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Summary of themes and discussions ECA September 2016

ThemeetingstartedwithadayreportingininsmallgroupsAsalwaysthepresentations,discussionandbusinessweresetinthecontextofdevelopinganddeepeningfriendships,andthesharingofthejoys,inspirationsandchallengesofrunningaTriratnaCentreorproject.Eachdayisalsosetaroundwithmeditationinthemorningandapujaoraledsadhanapracticeintheevening.

ExploringSadhanawithRatnadhariniDay2ofthemeetingcontinuedwithadayofdharmapracticewithwelcomeinputfromRatnadharinionthetopicofsadhana.SadhanahadbeenakeythemeattherecentCollegemeeting-Ratnadharini’stalkwaspartlyapottedhistoryhowourunderstandingofsadhanahasdevelopedintheorder–thatis,‘howwegotbacktoalmostwherewestarted’;andpartlyarecapofsuggestionsfromSubhutionthepracticeandunderstandingofsadhana.Thiswassummedupinfivekeyelementsinavisualizationpractice-nisaranaandmahakaruna–aturningawayfromthefaultsofconditionedexistenceanddevelopinggreatcompassion;shunyatathemantraandbluesky;livingthemayaway;andexploringtheilluminedimageand

transcendentaldevotion.

AhighlightofthemeetingandappreciatedbymanychairsweretheSadhanapracticesledbymembersoftheCollegeofPublicPreceptors:

WithRatnadharini,andMahamatileadingtheManjughoshastutisadhana;SaddhalokatheAvalokiteshvarasadhanaandPadmavajrathePadmasambhavanasadhana.Onourlasteveningbutoneweenjoyedan‘International’PujaduringwhichpujabooksfromEuropeancountries,intheirdifferentlanguages,

DhammameghainformedusonaconsultationonsyllabusandtrainingspearheadedbyTheInternationalCouncil.TheSikkhaProjectisaresponsetoacallforresourcesandteachertraining.Herpresentationinvolvedpresentingthebackgroundandrationaletoprojectandwho’sinvolved;andgiveanindicationhowwearedoingitandwhereit’sat-whatarenextsteps?Thefirstphaseoftheprojectinvolvesfindingout

Ø Whichpracticesaretaught?Ø Whatistaughtmosteffectivelyatalllevels?Ø IdentifyandfillanygapsØ Createresourcesfordharmaandmeditation

teaching

WelistenedtoareportfromtheYoungBuddhistCoordinatorPrajnaketuwhointroducedandlaunchedhisdocument–Vision,EnergyandAction:Aboldimaginativevision:straightfromBhanteenergyfrompeopleengaginginmeaningfulactivityisveryattractive–lively,engaged,challenginganddynamic!tangibleaction:let’snotJUSToffermeditation,listeningtotalks,studyandcupsoftea….Offerinvolvementinbuildingshrines,publicity,helpingrunacourse!

WewatchedtwoCentrePresentations:ManchesterandBuddhistischesTorBerlin–sadhutoboth!

From28Augustto6September2016theAdhisthanacommunityhostedyetagain,withtheirusualwarmth,generosityand

attentiveness,thesummermeetingoftheEuropeanChairsAssembly.Around35chairsfrom6countriesmetforthebiannualmixofdeepeningfriendships,collectivedharmapracticeanddoingbusiness.Thechairshavebeenexploringthethemeof‘OurCultureinTriratnaCentres’overthelastfourmeetingsandthisagainwastheoverarchingtheme.Thistimeweexploredthethemeof‘TheimpactofWorldlyValues’onourTriratnaculture.

