Jayasiddhi - the Meanderings of a Western Buddhist

September and October at Gampo Abbey

2009-11-02T04:45:00.000-08:00

Hi you All,

As summer becomes a fast fading memory, things have taken on a quieter aspect at the Abbey. Our program has settled back into it's usual gentle routine with less of the activities seen over the summertime.

The trees and bushes have their Autumnal colours and we saw our first light snow fall on the 15^th October – it didn't settle at the Abbey, but the trees on the hills behind us looked like a Christmas postcard. The little mountain road between us and our main shopping town of Cheticamp had 10cm of snow.

The View from my desk of Gampo Lhatse (the hill of the Abbey Protector Deity) & Ani Palmo's Cottage

In September we had our annual visit from Shibata Sensei. The Sensei is a Kyudo (Japanese archery) master in the Zenko lineage and a 20^th generation master bowmaker. He is also a third generation “Bowmaker to the Emperor of Japan” (although now retired).

Shibata Sensei was a close personal friend of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and maintains close links with the Shambhala community and retreat centres where Kyudo is taught and practised.

On this visit we were treated to a demonstration of Kyudo by two of Sensei's students and several days of instruction were also given to a class of Abbey participants. The numbers for the class were limited and I did not put myself forward for the program as it seemed only fair to give Shambhala practitioners the opportunity train.

Shibata Sensei is regarded in Japan as a “Living Treasure”. Nice for a country to count individuals along side buildings and works of art. This was the second opportunity I have had to see Shibata Sensei as I had previously been his Abbey attendant in 2007. He certainly demonstrates a strong presence and personal dignity.

More recently we enjoyed an Open Day. This was an opportunity for anyone who is interested in the Abbey to pop in and have look around. We laid on tea and cake and there were a couple of talks. The day was a great success and we had about 135 people drop in to say hello. I might a nice lady and her family from Guelph and it looks like she might come to the retreat that Harshaprabha and I are doing there in November.

Last week we had some tragic news of a young Toronto woman killed on the local Skyline Trail by Coyote. The 19 year old was hiking alone when attacked by two coyote. Some hikers came upon the attack and called the emergency services. One of the coyote was shot at the scene but seems to have wandered off wounded. The young woman died later in hospital.

This has been a real shock to the Abbey and to the local community. It is very rare for coyote to attack humans and this trail is well known to all of us an outstanding place of natural beauty. We are bringing the young woman and her family into our practice and will do a Sukhavati ceremony for her later in the month.

This week we had an ordination of the latest batch of temporary monastics. Ani Migme did the honours with her usual panache, welcoming (from the left) Ananda, Ziji and Chongchup. We celbrate in the traditional manner - chocolate cake!

My time at Gampo Abbey is now coming to a close. I have decided to leave earlier than initially planned. My reason for coming to the Abbey was to experiment with a monastic lifestyle for a second time and I feel I have accomplished what I set out to do. Practicing in a Shambhala environment has been a interesting and broadening experience, but I now feel the need to be back with my own practice community, the FWBO.

I have a 5 day solitary starting today and then one week back in the Abbey community. After that I fly to Newfoundland to meet up with Les and Lewis Cranford (old Abbey pals), to do some sight seeing and a short solitary retreat. From Newfoundland I fly to Toronto to put on a weekend retreat for beginners in Guelph with my pal Harshaprabha. After a couple of days of sight seeing in Toronto I will fly back to the UK at the beginning of December.

Above a rare photograph of Monk Wrestling. Although technically prohibited by the Vinaya (monastic code) it does provide a good form of indoor exercise in the chilly Nova Scotian winter. Monks have to keep fit somehow - meditation just doesn't burn the calories. The Texan Mawler, aka Karma Chogyal (in red and yellow) is a compact but powerful opponent and difficult to lift above knee height - thus making deck slams somewhat difficult.

Love,

Jayasiddhi

August at Gampo Abbey

2009-09-08T07:47:00.000-07:00

Hello me Ducks,

I hope you are all well and happy.

At the beginning of this month we had the arrival of 12 ladies for the latest stage of the 3 year retreat program in the Sopa Choling Retreat Centre (adjacent to Gampo Abbey). One of these was my old mate Christine Behrens so it was lovely to have a chance to catch up with her.

This current session includes study and practice of the 6 Yogas of Naropa, one of which is Tsumo or production of inner heat. Should save a bit on the heating bills this winter.

We prepared the retreat centre for them prior to their arrival and said our goodbyes at the official Gate Closing ceremony.

This included circumambulating the retreat centre with flags and trumpet blowing,

a Lasang (fire puja/offering)

and the gate closing itself with offerings to the protector deities

concluding with posting pictures of the 4 Kings on the retreat centre gates.

The retreatants are now confined to the retreat centre and it's grounds for around 9 months.

Farm Visit

The Abbey has an ongoing relationship with a local man called Brook who runs a small sustainable organic farm. He visits us on occasion and has supplied some fresh vegetables and goat yoghurt to us in the past. The kitchen manager Trime Lhagtong is keen to extend our relationship and on this pretext a car load of us set off with our packed lunches and swimming costumes to pay a visit to Brook and his family.

It was lovely to meet his wife, children, dogs, goats, chickens, cows, pigs and ducks. Here is a man who really loves what he does and he is passionate about sustainability. He says on a good day he can see that he is not just growing vegetables but can see his whole family rising up through the soil. I for one believe him.

It was great to get a tour of the veggie patch, everything mixed in together to confuse the bugs and reduce the impact of disease and good to try the produce straight from the vine. The highlight for me was meeting Brook's rare Scottish breed Bull with his harem of cows.

Brook and his remarkably friendly Bull

I have never been this close to a Bull before and doubt that I ever will again. You could definitely see him sizing us up, but he remained calm and the presence of Brook helped to diffuse any perceived threat (from us!).

It was great to see a free range family of cows just wandering around and enjoying the the shady trees and mud. Very natural.

The day was particularly hot and after visiting the cows we got to play in our own watering hole in the local river. The river was very cooling and we swam by a small rapid which made a great hot tub, with salmon joining in the fun.

Birthday Gal

Ani Palmo celebrated her 76th Birthday this month. We had a wee party in her little cottage with some sweets and a truly excellent Boston Cream Pie (courtesy of Dechen). Ani Palmo treated us to a run through of her life story which is really quite fascinating. Originating in Poland, she was a student of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and one of the early founders of Gampo Abbey.

Ani Palmo and me have a Birthday hug

Brannon hides behind Ani Palmo's Orchid

We said goodbyes to Brannon who returned to the Nyingma Institute in California (hope it's going well!), to Ani Lodro who returned to her home Sangha in Montreal and to Choshin who's taking up a new post in Washington. I will miss you all.

Two Order Members at Gampo Abbey

Bodhidaka paid a flying visit at the end of the month, staying for just three nights. It was lovely to see another Order Member and to catch up a bit on mutual friends.

Bodhidaka was here in time for Ani Lodro and Choshin's leaving party, and along with FWBO mitra Saskia aka Zangmo (pictured above) we offered the chanting of the Dhammapam Gatha, a little gift from the FWBO mini Sangha.

Death of a Han

The Han is a very important part of Abbey Life. It comes from the Zen tradition and is used to signal the start of a monastery activity such as chanting, meditation (or lunch!). There are two distinctive ways to hit the Han, one for shrineroom activities and one for everything else.

Karma Chogyal warms up the shiny new hardwood Han

The practice with the Han is to drop what you are doing straight away, as soon as you hear the distinctive "clack, clack, clack" and move onto the next activity. This helps to overcome attachment to our own way of doing things and is a reminder of the choicelessness of the moment of death. Neither the Han nor the Grim Reaper are prepared to wait while you finish your coffee.

and here's one we prepared earlier

The story of the Han (and nobody knows where this originated - it's not a Zen thing) is that when the Han finally breaks the kindly folks of the Abbey get to enjoy an extra open day (i.e. a free day off). Some folks have been excited about this for a while (I remember people predicting it's imminent demise in 2007). The Han is estimated to be 10 years old. But it finally gave up the ghost this month. We didn't manage to knock a whole all the way through, as once the back cracked it sounded just awful and had to be replaced - but we got our day off anyway!

Love to All,
Jayasiddhi

July at Gampo Abbey

2009-08-06T16:14:00.000-07:00

Prayer flags at sunset

Hi y'all,

Another full and action packed month as summer rolls into Cape Bretton island. We have just recently said goodbye to the last batch of In House Retreatants who have been staying with us over a period of 5 weeks. This has been an opportunity for people to stay for one or two weeks and get a taste of Abbey life. They all seemed to enjoy themselves and it adds a different flavour to the Abbey having new faces appearing every seven days or so.

The tourist season is now in full swing. At times we must have 20 or more tourists a day visiting the Abbey. I have enjoyed giving afternoon tours to groups around the Abbey, explaining about Tibetan Buddhism, the historical Buddha, protector deities, the history of the Abbey, why I am the only one dressed in blue and so on.

