THE VISION. Adhisthana buildings. Ratnadharini shows. Sangharakshita the. The Hevajra Tantra. From Snellgrove s. Images from the. Below: Right: shrine

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4 4/5 Below: From Snellgrove s The Hevajra Tantra Right: Ratnadharini shows Sangharakshita the Adhisthana buildings Images from the shrine THE VISION In the 1990 s, Sangharakshita began talking about a library where his books and artefacts would be preserved as a resource beyond his lifetime. The search for a property began, and over time the vision developed and the scope of the project expanded until Coddington Court was found in A team, led by Ratnadharini, renovated the buildings and transformed the site so that Sangharakshita could move into his new home, and Adhisthana could open in August During the dedication weekend, centres and groups from all over the world offered small Buddha rupas to be incorporated into the shrine, symbolic of Adhisthana s international significance to Triratna. The name Adhisthana captures the essential vision for the place. When Bhante proposed this name, he sent the trustees a photocopy of a page from the Glossary of Special Terms in David Snellgrove s The Hevajra Tantra, drawing a bold square round the reference to Adhisthana. Adhisthana is Bhante s own vision and has a vital place in the future of our movement, offering a source of unity, inspiration, and authenticity. It is the primary resource for keeping alive his particular presentation of the Dharma. Bhante has spoken of four lineages that he has handed on to his disciples: a lineage of teachings, of practices, of responsibilities, and of inspiration. It is, above all, Adhisthana s responsibility to keep these four lineages alive and to pass them on to coming generations. Adhisthana is owned by the Preceptors College Trust and is a meeting place for the College and other bodies of people who carry responsibility for Triratna, such as the International Council and the Order Office. We hope Adhisthana can be a spiritual home for the whole order and movement, a place for us to gather on our own land. It is Bhante s last home, where we can keep alive our connection to him and his inspiration. The programme of events at Adhisthana is created by a teaching team, currently Dhammarati, Parami, Lokeshvara, Saddhanandi, Vajragupta, with input from our president, Subhuti. They regularly meet to discuss how to create a programme that faithfully

5 From the literal meaning of position, this word is applied specifically to authoritative position and then to the power pertaining to such a position. It can therefore mean the power which belongs naturally to divine forms, and in this sense it comes near to the Christian conception of grace. It can also refer to the power which is experienced spontaneously in meditation or achieved through the recitation of mantras. In that it may be transmitted by a man of sanctity to his disciples, it may also be translated as blessing... sustains the lineage of teachings and practices. This team lead many of the events, and draw on other Order members from Adhisthana, and from our wider community. Adhisthana has unfolded from the initial vision for The Sangharakshita Library, which is situated at the heart of the site, and has become a living community, evolving with the flow of residents, guests, pilgrims, retreats, seminars and training courses. The resident Sangha, which holds a sense of continuity within this flow, consists of Bhante and his household, some individuals who hold positions of responsibility within the Order and movement internationally and are concerned with Triratna as a whole, and a team of people working for Adhisthana, overseeing its day-to-day running and ensuring its spiritual vitality. The combination of those living and working together in service of the project and Triratna, people coming here for intensive periods of practice and study, the many visitors and various meetings and gatherings that take place, the beauty of the surroundings, and of course Bhante s presence here, generates a sense of something beyond the individual that people enter into and participate in whilst staying here. Our vision is that everyone who comes to Adhisthana, for whatever length of time, is contributing to a continuous, deep, and strong practice of the Dharma, participating together in a single experience of Sangha, on the basis of Bhante s presentation of the teaching of the Buddha. These elements come together to create Adhisthana; a channel for the lineage of inspiration, a principal seat of the lineage of responsibilities and a locus for the study, practice and communication of the lineage of Bhante s teachings and practices. Within these pages we hope to communicate Adhisthana s particular role in sustaining Bhante s legacy, and keeping the Triratna community alive and vital into the future.

