May eReminder
Dear Friends
I
hope this eReminder finds you all well and happy!
A
full description of courses on the website.
NB If you
receive two emails from me, do email back.
Also if you fail
to receive a monthly eReminder,
please,
re-establish the email by filling in the form in MAILING LIST on the front page of the
website.
Many thanks
Tip o’ the
Day below
Dealing with Intense Emotions and Moods in Ordinary Daily Life.
DIARY:
We finally completed our Camino Assisi. Assisi itself seems to revolve
entirely around to St.Francis and St.Clare. Two very ‘Buddhist’ saints in that
the renounced the household life for a life of complete renunciation. In the
chivalric terms of the Middle Ages, St.Francis talked of his love for Lady
Poverty. The atmosphere in both Cathedrals around the sanctuaries where their
remains are kept is palpable. It reminds me of a puja day at the large Buddhist
shrines. For those of us of a devotional turn of heart, this can be immensely
inspiring. And that inspiration is to engender what the Buddha samvega – a
sense of urgency, an overwhelming desire to get on with the job of liberation.
I’ve attached photos of St.Francis’s early robe – a patch work of sack
cloth. This is similar to how the early order members took the torn shrouds
from the corpses that had been taken to the charnel grounds and stitched them
into ‘rag robes’.
ANNOUNCEMENTS:
Also on Meditation Teacher
Training Sat 7 June – Sun. 15 June – see below for details.
REMINDERS:
Perennial Topics: You may find this page I've put on Perennial Topics of
interest and to which I shall add further topics and materials as they
arise. Do feel free to comment.
Books:
Towards the End of Forgiveness (Angulimala Monologue) This
booklet is being kept at Wisdom Books who very generously will only charge you
postage.
If you haven't been on Wisdom Book's
website, it's worth exploring it.They are THE distributors of Buddhist books in
UK. Type in Bodhidhamma in search box to find the books: Wisdom Books
Both are also
available as PDF files for eReaders etc. Books
Karuna Book: Every morning
at puja we call the names of those who a sick and/dying.
Mudita Book: Every evening at puja we call the names of those who have
something to rejoice about.
Please email or leave a message if
you wish to be mentioned and wish someone to me mentioned at our morning and
evening chanting.
Mahasi Devotees: The courses are
being overbooked.
For those who come often
- Mahasi Devotees!,
we shall be holding back two spaces for
up to two months before a course.
But it would be better to book as soon
as you are certain to come.
For info. about courses see
website www.satipanya.org.uk
These links for : Teaching and Schedules
Click on teacher names for bios.
All Courses run
by Bhante Bodhidhamma
unless otherwise
stated
Mahasi Weeklong
Sat.
10 – Sun 18 May
Teacher Linda van Neck
See
website for bio. And other info.
The
usual schedule and format – see website.
Meditation
Teacher Training
Sat
7 June – Sun. 15 June
Please
contact Bhante direct if you wish to join this course.
It
is for those who have a regular daily Mahasi practice
and
who wish to start a group or be able to teach individuals
or
have some vague desire that they might like to do so.
Week
ends with our Thanksgiving Ceremony.
Thanksgiving Ceremony for Satipanya
Seventh
Year
Saturday
14 June
Start
: 13.00
Please
bring veggie food for communal lunch at noon.
Summer
Mahasi Course
Eleven
week roll-on, roll-off course.
Minimum
stay eight nights.
Start
dates: Saturdays:-
05
& 19 July, 02 & 16 & 30 Aug. 13 Sept.
Finishing
Sun. 21 Sept
N.B.
Start restricted to listed Saturdays.
Alternate
Sun. possible for Mahasi devotees.
A
challenging course easily modified for beginners.
See
Beginner’s Testimonials on website.
You
are encouraged to stay for more than one week.
Day
Course
Kick
Start/Top up
Saturday
18
October
See
website for bio. And other info.
Arrive
09.30. Finish 17.00
Please
bring food to share.
Weekend
Course
Friday
24 – Sunday 26 p.m. October
The
usual schedule and format – see website.
Autumn Mahasi Course
Saturdays
: 01 & 15 November
Sun.