The latest batch of recruits took temporary monastic ordination this month. This begins with a hair cutting ceremony the night before. Two of us were doing the barbering. Dennis was my first vistim. Before:

and after:

Trime Lhagtong, Serri, Choshin, Zopa, Rinchen and Chotso with Ani Migme

The following day Ani Migme lead a simple ceremony and delicately cut of the remaining lock of hair from the crown of their heads. A very festive occasion with some very nervous peeps getting used to wearing robes for the first time.

Canada Day rolled in and we joined the Pleasant Bay community for their parade and our Annual Softball Game against the local Fire Department.

Triple trouble at the Parade

Choshin tries to negotiate a cheaper fare, but the punk has beaten him to it

As is traditional - we lost the softball (29 to 10 I think). Given the fact that we had a half decent team this year, we lost worse than ever. Hey ho, we drowned our sorrows with fries and ice cream at the local diner: The Rusty Anchor. Guess what it has in the car park?

Going all to Sea

July also saw the annual Lobster Release. The Abbey bought up Captain Mark's last catch of the season and released them back to the sea (cue theme to "Born Free"). This follows the Eastern tradition of Buddhists buying and releasing caged birds, but with a distinctly Nova Scotian twist.

Paula gets to grips with a dissatisfied customer

I had my first swim of the year at Red River beach. A beautifully sunny day and the beach was quite busy with local kids buidling a dam in Red River. A few of us from the Abbey swam and sunbathed. We swam in the River rather than the sea and that was still cold enough. A nosey seal was checking us out.

Later, Choshin, Tsultrim and myself walked into town for a well deserved maple and walnut ice cream. It was much further than I remembered (maybe 2 to 2 and a half hours in total from the Abbey), but on the way we saw a very cheeky red fox, a bald eagle and later on, at the restaurant two beautiful hummingbirds.

In between all this galavanting around I am getting on with plenty of meditation and study. My current themes are Gelug Madhyamika and a class on the Mahayana Uttaratantra Shastra (or Buddha Nature for short).

I hope you are all having a great summer.

Love to All,

Jayasiddhi

Torma Night

2009-08-06T15:15:00.000-07:00

Just one of the many and varied community activities we take part in at Gampo Abbey. Torma Night is a winner with all the monastics - well, it is compulsory, but I like to think we'd all go anyway.

Torma is an offering gift in Tibetan Buddhism. The Tormas we make on Torma night are used in our main shrine room and presented to the local protector deities by being flung into the garden at appropriate moments during our chants.

These are made from barley flour dough and butter. The central pinacle represents Mount Meru - the centre of the Buddhist cosmos and the four points on the base represent the four continents - one of which is our home - Jambudvipa. Hence we offer up the whole universe for the benefit of practicing Dharma.

When sticking the continents onto Mount Meru it is important to get them on the right way up - with a flat side on the top - otherwise all the people are liable to fall off. It also makes the job of building Ikea even more difficult for the people of Jambudvipa.

Here are some images of a recent Torma night

Choshin looks very pleased with himself. Did you make all those? No - thought not. Nice pinny though!

Continents are carefully molded

Tsultrim puts the finishing touches to Jambudvipa

Hmm.. this one might need some structural underpinning

Here's one I made earlier - I'm sooo proud

Serri, Kalsang, Tenzin and Jinpa make butter wheels in iced water to stop them melting

Dechen adds a butter glaze before the butter wheels are added

Rows of finished Torma ready for the freezer until their eventual use - the squirrels love 'em!

June at Gampo Abbey

2009-06-20T10:41:00.000-07:00

Hi All,

Wow, how time flies! The weeks just fly by here – it’s the minutes that can kill you. Particularly the last three minutes at the end of a three hour period meditation session, you are at the front and it’s your job to ring the gong at the end. The digital clock is in front of you and you have to keep an eye on it, the numbers slow, slow some more and……freeze, the clock goes into stasis – you have entered the twilight zone!

This last month has been action packed. The latest group of Three year retreatants finished their current period in the Sopa Choling retreat centre. They have been practicing hard, 7 days a week for about 10 months, meditating and sleeping upright in their Tibetan box thrones (like a wing armchair, but different). The retreat centre is “sealed off” except for a few essential persons and the retreatants are not allowed outside of their fenced area during their stay. We had an official gate opening ceremony led by Bhiksu Lodro Sangpo and a Lasang (a kind of Windhorse raising fire puja), great fun, very Tibetan and very smoky if you stand in the wrong place. Everywhere I stood seemed to be the wrong place! I smelled as if I had been barbequed.

Ani Pema Chodron delivered a further three talks (I think) during her one month stay and covered a lot of ground in meetings on the new monastic code for Gampo Abbey. Just before she left we had a whistle stop visit from the Sakyong (Chogyam Trungpa’s son and Dharma heir) and his wife, the Sakyong Wangmo. The Sakyong and the Sakyong Wangmo are at the head of the Shambhala sangha and represent the masculine and feminine principal in Shambhala Buddhism.

Photo by Kalsang

The Sakyong and the Sakyong Wangmo were received in royal style. I helped to bolt together the teaching throne in the shrine room and weeded flower beds and garden paths. We were all very busy. This was a big event for the Abbey and for the local Nova Scotia sangha who turned out for the occasion. We had a celebratory feast with lots of lovely goodies donated by the local sangha, including some excellent scones and clotted cream – I love that British influence in Nova Scotia. The local sangha are a very friendly bunch and appreciative of the Abbey, I got to chat with a quite a few of them.

The Sakyong led a Lasang (fire puja) just before his departure. I knew I should have waited before washing the smoke out of my robes from the last one!. He presented us all with blessing cords to be worn around the neck. The Sakyong Wangmo kindly gave out Tibetan style cookies she had baked herself – and very tasty too.

The Sakyong also presented the Abbey with a wonderful Padmasambhava rupa, which is currently enthroned on our main shrine.

Wesak was celebrated in June (a little later than in the FWBO calendar). The atmosphere in the Abbey was quite wonderful – it felt a little like Christmas! We started the day in our usual way, chanting the liturgy, meditation, housework and breakfast, then we started to prepare a feast for later in the day. Some local sangha members joined us for a Sakyamuni Buddha sadhana and combined feast, held in the main shrine room. Several people made feast offerings of readings and I read Pinghiya’s Praises. We even had a folk music offering from two of our guests.

Ani Migme celebrated her 85th Birthday. We had a wonderful rejoicing and storytelling session and celebratory lunch. People recalled their experiences of Ani Migme and some of these were very funny. Zen Priest Ryumon sang and ballad and got Ani Migme up to dance which was very entertaining. Ani Migme fell over at one point (too much twirling about) but was quickly up on her feet again. That new pacemaker is marvelous.

The Relay for Life sponsored walk went very well. The weather was awful but fortunately the organizers decided that we would walk inside the arena rather than outside on the track.

Photo by Kalsang

I exceeded my sponsorship target of $100 by raising $195. Thank you all for your support! The Abbey Team raised over $1500 in total and our man Rick won a voucher from a local restaurant as the largest single fundraiser. Way to go Rick! The weather seemed too windy for camping (our tent blew away twice), so I decided to stay up through the night. We had live music till around 2am and plenty of coffee and flap jacks.

This week Lhagtong, one of our nuns had her graduation ceremony for completing the three year monastic study course called Shedra.

photo by Kalsang

She gave an excellent talk outlining the principles of Yogachara Buddhist philosophy in a very light hearted and pleasing way. She was then awarded her certificate by Bhiksu Lodro Sangpo.

After a wet and windy week, summer has reasserted itself and we are enjoying some beautiful summer days with refreshing cool breezes. I am spending my work afternoons mostly in the garden cutting our vast oceans of grass. I am starting to develop a slight tan and quite a number of very itchy black fly bites.

The Abbey has just started its’ five week open retreat program. This week we welcomed three new faces. Some people will be staying for one week, others for two weeks. The retreatants live in a separate building but join us in our daily program. Towards the end of this period the number of “in house” retreatants will rise to 13 – lots of new names to remember.

I have just finished reading the Brothers Karamazov by Dostoyevsky. This is my first venture into the Russian novelists, I was a little apprehensive at fist, but thoroughly enjoyed it. Around nine hundred pages, it was a two month read, but really worthwhile, emotionally moving, intellectually stimulating, spiritual and very human.

The next event on the horizon is the very important softball game against the local volunteer fire service. This takes place on Canada day (July 1st). We have had some practice and we have a very promising team (and then there’s me). Will it be enough though? We have only won once in the games history – and that was with the help of some local schoolboys.