6 6/7 Order Convention, Bodh Gaya, 2013 Below right: The Preceptors College, Adhisthana, March 2014 THE VISION THE PRECEPTORS COLLEGE AND THE UNITY OF TRIRATNA As our Triratna Community grows it is increasingly important that there are effective channels of communication, ways in which we can come into relationship and awareness of each other, and create the conditions for a unified Sangha. We need to care for those things, such as the teachings, practices, culture and ethos, that we share, and ensure they are passed on to future generations with integrity and genuine inspiration. Having a central meeting place, an organisational hub, is one way of contributing to all this. Adhisthana is home to the Preceptors College, the body of men and women who take a special responsibility for overseeing the spiritual unity and well-being of our Order and movement. Some members of the College live here, many more will visit and meet here. The International Council also meets at Adhisthana, a gathering that draws together Order members from all over the world to ensure the thriving and harmony of Triratna.

7 Part of the role of Adhisthana is serving the people who work for these and other bodies, giving them a place to meet and connect, and providing a supportive base for those of them who live here. All these meetings and cross-overs create a synergy, a common ethos and direction, so that Triratna can remain vital and responsive, communicating the Dharma in a fast-changing world. I was at the Order Convention at Bodh Gaya in 2013 when the name of our new centre was announced as Adhisthana, a word richly suggestive of the blessings and love of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. That sense of Adhisthana is vividly alive at Bodh Gaya, and it has seemed to be very present at Adhisthana from our first gatherings here. It is Bhante s last home, and also the home of the College of Public Preceptors to whom he has passed on the task of overseeing ordinations and bringing men and women into our Order. I enjoyed coming to College meetings at Adhisthana, but until March 2014 never expected to be living here or working as Chair of the College. Life took a couple of surprising turns, and now I am sitting in my room above the library writing this, listening to the birdsong and breeze and catching occasional wafts of the countryside in early summer, wondering a bit what I am doing here and what the future may hold for us all. One thing I am sure of. The world badly needs the Dharma, and having had the beauty of the Dharma opened up for us by Bhante we have a responsibility to live it as deeply, and share it as widely as possible. Saddhaloka, Chair of the Preceptors College

8 8/9 THE VISION Gathering in large numbers : Sangharakshita at the International Retreat, Taraloka 2008 When we gather together in this sort of way, a completely different atmosphere is generated, one might say a quite different level of consciousness is reached. Sangharakshita, Growing the Spiritual Community International Retreat, Taraloka, 2008 GATHERING IN LARGE NUMBERS One of the main purposes of Adhisthana is to host large gatherings of the Order and the movement. We will be hosting a number of area and regional order weekends over the year, as well as the men s and women s international conventions, dates of which can be found in the calendar. The International Retreat will be back in 2017 celebrating the movement s 50th anniversary. In the future we d like to develop the facilities to have as many of our large gatherings here as is practically possible, on our own land, with its special connection to Sangharakshita.

9 AND GATHERING IN SMALL NUMBERS! Come and stay at Adhisthana with your chapter or your study group, or some of those you were ordained with, or simply with some friends. We want Adhisthana to be a meeting place for all sorts of configurations from the biggest to the smallest. Chapters are the Order in microcosm and we can provide the facilities for you to come and stay for a weekend or a week to meet together. As well as the privilege of living in such a beautiful, quiet environment, I live at Adhisthana in part because of the function I hold within the Order. As International Order Convenors, it is important for Lokeshvara and me to be living alongside the chair of the college and others holding central functions in the Order, college and movement. Adhisthana is a home for the whole Order and a good base for us to work from. It is a place where people can visit from around the world and have a sense of community and an opportunity to live in the orbit of Bhante s blessing his Adhisthana. As I travel internationally, people tell me how glad they are that Adhisthana is in existence. Some have photos of Adhisthana s shrine on their shrine and feel connected through that to all the people who have contributed to the purchase and set up, and are sustaining this project. Parami, International Order Convenor

