Congratulations to Susthama and Damian. Susthama gave birth this afternoon around 5.30 p.m. to a healthy baby girl (3.5kg Sumaya tells me). Both Susthama and baby Selena are doing well. Damian hopes to post some photographs soon. Wonderful news. Namo Amida Bu

More writing in response to the eco-therapy week. This will eventually be edited int my next book so please do not quote without permission but I'm posting it now in response to interest I've received and in order to invite comment,…

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Support requested for anti vivisection protest.

John White is leading a protest in Coleshill against the development of a new Vivisection Laboratory by a company called Willmott Dixon, on behalf of Leicester University.

I have been in contact with John this morning. What he needs mostly is company as this is a lone protest at the moment. John told me that he has gained a lot of support…

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This handout summarises the therapeutic model taught on Amida courses

Core Principles of Other-Centred Approach

Caroline Brazier

Other-Centred Approach is a term used to describe approaches which see mental health as a function of the person’s relationship with ‘others’. It places its emphasis on exploring and improving that relationship, increasing other-esteem and the ability to…

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This is an episode of Bright Dawn Radio, Caroline Brazier joins Rev'd Kubose for thier regular radio show. Caroline joins the show about 19 mins in, talking about an experience of her bonbu nature.



Listen online

Download show_901813.mp3… Continue

Here is the talk that Caroline delivered at Upaya centre during her recent North America Tour. She talks about what it means when Buddhists talk about being present, and how we are always present to something, with reference ot Buddhist Pyschology and Other Centered Ideas.

CarolineBrazier1.27.10.wma 42 mins…

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"As soon as a scholar is born, the nembutsu dies" - I don't have the quote from Honen in front of me, so I'm paraphrasing, but I have a real palpable sense of what he was talking about this morning.



I've spent the morning reading a few papers in preparation for writing my next assignment, this time on the relationship between devotion and ethical action.



I'm just reading a paper by Al Bloom at the moment called "Shiran's Gospel of Pure Grace" which perhaps raises more… Continue

This weekend we have had a wonderful event at The Buddhist house. Susthama organised the weekend to celebrate the 799th anniversary of the death of Honen Shonin. We had no outside visitors to this event so it was purely a gathering of people that live at TBH. This made for an intimate and good spirited meeting and, since Honen stands at the root of our tradition, one in which everybody present felt invested. Susthama had organised it in such a way that apart from the practice periods, we had… Continue

When I was about twenty years old we lived in what was called the Permissive Society. Notwithstanding the fact that we had entered the nuclear age, it was an era of hope. Many people thought that some of the tight disciplines of earlier eras had been swept away for good. A new age of creativity and love was upon us and the human race would be able to make a great leap forward into a new kind of society. The exploration of outer space was opening up. We all thought that humans would soon be… Continue

Dear Friends



March 26th 2009 will be the third anniversary of the death of Amrita Dhammika, a priest in the Order of Amida Buddha. Amrita died on active service at the Tithandizane health care project in Zambia which she founded. This year the people she worked with and inspired in Zambia, led by Amida-shu member John Zulu, will be holding a memorial service in which a tombstone is to be added to the grave of Amrita, according to Zambian tradition.



In order to do this,… Continue

Dear Friends



On 22nd January 2009, Dharmavidya and Prasada held a ceremony in Waimea, Kohala, Big Island, Hawaii, during which John Ballam confirmed his membership of Amida-shu.



On 24th January 2009, Dharmavidya and Prasada held a ceremony at Halava House, Kohala, Big Island, Hawaii, in which the following took place:



Thuy Fujimoto, Michael Fujimoto and Patricia Johns took the five refuges;

Shirley Bell took the five refuges and five precepts;

Steve… Continue

Today is a holiday in America, the celebration of the birthday of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I tell you, the energy here is amazing, and people everywhere are electrified with happiness and satisfaction. In just one day from now, we will inaugurate a new president, one who is the first African American to be elected to this prestigious office. And the sense in this country is that we are again a leader in the "free world" and there seems to be a resurgence of pride and honor in being an… Continue

I am aware that within Amida-shu there are people with many different interpretations of the teaching and different approaches to practice. There are people whose understanding is more sociological and others who are more religious. There are those who look for practical application of the Dharma and there are others who have a more private approach. There are people who take the narrative of the Larger Pureland Sutra literally, symbolically, allegorically, or metaphorically. Different members… Continue

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On Tuesday December 16th 2008, Caroline Graham took Refuge in the Five Gems. The ceremony was conducted at The Buddhist House by Dharmavidya.

Everything in life depends upon causes and conditions. Set up the right conditions and the right things happen. Buddhism teaches the right conditions for spiritual growth. A person is what they do. If a person acts with right intention they transform spiritual dangers into opportunities. Buddha taught that times of change (birth, illness, loss, gain, conjunction, separation, and encounter) are occasions of danger that can also be opportunity. However, a person is seldom able to take hold of… Continue

Welcome to the first in a series of Podcasts from Amida Trust. Subscribe to the .rss feed with your reader to make sure you recieve the latest teachings.



We begin with a Dharma talk, given by Dharmavidya, as part of our autumn training period in The Buddhist House last year, in which he talks about Dharma as Practice. The unfolding drama of our lives, and of the Buddhas lives. Buddhism… Continue