December homily Last week I had a couple of moving goodbyes or partings with friends. Last Thursday we finally said goodbye to Leigh, who is off to Cambridge to live and work for a Triratna organisation, the Windhorse Trust. I also said goodbye to Kusaladana, who many of you know,… Read More »Meetings & Partings
There is not much that we can be certain about in this world, but one of them does seem to be that wars happen. As you are probably all aware another war or conflict has started between the nations of the Middle East, with thousands of people killed in just… Read More »Let Your Mettā Flow
This month begins with a spiritual bang! On Sunday we have Padmasambhava Day, a Triratna Buddhist festival that we celebrate every year. Over the last few weeks, lots of you have asked me about Padmasambhava and why, in Triratna, we celebrate him. So I thought I’d give a little explanation… Read More »Why Padmasambhava?
Chair’s Homily August 2023 Last Wednesday during ‘Midweek for Mitras’ we looked at a traditional list called the Seven Factors of Awakening. This list ends with a factor called Upeksha. Simply translated as calm or tranquil, implying that the Buddha – The Awakened one – was always calm and tranquil.… Read More »From Tension to Tranquil
Yesterday a new blue-robed figure walked into the Buddhist Centre. He had arrived at the packed Centre to introduce himself to the Ipswich Sangha. This was Jayaketu, the latest Ipswich Order Member, who was previously known as Mike. He told the gathered throng, about his adventures and experiences, both good… Read More »…and so the Sangha grows
Chair’s Homily for July I am at Adhisthana this week on the European Chairs Assembly, where ideas and proposals abound in many different languages. Sitting chatting, whilst eating breakfast, I notice on my left Viryakirti from Mexico and Silamani from Valencia, Spain. On my right is Aryabandhu from Berlin and… Read More »The Art of Communication
Chairs Homily – May 2023 After 2,500 years of history and innumerable attempts to clarify the Buddha’s message, Buddhism can still seem very complex. But at its heart it is very simple. It is about change and the acceptance of change. The problem comes because we want stability and permanence.… Read More »Accepting Change
Chairs Homily – April 2023This month we will be saying goodbye to one of our Sangha. Goodbyes are often sad occasions but this time it will be a joyful affair.Mike Smith is leaving Ipswich at the end of April and will not return to us as Mike. He will return… Read More »Going for Refuge ‘Effectively’
I have been back from India and the Ipswich Pilgrimage for a week now and returning to ‘normal’ life is occurring slowly. As with any spiritual journey, such as a retreat or in this case, a Pilgrimage, the world never seems quite what it was when you left. The difference… Read More »Shedding our iron-rings
Along with 20 other members of the Ipswich Sangha, I am in India. We have been in India for just over two weeks. During that time we have seen many things that have shocked us, that have made us laugh and also cry. We have meditated, chanted and practised in… Read More »Chair’s Homily February 2023