10 10/11 THE VISION THE SANGHARAKSHITA LIBRARY At the heart of Adhisthana is the Sangharakshita Library, a collection of books and artefacts collected by Bhante over his lifetime, as well as letters, papers and photos connected with his life, and an invaluable written record of much of his teaching. One of the most important roles of Adhisthana will be caring for this precious legacy. It will be a way for future generations to have a tangible connection with the founder of our Sangha, getting a sense of him and his life s work. It will be there for scholars and historians who want a deeper understanding of our movement and Sangharakshita s insights into how the Buddhist tradition needs to be translated for the modern world. You ll be surprised by some of the hidden gems hidden away in this library, and some of the stories behind the books and other treasures found here In 2016 we ll be asking for volunteers to help run the library so we can get it open and accessible more of the time, and so we can care for the books and artefacts. I am still finding my way through the collection, but for me perhaps the most exciting aspect of having all Bhante s books in one place is the glimpse it gives into what shaped and inspired his thinking. As well as the Dharma books, and that includes the books he brought back from India and that form the background to his writing of the Survey, there is philosophy, psychology, art history, poetry and much more. It is fascinating to be able to see, and read, the texts which have helped to influence his ideas and his writing. I see the librarian s role as helping the Order and the wider movement to make the fullest use of all the books and the wide range of other material that we have here. Danasamudra, Librarian

11 The barnyard at the back of Adhisthana HELP KEEP THE BLESSINGS OF ADHISTHANA FLOWING Adhisthana is not just a place for us now, but for future generations of Dharma practitioners. We want them to be able to tap into the sources of inspiration that created our Sangha, that have held us together and helped us to grow and mature over the years. We want them to feel a connection with Sangharakshita, our founder and teacher, and the blessings of Adhisthana. We aspire to create a place of beauty, that communicates that Adhisthana through the buildings and the surrounding environment, and through artworks emerging from our own nascent Buddhist culture. We want Adhisthana to become a centre of training that supports those communicating the Dharma and creating Sangha out in the world, as well as for those who take up responsibility as chairs, mitra convenors, and preceptors. What has been achieved in so short a time is amazing, but there is so much more we d like to do in order to allow the blessings of Adhisthana to flow. There is a lot more work to do around the site, landscaping and building pathways, and improving the facilities. Eventually we want to develop the barnyard at the back of the property. The current thinking is to build another accommodation block and retreat facility there. This would allow us to host even bigger Order and movement gatherings. We d love as many of our conventions and big events as is practically possible to happen here, on our own land, in our own place, with its special connection with Sangharakshita. Adhisthana is currently breaking even, but for further development work we rely on the generosity of the Sangha. If you would like to help us with a donation it would be gratefully received. Or could you leave a gift in your will to Adhisthana? Please contact us if you would like more details. A legacy from you will help us keep the blessings of Adhisthana flowing for years to come. Our charity number, the crucial bit to mention in the will, is , and the charity name is The Adhisthana Trust.

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15 18-25 November Mindfulness: a direct path of awakening Dhammarati and Vidyamala Human kind cannot bear very much reality, said T.S. Eliot. But we can learn to bear it indeed, it is the wellspring of freedom and joy if we train ourselves to see it steadily and see it whole. Sangharakshita, Living with Awareness. By attending to our experience with awareness and kindness we can free ourselves from reactivity and open up to freedom of heart and mind. Dhammarati and Vidyamala have immersed themselves in the Anapanasati and Satipatthana Suttas for many years. In this retreat they ll share their experience of these seminal suttas, based on Bhante s teachings on mindfulness. This intensive meditation retreat will be mostly in silence with teaching periods and meditation reviews December Seeing the house builder Saddhanandi and Vajragupta How do we see the house-builder? What is that force within our minds that builds up an over-amplified and distorted story about self and world?. How do we view the mind s tendency to papañca, or proliferation, more wisely so that we no longer need to build painful, limiting, separate houses of self and other? This week of Dharma, meditation, reflection, and ritual will be based around the Buddha and his seeing of the house-builder Many a birth have I undergone, faring on in the round of conditioned existence, seeking the builder of the house and not finding him. Painful is such repeated birth. O house-builder, now you are seen! Never again shall you build me a house. Your rafters are all broken, your ridgepole shattered. The conditioned mind has gone to destruction. Dhammapada, verses