Love to All,

Jayasiddhi

Back to Gampo Abbey

2009-05-12T15:23:00.000-07:00

I have now been back at Gampo Abbey in Nova Scotia, Canada for a little over two weeks. I am being made very welcome and am feeling pretty well settled in already, which is comforting as I will be here for a whole year. There are currently about 35 people in residence. There are perhaps ten people here that are new to me, the rest I already have a connection with through my 7 month stay back in 2007.

As we drove over Irish mountain on the way down to Pleasant Bay, there were still some persistent patches of snow on the ground. Coming down to the Abbey I was glad to see that the snow had gone for the year, although it has still been quite cold some evenings with some strong winds and driving rain some days. The swimming season feels a long way off.

The countryside here is even more stunning than my memory of it. Especially the view from the hill behind the Abbey called Gampo Lhatse. The view over the highlands, cliffs and the deep blue bay is fantastic. The animals here are often very tame, birds will come and sit on your shoulder expecting food and I was joined on my rock seat one afternoon by an inquisitive squirrel, very cheeky and not all scared. I have already seen four or five sunsets here that wouldn’t be put to shame by those of some exotic island.

(photo by Kalsang)

Ani Pema Chodron, the Acharya (teacher) to Gampo Abbey arrived around one week ago. There was much preparation for her arrival and she was warmly welcomed. Last week, she gave a talk on Chogyam Trungpa’s teachings on the Black Ashe. How to work with the mind when experiencing difficulty, about courage and fear and containing the desire to take our difficulties into our world. It was a good talk. I very surprised when I was asked by Ani Pema to comment on taking our practice into the world. I was put right on the spot, but managed to respond with a couple of reasonably coherent (I hope) sentences. Talk about feeling groundless!

My long term work situation here has not yet been decided, I volunteered to help out in the facilities (maintenance) department in the meantime. I am enjoying this work and would be happy to continue doing it in the long term if asked to. I have been hanging Buddhist flags for Ani Pema’s arrival, putting up fly screens on the windows and other small maintenance work.

My meditation practice seems to be settling in and calming down quite quickly. I am sure this cannot last! The longer hours of sitting are causing me some back ache, but I guess this is something I will just have to work with. Ani Migme, a wonderful nun of 85 years has agreed to be my meditation instructor. This is great, as I felt a strong connection with her from the last time I was here. Unfortunately, she has not been in good health this last week and continues to struggle with an ongoing heart condition. We have all been very worried for her.

The Abbey is currently in the process of formulating new house rules based on the Vinaya. I was included in a study group giving an overview of the Pratimoksha (training rules for monastics) and have been allowed to observe the committee discussions in formulating these new rules. It is a fascinating process.

Karma Chogyal, a very funny Texan monk in the room opposite mine is a big fan of our (British) Queen – he has even written to her! He even gave me a large photograph of the Queen, which now dominates most of my desk (along with a large plant). He is also a fan of Chouwowa (the Mexican dog), but fortunately hasn’t offered me any pictures of these, well not yet anyway.

I am getting used to being back in robes, much simpler than worrying about ordinary clothes. This visit I am trying out wearing a blue Dzen (pronounced zen) over my ordination robes. This is a Tibetan style upper robe worn by monastics here. It wraps around one shoulder leaving the other uncovered. It seems a good way to fit in with their life and practice here. Wearing it requires mindfulness and patience as it is constantly getting in the way or falling off. Some days I wish I had forgot to bring it, especially when it falls into your dinner or the washing up bowl.

Love to All,

Jayasiddhi

What Happened to 2008?

2009-05-10T10:35:00.000-07:00

Wow that went fast! I haven't updated this since March 2008. What a crazy year.

So, News in brief:

My niece Rebbecca got married early 2008 to her long time boyfriend Peter. A great dress - shocking red, and a great party!

I have been working at Windhorse:evolution project managing the expansion of our chain of ethical giftware shops. Some long hours, some hard work but well worth it. What a fantastic bunch of people in the Retail Team - Abhayakirti, Peter Hunt, Sam Cottis, Aryajaya, Matthew Widowson, Paul Wiseman, Andrew Turner and Mia. It was great working with you all and the guys in the Property Team. Lots of fun, lots of laughs and some real challenges. Thanks for it all, wouldn't have missed it for the world!!

Two chances to study with Bhante Sangharakshita, a week on our ordination group get together studying the Bodhicaryavatara and a weekend with the guys ordained by Arthapriya studying a Perfection of Wisdom text. I feel so lucky to have had this opportunity to study with Bhante as I didn't think I would ever get the chance.

September 2008 A very challenging month long order retreat at Guhyaloka. Lots of difficult emotion to work with - urgh! Much help from my good friend Vajrapriya.

March 2009 Beccy and Pete have a very handsome baby boy! Way to go guys - not wasting any time there!

April 2009 - finish work at windhorse:evolution to return to Gampo Abbey.

Peterborough Meditation Group going strong thanks to help from Peter Hunt, Paul Wiseman and Jayamuni. Hand the group over to some very obliging friends (you know who you are!) until Peter Hunt picks it up on return from his ordination in August.

Phew.

Peterborough, Tibet and Wolverhampton

2008-03-26T09:54:00.000-07:00

I seem to be all over the place at the moment. Physically I'm busy shuttling back and forth between Wolverhampton, Cambridge and Peterborough. But my mind travels further afield to the people of Tibet and the Tibetan refugees I met while traveling in India.

There has been much in the news regarding the civil unrest in Tibet and also concerning the protests at the opening ceremony to Chinese Olympic Games held in Greece. It would seem that whether for good or bad, the civil rights issues in Tibet are going to be an integral part of our memory of these Games.

The Greek police are accused of incompetence for allowing protesters to make such a highly visible demonstration so close to the Chinese delegation and also for "roughing up" two other protesters during the procession of the Olympic flame. The Olympic Committee, meanwhile, struggle to justify allowing China to host the Games.

The Committee claim that inclusion of China and the high media presence during the Games can only be of help to the civil rights situation in China. Given the draconian state media controls in China and the willingness of Western Governments to turn a blind eye to brutality whenever it threatens international trade or political alliances, this outlook seems rather optimistic.

What can we do to help? At a practical level, probably very little. The least we can do is register our objections to the Chinese treatment of the people of Tibet. This link takes you to an on-line petition. It only takes a couple of minutes to complete. The Chinese Olympics has put Tibet back in the media spotlight and we should all do what we can non-violently to make the use of this extra leverage while it lasts.

This week marked the start of the Peterborough FWBO Buddhism and Meditation Class. Given that the advertising had been very last minute and that the class fell on a Bank Holiday Monday, I am please to report that two people turned up, Barbara and Mark. Both had visited the Cambridge Buddhist Centre in the past and had experience in meditation. Barbara has meditated for eight years and has experience of retreats, training in Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction and has good links with Amaravati monastery in Hertfordshire.

We started the evening off by building a small Buddhist shrine together. We then went on to do a 30 minute Mindfulness of Breathing Meditation. After a cup of tea we spent the remainder of the evening doing potted life stories and talking about our hopes for the group. It feels like we have a Peterborough Sangha already! A very promising start. Visit our new and slowly improving web page at:- http://buddhistmeditationpeterborough.googlepages.com/

Tomorrow, I'm off to Wolverhampton in Birmingham. This will be my third visit in two weeks. I am preparing shop fitting plans and meeting sub-contractors in order to open a new evolution Shop. Fingers crossed it should be trading by mid May.

Buddhist Meditation Group in Peterborough, UK

2008-03-04T14:17:00.000-08:00

I have been back a while now it seems, because I am looking for a new project - and I have found one.

The Cambridge Buddhist Centre made it known that they had received some inquiries from some people in Peterborough,UK, who wished to learn about Buddhism and or learn to meditate. It sounds like a great opportunity , so I have agreed to give it a shot.

I have so far managed to make contact with around half a dozen interested people in Peterborough and hope to start some advertising soon.

We have booked a room at the Quakers, Friends Meeting House in Peterborough, starting on Monday March 24th. It will be a weekly drop-in meditation class open to Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike. I feel both excited and a little nervous about taking this on.

I have already received offers of support from good friends in the community including Padmadeepa, Nagavira, Paul Wiseman and my old friend Jayamuni.

I intend to offer introductory meditation in the mindfulness of breathing and metta bhavana and general discussion and exploration around Buddhist topics and living a meaningful life in the west in the 21st century - particularly the corner known as Peterborough!

I have started a little web page to promote the new group. It can be found at:-

http://buddhistmeditationpeterborough.googlepages.com/home

Back to Work

2008-03-04T14:00:00.000-08:00

So here I am back in Cambridge, UK and back at work after around nine months of adventures. Firstly, six months at Gampo Abbey and then two pilgrimages back to back in India.

I am beginning to settle back into life here. It was a difficult transition at first and I often felt grouchy and dislocated.

