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All Blog Posts Tagged 'amida' (17)

This week - getting the word out - Buddhism at Amida Newcastle, Newcastle and Northumbria Universities

Organising more Buddhist Chaplain's drop-ins at Castle Leazes Hall of Residence, NCL Uni, starting this Wednesday. emailing my contact lists about a drop-in today at Henderson Hall, Newcastle University,… Continue

Added by Sujatin on November 9, 2009 at 11:11am — 3 Comments

Ceremonies at Amida Newcastle this week

I'm delighted to be able to confirm that: 1) on Tuesday 26th May, David Gardner took the 5 Refuges and the 10 Mahayana Prayers of Upasakas and to tell you that: 2) on Wednesday 27th, Ixchel took the 3 Refuges. On both occasions, Amida-shu member Rachel Abel was an excellent Bellmaster I'm happy to say that there is likely to be another Refuge ceremony in a few weeks time!

… Continue

Added by Sujatin on May 28, 2009 at 9:17am — No Comments

Come as you are

The Great Ancestors have (and do) given us some wonderful literature for inspiration and you know sometimes one see's greatness in the most rarest of places, I wanted to write something to honour the open, welcoming, warm feeling I get from the Amida Pureland, however, I don't believe I can say it simpler than Kurt Cubain in his lyrics for 'Come as you are': Come As you are, As you were, As I want you to be, As a friend, As a friend, As a known memory, Take your time, Hurry up, The choice is… Continue

Added by Kenny Lewis on April 9, 2009 at 11:38pm — No Comments

Visitors from 'the Mother Ship'

It was delightful to have a visit yesterday afternoon from Dharmavidya and Prasada, who are taking a much needed short break to the Newcastle area, visiting two of Prasada's adult children. We sat and drank Pu Ehr tea in the morning room, I had a short tutorial on using Ustream, which can be used on a Mac (I'm an Apple fan) with a little fiddling....it's on my 'to do' list. I was able to run them into the city, to Northumbria University, where they met Gavin, the Anglican, co-ordinating,… Continue

Added by Sujatin on March 28, 2009 at 12:54pm — 2 Comments

Nembutsu - the first step

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step." (Lao Tzu) This blog is meant to be an occasional record of my progress through life as a devotee of Amida Buddha, and in association with Amida Trust. Thus it is a journey to the Pure Land. Where does the journey begin? For me what starts the journey is the nembutsu. When I first start to utter the newbutsu, that is a turning point. I have chanted "Namo Amida Bu" once. My life is divided into two parts. Pre nembutsu, and post ne… Continue

Added by Kreb Dragonrider on February 20, 2009 at 6:10pm — 2 Comments

One moment of my retreat...

6th Feb, 11:30am an intake of breath like a scream caught in a tight throat and slowly let out sobs a tear in each eye waiting to fall as I look back and see I have forsaken you you who lives in the cold pine forests in wandering sheep and calling geese in each living thing in all of my breaths and the ground that I walk upon you are always calling me home if I listen carefully I can hear your name in the whisper of falling snow in the wind underneath the eaves and in the crackling of the… Continue

Added by Kaspalita on February 10, 2009 at 10:30pm — 4 Comments

Starting 2009 at Amida Sanctuary

I've just updated the Amida Newcastle website with our meetings from January to March at Amida Sanctuary Continue

Added by Sujatin on January 3, 2009 at 10:35pm — 1 Comment

In the midst of nembutsu chanting

In the midst of nembutsu chanting, something arrives in my mind, (I'm not sure from where) an idea for an article or blog post, fully formed. Of course, the services finishes, and, in between the time it takes to bow, and leaving the meditation hall, the idea has gone - along with the promise to myself that I must write these things down as soon as they appear, otherwise, like clouds in the sky, they come and go. I'm reminded of a Dharma talk Dharmavidya gave a while back, about the importance… Continue