09 Nov possible for Mahasi devotees.
End
Sunday a.m. 23 November
The
usual schedule and format – see website.
Day
Course
Kick
Start/Top up
Saturday
16 December
Arrive
09.30. Finish 17.00
Please
bring food to share.
Xmas
Retreat
Sat
23 - Thurs 27 December
N.B.
This retreat is reserved for those who have completed a course
as Satipanya.
The
first day is fast day, liquid only. It will be a
normal retreat schedule though we shall rise at 5.30.
An
opportunity to make it a day of fasting.
The
second day, Xmas Day, is a contemplative day
looking
at the qualities of gratitude, renunciation and generosity.
During
a group event, you will be asked to speak
about
an event which manifests the goodness of mankind.
The
third day is communal. There is a walk –
weather permitting.
Xmas
menu will be close to the traditional veggie fare - a set menu!
New
Year Retreat
Weds.
29 December to Sun 02 January
N.B.
This retreat is reserved for those who have completed a course
as Satipanya.
The
first day is a fast day, liquid only. It
will be a normal retreat schedule though we shall rise at 5.30.
An
opportunity to make it a day of fasting.
On
the second day, the Eve, we will see in the New
Year.
During
a group event, you will be asked to tell us about an event which has had a
effect
upon
you - international, national or local or personal.
We
hope to have a bonfire.
A
day to reflect on the past year, plenty of time to oneself.
Retreatants will
be asked to say a little about an virtuous event chosen by them.
The
third day, New Years Day, is communal with a walk
– weather permitting.
Tip o’ the Day
Dealing with Intense Emotions and Moods in Ordinary Daily Life
Let’s recall how
we create more misery out of misery.
Often in daily
life we have to deal with intense and painful emotions. They may last but a
while or they can carry on for days, for years.
I remember once I
walked across a bus station and the station master set upon me. I was in no
mood for a fight so I meekly listened to his criticisms. I remember he went on
about how drivers weep when they back into people and injure them. I had
thought myself in private with him, but when I turned to go, there was a quite
a queue in the shelter who had overheard the whole one way conversation. The
look of breathless pity an elderly woman gave me said it all. Well, that shame
hung around for years!!! And so did the replays of my indignant retorts. What
the French call ‘esprit d’escalier’ – staircase wit or repost!
And there are
moods too. Those longer lasting emotional states that seem to run subterranean
and surface every so often like horror ghouls - the usual culprits of
depressive, anxious and aversive moods.
The first thing
to remind ourselves is not to let the mind start off on the story … yet again.
For we can be sure that it’s cranking up the emotion all over again and adding
a little more power to it. It’s the path to despair, suicide or murder. If we
catch ourselves lost in the same old narrative, we must come out of it at once
and sink into the body and stay with the feeling.
But there are
occasions when there’s no time to do that. Or there are times when they so
persist, we need a break from it all. That’s when we tend to fall into the
error of suppression. We let aversion or fear push it out of our minds and we
seek distraction. But the more we push it away, the more energy we unwittingly
give it for now it has the energy also of our aversion. It’s similar to pushing
a spring down. When we let go, it springs back with more force than it had when
uncoiled.
But there is a
way we can ‘park’ an emotion or mood. We can talk to it and say, ‘I will attend
to you later, but now I need/would like to attend to this.’ Notice the word
attend which can mean to pay attention to and to wait upon. And gently put it
to one side and turn our attention to something else.
Even should we
sense it lurking in the background, we can occasionally turn a gentle smile
towards it and assure it that we will attend in time.
Then, of course,
we have to find the time to attend.
Finally, please forward this email if you
know someone who may be interested. Thanks.
Metta
Onward
Bodhidhamma
SATIPANYA BUDDHIST
TRUST
Directors - Ernie
Gunasekhera, Rob Poleykett, Nick Costaras , Dea Paradisos, Secretary Sharon
Hammond
Registered
Office –
14 Durham Close, Flitwick, Beds, MK45 1UR
Limited Company Number 05924965 Registered Charity Number 1116668
Limited Company Number 05924965 Registered Charity Number 1116668
T: 0044 (0)1588 650752 email: bodhidhamma@satipanya.org.uk info: info@satipanya.org.uk
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