Gestures towards emptiness - exploring ritual 

A Day Retreat for Order Members and Mitras who have asked for Ordination

From Uddyotani:

This is a day to genuinely ask ourselves these questions, to explore ritual as practice that has the potential to bring us closer to reality. The inspiration for the day was a workshop by Ratnadevi at the Chairs' meeting this summer - the questions that she raised and the insights offered from her own work on ritual provoked an honest and heartfelt debate that I would love to continue here in Leeds. In a time of 're-imagining the Buddha', do we need to 're-imagine ritual'? - and what is lost, what is gained?

Samatha, Vipassana and Fireworks in North Wales 

Zara Jenny and Uddyotani have just recently arrived back from retreat at Vajraloka where they were learning, and practising, the 16 stage Anapanasati (mindfulness of the in and out breath) meditation, a practice that can take the meditator all the way through from samatha (calmness) practice to deep vipassana (insight) practice. 

Jenny, Zara and Uddyotani enjoying the bonfire and hot (non-alcoholic!) punch

Zara writes:

The week was full of wintery festivities, with a silent celebration of Prakasha's birthday, a wrathful halloween puja around a pumpkin lantern and a roaring bonfire and hot punch on a chilly November 4th. These joyous celebrations were held beautifully in blissful silence and meditative stillness. The trees were shredding their golden-orange leaves and the weather was in constant flux, with sunshine, frost, rain and gales all within ten days. Whilst the wild seasons unfolded outside, we contemplated impermanence in the cosy shrine room. A beautiful time of year to spend in nature, practising the precious Dharma.

Jenny writes:

I've been practising anapanasati regularly for over 18 months so this was a real chance to deepen and broaden my meditation. Prakasha's teaching was very clear and accessible and the fact that it came from his heart and his own deep practice meant that it was also very powerful. For me the week resonated with periods of deep absorption and experience of small, pure and delightful insights. Vajraloka was warm and friendly, even in wintery North Wales, and the other retreatants were a wonderful support - even through the seven days of complete silence. It was also - of course -a lovely experience being on retreat with two of my best friends, and I think it helped us all to get to know each other a little more deeply.

The retreat is being repeated next Autumn for details go to www.vajraloka.org

by Rick Hanson, Ph.D. 

 The Practice: Lean into good on first waking

Why? 

Waking up is like the sun rising. At first it's mostly dark, as glimmers of consciousness begin to light the shadows.

Emerging into full wakefulness, the fogs and veils dissolve and the whole plain of your mind comes into view. It's quiet: a restedness in the body, sleepy still, not yet much internal verbal chatter. There's an intimacy with yourself, abiding as the core of your be-ing.

During these first few minutes, your mind and brain are very receptive to influence. If, hypothetically, a loud alarm suddenly began clanging, you'd probably feel rattled for hours; on the other hand, if someone you love suddenly began telling you how much he or she cared about you, you'd probably feel good for hours.

So, at this delicate and lovely time in the morning, why not influence your mind and brain yourself?

There is a traditional saying that the mind takes its shape from whatever it rests upon. For better or worse. Instead of resting it upon planning, worrying, or stressing about your day, how about taking a little time to receive and embrace something more positive? Which would set up your whole day for the better - especially if you are prone, as many are, to anxiety or the blues in the morning.

Then as your day unfolds, from time to time, you could return to the feelings and intentions you established when you first awoke - to replenish yourself in a quick pit stop on the road of life.

How?

This practice is really natural and simple: on first waking, rest your mind upon one or more things that are good for you.

For example, you could relax into your body, feeling the truth that you are actually alright right now. Or you could open to gratitude. Or bring to mind someone you care about - perhaps sleeping beside you - and soften into love.

You could be aware of a deep purpose, or aspiration, or guiding light. Give yourself over to this calling, letting it carry you along. This is a personally important practice for me. Another one I do is to find refuge in things that support me. For example, classic refuges are a teacher, a body of teachings, or the community of the taught; people also take refuge in mindfulness, the power of reason, practice, inner light, the fact of connection, or their sense of something Divine. Take a moment to get a feeling for each refuge and let it sink in.

Or consider our three fundamental needs, loosely linked to the three-stage evolution (to simplify: reptile, mammal, primate/human) of the brain: avoid harms, approach rewards, and attach to others. When we experience that these needs are met, the brain naturally defaults to its home base, its Responsive mode, in which the body refuels and repairs itself, and the mind dwells in a basic sense of peace, happiness, and love (in terms of our needs to avoid, approach, and attach).

Since "neurons that fire together, wire together," time spent in the Responsive mode gradually strengthens its neural substrates - like deepening the keel of a boat so you can sail through life without its winds knocking you over. And what better time when the mind/brain is like a sponge, during the first minutes after waking? So I'll often try to find a sense of peace (relaxed, safe, not at war with anything or anyone), happiness (there is enough, fortunate, contented), and love (feeling cared about, compassionate, and kind) - and once found, let these sink in.

These early moments are precious, open with possibility, graced by stillness, sacred. They are a gift. May we receive them.

This is a transcript of an interview between Amy Schmidt and Windhorse Publications and is reproduced here with permission. Amy Schmidt's book "Dipa Ma: The Life and Legacy of a Buddhist Master" is available from Triratna bookshops or direct from windhorsepublications.com   

Who was Dipa Ma? What inspired you to write a book about her?

