This month is full of celebration. Like last month and the London Buses, we have two Mitra Ceremonies, almost at once. We also have the 100th Birthday celebrations of Sangharakshita the founder of our movement.
Becoming a Mitra is a big thing. It is not something to be entered into lightly. It requires careful consideration because it will be life changing. I remember my own Mitra ceremony many years ago now, in fact 37 years have past since that event in 1988. So quite a long time ago and as you might expect much has changed.
When I decided that I wanted to become a Mitra it was not an easy step as it might be today. Back then there were only a handful of Centre’s and associated Mitra Convenors. Triratna was much smaller then and we have grown substantially. Being in a remote location I had to apply via the rather grand titled, Overall Mitra Convenor (OMC) then the appropriately named Devamitra. Some of you may have met Devamitra as he has visited Ipswich on a few occasions, the last time to launch his book about his experience of illness, ‘Entertaining Cancer, The Buddhist Way’.
Nowadays we have Mitra Convenors in all our many Buddhist Centres spread around the world, including Ipswich. If you want to become a Mitra you have some discussions with your local Convenor and they let you know the significance of being a Mitra and also how the Centre can help you on your spiritual journey, with the likes of Mitra study groups and other Mitra only events. However, when I eventually managed to meet The OMC, I had to travel to Birmingham to see him. I was lucky in that at least I was in the same country and it only took about 6 months for him to fit me into his schedule.
In those days the criteria for becoming a Mitra was long and strict, and you had to convince the OMC that you had fulfilled all the requirements. At that time, were I lived (in Colchester) there was no Buddhist Centre. There were no friendly Order Members to help me understand Sangharakshita’s and the Buddha’s teachings. No local Order Members to help guide me, as I stumbled on my way towards a greater understanding of Buddhism. So the Overall Mitra Convenor, said he would make me a Mitra. But as I lived in a remote part of the country he could do nothing to help or support me. So it was, that I became a Mitra at my closest Buddhist Centre, the London Buddhist Centre(LBC) in Bethnal Green.
As you might expect at a large Buddhist Centre like the LBC it was a large ceremony with a dozen people becoming Mitras. Not like our smaller and more personal affairs. Still, it was a very moving and significant occasion that people who attended still remind me of, and that includes Harshaprabha.
Devamitra’s disappointing words were said to me very kindly, but they did have a profound and galvanising effect on me. I then decided to build a Buddhist Centre to help others and myself living in remote places, that the Dharma had not reached yet. It took a while, but with the help of many others, especially Harshaprabha, we did get there. This is still happening, where people who live remotely but still want to practise as a Triratna Buddhist start something local, that one day blossoms into a Sangha and a Centre building to house them.
At this point it is good to make clear that Friends have a very important place within our Sangha. Going beyond that place, to become a Mitra, may not be for everyone at this time. A Friend is someone who is friendly towards Buddhism, supports what the Buddhist Centre does, and is interested enough to want to learn more. Most of the people who are part of the Ipswich Sangha are Friends, and most of our activities are put on for Friends. Asking to become a Mitra is the next big step and not everyone in our Sangha will decide to make that move.
Becoming a Mitra is the confirmation of you as a Buddhist. That you have decided that Buddhism is the religious and spiritual path that you wish to explore and become part of the worldwide Buddhist Sangha. The next part is that you have decided that you want to join a specific Buddhist tradition, that being the Triratna Buddhist Community. There are many Buddhist schools and groups that you could have chosen as your Sangha. But by becoming a Mitra you have made the decision to stick with Triratna. None of these commitments are ‘forever’. You may decide in the future, that after learning more about Buddhism, you are not really a Buddhist but would rather be a Jain or a Zoroastrian. You may even decide that another form of Buddhism is more appropriate for you.
It would be easy to see the Spiritual journey as being like our UK education system. That is a system most of us know very well. A system where we gain empirical knowledge and experience in a specific and defined area of human understanding, passing tests along the way. However, the Spiritual Life is not like that at all. It is the unfolding of ones inner potential, increasing our awareness of ourselves; our physical and psychological states. Becoming a Mitra is taking that first step into the deep pool of reality, diving deeper into who we are. The Buddhist teachings, the Dharma gently guides us on that path. It is not all about ‘me’, as these steps, in turn also leads us to a greater understanding of those around us, and what we can do to help them lead a fulfilling and rich life.
Ultimately, eventually we realise our potential to be Enlightened. To reach the pinnacle of human endeavour. But for that, maybe we will have to wait a while, these are just the first steps.
The decision to become a Mitra is an internal and personal one. It is a decision that you must make freely and without pressure, the decision to be a Buddhist.
In the 2,500 year history of Buddhism, converting to Buddhism, has never been one of coercion or force, as can be the case in other world religions. Being a Buddhist and staying a Buddhist requires quite a lot of effort, facing up to your inner conflicts and finding yourself, the stage of Integration.
The Mitra ceremony is a way of turning that decision from inside to outside. To make public that decision and share it with those who have made a similar decision and can offer spiritual friendship and support. It is also important that you let those family and friends around you know that your lifehas taken a different direction. They may not always be happy with that decision, but that is something for them to assimilate and accept, and that this is important for you.
For some people, the ceremony itself can be a daunting occasion. But it is import that we make the decision ‘real’. You may not be used to being in the spotlight and the focus of attention, but on this occasion it is good to accept that position, if only for a little will. The Mitra ceremony is the start of the way we can have a positive affect on the world around us. Letting it be known that a Buddhist way of life is a valid and worthwhile way to spend your time. It is a worthwhile way of improving the lives of those around you, as being a Buddhist leads to a more compassionate and helpful life that affects all that you come into contact with, directly or indirectly.
The first of the two ceremonies is on Saturday afternoon, 2nd August, when Adam, Alison, Matt and Paul will make their offering and become Mitras. Then two weeks later on Friday evening, 15thAugust we have Mitra ceremonies for Sally and Joe. So do come along to witness and enjoy the Mitra ceremonies, they are such positive ritual occasions, not to be missed.
The Centres final big celebration of the month is on the evening of Tuesday 26th August. This occasion is to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Urgyen Sangharakshita, the founder of Triratna.
Every year we have a puja to mark the birth of our founder. But this year its a special centenary event, were we will take time to celebrate his life and work and also time for those that have met him, to give their reminiscences of those meetings. If you didn’t have the chance to meet Sangharakshita whilst he was alive, then this is an opportunity to get to know him, from those that did meet him. So do come along, all are welcome, whether your are a Friend, a Mitra or an Order Member.
Also, throughout the day there will be online celebrations that includes coverage from an event at Adhisthana. Go here for the full days program and supporting information.
“It is not enough to convert to Buddhism; we need to experience conversion within the context of our Buddhist practice, at ever deeper levels. It is not enough to think in terms of our own spiritual development; we need tothink in terms of the spiritual welfare of all living beings. And we can think of conversion in more radical terms still. We can think of it in terms of a shift in the very nature of our experience of the world. “Urgyen Sangharakshita – The Meaning of Conversion in Buddhism – 1994
Have a lovely August and I will look forward to seeing you at the Centre.
Bodhivamsa
