This month members of our community will talk about ways they bring their Buddhist practice to the world, and the world to their Buddhist practice.
June 5: Love in Action - Pete will look at some of the work of Thich Nhat Hahn.
Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, was exiled from his home country in 1975 due to his activism. He is credited with the idea of "Engaged Buddhism" and has spent his life developing and teaching this relationship between Buddhist practice and activism. On this Sangha Night we will explore Thich Nhat Hanh's life and work, some of the traditions that his work grew out of, and some of his very simple and eloquent writing about Engaged Buddhism. Complete with guided meditation based on his teaching.
"With mindfulness -- the practice of peace -- we can begin by working to transform the wars in ourselves."
"Peace is not an end. It can never come about through non-peaceful means."
"Meditation means to be aware of what is happening in the present moment. But if you see and you don't do anything, where is your awareness? Your compassion?"
"These are the three domains of action: body, speech, and mind. In addition, there is non-action, which is often more important than action."
June 12: The Dynamic Mandela, with Tejananda
(taking a break from our June theme to make the most of Tejananda's visit - see also Day Retreat June 22)
In Triratna, our system of practice is a dynamic mandala of five principles. We progressively integrate mind and body, samatha and vipassana, and discover the power of skilful and positive mental states. Then, directly penetrating and dispelling our delusions, we open ever-more to the wonder of what is. Thus, at last, we can wake up to and be who and what we truly are.
On this Sangha Night we’ll take a somatic approach these five principles, that is, one based in the living energy of our body and being. Through being open to the energy of the body, and by becoming attuned its actual nature we’ll discover ways to “integrate” all five principles experientially into a single, embodied ’non-practice’ of Simply Being.
June 19: Dharma and Deep Ecology: Turning Towards Climate Change, with Mary and Mary
An experiential approach to considering restlessness and worry alongside compassionate action in the context of climate change.
June 26: Ethical Consumption, with Hridayashri
Drop in any evening or come or the whole series.