Hi Hussam, I really enjoyed meeting you and our conversations on the recent "Love and Its Disappointments" weekend, and hope to see you at TBH again soon. Namo Amida Bu. Freya
Lovely to hear from you! I hope that you and yours are well and happy. Yes, I still practice Nembutsu on a daily basis whenever possible and I SO miss the community! I've had no contact there for some time, mainly due to having started a new relationship end of April this year, with a lovely glass artist called Ana. Ana isn't a Buddhist but shows interest in Buddhism and respects my faith so much that we've just set up a beautiful Amida shrine in her living room in Cambridgeshire.
I too am going to Leicester in November but probably not the same block. As you know, I'm not a proper registered student on the psychology course, but I would like to do the weekend of 21st 22nd Nov on Zen Therapy, which I'm currently rereading.
Thanks for contacting me again - it's reminded me to use friends of Amida more regularly!
Namo Amida Bu! Big hugs, Avou. x
Dharmakara Bodhisattva was Amida Buddha before he became a Buddha. According to the Larger Sukhavativyuha Sutra, he was a king before he met a Buddha named Lokesvararaja. He was greatly impressed by the teachings and personality of his teacher and left the home-life to become a monk.
He requested his teacher to show him all the various pure and impure lands in the universe where sentient beings dwelt. He adopted the good qualities of the various lands and discarded the bad ones in order to create a pure land free of suffering and most conducive for people to attain enlightenment. He contemplated for 5 kalpas before making 48 great vows. The most important one being the 18th vow of birth through the nembutsu. In this vow, Dharmakara vowed that if there is any sentient being who sincerely desires to be born in his pure land and recites the nembutsu "Namo Amida Bu" 10 times, less or more, and if that person does not attain birth, Dharmakara will not accept enlightenment. Since Dharmakara has attained enlightenment and become Amida Buddha all those who recites the nembutsu will be born in his land through the karmic power of his vows.
The great Pure Land teacher Honen Shonin chose the practice of the nembutsu among all practices and encourage us to believe in the vow of Amida. That birth is available to everyone who recites the nembutsu with sincerity and joy.
Dear Hussam,
Lovely to hear from you - and what a lovely photo by the waterfall. No - I shan't be at the course block this October. I shall be writing the fourth edition of my textbook, and am thoroughly overcommitted for the autumn and winter. I shall be sorry though not to see you and the others. I'll be at the Bodhi retreat though - perhaps will see you there - ?
Warmest wishes,
Sundari
Dear Hussam, what a lovely suprise the postie brought me this morning! Thank you, i can't wait to watch them. I can't remember if you said you have seen 'the little buddha' and 'kundun'. let me know, i will send them if you haven't, they are both beautiful and moving films. how are things with you?? I am struggling with work at the moment, feeling like a square peg and all that.. I know i should be grateful to have a job at the moment though. take care, and thanks again. Tara x
Long time no see. Hope things are working out as you hoped for. How is business? Me, I need lots more work.
Family wise all is pretty oke and the sun is shining again.
Namo Amida Bu
Dear Hussam
Well I have finally got around to setting up the kids with their own profile pages and they have both sent you invites to be their friend. At Caroline's suggestion I did set them up as "James Hinde for Nyassa Hinde" and "James Hinde for Hugo Hinde" so that I am legally taking responsibility for them being underage. I do hope you will do the same for Hala and Luca.
They are now desparate to get on with starting a couple of discussions so I will sign off here.
Best regards
James
Hi Hussam
I have to go out tonight so we will not be setting up the kids on the ning site until tomorrow. I will send you a message when we get started.
James
Hi Hussam
We will do something about it in the next couple of days. I think tomorrow evening I will sit with the kids and work out what they want to do and say and then we will set it up either tomorrow evening (we can be up a little later because we have a public holiday on Thursday) or we will actually do it on Thursday when I can spend the whole day with them working it out. Either way I will send you a comment through your profile by about 7pm your time tomorrow evening to let you know whether we are doing it tomorrow or Thursday.
Regards
James
Hi Hussam,
SO sorry it's taken me so long to reply - haven't been on the site for some time! It seems that the Creative course block went really well and I'm sad not to have attended and BIG, BIG congrats on your Going For Refuge NAB! I do hope our retreat paths cross in the not too distant future. Prasada ran a day retreat on Guilt last weekend at my house and it went really well. There were 10 of us, a fair mix of Amidists and FWBO. My new job in Mental Health Support is going well too, though I feel a bit burnt out. Off on retreat on Saturday though - can't wait! Hope alls well with you. Do drop me a line when you have a mo. with Metta, Avou. x
It was good to see you on the course and also to hear you play. Perhaps we can have a jam session next time? Hope things are going well with you and yours, and that you managed to sort out the inadvertant phone call you made whilst counselling. Speak again soon.
Hi Hussam,
Nice to hear from you. With so many sites, ie facebook, DL and other groups I forgot about this one. Feel like I have been sleeping whilst everyone's been enjoying a nice conversation.
It was a great course block I got a lot out of it and am really enjoying my client work since then. The last day was intense indeed and we were both left with much to process, but its been OK.
Hope your doing well.
take care
Hi Hussam
Welcome to Ning, hopefully we will catch up at the easter break. Will drop you a line nearer the time. It was lovely to see you taking refuge, it is a special time.