Dipa Ma was a Bengali woman living in Burma, who began practicing meditation in her 40's after her husband died. Prior to her husband's death, she had also experienced the death of two children and was diagnosed with a terminal heart condition. It was actually her doctor who advised her to practice meditation. And as soon as Dipa Ma started practicing, she became very deeply involved in meditation as a path to freedom from suffering, eventually becoming an amazing master and teacher in her own right.

Yet there is also another side to Dipa Ma - she was not only a great meditation master and teacher but she was also a great mother (and, later in her life, also a grandmother). She managed to juggle these different aspects of her life with a deep stillness and confidence that came from really knowing who she was, beyond all the labels that other people attached to her.

I heard about Dipa Ma's story when I was on my first retreat. Dipa Ma had died just days before the retreat started, so she was very present in the minds of the teachers there, all of whom had met and studied with her. I could feel just from the way that they were talking about her that she was a really special person, so I was inspired to find out more about her. It was this curiosity and inspiration that eventually led to me writing the book.

I hope that the book will spark similar feelings in the people who read it because I think the story of Dipa Ma is so inspirational. She was absolutely certain that no matter what you think you've got against you - whether you're sick, whether you've got mental health problems, whether you have a family and feel there is no time to practice - you can achieve whatever you put your mind to. And Dipa Ma's own life was an exemplification of this teaching - she had this real energy and urgency to her that you can only describe as infectious. She would just say 'Don't make any excuses, don't waste time - you've got to practice. Do it now!'

The book talks about a number of ways in which Dipa Ma both challenged and overcame the patriarchal constraints of Asian Buddhist culture. She comes across as a very powerful role model for women. Would you describe her as a feminist?

Well Dipa Ma certainly wasn't intentionally a feminist - she didn't describe herself as such. I think she was really just doing what she knew she needed to do in that moment in time. But she did in a way become a model for women because she was so convinced women could become enlightened, that it was the birthright of every human being to become free.

I think Dipa Ma was an especially powerful role model for Indian women because she lived at a time when there weren't many female meditation masters out there, and there were a lot of 'no's' around women in her culture. And she walked right through all the 'no's' - she just ignored them. She would say, 'Don't believe that story that society tells you; don't believe any story that that prevents you from becoming free.' And I think that is a wonderful lesson for women.

At the same time, Dipa Ma was able to tap into a place deep inside herself that was completely beyond gender, beyond all the roles that society gave her. She found who she was in her true nature and so her message is also timeless - she's a great model for what's possible on the Buddhist path for all of us.

Dipa Ma was convinced that enlightenment is achievable in the midst of a busy, householder life. Can you talk a bit about her ethos behind this teaching? And to what extent was it revolutionary in a Buddhist context?

Well it's probably true to say that Dipa Ma achieved her major breakthroughs in her practice on retreat - it seems like retreat was her vehicle, and it was definitely an important part of how she grew and changed. So she did teach the importance of going on retreat, but she equally emphasized the importance of practicing in everyday life. And I think this goes back to the urgency in her teaching, her belief that we can't just waste our time waiting for a retreat to wake up. She would say that we need to use every moment of our lives as an opportunity to be present and mindful.

This is also, of course, the Buddha's message - at the very end of his life he told us to 'strive on with diligence', almost pleading with us not to waste any moment of our lives. So Dipa Ma's emphasis on practicing in daily life has a history that goes back much further than her, but she did devise new creative practices for women and men to develop mindfulness whilst in the midst of the busy householder life.

In the book, you describe some amazing supernatural powers that Dipa Ma possessed. To what extent were they an important part of her character and her teaching?

Dipa Ma's supernatural powers were not an integral part of her teaching or her life. It was actually her teacher Munindra who wanted to experiment with them - she had no interest in them personally, and it wasn't something that she continued after that time in her life, except to have a bit of fun, to play tricks on people. Dipa Ma had an amazing sense of humour, and I think that the way she used her supernatural powers reflects this incredibly playful and lighthearted aspect of her nature.

I actually struggled a bit with including the stories of Dipa Ma's psychic powers in the book because I know that people would have strong opinions about these kinds of things - my readers might either give them a lot of credit or completely debunk them. But then I realized that if I didn't include them I'd be omitting information about Dipa Ma's history which would be wrong as a writer, because even if she wasn't much attached to these supernatural powers, they were part of her life. So the stories are there to take as you will, but I don't think we should take them very seriously, because she certainly didn't!

To what extent has Dipa Ma influenced you in your own life and teaching? Do you evoke her presence as a spiritual practice, and teach others to do the same?

When I teach meditation and retreats I definitely call on Dipa Ma's strength and inspiration. I always bring a picture of her on retreat and I have one in my office too. I feel that being in the presence of what she represents - her wisdom, her love and her willingness to be free - is really helpful to me. While I was researching the book, many people I interviewed also mentioned some very powerful experiences that they had had with Dipa Ma posthumously, that they had called upon her in times of difficulty and felt her presence and her encouragement. I really feel that the example of what Dipa Ma did is something that we can all call upon for strength and inspiration.

Lastly, what is the greatest lesson that Dipa Ma has taught you?

The greatest lesson Dipa Ma has taught me is not to make any divisions; whether that means understanding that love and mindfulness are the same, or whether it means understanding that there are no ultimate distinctions between male and female, monk and layperson. I think this is Dipa Ma's greatest message: when it comes down to it, everything is here and now and anything is possible, so don't create any divisions, don't create any stories, go as deep as you can go and don't stop until you find a place where there are no divisions at all.

'Dipa Ma' is available to purchase at your local Triratna bookshop and from the Windhorse online store: www.windhorsepublications.com

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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