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March 2011 Blog Posts (8)

The Malvern sangha visiting the Narborough sangha : )

Kaspa, me and a few of our new sangha members are coming to visit TBH for a Sunday service on Sunday the 17th of April - not quite a mini-bus full, but maybe two cars full!

We're looking forward to showing them the heart of the sangha, and to introducing them to our friends at TBH. Hope to see you there!

(PS we're almost outgrowing our tiny shrine room, and we're starting to look at local venues to rent. Very exciting...)

Added by Satyavani Robyn on March 31, 2011 at 17:42 — 2 Comments

UK Census & Lockheed Martin - ideas for dealing with this dilema...

Dear friends,

If you're wondering what to do with your census form, you might be interested in the ideas here.

Much love,

Matthew.

Added by Matthew Albiges on March 25, 2011 at 16:43 — 1 Comment

The letter

Dear Buddha,

I’m looking forward to the retreat.

I feel sad, that I don’t trust you enough, so I very appreciate the retreats, where the trust can deepen. Because with the trust in You, all will be OK, things seem to go well.

You have sent me so many blessings in my life, and I’m still hesitant, hesitant to live fully, to loose myself, to bend, to straighten, to listen, to respond.

I’m feeling hesitant, and it is new for me that I see myself to…

Continue

Added by Sumaya on March 21, 2011 at 21:57 — 13 Comments

On Saturday our small group met for the first time. Richard, Kaspa and I discussed ideas for future meetings. Richard had come up with the very promising idea of a reading/discussion group. Afterwards we had a practise session lead by Kaspa, we were joined by my housemate John. Good to be practising in Birmingham at last and looking forward to future meetings.

website so far . . .

…

Continue

Added by Adrian on March 14, 2011 at 19:33 — 5 Comments

New Dojo for Amida Hawai'i!

We got a very short notice that we had to be out of our Amida Hawai'i Pureland Buddhist Dharma Center...so we secured a new place and did a one day complete make-over! Patched-up holes, painted, hosed off the window screens, washed windows, dusted, steam cleaned the carpet, and moved in all the furniture! It's lovely! A special thanks to sangha members Janice and Keli for helping with the renovation!We had our first Monthly Potluck and Sangha Practice on March 2nd! New place, old practice -… Continue

Added by Shantikara on March 7, 2011 at 6:49 — 1 Comment

Psychotherapy versus Psychopharmacology in a Consumerist Society

There is a long and fascinating article in today’s NY Times entitled Talk Therapy Doesn’t Pay, So Psychiatry Turns to Drug Therapy which is about how payments by insurance companies in the US are inducing psychiatrists to turn away from psychotherapy in favour of psychopharmacology. The article focuses on an experienced psychiatrist from Pennsylvania named Donald Levine who, in spite of his strong belief in the effectiveness of psychotherapy, has now become a dispenser of drugs for the simple… Continue

Added by Bob Chisholm on March 6, 2011 at 11:33 — 2 Comments

The Spiritual Life:

The spiritual life is the spiritual life” - with this in mind I lay in bed this morning scribbling a few notes to myself. The inner life is, in some ways utterly simple, and this is what often causes us to baulk and opt for something other, more exotic, or sophisticated. Jesus speaks of becoming “as children”, not that we return to being children, a subtle difference and impossible anyway. One beautiful thing about Shin Buddhism is the recognition, honouring even, of our Bombu nature. There is… Continue

Added by richard meyers on March 5, 2011 at 17:30 — 2 Comments