Jenny writes: Jeff and I have been coming to the Buddhist Centre for some time now. In March 2010 we both became Mitras, which was a way for us to commit publicly to our practice and to the Three Jewels. This year we both felt that we wanted to go even further with our commitment so we 'asked for Ordination' and became GFR (Going for Refuge) Mitras. This means that we are now joining the other men and women in Leeds who are undergoing the many years of Dharma training which eventually (and hopefully) will lead to us all becoming Order Members. 

There are two special retreat centres in the UK for GFR Mitras: Padmaloka (for the men) and Tiratnaloka (for the women). Jeff and I attended our first retreats at these centres in the last month or so. This is what it felt like:

Jeff: I wasn't sure what to expect of my retreat to Padmaloka. It was the first all men's retreat I had been on, the venue was new for me and I was going into unchartered territory. 

This retreat was very important to me. I was expecting to have a good time and I did. I arrived early and was relieved to find Dave there to greet me (he was part of the Leeds Sangha until recently, but now lives there). Dave showed me around the place and reassuringly told me I could help myself to tea, cereals and toast any time I liked, I felt at home right away! 

It was hard going for me at first (most of you will be aware of my problems with illness) but I was reassured that I could take time out to rest when I needed to, I didn't need to though as there was plenty of opportunity to rest. The days were very structured and full, with plenty of breaks for tea, or walking in the garden and around the local area - and extra study if you felt so inclined. 

For the first two days I hated Puja; by the last two days I liked it enough to purchase a Puja book. I loved chanting from the start - it seems to have a deep grounding effect on me and makes me feel good. I'm so glad I didn't have to do the Prostration Practice! You have to visualise a specific thing during prostration. I managed to visualize something very profound and moving during one of the practice sessions that will remain with me for a very long time - but it wasn't what I was supposed to be visualising. 

Padmaloka is a very inspiring place to visit, they know how and what they are doing and do it very well. I am looking forward to my next visit in November.  

*****

Jenny: The theme of my retreat was 'What is the Order?'. Tiratnaloka is a big, comfortable house set in beautiful gardens amidst the spectacular scenery of the Brecon Beacons. The welcome from the resident Order Members and the other 27 retreatants was warm and friendly, but even so I felt very much the new girl on the block. All but four of the others had been there before so knew the routines. 

I soon got into the swing of things and began to enjoy the routine: morning meditation at 7.00 am, study groups from 10 am to lunch, Prostration Practice at 4pm and a talk or puja in the evening. There was a lot to learn but it wasn't hard - the food was great, the teaching was inspiring and the other women were simply beautiful in their kindness. 

As with most retreats, the conditions led to deeper practice. And - for me and for some others - this meant coming face-to-face with ourselves as well. I 'wobbled' massively on the first weekend, feeling fearful (and tearful) of what I was taking on and the inevitable changes in my life that it would open up. But the Tiratnaloka team and the kindness of my fellow retreatants shored me up and I moved into a second, equally fulfilling, though more sober, week.

I had some wonderful walks, made some good friends, enjoyed hours of good meditation and ritual, learnt a lot about the Order - and even more about myself. It was a challenging, inspiring and heart-warming fortnight. And despite my 'wobble', I definitely feel that if anything, my commitment to the three jewels is greater than ever. It will be great to go back there in late August.

Money for Free!

Living with Kindness 

from Tuesday 31st May

7.00 - 9.15 pm for 4 weeks, followed by a day retreat on Saturday 25th June 10.00 am - 4.00 pm. 

In this course, we explore the Metta Bhavana, a practice which allows us to cultivate emotional warmth, kindness and friendliness towards ourselves and others. 

Cost: £50/£25 concs, including the day retreat. 

 

Introduction to Buddhism Course

Monday 28th June - 7.00 to 9.15pm for 4 weeks

Who was the Buddha and how do his teachings relate to our busy 21st century lives? This course looks at the Buddha's life and his teachings and explores what they mean to us now, 2500 years later.

Cost for the course: £35/£18 concs

 

How to Book 

Online: click here

By email: enquiries@leedsbuddhistcentre.org

By phone: 0113 2445256 Or write: Leeds Buddhist Centre, 4th Floor, Leeds Bridge House, LS10 1JN 

Sit Illustrated

This is a cartoon book with a difference in that it's all about meditation (you'll be familiar with the humour as we've featured two of the cartoons already in this newsletter). Some of the cartoons are laugh-out-loud funny, others are more gentle and amusing reminders of the games we play in our heads, or of our inability much of the time to concentrate on anything for more than a few seconds.

The drawings aren't intended to be super-professional since they are all drawn by a group of real meditators - people who have, they say, invested a thousand or so hours of just sitting very still. The result is a very natural, very entertaining book, jam-packed with situations and distractions that we can all recognise.

There's our old friend the frantic mind; the meditation timer that seems to be broken (I have one - some mornings it runs much slower than others!); there's the cushion that magically gets harder as the sit moves on, the nose that won't stop running and the mosquito (read fly) that won't leave you alone. Then again there are our old friends restlessness, sloth, craving, hatred, desire, ignorance, aversion - in all their many guises. 

All the situations in the book will, I'm sure, be readily (and ridiculously) familiar to anyone who meditates (certainly to me). And, quite apart from being funny, this book is also reassuring. It's good to see that it's not only me who gets in such messy situations when I'm sitting! And what a joy to laugh about it all! 

This is a book to keep close and dip into regularly, especially at those times when we are taking ourselves too seriously. The perfect antidote should we get too tied up with our own 'failings'!

You can see more cartoons (and subscribe to a free weekly meditation cartoon) here