Added by Kaspalita on November 1, 2008 at 11:30am — No Comments

Getting Ready to Go To Amida France

Only a couple of more weeks until I go back to Amida France. This is a great place - nature's beauty abounds, inspiring even the most anti-religious cynic and skeptic to have doubts about the spiritual dimension in life. I've never spent time out there during the autumn nor winter but I have heard from others who have and I imagine the following: I will stand amongst the tall grass and trees, hear the stags call out for their mates and watch the colours turn into warm earthly tones; brown, yell… Continue

Added by Susthama on August 30, 2008 at 10:23am — 2 Comments

Podcast: Exile and Return - fixed

Please accept my apologies, the link in the previous post here was to an eariler file. I've now uploaded the correct file, below. Namo Amida Bu This next in the series of Amida's Podcast's is a Dharma talk from our annual November Exile and Return retreat, in which we remember the journey of Honen and his disiples after thier exile from Kyoto, for promoting nembutsu, and refelect of the themes of exile and return in our own lives. This talk was given by Dharmavidya at the begning of the retreat… Continue

Added by Amida Podcasts on July 8, 2008 at 9:35am — 1 Comment

Reasons to be cheerful

There's plenty of good news here for the Amida Newcastle sangha. For example: This week - * Rachel got her degree results - a 1st - congratulations! * Sophie has handed in her PhD thesis - also congratulations! * And we are looking forward to Rachel becoming a member of the Amida School next Tuesday - and Sophie is going to be Bellmaster for the ceremony (and, she says, Cakemaster!). Do let me know if you can come to the ceremony. We will start at 7 pm. Continue

Added by Sujatin on June 26, 2008 at 9:28am — 2 Comments

Podcast: Vow Mind of Buddha & Serene Faith of Devotee

Here's the next talk in this first of our series of Amida Podcasts, a little later than expected, please accept my apologies - circumstances of life conspiring to keep me away from my laptop, another reminder that I'm not really in control at all. Remeber you can subscribe to the rss and recieve the latest podcasts as soon as they are published. Today's Podcast is a Dharma talk by Dharmavidya, about the… Continue

Added by Amida Podcasts on June 6, 2008 at 10:42am — 2 Comments

Culture Supports Culture - An Essay

I have been reading T.S.Eliot's essay called Notes Toward a Theory of Culture. Much of it I agree with. It is a pleasant feeling to find a fellow spirit. Like him, I do not think that culture and religion can be separated. Both penetrate every corner of what we are, especially what we are as social beings. They form and inform our collective life. This means that both are much more than their 'narrow' definitions. In England, football is religion and culture - it has all the elements of o… Continue

Added by Dharmavidya on June 2, 2008 at 1:30pm — 2 Comments

Film Night at Amida Sanctuary

Tomorrow night, June 3rd, we are going to be watching 'Kundun', the Martin Scorsese film of the early life of the Dalai Lama. For any of you who have not seen this film yet I thoroughly recommend it. You'll find more details here, here and a trailer here Continue

Added by Sujatin on June 2, 2008 at 11:30am — 1 Comment

Amida Podcast: Dharma as Practice

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 must be so… Continue

Added by Amida Podcasts on May 25, 2008 at 11:30am — 3 Comments

Newcastle this week

On Tuesday I attended the Newcastle University Staff Welcome event with Mia, one of my Catholic colleagues on the Chaplaincy team. We had a display table, gave out leaflets and chatted to a number of the new staff. It's good to be giving out the message that Chaplains aren't deadly serious creatures to be avoided at all costs, that we are available for support that doesn't necessarily mean one has to 'sign up' to a religion (though one can) and that different religions can get on very well with… Continue

Added by Sujatin on May 22, 2008 at 11:21am — No Comments

Let's all start blog, blog blogging.....

I used to blog a lot, a few years ago - it was a great way for me to connect with other Buddhists, when I didn't have a Sangha that I could meet in person, or meet very often at least, and it was a great place to put all my questions (if everything is empty, why do things seem so full?). Now I'm surrounded by Buddhists, and that's wonderful, and I have ample space to talk about all these questions, and to be honest I'm not asking them with such urgency now - it all comes down to faith, and trus… Continue

Added by Kaspalita on May 18, 2008 at 11:00am — No Comments