Luckily, I am now back in the bosom of my old community (Bodhicharya community) in Newmarket Road. This is thanks to the generosity of Graham Denton who offered to move to a neighboring community to make space for me. Many Thanks! It feels good to be back here amongst good friends. I feel a sense of warmth, support and common purpose.

I am back working at windhorse:evolution a Buddhist team based right livelihood business/charity (not for profit organisation). My new role here is in the Retail Team. I am project managing the opening of five new evolution (fair trade giftware) shops this year. I handed over the first of these in Walsall, Birmingham, fully shop fitted to our merchandising team a few days ago and am now enjoying a quiet week or so before work starts on the next one.

I really appreciate having had the opportunity to take time out for more full time Dharma practice. I continue to review my long term plans but feel that a period of intensive practice every year or two would do me wonders.

It's been good being in touch with my friends at Gampo Abbey and many thanks to Ian for the photos. I miss you guys.

Love to All,
Jayasiddhi

Hello from Sikkhim - Goodbye India (30/11/07)

2008-03-04T12:40:00.000-08:00

Hi All

Made our way out of Kalimpong with a police escort (we have local connections!) and managed to avoid the worst of the political strike.

A whistle stop tour of Gangtok then on to Pelling far up into the hills and fantastic views of the mountains. Clean, fresh stunningly beautiful and very cold. Got up at 5am to watch the sun rise on the snows of Mt. Kachenchunga - well worth the trouble.

Next stop Tashi Ding. A magical shangri-la sort of place in the middle of nowhere. Strong associations with Guru Rinpoche, it has it's own cremation ground and a really special atmosphere. A great place to finish our pilgrimage.

Back down to Siliguri (West Bengal) stopping off on route to pay our respects to one of several caves associated with Guru Rinpoche in this area. This involved a somewhat claustrophobic crawl through a very small tunnel into a bell-shaped meditation chamber (most excellent!). To get to the cave we crossed a wonderful river - video below:

Have finished my antibiotics I am well on the way to recovery, apart from a hacking cough and a badly bruised and scraped leg (I fell down a gap in a bridge while playing with some kids - happens every day, right?).

I have been traveling in India for 8 weeks now and have done what I came for. I am tired and India'd out for the moment, so have decided to cancel my solitary retreat and come home early. I fly back to Blighty on the 4th December - in time to get in some Xmas shopping (yippee!).

I'm really looking forward to seeing my friends, some clean clothes and a hot bath, not to mention real coffee and a croissant.

If anyone is able to offer a slightly scruffy, ever so slightly homeless traveler some accommodation for a few days/weeks, I'd be pleased to hear from you (my community is not expecting me until January 15 - Hi Guys!).

Love to All,
Jayasiddhi

Hello from Kalimpong (24/11/07)

2008-03-04T12:25:00.000-08:00

Hi Chaps,

I've been here in Kalimpong for three nights now. We are staying in Sangharakshita's old hermitage. It has lots of colonial character if a little cold and damp (no heating).

It's pretty cold here (4000ft) but a bit warmer than Darjeeling. It looks like we were lucky to get out of Darjeeling before the general strike and limited violence of the last couple of days, the army are still on standby. It would have been a bit unnerving to get stranded in the middle of all that.

We still have a general strike here in Kalimpong and this cafe shouldn't really be open. There were some running street fights and one political attack two days ago. Things seem to have calmed down a lot. We leave tomorrow in a police jeep (the brother in law of our friend Wangpo).

This part of West Bengal is fighting to be recognised as an independent state (Ghuorkaland) as it is made up of Nepali's, Tibetans, Tamangs and other hills peoples in addition to displaced Indians pushing up from the plains due to population pressures. Darjeeling has eight political parties and a Tibetan mafia who enforce the strikes. Things get complicated in Indian politics.

First day here we are unable to leave the grounds due to the political situation. Fortunately, the grounds are about 2 acres of beautiful hillside with tame white rabbits wandering around along with the geese and ducks and a wide selection of orchids to admire, not to mention a stunning view of Mount Kachenchunga (the world's third highest mountain - I think).

First evening I succumbed to the dreaded amoebic dysentery (the third in our group to do so). Not fun to say the least and kept me pretty occupied for about 12 hours. I managed to get my bodily fluids under control by lunchtime yesterday with the help of various anti vomit & anti diarrhoea medication. I am on a five day course of antibiotics and still feel a bit weak. Looking on the bright side, I was putting on a little weight anyway.

Today a visit to Sangharakshita's old vihara (now a policeman's house) and then on to the Indo Tibetan Buddhist Culture Institute (Dhardo Rinpoche's school). It was great see the valuable work here both in education, helping orphans and in promoting traditional Tibetan culture. We sponsored and attended a long life puja for the latest Dhardo Tulku, carried out in Dhardo's shrine room by 6 monks from the local Gelug gompa. Finally we were treated to a show of Snow Lion dancing, then a traditional women's folk dance and a song on some interesting instruments whose names completely escape me.

I have seen many Gompa's in this area (Siliguri, Darjeeling and Ghoom) mostly associated with Dudjom Rinpoche, Chetul Sanghe Dorje Rinpoche and Dhardo Rinpoche. Great to meditate and do puja in these places associated with Sangharakshita's teachers.

Next stop Sikkhim.

Love,
Jayasiddhi

Hello from Darjeeling (21/11/07)

2008-03-04T12:15:00.000-08:00

Hi you All,

Just a quickie, my jeep beckons.

Have evacuated Bodhgaya - although not without saying Hi to HH Karmapa that we nearly met in Sarnath. He arrived after the "other" HH Karmapa had left and we happened to be staying in the Hotel he was using. A very handsome chap and no mistake.

A whistle stop tour of Rajagir and Nalanda University:-

(what an excellent place and the museum is tops) before heading out for a short train journey (only 12 hours) to Siliguri.

A crazy jeep drive up to Darjeeling (7500 ft). My fear of heights is most intense when driving on twisty mountain roads. Thoughts of "Why did I come here?" It's worth the nail biting corners though - what a beautiful place (and cold 7 celcius when we arrived last night). Snow covered mount Kachenchunga on the horizon. So many beautiful Gompas.

15 Mins to go before another nail biting night drive to Kalimpong. Have to leave Darjeeling a day early because of a 4 day political strike starting tomorrow - i.e. no road travel or restaurants for 4 days.

Love to All,
Jayasiddhi in Yeti Land (they don't sell PG tips here)

Hello from Bodhgaya - again (14/11/07)

2008-03-04T09:59:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Second time around and I'm back at Bodhgaya.

After finishing our retreat at Bhaja we were off to Arungabhad where we enjoyed the hospitality of some local mitras (Order friends). From this base we explored the ancient caves of Bhaja, Ajanta and Ellora. Fantastic sculpture and painting. Great atmosphere.

Next stop was Jalgon, to catch a train up to Varanassi. We had a few spare hours here and took the opportunity to enjoy a Bollywood movie (When we first met) in a local Cinema. Three hours of hit musical and very hi energy love story - a bit like 1960's Cliff Richard movies. When the couple finally kissed the whole audience got up and cheered and clapped! Lots of fun, even without subtitles.

The train journey to Varanassi was my third overnight train trip. This was my longest so far, about 21 hours including signal problems. When the points were jammed we all spilled out onto the tracks to walk about and talk. Very Indian.

At Varanassi we walked around the rabbit warren of the old city before ending up at the Burning Gats.

This is where Hindu's carry out open air cremations on their holiest of rivers.

It was a deeply moving experience to see public cremation in this way. We stayed for quite a while, quietly watching and reflecting.

Two Poems:-

Goodbyes

Sitting on the floor at the feet of the funeral pyre the old man looks on resignedly, arms wrapped around his knees
Periodically his head drops onto his raised arm - as if resting from tiredness or from his loss
Stretching out a hand he feels the warmth of the pyre - the last warmth his wife will offer him.

Mother India

Flaming teardrops pour from dead woman's head, incandescent into the dry sands,
fiery pearls of fat at play with the elements, beautifully contrasted with the darkening sky.
Two little girls weave in and out of the metal railings, slapping each others hands playfully and practicing their gymnastics.
Dropping lithely to the gat below they lift the Ganges sands in their tiny hands and let it run through their fingers, watching it escape like time on a lazy heat hazed afternoon.
Mother India dancing between their fingers, so fertile, so giving.

Later a boat ride down the Ganges. Our boatman stopping to buy a cigarette from another boatman offering a range of goods - convenience shopping Ganges style. Sunset over the Ganges. Candles floating downstream.

As night closed in, a closing Dilwali festival with fire puja carried out to hi-energy music on the banks of the Ganges. Silver Cobra offering bowls and fly whisks, drums and bells accompanied the six young men dressed in finest Benares silk who carried out the ceremony. A complete contrast to the earlier experiences of the day. Life and light, dancing, shouting, so many people, so much confusion and noise.

