My step daughter Ann got married to Jump on Sunday. We started the day at a Thai temple, off to the city registry office and a wonderful gathering of friends and family on Sunday evening.  They are living with me here in Melbourne.… Continue

http://amidatrust.typepad.com/dharmavidya/2011/09/spirituality-for-real-people.html

http://amidatrust.typepad.com/dharmavidya/2011/09/the-conditions-and-limits-to-intimacy.html

Buddhism is an analytical spirituality. It disgnoses the human condition in general and in the particular. The analytical concepts that it uses to do so can be applied at both the collective and individual levels to understand the dysfunctions of and to support increased maturity of behaviour, communication and ethos. I am interested in furthering the study and application of such understanding and thereby furthering this Way, taking this term to embrace practice, culture, education,…

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Prajnatara gave a wonderful presentation in our class this morning about St Francis of Assisi. An intense discussion over brunch followed. We were struck by many parallels between what was happening in Europe and in Japan at that time. Francis was a contemporary of Honen, Bencho and Shinran. I don't propose to explore these parallels here, but rather to report that the dicussion then led on a reflection upon the fact that for many of these great figures, spiritual awakening came in stages,…

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I wanted to say a huge thank you to Modgala, who supported me through a three day chanting retreat in the hut in Sukhavati. Three days in theory, although it felt more like three months at times ; ) Her spiritual guidance, structured presence and beautiful food (and hot water bottles!) made my journey possible. Namo-amida-bu-namo-amida-bu-namo-amida-bu. 

And I also wanted to thank Jnanamati, Sumaya and Aramati for holding the practice schedule at TBH and welcoming me to the Sunday…

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We had our Monthly Amida Hawai'i gathering (potluck and service) Wendesday night.  Installed the Ancestor's Shrine...discussed how to bear the great grief of the world...looked at the ways we try to build little Pure Lands in our daily lives...spent time preparing for Dharmavidya's visit next month. 

 

We placed the first two photos on the Ancestor's Shrine...a picture of my late Zen Buddhist teacher - Robert Aitken Roshi and a picture of my wife's grandfather - William Costa.…

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Can love change people?

Certainly. Love is simple, so when people come close to love they give up things less important.

Do you mean pure love? Some love is conditional whereas some...

All love is conditional.

All love is conditional?

In this world, yes. Unconditional love, you can say, belongs to heaven, to God's world, not to this one.

Why is it conditional?

Everything here is conditional, but the pure essence of love is inherent even in…

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