brings the artist vividly to life, dispelling the many myths that have grown up around him, to put the man, his life and thought, and of course his painting, at the centre of a book brimming with life – from his turbulent friendship with Emile Zola, to Monet’s birthday party at Giverny, to the sunshine of the South of France. Professor Danchev has also written a biography of Georges Braque, and is the editor of the best-selling ‘100 Artists’ Manifestos’. Maitreyabandhu will be in conversation with him about Cézanne and the Impressionists, Braque and the imagination. Professor Danchev will then give a talk on the life and work of Paul Cézanne.Sat 2 Jul. 7.30pm. £10. Book at poetryeast.net

Ledbury Poetry FestivalPoetry and meditation day retreatsOn these two, day-long retreats we will combine meditation with poetry and writing. The retreats will build on each other, although you can book for either day separately. The mornings will focus on meditation while the afternoon will open out from meditation into writing. Fiona Sampson will be leading a poetry workshop as part of the day on 6th July. In the evening she’ll be the guest of PoetryEast, discussing her new collection, The Catch (Chatto). Similarly, Matthew Sweeney will be leading the poetry workshop on 7th July, and will be that evening’s PoetryEast guest, in conversation about his new collection, Inquisition Lane (Bloodaxe). Both days will be led by Maitreyabandhu and are suitable for newcomers to poetry or meditation, or both. 6 & 7 Jul, at Adhisthana, just outside Ledbury. Booking: £56 for one day or £92 for both days (price does not include the PoetryEast evening events). Booking essential. A limited amount of accommodation is available at Adhisthana for those who’d like to stay for both days. Book at www.poetry-festival.co.uk

31

PoetryEastPoetryEast is an ongoing series of cultural events at the LBC, hosted by Maitreyabandhu, exploring the meaning and value of the arts. Each event focusses on the life and work of a single guest artist, by way of an interview and a reading. Previous guests have included Sasha Dugdale, Michael Frayn, Don Paterson and Colm Tóibín.

Summer RetreatLed by Maitreyaraja and Srivati

12–19 August at Vajrasana£350/£265 Booking essential

Beyond Hatred

Documents

The London Buddhist Centre