Sarnath. Ritual at the Dhammek stupa. Tea and sweets at the Thai temple with the most senior Indian born Bhikku (monk) Ven. Sassanaraksmir.

He took temporary ordination at the age of 21 in order to attend the first international Buddhist convention, he was to disrobe straight after the convention. Dr Ambekar (the Great Buddhist Dalit leader) asked to him to consider keeping the ordination and not returning to lay life in order to set an example for the thousands of newly converted. He felt torn between these two paths. On the boat trip to the conference he reflected on his own selfishness and then threw all his worldly belongings into the sea, marking the end of his lay life. He is now 86 and has accomplished much, including founding several libraries and temples a school for 300 local children, a farm, and a retreat centre. He speaks 5 languages and is currently building and 80ft high stone Buddha statue. What energy!

In Sarnath we were staying at Tranghu Rinpoche's monastery. The Dalai Lama favoured Karmapa arrives the same day we do. Our schedule is tight so we are unfortunately unable to see him or receive blessings.
Our Tibetan friends and helpers Wangpo and Buddha Tamang, take us to a friends house for dinner. Momos (veg. dumpling), soup, bread and Tibetan butter tea (thick and salty!)..

In Bodhgaya. Meeting up with the TBMSG/FWBO Dhammakranti retreat. 850 Indian Buddhists gathered from 16 different Indian states. We receive a warm welcome and much interest in our foreign presence.

Later a procession to and puja at the Mahabodhi temple, near the Bodhi tree. Probably 750 of us attended. Very powerful to do puja with so many people. A great feeling of family and shared vision.

The "other" Karmapa is here giving initiations. With our retreat and the usual pilgrims the town is buzzing. It's great to see the huge Tibetan ceremonies and the Karmapa under the Bodhi tree giving his initiations. He seems to have quite a following.

Constant travelling takes a psychic toll. I awake in the night. The room is completely dark, eyes shut or open, I can't tell the difference. Where am I? I haven't got a clue. Not even sure who I am. As consciousness gets stronger I slowly manage to get my bearings. An unsettling Bhardo moment. A breakfast of hot milky porridge with Tibetan bread and jam. Equilibrium restored.

Much Love,
Jayasiddhi

Hello from Pune (28/10/07)

2008-03-04T09:35:00.000-08:00

Hi Chaps,

Today finds me in Sunny Pune.

After Sanchi and Bhopal I trained it down to Nagpur (means Snake City). Nowadays
known as Orange City and very juicy they are too. Train delayed three hours - not too bad really - can be a lot worse.

I spent three days in Nagpur exploring archaeological remains of a monastery, stupa and small college patronised by Nagurjuna no less. It's said he experimented in Chemistry here - Alchemy perhaps? Looked like a mini Nalanda.

I had the guided tour of the area by Dhamma Mitra Kapil and our friend from Bodhgaya Dhamma mitra Sheilesh. What a lovely suprise to see him here, such a positive and helpful guy.

We toured the Nagaloka College - a great TBMSG institution, which trains 40 youngsters per year in Buddhist studies during a one year intensive course. About forty students per year attend from all over India.

I was asked to give "short" talk to which I obliged, although with question time it ran into 2 hours! The students were very interested in life in the West and the benefits of Buddhist practice. I gave my talk an emphasis on the benefits of "taking responsibility for our actions" - at the request of the Head Teacher.

We also visited the Hsuang Tsang retreat centre (funded by Taiwanese donors). A magical spot in the heart or rural (Jungle) India. A fantastic stupa/shrine room with amazing acoustics. Tigers are common in the surrounding hills and have been seen on the centre land (though not recently thank goodness!). Beautiful lakes close by.

Dinner at Kapil's home (cooked by his younger sister) has added a touch of real life India to the trip. Great hospitality.

An overnight train to Pune was free from excitement apart from one informative passenger who wanted to initiate me into the secrets of his personal religious philosophy "all is one, god is all, god in everyone". He carried on and on until the Indian Doctor next to him said "For heaven sakes man, give the guy a break, you've said the same thing at least ten times!"

When the "informative passenger" popped to the loo, I quietly thanked the Doctor and we shared a friendly understanding for the rest of the trip. He had visited Cambridge several times with his job in tropical medicine.

I am recovering from an ongoing low level cold (hence the Oranges). I am a bit tired from all this non-stop travel and am looking forward to a quiet one week retreat before starting over.

Love to All,
Jayasiddhi

Hello from Bhopal (23/10/07)

2008-03-04T09:24:00.000-08:00

Hello me Chucks,

Sad goodbyes to Paul and Padmadeepa at Gonda railway station. Alone on a busy platform in a very strange country - gulp!

I've now experience the 2AC overnight sleeper train! Great way to meet people. Air con a little to cold for me. Got a crick in my neck! Meet a couple of very nice railway engineers. Lots of discussions about marriage, divorce and sex! The Indians are not always so reserved as I was led to believe.

A mid price hotel in Sanchi was a pleasant little treat after our cheaper accommodation to date. The Sanchi Stupa site is a real Jewel. I had the extensive site mostly to myself without any hassle from beggars, hawkers of pushy tour guides. Meditated at the big stupa, explored ruined monastery complexes and great little temples. A very relaxed and enjoyable day.

Today I traveled to Bhopal by local bus, sharing a back seat designed for 4 with 6 other people! So many people and rice sacks. No goats or sheep though. Local people smile and point and test out their English skills on the lone tourist. Friendly and enjoyable banter. Playing with the kids.

I have really pushed the boat out in Bhopal to celebrate the end of the first leg of my journey. A three star hotel with 24 hour coffee bar, broadband (!), a bar, two restaurants and small shopping mall. A fridge and colour TV in my room. Room service. Air con that works, a bath and private balcony with views of Bhopal's extensive lakes. All for 30 GBP. A lot of money in India, but a very dingy bed and breakfast in England.

A memory from the train journey:-

The bloated cow lays leaking body fluid into the baked earth
A mangy stray approaches nonchalantly and bites into the throat - just to be sure
After a few minutes of hungry chewing he trots off and then returns a few minutes later with his pack
A couple of larger dogs work the throat and face, peeling back layers of skin and fat
Smaller dogs look on casually with a patience which is humbling
Bright red muzzles on a sunny afternoon.

India is a vivid place. A little like loosing your sunglasses in the mid day sun. It's difficult to know where to look in order to minimise the intensity of experience.

Love to all.

Jayasiddhi

Hello from Nepal (21st November 2007)

2008-01-01T05:53:00.000-08:00

Hi All,

Friday. We have crossed over the border (no hassle, no fee and no queue) and into Nepal (The Peoples Republic of Nepal as the graffiti over the border post informs us).

We have spent one night in a Korean monastery in the Lumbini temple complex. The monastery is quite new and is in the process of being expanded. It is very clean, smart and has a simple renunciate feel to it. Great Digs.

Lumbini (the Buddha's birthplace) is very well developed. The archaeological site is surrounded by a large walled complex. Inside the complex there are many monasteries and temples from lots of different traditions. The small village of Lumbini is firmly outside the wall and you do not get to see much of local life from here.

The complex is clean and well organised with paved roads and maps connecting everything together. It's kind of cool and also a little weird, a little bit like a Buddhist theme park. Could be in the US! (almost).

Last night spent in Sinouli (India) on Nepali border. A really dusty noisy polluted little town. Felt like the wild west. The Hotel was quite poor with mold and vermin droppings on the sheets. we took the deluxe rooms with TV and Air Con (both broken). We had to get up in the night to hide our biscuit stash, clothes and other edibles from the mice.

Saturday. Kapilavastu (Northern India).
The place where the Buddha was raised.A large stupa and beautiful lotus pond. A very well maintained site. A bit of a whistle stop tour, but time for a short puja and offerings.Driving to Kapilavastu from Lumbini should be a quick affair - there is an almost direct road. Unfortunately, due to political disturbance from the Maoist rebels this border crossing is currently closed due to regular shootings and attacks on the border guards. We realise later why we were advised

to sleep on the Indian side of the border. The large towns and cities are relativley safe for foreigners, but rural areas still present a slim chance of trouble and possible kidnap.

Sunday. Shravasti. The Jetta Grove. a wonderful park where the Buddha spent many of his rains retreats. A very beautiful and atmospheric place, helped by a glorious sunset over a massive Buddha image on the horizon. Our tour coincides with a visiting minister and political rally. Lots of noise and people outside of the park itself.

Monday. The anniversary of the day of Dr Ambedkar's conversion to Buddhism and also the day of a Hindu river goddess festival. Lots of floats and music and fireworks and quite a lot of drinking and singing. We have to get to Gonda to catch two trains. Our driver warns of possible road closures and mild civil unrest (fighting due to drinking and possible religious clashes) so we arrive at the station early. This is the first time a see a cow walking down a railway station.