16 16/17 SANGHARAKSHITA IN SEMINAR REVISITED Sangharakshita in seminar, Padmaloka, 1980s Clear Vision Archive In the early decades of Triratna, Sangharakshita held dozens of study seminars. They were perhaps his principal way of injecting fresh inspiration to the Order and movement, giving an aspect of the Dharma new emphasis, or educating his disciples in how to read Buddhist texts. People waited eagerly to hear what the next seminar would be, and what new ideas would ripple through the movement. Some of those events were seminal in the development of Sangharakshita s thinking and in the life of the Order. In 2016 Adhisthana is hosting a series of study retreats for Order Members, looking afresh at some of those teachings, and their continuing relevance for the Order, the movement, and the world today. Each of the retreats will be limited to 8 places, apart from the Pali Canon seminar which will be for January Pali Canon Sagaramati Better than a thousand meaningless verses collected together, is one meaningful line of verse on hearing which one becomes tranquil. Sangharakshita led an extensive series of seminars on the Pali Canon in the early 70s, examining and penetrating the word of the Buddha. The Dhammapada, the Itivuttaka, and the Udana are among the most ancient texts in the Canon, and through a combination of prose and verse, represent quite faithfully the original sources of the teaching. Bhante described the verses of the Udana as the Buddha s utterance breathed out under a tremendous force of inspiration, at certain crucial moments when he was very deeply moved and spiritually stirred. Sagaramati will lead study and exploration of the depths of these teachings, handed down to us by Sangharakshita May Jewel Ornament of Liberation: Transitoriness Saddhanandi Friends, this life passes quickly. It is the rapid stream of a turbulent waterfall over a steep cliff. The fool not recognising this, Stupidly lets himself be fooled by sense objects. Saddhanandi will be leading study based on Sangharakshita s seminar on chapter four of Gampopa s Jewel Ornament of Liberation, on transitoriness. We don t make progress, Gampopa says, because of our attachment to sensuous experiences, self-complacency and ignorance about the means of realizing Buddhahood. On the contrary, by facing and realising the impermanence of our own life, we can turn away from worldly things and lay the foundation for realization of the truth, enlightenment.

17 23-30 July Advice to the Three Fortunate Women Ratnadharini Ratnadharini will lead study on Sangharakshita s seminar on this extraordinary chapter from the Life and Liberation of Padmasambhava. For her, this text is especially significant as the practical and far reaching parting advice of a great teacher. Padmasambhava s summary of his teaching is pithy enough to be memorised, and applicable to life in general, as well as to meditation practice. Although given to practitioners not living in monastic conditions, this is an uncompromising text, highlighting the freedom that comes from true renunciation. Among other topics, Sangharakshita s seminar explores the importance of conditions in the natural arising of insight, and also the importance of the non-appropriation of that insight. 1-8 August Metta, pema, raga: love & sex in Buddhist practice Dharmapriya Dharmapriya will revisit and reconsider Sangharakshita s seminars on the Metta Sutta and other Pali Canon material. Sangharakshita has always emphasised the crucial importance of metta, and distinguished this from more sentimental, romantic, or sexual feelings. How do we re-orientate our emotional life so we are more fully living from loving-kindness and compassion? And how do we do this without just trading the Dharma for respectability and conventional morality? How can these suttas help us examine our assumptions and behaviour in our relationships, both sexual and non-sexual? 7-14 October The Nature of Existence Parami Conditioned things are like stars, for instance, because having no real existence they cannot be got at or grasped. In the summer of 1982 Sangharakshita gave a seminar on chapter 11 of his seminal work The Three Jewels. In this seminar Sangharakshita is philosophical and practical in his exploration of the three lakshanas, showing how the practice of the Dharma enables us to see beyond what we consider the conditioned world. Throughout the 80 s and 90 s Parami led a series of retreats and seminars based on the gems from this seminar, exploring the themes through discussion, meditation and ritual, and now offers this at Adhisthana.