Namo Amida Bu
Dawn
Hello Big Man,
Good to hear from you. It was a 'rich' block, wasn't it - quite gruelling but rewarding too. There was me thinking that it might be a bit lighter because it was about creativity. Shows what I know! I'm looking forward to the next one - you just never know what you're gonna get. I do think though that all that sharing of difficult emotions brought the group together - which has got to be a good thing.
hi Hussam yes things are going well. i feel like i could sleep for a week but have not had time yet. how are you ? if you want to call me you can my number is 01672 539 644. and yes i will be going to the next block in may see you there
bro
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Namo Amida Bu
x
Lovely to hear from you! I hope that you and yours are well and happy. Yes, I still practice Nembutsu on a daily basis whenever possible and I SO miss the community! I've had no contact there for some time, mainly due to having started a new relationship end of April this year, with a lovely glass artist called Ana. Ana isn't a Buddhist but shows interest in Buddhism and respects my faith so much that we've just set up a beautiful Amida shrine in her living room in Cambridgeshire.
I too am going to Leicester in November but probably not the same block. As you know, I'm not a proper registered student on the psychology course, but I would like to do the weekend of 21st 22nd Nov on Zen Therapy, which I'm currently rereading.
Thanks for contacting me again - it's reminded me to use friends of Amida more regularly!
Namo Amida Bu! Big hugs, Avou. x
Dharmakara Bodhisattva was Amida Buddha before he became a Buddha. According to the Larger Sukhavativyuha Sutra, he was a king before he met a Buddha named Lokesvararaja. He was greatly impressed by the teachings and personality of his teacher and left the home-life to become a monk.
He requested his teacher to show him all the various pure and impure lands in the universe where sentient beings dwelt. He adopted the good qualities of the various lands and discarded the bad ones in order to create a pure land free of suffering and most conducive for people to attain enlightenment. He contemplated for 5 kalpas before making 48 great vows. The most important one being the 18th vow of birth through the nembutsu. In this vow, Dharmakara vowed that if there is any sentient being who sincerely desires to be born in his pure land and recites the nembutsu "Namo Amida Bu" 10 times, less or more, and if that person does not attain birth, Dharmakara will not accept enlightenment. Since Dharmakara has attained enlightenment and become Amida Buddha all those who recites the nembutsu will be born in his land through the karmic power of his vows.
The great Pure Land teacher Honen Shonin chose the practice of the nembutsu among all practices and encourage us to believe in the vow of Amida. That birth is available to everyone who recites the nembutsu with sincerity and joy.
Namo Amida Bu,
Hanryo.
Lovely to hear from you - and what a lovely photo by the waterfall. No - I shan't be at the course block this October. I shall be writing the fourth edition of my textbook, and am thoroughly overcommitted for the autumn and winter. I shall be sorry though not to see you and the others. I'll be at the Bodhi retreat though - perhaps will see you there - ?
Warmest wishes,
Sundari
Long time no see. Hope things are working out as you hoped for. How is business? Me, I need lots more work.
Family wise all is pretty oke and the sun is shining again.
Namo Amida Bu
Well I have finally got around to setting up the kids with their own profile pages and they have both sent you invites to be their friend. At Caroline's suggestion I did set them up as "James Hinde for Nyassa Hinde" and "James Hinde for Hugo Hinde" so that I am legally taking responsibility for them being underage. I do hope you will do the same for Hala and Luca.
They are now desparate to get on with starting a couple of discussions so I will sign off here.
Best regards
James
I have to go out tonight so we will not be setting up the kids on the ning site until tomorrow. I will send you a message when we get started.
James
We will do something about it in the next couple of days. I think tomorrow evening I will sit with the kids and work out what they want to do and say and then we will set it up either tomorrow evening (we can be up a little later because we have a public holiday on Thursday) or we will actually do it on Thursday when I can spend the whole day with them working it out. Either way I will send you a comment through your profile by about 7pm your time tomorrow evening to let you know whether we are doing it tomorrow or Thursday.
Regards
James
SO sorry it's taken me so long to reply - haven't been on the site for some time! It seems that the Creative course block went really well and I'm sad not to have attended and BIG, BIG congrats on your Going For Refuge NAB! I do hope our retreat paths cross in the not too distant future. Prasada ran a day retreat on Guilt last weekend at my house and it went really well. There were 10 of us, a fair mix of Amidists and FWBO. My new job in Mental Health Support is going well too, though I feel a bit burnt out. Off on retreat on Saturday though - can't wait! Hope alls well with you. Do drop me a line when you have a mo. with Metta, Avou. x
It was good to see you on the course and also to hear you play. Perhaps we can have a jam session next time? Hope things are going well with you and yours, and that you managed to sort out the inadvertant phone call you made whilst counselling. Speak again soon.
Metta,
Ray
Nice to hear from you. With so many sites, ie facebook, DL and other groups I forgot about this one. Feel like I have been sleeping whilst everyone's been enjoying a nice conversation.
It was a great course block I got a lot out of it and am really enjoying my client work since then. The last day was intense indeed and we were both left with much to process, but its been OK.
Hope your doing well.
take care
Ant
Thanks for your lovely message. Good to be with you too and yes I plan to be there in May.
Warm wishes,
Namo Amida Bu
Sundari
thanks - its so good to hear what you are getting from the course - the energy last week was fantastic ! Such a great group of students...
Welcome to Ning, hopefully we will catch up at the easter break. Will drop you a line nearer the time. It was lovely to see you taking refuge, it is a special time.
Namo Amida Bu
Dawn
Good to hear from you. It was a 'rich' block, wasn't it - quite gruelling but rewarding too. There was me thinking that it might be a bit lighter because it was about creativity. Shows what I know! I'm looking forward to the next one - you just never know what you're gonna get. I do think though that all that sharing of difficult emotions brought the group together - which has got to be a good thing.
Take care,
Jeff
bro
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