Three busy weeks of pilgrimage come to an end. Padmadeepa and Paul are making their way home via Delhi. I carry on my adventure alone to Bhopal (for the Sanchi stupas complex) then to the TBMSG/FWBO centres in Nagpur, Pune and Bhaja.

We are all in good health and spirits. So much to say ....so little broadband!

Love to All,

Jayasiddhi

Hello from Bodhgaya, India (9th October 2007)

2008-01-01T03:15:00.000-08:00

Hello me Ducks,

Wow what a place. One week here and still getting blown away by it all. The sounds, sights (and smells!). Its a very crazy place, but it kind of grows on you.

Arrived at Delhi airport and was kidnapped by a crazed rickshaw driver. After a very hairy rider around South Delhi we eventually convinced him to take us to our hotel, but it was hard work (and it cost us). You have to learn quickly here. Haggle hard. Set a fixed price and then be firm. Very un-English.

People are very friendly. The beggars are difficult to deal with, it's so hard to know how to respond for the best. I set off a small riot today by giving out a bag of sweets to some kids in a local village, hundreds of kids just appeared out of nowhere and there weren't enough sweets to go around. I just had to drop the bag and run. You have to learn quickly here.

Had a great couple of days in Sarnath, the place of the Buddha's first teaching. We stayed at Dr Jain's Paying Guest House. Great food and hospitality. Met up with our local Order member Dh.Shantigosh on the small piece of land the FWBO/TBMSG has there. We had tea and biscuits and met some of the local mitras.

The FWBO/TBMSG site is very central to Sarnath and almost opposite the main stupa, which marks the spot of the Buddha's first sermon.

Varanassi was a real hard experience. The worst pollution I have ever experienced, thick choking smog (a mixture of exhaust fumes and more exhaust fumes with a little burnt cow dung thrown in for good measure).

A boat trip on the Ganges was interrupted by torrential rain. It started with big hard blobs of rain - like marbles or small golf balls, then it just opened up. We sheltered with our boatman, some street hawkers and other passers by in a temple dedicated to a local river god, sited on the gats. We were the only tourists in sight, but we were treated with warm hospitality and hot chai (sweet milky tea).

I managed to upset the temple Brahmin with a mix up over a mis-placed camera and things turned a bit nasty for a moment, when I received a vitriolic telling off from our now less than hospitable "host". Our boatman/guide laughed off the incident (although I have to say it shook me up a fair bit). Theft can be a serious business in India (public beatings are not unheard of) and the possibility that someone sheltering in the temple was a thief had caused quite a lot of excitement and not a little mistrust.

We ended the evening being lead through the tiny back alleyways of Varanassi, in the pitch black (a powercut) by two street hawkers who we didn't know. At one point we ended up in a dead end. Paul, Padmadeepa and I looked at each other and couldn't help wondering if it was a set up or a mugging. Fortunately, we were just lost in the dark and eventually found our way to the silk shop they had been trying to steer us to. We managed to extricate ourselves from our very happy salesman eventually and tipped our hawkers to take us back to a cafe we knew from earlier so that we could arrange to meet up with our driver.

By now the storm had passed and the rainwater (with less savory stuff floating in it) was just below our knees as we waded our way down the streets. We survived our little adventure, wet, filthy, tired and very relieved.

Today is our last day in Bodhgaya, the most important Buddhist Pilgirmage site and the place of the Buddha's Enlightenment (the Vajrasanna). A wonderful place. So much atmosphere, packed with pilgrims from all over the world. A very moving experience.

Outside of the main temple there is much to see here, so many temples representing Buddhist traditions from the world over, and places of significance from the Buddha's life, such as Gaya Head, where the Buddha delivered "the Fire Sutta". We were shown around by Dhammamitra Munish an excellent tour guide.

Puja under the Bodhi Tree at 6am this morning. Fantastic! So many people, so much noise.

Lots to say. The food is OK. We are all in good health and good spirits. Cash is bit hard to get hold of. Trying to get cash from ATM's is a joke. If you come here, bring travellers cheques (Dollars or pounds). Being in India is often a taxing and tiring experience. But worth it.

I offered Tsultrim's kata (white scarf) at the Bodhi tree.

Hope you are all well.

Love,
Jayasiddhi (mosquito bitten but fighting on).

March in Support of Freedom for Burma

2007-09-28T03:59:00.000-07:00

On Thursday September 27th, around 70 people from various groups and backgrounds met at the Cambridge Buddhist Centre.

This was to show our support for the people of Burma in their peaceful protests against repressive government.

Local BBC Radio and Television were in attendance, and recorded the chanting of the traditional pali "May all Beings be Well".

Those gathered then formed a silent procession to the Cambridge Guild Hall, lead by the organiser Dharmachari Vajrapriya. We then collected signatures for a petition to be submitted to the Burmese Embassy in London. Some people then meditated on the street as a mark of solidarity with the people of Burma.

If you are interested you can sign a petition on-line and send details to your friends. The address is:-

http://www.avaaz.org/en/stand_with_burma/h.php/?cl=20600317

At the time of writing, over 177,000 people have registered their protest.

Goodbye to Gampo Abbey

2007-09-09T16:59:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

This is my last post from Gampo Abbey. It's really hard to believe that I have been living here for just under seven months. Time really does fly when your having fun and also when you have a full schedule. I feel like have had both.

I feel a strong sense of gratitude to everybody here at the Abbey for making me feel so at home. I have made many good friends here and I hope these contacts continue into the future.

My meditation instructor, Jerry has been very helpful, bringing me right up against my own "stuff", face to face, so to speak. This has felt uncompromising and very challenging at times. Just what I needed. Jerry has shown a lot of warmth and compassion. Thank you.

It's great that this place exists at all. Much of this is down to the founder (Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche), Ani Pema Chodron (resident teacher, author and generous benefactor) and the other monastics here (especially, Ani Palmo, Ani Migme and Lodro Sangpo) who have devoted decades of their lives to making this place work.

I have learned a lot about myself from living here. I have also learned a lot about Tibetan Buddhism, the Karma Kagyu lineage and aspects of Tibetan monastic life. I have also learned the importance of trying to keep an open mind in new situations and being open to different approaches and points of view.

My two fears when coming here were my ongoing problem with back pain and a morbid fear of having to eat with chopsticks. The back was painful at times but has loosened up during my time here. It was never unbearable and I feel a stronger faith in my meditation practice by working through it. The fear of using chopsticks soon went. I rarely dropped food (although I did drop an entire bowl) and would eventually look forward to eating porridge with chopsticks.

My last few weeks here have been a time of great joy. The summer season has continued and the "In House" retreatants have come and gone at a regular pace. It's been really enjoyable meeting so many different practitioners.

I passed on my job to Lisa a couple of weeks ago. She picked it up very quickly with minimal training and this left me some time to relax a little more and spend some more time showing tourists around the Abbey.

I have enjoyed walks into Pleasant Bay for ice cream and exercise, swims on the beach and hikes into the beautiful wooded Cape Breton hills. I have seen moose, Gardner snakes, fox, chipmunk a plenty, whales, seals and golden eagle.

We had an Order Member from Mexico come here in August for a solitary retreat. His name is Kavindu. It was lovely to meet another OM out here in Karma Kagyu land and we spent some time together when he arrived and again just before his departure. What a delightful guy.

Yeshe, a temporary monk who had been here a couple of years, left just recently. I was sad to see him go and had really treasured his company. He had taught me the office job when I first arrived. A very kind and thoughtful chap. We had a communal "leavers choice" movie night together. We both chose Monty Python's "Life of Brian". I had a great laugh watching this and it made me feel quite homesick (considering it was set in Israel and filmed in Tunisia). I certainly came out of the movie feeling very "English".

I have also been on solitary retreat myself for the last six days in a cabin called "Cliff Hanger". With high winds at times, I was unsure if it was hanging on or hanging off, as it swayed in the breeze. The views were spectacular, both for sea, coast line, eagles and sunset. My meditation practice finally clicked into gear (perhaps 6 months fairly intensive preparation helped a bit) and I had a great retreat. I really enjoyed reading "A Yogi's Joy" by Sangharakshita. A great read and very inspiring.

I am now into my last couple of days and have started thinking about practical stuff, such as washing my clothes and inspecting the dust under my bed (I knew I shouldn't have left it so long).

Love to All,

Jayasiddhi

Cancer Society Sponsorship

2007-09-01T08:27:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all of you who sponsored me for the Cancer Society walk all those months ago. The event was great fun as well as being for a very worthy cause. It's great that Gampo Abbey supports this local event each year with their enthusiastic participation.

Particular thanks to the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order in Letchworth for their kind donation of 100 GBP. The final total raised was 225 GBP ($479CAD). Thank you all for your generous support and many thanks to Jayamuni for collecting up the money on my behalf. May you all be well!

A Talk on Ethics - Part Three of Three

2007-08-30T14:56:00.000-07:00

A talk given at Gampo Abbey in June 2007 (parts one and two posted below).

