A letter from Sahajasiddhi

Hi All,

Thought it might be time for an update, on my whereabouts. Firstly went and got married! Emmy and I married on the 23rd of June. It feels like a really important process of commitment to an intimacy with myself and her that I find both scary and deeply rewarding.

"I have decided, for the time being, 

to separate myself from 

the Buddhist Centre activities" 

I have decided, for the time being, to separate myself from the Buddhist Centre activities. I hear that things are going really well and do think of all the great connections I have made and am sure that paths will cross. I thought it might be good to briefly explore what's going on in my practice and how it has taken me away from the centre, just by way of explanation.

As many of you know the prime focus of my practice has been formlessness and insight. This is still the focus of what might be regarded as my 'practice'. Letting go of form has led to a real loosening of all structures or approaches to 'this'. My movement to greater formlessness feels like a simple natural progression and has led me to letting go of trying to do anything with, or make anything of, my experience. There has been a kind of simplification and dropping away of previous approaches that have held my practice together. This has got to the point where references to Buddhism or being a Buddhist do not fit easily with me, even to sit it meditation posture  feels too much like trying. So basically I have just been opening up to my experience more, kind of dropping the barriers, allowing my experience to naturally reveal itself.

I have also been continuing to note the three lakshanas. This takes the form of just noticing that there does seem to be a centre point to my experience, that everything appears to be an organic, unpredictable, spontaneous, changing, movement. I then notice the tightness, restriction or resistance that prevents just relaxing and letting go.

So in the sense of being able to talk about or be participating in a group with a more clear approach under the umbrella of Buddhism does not feel right for me at the moment.

"I know that what I am doing

 and what is arising in me is right"

I know that what I am doing and what is arising in me is right, I feel clear about that; I have no doubt that this is an important part of my process to greater naturalness, authenticity, openness and sensitivity. I do not however have any particular wisdom or insight into what is going on for other people and what might or might not be appropriate for someone else, this has been another reason I have dropped out of doing classes. I do not have confidence in my engagement with other people's processes.

The final reason that I have pulled out of things is that I find that an aspect of my ego clinging is putting myself in the expert role, giving advice, telling people, guiding people. Basically being in a position of knowing in relation to someone else not knowing. Where I am with this at the moment, if someone gives me a hidden or not so hidden invitation  to be in that dynamic, I  seem to be really keen to accept the invitation. This is despite a part of me knowing that this is not the process of letting go and  humility that I am orientated towards. It's a bit like being with my parents and despite all mature years of experience still finding myself under the spell of a certain dynamic.

So whilst I do miss everyone and  have appreciated your thoughts via other people, cards, texts, and emails etc. I do feel that for the time being I won't be around the centre.

So here is wishing you all the best

With love

Sahaja (siddhi)

Women's Weekend Retreat 

 Wake up to radi­ance one moment at a time

with Vidyamala and Punyamala

 A mind­ful­ness retreat on the Satipatthana Sutta*   

at Duke's Barn in the Derbyshire countryside 

6.00pm Friday 7th September to 4.00pm Sunday 9th September 2012  

Cost:£120/£95/£80(Waged/Low-waged/Concessions)

Vidyamala writes: Dear Friends, This is to tell you about a retreat I am leading with my good friend Punyamala from Sheffield. It is a weekend retreat for women 7-9 September in Derbyshire.  I would like to invite the women from our sanghas in the north to come together for this weekend and would be grateful if you could pass on this information to anyone who may be interested in attending. I have led retreats on this theme for years both in the UK and Australia and usually do a week or so at Taraloka for friends and/or Mitras. This year the Taraloka retreat I led was for Order members so I wanted to offer a retreat for other women as well . Places are filling up on this retreat, so please book early to avoid disappointment. 

Hope to see you there and best wishes Vidyamala

Suitable for any women who have learned the Mindfulness of Breathing and Metta Bhavana meditation practices and have attended the centre for 3 months or more.

Book at Manchester Buddhist Centre reception, by phone or online 

"I've recently been on a 2 week retreat co-led by Vidyamala and Saddhanandhi.  Don't miss doing a retreat with Vidyamala!  She's so warm, bright, encouraging and clear in her communication of the Dharma. It just shines out of her. You will catch something! It is often said the greatest gift we can give is the gift of the Dharma, it leads to freedom!  Don't miss this opportunity."  

Suryaka, Centre Manager, Manchester Buddhist Centre

*The Satipatthana Sutta

 From the Pali Canon, this is per­haps the most widely known and revered text on mind­ful­ness in the Buddhist tra­di­tion. It offers prac­tical and pro­found insight into human exper­i­ence, and expli­cit guid­ance on how to break free from react­ive suffering.

Learn how to be as present as pos­sible to actual moment-by-moment exper­i­ence so you can choose how you respond to your exper­i­ence. Gradually you'll develop more spa­cious, kind and radi­ant states of mind as you become more aligned with the true nature of things.

Analayo, author of the excel­lent Satipatthana - The Direct Path to Realisation sums the whole sutta up in four words: KEEP CALMLY KNOWING CHANGE

Drop-in Meditation Classes

Whether you are a complete beginner or someone with a regular meditation practice, you are very welcome to join us on any Monday from 3rd September to explore meditation with support and guidance from Samanartha and Uddyotani

John and Jenny lead a different meditation
practice each week  

Whatever your level of experience, join us on any Wednesday for a 'taster' each week of a different form of meditation

Suggested donation £3/£2  

Ring the bell and we'll buzz you in

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Please note that the views expressed in this newsletter are the opinions of individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Leeds Buddhist Centre, theTriratna Buddhist Community (Leeds) or The Triratna Buddhist Order