18 18/19 INSPIRING DHARMA TEACHING

19 What our world needs above all is the freedom teachings of the Dharma, the way by which people can open their hearts to Wisdom and Compassion and so transform their world. Over the next few years Adhisthana wants to develop support and training for all those engaged in our great work of sharing and communicating these teachings as widely as possible. This can involve learning skills, but also deepening our understanding of the underlying Dharmic principles. These events for Order members will involve exploration of how Dharma work is a practice in itself, to give a positive stretch and challenge, and deepen your experience of the Dharma April The Path and the guide: teaching the System of Practice Maitreyabandhu How do we teach the whole System of Practice at our Triratna Centres and groups? How can we set out the principles of the Dharma-life in a clear and uncompromising fashion, and help people put them into practice in their lives? Maitreyabandhu has written The Path and the Guide (published by Windhorse Publications in 2015) which lays out an 8-week course that does just this. On this retreat, aimed at those working and teaching at Centres, we will be actively exploring how to teach the System of Practice, and how to effectively communicate both the principles and the living application. 2-9 October Inspiring Dharma study: the art of leading study groups Ratnaguna and team We ran this retreat in 2015 and it was a great success. Led by Ratnaguna we will be discovering how group study can take us into an elevated and radiant state of mind, from which we can go beyond our limiting views, and help others to do so too. As part of the retreat you will lead a couple of small study groups and be encouraged to develop your skills and your awareness of what a good study leader is trying to do. There will be an emphasis on how a study leader needs to lead and not just facilitate: to draw out and explicate the Dharma, through dialogue and questioning, helping participants in the group to see the truth of their lives more clearly.

20 20/21 CREATING THE THREE JEWELS Adhisthana Community on a Sangha night The Buddha Ratnasambhava Comunidad Budista Triratna Querétaro: one of the newer centres in Mexico The following events are mainly a mixture of those for mitras who are training for ordination and those open to anyone involved in a Triratna Centre or group who is familiar with the meditations and puja that we practice. The events have a common theme how we can play a part in creating a vibrant Triratna culture that will be a force for good in the world March Dwelling in the Dharma: how to create and sustain vibrant communities Lokeshvara, Mahamani and Vajragupta Open to all Community living has had something of a renaissance in Triratna in the last few years, and around a few Centres more people want to live in communities than there are places available. This weekend is for both those who are interested in starting a community, and those already in a community who would like input on what makes a community spiritually vital. Our aim is to catalyse new communities and to inspire those living in communities to see their transformative potential. At their best communities are about going beyond ourselves and living for each other. 29 April-2 May Money awakening Amalavajra and team Open to all This long weekend will investigate our attitudes and conditioning around money. What we may find is that those attitudes and conditioning influence our whole life, including the way we approach and practice the Dharma. If we can see that conditioning more clearly, we can free ourselves from it and live a life of increasing abundance and generosity. Amalavajra is a fundraiser for Triratna projects and he is passionate about money not being a force over our lives, but something we can use as a force for good. If you are involved in Triratna finance, dana economies, or fundraising, or want to be more confident and creative around money, then this event is for you.

21 10-19 June The Six Guidelines Tiratanaloka Women s Ordination Team For women training for ordination This is a good introductory retreat for women who have recently asked for ordination into the Triratna Buddhist Order, but also great material for anyone to explore. We ll be studying talks given by members of the Tiratanaloka team, which give a particular framework within which we can look at our progress to ordination and beyond. For more information see July How to start a centre Members of the Development Team For Order members and mitras training for ordination The world badly needs the Dharma. There can be so much suffering in people s lives: the suffering of anxiety, ill-will, craving, or lack of deeper purpose and meaning. There are many towns and cities in the UK where Triratna has no presence. There are many countries and cities in Europe too, and other parts of the world. This is a weekend for those who might be interested in starting a new Triratna group or Centre. You might be definitely thinking of going somewhere soon, or you might be thinking that is what you ll do one day in the future. It might be somewhere in the UK you want to go, or it might be anywhere in the world! The idea is to meet, share ideas and inspiration, and finds ways to make our vision real September Men and women, young and old, philosophers and poets Saraha and team For Order members People of all ages, backgrounds and temperaments need the Dharma, and can practice the Dharma. This is an event to help our Dharma work, and especially how we present the Dharma in our teaching, to be based in our own practice and inspiration, be faithful to our tradition, and to be relevant, even exciting, to the widest range of people. Saraha has been mitra convenor at the Birmingham Buddhist centre for over 10 years. He and the team will be sharing their enthusiasm and some of the lessons, attitudes and methods leading to a vibrant and creative sangha.