4/ Abstention from False Speech / With truthful communication I purify my speech

Speech occupies and intermediate position between mind and body. It is a subtle form of action, almost as subtle as thought itself. In a way, it is simply thought made public.

Because speech is so close in nature to thought, it is very difficult to control, our thoughts can just “slip out”. Once in the public domain our thoughts have ramifications for both ourselves and others. Once made public our thoughts cannot be retracted, no matter how much we might like them to be!

Speech is about communication. It is about the coming together of minds and hearts. Untruthful speech cannot by definition be a vehicle for communication. It does not seek to communicate but rather, seeks to frustrate or prevent real communication.

Society at large require most people to be telling the truth most of the time. Society would break down if this were not the case. If the bus companies deliberately lied about their timetable commuting would become very difficult. If bankers routinely lied about the performance of investments the whole financial system would collapse. If we look at societies where corruption, bribery and perjury are the norm, we can see that these are not societies we would like to live in. These are not societies that care about the rights and needs of the individuals within it.

What is true of society at large is even more so in a spiritual community. Community is an interesting word. To live in community is to Commune or enter into Communion with others. The dictionary defines Communion as “to hold intimate intercourse” and as a state of heightened awareness, such as “to commune with nature”. So within a spiritual community such as Gampo Abbey, communication should be both intimate (warm and meaningful rather than cold and superficial) and imbued with awareness (of self and other).

One important aspect of our speech is factual accuracy, in reporting what has been said or done. We must be careful about exaggerating and embellishing, twist and omitting. We need to communicate both the spirit and the letter of a situation or else we risk misrepresenting each other which can lead to misunderstanding and upset.

I am very interested in the state of the “Stream Entrant”. This is a stage on the path belonging to the Theravada tradition. It is roughly equivalent to the Bodhisattva of the first Bumi, both are irreversible. One becomes a Stream Enterer by breaking the first “Three Fetters” of Doubt (in the Dharma), Self View (as a fixed separate entity) and Rights and Ritual as Ends in Themselves (superficiality).

The Stream Entrant is not entirely free from the Kleshas and is still subject to greed, hatred and delusion to some degree. What is really interesting about them though, is that they are completely transparent about themselves. They do not attempt to hide their shortcomings or pretend to be something their not. They are simply incapable of deception. This strikes me as a very beautiful stage on the spiritual journey, a down to earth, flawed human being, but one that has gone beyond all superficiality and through fearlessness and lack of pride only wish to be seen as what they truly are.

5/ Abstention from Intoxicants / With mindfulness clear and radiant I purify my mind

In the letter, this precept consists of abstaining from intoxicating liquor and drugs that cloud the mind.

We might ask why? What’s wrong with a drink, it’s just fun after all? Intoxicants that cloud the mind are like adding an extra veil of delusion. As if we need another one! They take us even further away from how things actually are.

Intoxicants can weaken and undermine our ethical intentions. Normally reasonable, apparently sane people can find themselves giving into sexual misconduct, violence and drink driving through the use of intoxicants.

Intoxicants make us forget our connections with others. This in turn leads to a loss of responsibility. Other people become reduced in our mind to objects of utility rather than as individuals in their own right.

The spirit of the precept is to cultivate mindful living at all times, to imbue our life with mindful abiding. Mindfulness is a translation of Satti-Sampajanna, a compound term.

Satti means bare attention, raw awareness. This is awareness in the moment. The seen in the seen, the heard in the heard, the cognized in the cognized and so on. It means to be really present.

Sampajanna is clear comprehension, awareness through time. This includes an awareness of our aims and our sense of purpose. It includes a sensitivity of the suitability of our actions to the spiritual path. Aspects of this include memory and recollection, including a recollection of “the nature of things”, such as impermanence and insubstantiality. It performs a steering function within our lives.

Mindfulness enriches our lives. It gives us greater awareness and clarity. It gives us the possibility of being creative in our responses, rather than being stuck in our same old reactive patterns. It gives us the opportunity to step out of the mold of our conditioning and to develop a truer individuality, one with greater choice and freedom.

Having now looked at the five training precepts in some detail I’d like to conclude with some more general points.

A Mandala of Practices

We can think of the five precepts as a mandala of practices. The mandala has two entrances, the first and the fifth precepts (like book-ends at the beginning and end).

The first precept is the principle of love or maitri. This is why we practice the precepts. It’s our motivation, what inspires us to practice. It’s the emotive aspect of our spiritual lives.

The fifth precept is the principle of mindful awareness. This is how we practice the precepts. This is the method. Through awareness of the needs of self and other. Through a consciousness of our own actions of body, speech and mind. It is impossible to practice ethics without awareness.

Development of the Practice

It’s really important not to simply settle down with our current level of practice. We need to continue developing and refining our level of ethical sensitivity. At the same time we need to broaden our awareness of the areas that we can include within our ethical scope.

How do we do this?

We can develop Hrih. This is a positive mental event in the Abhidharma system. It is often translated as a positive sense of shame in the shortcoming of one’s actions. This is certainly not a comfortable experience, but it is not unhealthy. It is not about beating yourself up and should include a healthy dose of self maitri. There is no room for irrational guilt here. It is simply about recognizing that we could have done better, that our actions didn’t quite measure up to our own ideals. There is room for improvement.

We can also develop Apatrapiya. Another positive mental event, often translated as “fear of criticism from the wise” or more simply “what would my teacher think?” If you are about to do something and it doesn’t seem quite right, you can ask yourself “what would my teacher or preceptor think about this?” This can often help to clarify grey areas for us.

Confession is a traditional Buddhist practice that helps to support ethical development. It encourages intimacy and trust within the sangha and helps us to recognize our shortcomings within the context of our community. We can receive feedback and advice from our sangha and also just feel a lightening in ourselves by sharing the things that we don’t feel so proud of.

Applying the Brakes Gently

Sangharakshita uses the image of trying to slow down a train. The train is our unskillful tendencies. If we slam the brakes on in a reckless manner we may de-rail the train and fly off the tracks completely. We need to know ourselves and know how to apply the brakes gently.

I love this poem by Kabir. He was an unorthodox teacher, a wise man, who was raised in both Islamic and Hindu traditions. It’s called “Difficulties”:-

Friend, please tell me what I can do about this mud world
I keep spinning out of myself!

I gave up expensive clothes, and bought a robe
But I noticed one day the cloth was well-woven.

So I bought some burlap, but I still
Throw it elegantly over my left shoulder.

I stopped being a sexual elephant,
And now I discover that I’m angry a lot.

I finally gave up anger, and now I notice
That I am greedy all day.

I worked hard at dissolving my greed,
And now I am proud of myself.

When the mind wants to break its link with the world
It still holds onto one thing.

Kabir says: Listen, my friend,
There are very few that find the path!

(from: The Soul is here for it’s own Joy, edit. Robert Bly, Ecco Press)

I think this poem justifies inclusion just for the line about the “sexual elephant” - what a wonderful image! But, I think we can all relate to the experience of the student in the poem. We pay attention to one area of our life and our energies find their way into another while we are not looking. It’s like we are chasing our own tails.

On the face of it Kabir’s answer isn’t very satisfactory “there are very few who find the path”. It doesn’t sound very helpful. He must have been a tough teacher!

But what is the path that Kabir is pointing to? He is pointing to the middle way. Not being so lax that we make no effort, and not being so strict that we de-rail our train or loose track of our elephant!

We need to channel our energies skillfully and kindly. Re-directing these energies with an awareness of where we are currently at and what we are realistically capable of. This is a lifetime’s work of constantly looking for our cutting edge and looking to maintain a sensible and maintainable tension in our ethical practice.

Leaving the last words to Shunryu Suzuki:-

“When you observe the precepts without trying to observe the precepts, that is true observation of the precepts”

Friday Afternoon Poems*

2007-08-30T14:25:00.000-07:00

The Mudroom Mat
Grit and fluff,
Sharp and soft,
Side by side,
A confusion of opposites.
Higher union frustrated,
Vacuum comes too soon.

Mud on the road,
Mud in the sandal,
Shower tomorrow.

Sign reads: No Entry! - Retreat in Progress
Should read: Enter! - Progress in retreat

Black fly bites head,
Head swells,
Black fly laughs at fat head.

* In the UK, Friday afternoon has a bad production record. As well as being the tired bit of the working week, it has also been associated with a Friday lunchtime visit to the pub, for a beer or two. Hence, a poorly built or unreliable car may be referred to as a "Friday afternoon car".
No beer was harmed in the making of these poems.

A Talk on Ethics - Part Two

2007-08-28T15:53:00.000-07:00

A Talk Given at Gampo Abbey in June 2007 (part one posted below)

Ethics as a Tantric Practice

We can also think about the practice of ethics as a kind of tantric practice. As I understand it, tantric practice goes beyond sutra, it goes beyond words, concepts and ideas and works directly with energy, with action. It’s not about learning, it’s about doing.