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Thesetalksseemedtolieatheheartofthemeeting;newissueswereraisedthatarelikelytobefollowedupinfuturechairsassemblies.Vassikareflectedonthethemesofthetrueindividualandthegroup;thesocietalmodelofthecouple,andtheimpactofmoderntechnology.BuddhistCentresareameetingpointbetweenworldlinessandspiritualvalues,themeetinggroundofthevaluesofthetrueindividualandthegroup.Weareinvitingpeopleintoourcommunityasindividualsandtotransformthemselvesandtheworld–importanttorememberthiscontext.BuddhistCentresareaplacewhereworldlingscanmeetourvaluessoitisessentialtobeclearofwhattheyare…..Jnanavacaexhortedustostriveformoreofalineageofinspiration.Hedrewadistinctionbetweenleadershipandmanagement:“Leadershipisaboutcultureandvisionnotstrategyandmarketing”andweneedmoreoftheformerandlessofthelatter:Leadershipenergizesandinspirespeople,“itgives

themsomethingtobelievein”.Aschairwearetheguardiansofourculture.Andweneedourleadersto‘bless’whatwedo.“Wetalkalotaboutcoherencebutanessentialfunctionofcoherenceto‘bless’andweneedthisrolewhenBhanteis

nolongerwithus.”HereferredtothreeareasofwiderissuesofinternalthreatstoourTriratnaculture:Anti-hierarchy–‘anti-Buddha’:themoreyouconsultdoesnotnecessarilymeanbetterresults(eg.brexit!).Let’supholdspiritualhierarchy.Antireligion/secularization,thedharmaseenasadjustmenttherapy–‘anti-dharma’–let’shavetemples,enormousrupas,beseriousaboutusasaBuddhistmovement!Givesconfidence.“ImagineBhantehavingbeenasecularmindfulnessteachercalledDennis”.Individualism–‘Anti-Sangha’:Let’saskabouttherelationshipbetweenInsightandaltruism,emphasizethe bodhisattvaspirit.

OurTriratnaCentres–theimpactofworldlyviewsandvalues:

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MaitreyiveryeloquentlyevokedthequalityofretreatsatthetimeshegotinvolvedindharmapracticeandchallengedtheuseofInternetonretreat.Inthepastourstrongcultureofsilenceandpracticeonretreats,nocontactwiththeoutsideworldonsolitaries,etc.encourageddepthandasenseofadventure;alsoanexistentialsenseofaloneness–atrulynewspace,andexperienceofbeinginabardooutofwhichnewpossibilitiesandnewinsightsmayemerge.Areweindangeroflosingthatwiththeincreasinguseofmobilesandinternet,whichcanfillupallspaceevenonretreat?Padmavajratalkedabouttheothersidetotheimpactofworldlyvalues:“WetendtoignorethefactthattheBuddhawasacelibate,renuncianthomelesswandererandhegainedenlightenmentonthatbasis–sorenunciationisanissueforallofus.Thisrenunciationneedstobecomingoutofanintensedesirefortheunborn,thetranscendental,thatwhatisbeyond,andoutsidesamsaricstructures”…Weneedtohaveafeelforthetranscendental;itisauncompromisingpresentationfortheonlymotiveofpracticeandforbeinginvolvedinTriratna–thetasteofliberation,nirvana.Whenwearediscussinganythingithastobeinrelationtothis,ithastohavethistranscendentaldimension.”

We enjoyed a range of ‘pop up’ presentations DharmasriinvitedustostarttoSeeCroydonWithFreshEyes….Upekshamatireflectedon22yearsofECAmeetings….ArthavadinsharingtheCoreQuadrantAnalysistoolbyDanielOfman….JayarajaofferedordermembersandmitrastheopportunitytoworkasateamtogetherundertheauspicesofaBuddhafieldevent…ShantiprabhatalkedabouttheBirminghamCarersProject…andmore….

Andofcoursewelistenedto,reflectedonanddiscussedreports,updatesandbriefings:FutureDharmaupdate,AmalavajraDevelopmentFundandbudgetdiscussion,NandavajraAreportfromtheCollege,SaddhalokaEthicalGuidelines,MunishaPresentationfromthebuddhistcentreonlineviavideofromRijupathaTriratnaTranslationsboard,SuvannaviraAreportfromtheInternationalCouncilJnanacandraandJnanadharaDrAmbedkarcelebrationCarunalaka(IDT)andPriyananda(CompleteWorks)Bhantefuneralarrangements,LokeshvaraECAmembership50thanniversarycelebrationsApril2017,InvitationtorunaLOCALurbanretreatandreportonBAM2016-Mokshini

reportcompiledbyMokshiniSeptember2016questions/requestsforfurtherinformationtomokshini@triratnadevelopment.orgplease