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23 22-24 January Young Order Leadership Training Maitreyabandhu and Subhadramati For Order Members under 40 I have done all I can. The future of the movement is now in your hands. Sangharakshita How do we create successful centres? How can we create a successful movement? From running classes, to retreats to centres to campaigns, leadership is essential. Building on the success of last year s retreat, we will be exploring best practice for teaching, publicising, befriending and teamwork, with talks, workshops, feed-back and discussion. 1-3 July Sub-25 Retreat Open to all 25 and under After the success of the Young Buddhist s project over the last eight years, we hosted the first Triratna Sub-25 retreat in July It is back again this year for those 25 and under to gather together at Adhisthana and share their lives, values and inspiration, whatever their level of experience of Buddhism; and together explore a theme through a programme of meditation, talks, discussion and ritual October Triratna Young Buddhists Big One Open to all 35 and under The 9th annual big weekend retreat for those 35 and under to meet with friends old and new and practise together. There will be a programme of meditation, talks, discussion and ritual on a theme to be announced.

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25 20 February-16 July Empowering future generations: young women s course One of the most striking success stories of recent years in Triratna has been the project to ensure our sangha, and the way we present the Dharma, remain attractive to younger people. However, there is much more to do to make Triratna accessible to young people, and also to inspire a new wave of more youthful Order members. Adhisthana can be translated as empowerment or blessing and we want to help empower the future of our movement. We ve already run two five-month Dharma-training courses for young women, and two for young men. There will be another course for young women in 2016, and for young men in For more information, please contact admin@adhisthana.org The cost of this course is 3000, with the possibility of a concessionary rate. These rates are kept as low as possible to allow anyone to attend, but please give more if you are able. Young men s course: 11 February-8 July 2017 These are provisional dates. I feel incredibly fortunate to have been part of the first Adhisthana Dharma Training Course for Men. I can t communicate the full experience but can at least suggest it was like a metallurgical meld of intensity, enquiry, devotion, enjoyment, effort, unity: a burnished alloy cast in the shape of brotherhood. For five months we shared all aspects of our practice, our thoughts, our experiences, our knowledge, things we love and things we don t, and through this truly touched the meaning of sangha. The course has changed my life and reoriented my perspective, in unexpected and joyous ways. David MacDougall Witnessing the second women s course, as they courageously and sensitively engage with the intensity of community living, reminds me of the time I spent here last year with seven other women. A year on, I m left with some precious memories of a unique and wonderful opportunity; friendships which continue to deepen; a ground of faith cultivated through studying the breadth and depth of Bhante s presentation of the Dharma with a diversity of Dharmacharinis who came to share their practice and inspiration; and a clarity and confidence which enable me to continue to seek conditions to support a life lived with friends in the Dharma and, to quote Vidyamala, to follow the golden light, which has led me back here to Adhisthana. Hattie Johnson

26 At the heart of Adhisthana are the two single-sex communities, housing Bhante and his assistants, men and women with movement-wide responsibilities, as well as those responsible for the practical running of Adhisthana. It s a rich Sangha life that is hard to describe but I can share one small glimpse of it: This morning, Yashodeva effortlessly removes a bathroom from the women s community. I hear Parami offering to make him a coffee and I call to her Don t you do it, Parami, you ve got the Bodhicitta Practice to lead in ten minutes. I ll make the coffee. It s a moment that encapsulates life at Adhisthana: a flow of people with various responsibilities, each one serving another and all of us serving the Bodhicitta. Later, when I meet with Bhante, he tells me that he s never found it difficult to reverence something higher, and stepping out into the Adhisthana courtyard I see that reverence manifesting everywhere. Saddhanandi 26/27 ADHISTHANA TEAM ORDER OFFICE ADHISTHANA COMMUNITY Urgyen Sangharakshita Saddhanandi, Chair Sanghadasa, Site Manager Yashodeva, Maintenance Sanghadeva, Gardener Vimalamati, Order Convenors Assistant Danasamudra, Librarian Sanghadarshini, Centre Manager Rochani, Kitchen Ania, Kitchen + Housekeeping Parami, International Order Convenor Bodhiketu, Finance Manager Hattie, Admin + Communications

27 PRECEPTORS COLLEGE BHANTE S HOUSEHOLD DEVELOPMENT TEAM Saddhaloka, Chair, Preceptors College Paramartha Buddhadasa Amalavajra, Fundraiser Lokeshvara, International Order Convenor Dhammarati, International Council Saccanama, Executive Assistant to Preceptors College Suvajra Sthanashraddha, Bhante s Secretary

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