Ethics also goes beyond concepts. It’s about how we work with our energies on a day to day basis. Our wild energies! The practice of the precepts is about steering and guiding these energies in the most useful way possible.

The Letter and the Spirit

In the laws of our countries we often talk about the letter and the spirit. This is a helpful way for us to think about the precepts - in the letter and in the spirit. Most of the time we need to be aware of both aspects.

The letter is the literal expression. It provides us with clarity, a benchmark we can compare our actions against. So, for example we have the precept: “I abstain from taking the not given”. This we can see as a minimum criteria, a lower limit that we shall try not to fall below. If we fail to maintain that minimum standard it’s obvious to us and we know we need to take a closer look at our actions and the views behind them.

There is a danger with the negative formulations of the precepts (the letter of the law), that we can settle down in them, start to get comfy. “I do not steal, so I’m OK. I don’t need to worry about that one”.

The Spirit of the precepts goes beyond the letter, it gets beyond a narrow formalism or shallow observance. In a sense these are the “real thing”, they go to the pith of ethical practice. The spirit is expressed in the positive formulation of the precepts. This is the translation used in the FWBO:-

With deeds of loving kindness I purify my body
With open handed generosity I purify my body
With stillness, simplicity and contentment I purify my body
With truthful communication I purify my speech
With mindfulness clear and radiant I purify my speech

The spirit has no upper limit. It can be expressed in more and more refined and subtle ways. So rather than thinking “I don’t steal”, we can be thinking of all the ways in which we can develop a more generous attitude, through actions of body, speech and mind.

The Spirit of the precepts (the positive precepts) is closely related to the Bodhisattva practice of the Paramitas (the perfections). These lists of practices (either 6 or 10) express the attitude and aspirations of the Bodhisattva.

Buddhism has many so many lists, it even has lists of lists! Looking at these we might get the feeling that Buddhism is fragmented, that these lists are describing lots of different things, but this is not really the case. The precepts and the Paramitas are simply two expressions of one spiritual path, of one life, of one human experience.

So, let’s take a look at the 5 Precepts individually. We’ll examine them in terms of the broad principles that stand behind the precepts, principles that help to make clear the spirit of the practice.

1/ Abstention from killing living beings/ With deeds of loving kindness I purify my body

The broad principle here is that sublimest of principles, Love.

Here, the letter of the precept requires us to abstain from striking down, slaying, killing, murder.

Violence (Himsa) is force against another being, either physical or emotional, such as blackmail or emotional coercion. It is to go against another’s will. It is the negation of one ego by another.

To act against another’s will is to break down the solidarity that exists between all sentient beings, it is akin to one brother raising his sword against another.

Quoting the Dhammapada: “All beings love life, all fear punishment and death. Making comparison of self and other, one should neither kill nor cause to kill”. (Verse 129-130)

and in Santideva’s Bodhicaryavatara:

At first one should meditate intently on the equality of oneself and others as follows: “All equally experience suffering and happiness. I should look after them as I do myself”

Just as the body, with it’s many parts from division into hands and other limbs, should be protected as a single entity, so too should this entire world which is divided, but undivided in its nature to suffer and be happy.

Even though suffering in me does not cause distress in the bodies of others, I should nevertheless find their suffering intolerable because of the affection I have for myself.

In the same way that, though I cannot experience another’s suffering in myself, his suffering is hard for him to bear because of his affection for himself.

I should dispel the suffering of others because it is suffering like my own suffering. I should help others to because of their nature as beings, which is like my own being.

When happiness is liked by me and others equally, what is so special about me that I strive after happiness only for myself? (Verses 90-96)

At a practical level the Vinaya warns the monastic against harming creatures as small as a bedbug and even the eggs of a bedbug.

Sakyamuni Buddha also extolled his disciples to dispose of waste and unwanted food in a way that did not harm living creatures in the immediate environment, such as not throwing scraps into water if that water contained life. This is an early example of “Engaged Buddhism” or “Dharmic Environmentalism”.

The way we interact with our environment has an impact on all life on this planet through the web of inter-connectivity. We cannot ignore this fact. The way we choose to live and the way we use precious natural resources is something we need to consider in practicing this precept.

2/ Abstention from taking the not given / With open handed generosity I purify my body

The principle here is clearly Dana, generosity, open handed and open hearted giving.

The letter of the precept is asking us to abstain from Adana - seizing or grasping the not given, namely theft in all of its different forms.

Similar in nature to the first precept, theft is an indirect form of violence. It is not aimed directly at the individual, but through their property; by forcibly separating an individual from his or her property. However, it is most certainly the individual that feels loss or grief from this separation.

The definition of theft can be extended beyond material items. Other considerations include:

Time - time is precious. We take time from others when we impose ourselves on them against their will, when they are busy, for example. By subjecting them to a tirade, perhaps of complaint or gossip, something they would rather not have to listen to.

Then there is the theft of silence, such as during silent periods. Perhaps a person is really enjoying the silence, allowing their mind to unravel into precious space, peacefully reflecting and relaxing into an inner and outer quietness. Then someone comes up and whispers a joke, or passes them a note concerning something that could have waited till later. Silence is a rare and subtle thing. It is not merely the absence of talking and can be disturbed quite easily if we are not very mindful of ourselves and others.

Another area we should be aware of is energy or vitality. Sangharakshita talks about the “psychic vampire” who drains our energy through complaints, appeals or tirades, so as to reduce their victim to emotional exhaustion or nervous collapse. Quite dramatic, eh? I’m sure we all have experienced this to some degree, of being caught with someone who is having that klesha attack and that feeling of being drained afterward.

Generosity can be seen as the fundamental Buddhist virtue. It is the first paramita of the Bodhisattva training. If we can’t find time to practice meditation. If our general ethics aren’t as good as they could be, then we can always be generous.

I think we are generally very good at this here at the Abbey. I have been very impressed with the level of generosity that I have received here and have seen others benefiting from. Of course, there is always room for improvement!

We can practice generosity in many ways, with property, with our time and expertise, with our money, in expressing gratitude and in terms of friendliness. Even if we are feeling unhappy we can still make an effort towards friendliness.

According to the scriptures the greatest gift is the gift of the Dharma. When we make the Dharma available to someone we are giving them an opportunity for freedom, and this is priceless.

3/ Abstention from sexual activity (lay precept:- sexual misconduct) / With stillness, simplicity and contentment I purify my body.

Brahmacharya is a compound word. Charya means the path/way or “to course in” as in a boat on a river. Brahma refers to the Brahma Lokas or “god realms”. So this means to live as the gods or higher beings live.

Western terms we are familiar with are chastity and celibacy. Definitions of these terms sometimes vary, but often celibacy is taken to mean abstention from sexual activity with another person. Chastity usually refers to complete abstinence from all sexual activity of body, speech and mind.

According to Indian Buddhist cosmology human beings exist in the Karma Loka, the realm of sense desire. Here we find sexual dimorphism e.g. men and women.

In the lower god realms this dimorphism is said to become less distinct. As we enter the higher god realms of the Rupa Loka (the realms of refined form), we find that beings here are androgynous, there is no sexually polarity and therefore no sexual tension.

Here, polarization gives way to harmony. Tension is resolved into relaxation and discontent dissolves into contentment.

The higher stages of Shamatha as experienced as psychological states are said to correspond to the cosmological realms of the Rupa Loka and even the Arupa Loka (the formless realms) - very refined states indeed. In these states the mind becomes more flexible, relaxed and at ease, inner tensions are resolved and the mind becomes integrated. This is a natural, happy state. The practice of Brahmacharya helps us to support our Shamatha meditation and cultivate flexible, relaxed states of mind in post meditation.

Another one of the paramitas or perfections is Viriya or “energy in the pursuit of the good”. We need energy to practice ethics and meditation. The spiritual life requires an abundance of energy. So we don’t want to repress or suppress our natural energies, we simply want to contain them and use them. The idea is not to become dried up and lifeless. Ani Pema talks about wanting monks and nuns here at the Abbey who are “juicy”

In practicing Brahmacharya we want to be engaging with a process of sublimation or refinement, helping to arouse the Bodhicitta through a process of alchemy. Our body, speech and mind are our crucible and our natural energies are both the raw material that we seek to transform and the fuel that we use to heat our crucible, to bring about the magical transformation. So let’s try to stay juicy!

Other areas we might want to think about with regard to contentment include food and entertainment. It’s quite common for discontentment to move from one area to another. The key to this is mindful awareness and a willingness to “stay with” our experience.

Friendship

2007-08-23T16:31:00.000-07:00

My old friend and companion - Failure,
Never far away,
A reminder that I am not as Perfect as I would like to think.

Embracing my shortcomings and my inner critic alike with tenderness
and gentle humour,
I remember that I am often a better man than I would like to think.