Chairs Homily – April 2025
Looking out of my study window I can see the first buds opening on the red Japanese quince in the garden, with the snow drops and daffodils adding to the scene. These are the first signs of spring, the warmer weather is just about starting and the days are getting brighter and longer. Summer is coming into view.
It can also be a spring for our spiritual life. At this time of year we often feel more energetic and able to pursue some of our aims and goals. To think about changes, maybe new starts in our lives.
I often consider this precious opportunity that is our life, and ask myself, am I making the best of it? This kind of thought has driven many great Buddhist teachers of the past to push themselves forward, overcoming difficulties, towards their spiritual goal, Enlightenment. When I read the biographies of these historic teachers, I often think that I am not trying hard enough, that I could do more. But one comes up against the question, ‘What is actually more for me, at this time and in my life?’
Recently, I have been reading about Shinran (1173-1263CE) and Dogen (1200-1253CE), two Japanese Buddhist masters who lived at a similar time but with very different takes on what is a Buddhist life and how one should go about living that life. By the time of their birth, Buddhism had been a major religion in their country for over 600 years. After such a length of time you can imagine that Buddhism had become institutionalised and rather staid; it was in its winter. Shinran and Dogen both in their own ways, wanted to move Buddhism into a new springtime, re-energising the local people and making Buddhism relevant to their age. This Buddhist springtime, with innovative teachers, happens occasionally in the long history of Buddhism. Many of these innovative teachers of the past are on the Triratna Refuge Tree, a painting of which hangs in our Sangha room.
I have wondered what Ipswich would be like if Buddhism was the main religion and had been going for hundreds of years. But we are not quite in that position yet, and I think it will be a long time before we get to that stage of needing a reboot. One of the reasons I think it will take a while is that Triratna can be seen already as a new way of life or a new religion. A new form of Buddhism, quite different from previous iterations of Buddhism that have appeared in many time periods and many countries since the Buddha lived.
This year we are celebrating the birth Centenary of Urgyen Sangharakshita the founder of our new Buddhist movement, Triratna. Just like those great teachers of the past Sangharakshita has created a Buddhism that has a direct appeal to us, the people of this modern world.
I can remember when I first discovered Buddhism, trying to gain some understanding of its teachings, and also working out how I could live as a Buddhist. Back then, about 50 years ago, it was very difficult to make sense of Buddhism. The forms of Buddhism that were available in the UK were just imported versions of Buddhism, such as the Zen, Pure Land and Theravadin schools. Each adapted to the people, country and time in which that school was founded. But none of them were me, living here in the UK. The only choice was to adapt who I was to become one of the people from those countries, such as Japan or India. Buddhism can then become more about learning customs and social behaviours rather then the deep and profound ideas that form the heart of Buddhism.
My teachers back then, were often very contradictory; one week I would be told something only to be given a completely different view the next week. The two teachers of the past I mentioned before, Shinran and Dogen, although contemporaries, held apparently opposing views on how to lead a Buddhist life. Dogen advocated spending long hours in meditation, working in the Dhyanas and leading a very disciplined life. Whereas Shinran held the view that we are already Enlightened and no effort or work is required, we just have to become aware of our True Enlightened self, and let go.
I had no way of seeing a bigger unified vision of Buddhism, I could only see the individual practical applications as espoused by these individual teachers. Taken together, without a guide, they just seemed a jumble of conflicting ideas with no clear path towards Insight and Enlightenment. It wasn’t till I came upon Sangharakshita’s new movement that I found a practical and achievable way of living as a Buddhist. A way of really understanding the Buddha’s teachings and how to live a life based on those teachings. Sangharakshita’s talks, lectures, writings and his clear teachings made sense of the hundreds of years of diversification and re-invention that is Buddhist history.
Some of you, with a spring in your spiritual life, will be thinking about starting the Foundation year Study or maybe moving on to begin the next 3 years of the Mitra Dharma training course. These courses are a great way to understand the diversity of Buddhism and learn how Sangharakshita has knitted all those different approaches together to form a coherent view of the Buddha’s teachings. Some of you will have just finished those courses and are now able to lead a more integrated Buddhist life, drawing on that hard-gained knowledge and wisdom to help you in your everyday experiences.
I suppose you are interested in which is the way to Enlightenment, Dogens or Shinrans? Of course, it’s not as simple as just being one or the other. It depends on you and where you are at. So if you are lost, a bit confused or lacking in energy, then some discipline can help, getting down to practise and a clear routine can move you forward. But if you are too determined, and you are grasping after Enlightenment for your ego’s sake then what you need to do is relax and be more accepting of what will happen. In Triratna we sometimes talk of these two as self-power and other-power. We can use both techniques because we know about them in detail and how they can be applied to our particular age and lifestyle. So to apply the right technique, we need to have obtained some Wisdom. We need to have studied the Dharma and understood how the Buddha viewed the world and how he applied his teachings to those he was teaching.
It is good to this year celebrate the Centenary of the founder of our movement. Unlike me, you may have only known Buddhism through the clear lens of Sangharakshita’s teachings, a lens that enables you to look at other schools of Buddhism and understand where they have come from and the foundation and application of their particular view of Buddhism.
This month, on Sunday the 6th April we also celebrate the founding of our Buddhist Movement. There are online events held throughout the day were you can join with others from Triratna Centres around the world. https://thebuddhistcentre.com/news/save-date-triratna-day-2025
If you happen to be an Order Member then also on Sunday, we celebrate the founding of the Triratna Order. This is an in-person all day event at the Cambridge Buddhist Centre, with Order Members attending from all around the East Anglian region.
So enjoy the warmth and brighter days of April, and come along to the many events that are being held at the Ipswich Buddhist Centre. A good time to put the spring into your spiritual life.
See you soon
Bodhivamsa
