Poetry in Manchester

Aryamati, an Order Member and writer from Manchester UK, writes saying - “When there’s a space, l'd be grateful if you'd include this in Triratna News:

"Triratna’s Manchester Buddhist Centre has formed a weekly Poetry group, where The Poet’s Way by Manjusvara has guided recent work.

"It's good to report that Aryamati has just won a Poetry prize at the University theatre, for a poem on Manchester - copied below. Also, the serious Manchester-based writing group Womenswrite is celebrating its 20th birthday with a book of short stories entitled ,'life, death...the whole damn thing' which impressed the UK’s Arts Council to renew its grant. One of Aryamati's stories, to be published in the book, was inspired by Ananda and his Wolf at the Door workshops: to make a story out of a list, in this case recalling a saintly godmother's life and death.

"Bhante encourages us to use our imaginations, to deepen meditation - and re-imagine the Buddha. He has helped those of us who try to write, with his own volumes of poetry. We owe gratitude to the encouragement we receive in Triratna for the developing of creativity, sharing ideas and practice.

BUILDING THE MANCHESTER CANAL 1820
I was young once – now old at twenty-four
each unlit dawn I walk five miles to work
to lay rough-hewn blocks along their canal.
But towpaths we build stretch right to the sea.


This labour separates my skin from my bones
its grime slimes our mouths, hands, feet, clothes
the muck we dig out for their freshwater canal –
It all started here, in Manchester's guts.


Foreman strides up, warm coat on, early as usual
‘We'll finish the towpath this month, if it kills me'
May not kill you, but a mate's sure to die.
Spades on tired shoulders, we march to his orders,


We dig hours all morning, we dig with bruised shoulders
weeks of hoisting stone on stone over rough rope
Some days we sing - till our throats stop croaking;
after 600 wounded, too scared to revolt.


And storms brew in this muddied, dank air
girders drown, locks sink, our names drown.
We build while they dance, we dig vast tombstones.
It all started down here, from our bodies and guts.

Sweetheart, Come!

Amitajyoti writes from Triratna’s London Buddhist Centre to say - "Dharmacharini Vishvantara has won a commendation in the Larkin and East Riding Poetry Prize 2011 judged by Douglas Dunn. This is the poem she won the commendation for.

Vishvantara 

Sweetheart, Come! (1909)

The husband’s visits are generally deferred
though she writes to him daily: ‘Sweetheart, Come!’
Her letters tend to be just those two words.

Two eminent physicians have concurred
dementia praecox. Nothing can be done.
The husband’s visits are generally deferred.

Pencil strokes like feathers of dark birds
form text in bars or columns like a sum.
Her letters tend to be just those two words.

His address is printed clear and undisturbed,
yet time will show another recipient won.
The husband’s visits are generally deferred.

The warders boast no tantrums have occurred.
At mealtimes they shout Cheer up, Sweetheart Come!
(Her letters tend to be just those two words.)

Hours go by and find she’s hardly stirred.
White space turns grey, then black and finally dumb.
The husband’s visits are generally deferred;
her letters tend to be just those two words.

Sarvananda on Radio 4 Afternoon Play - today!

Sarvananda, an Order Member playwright from Norwich, writes with news of his latest radio play, to be broadcast TODAY on BBC Radio 4.

He says “Hi folks - Just to let you know that my next radio play, "The Sensitive: a Casualty of War" is on the Radio 4 Afternoon Play slot - today Tuesday 19th April at 2.15pm - and you can get it on i player for a week afterwards. It's the fifth outing of my psychic detective and this is a particularly spooky episode... “

You’ll find him on the BBC iPlayer under his English name Alastair Jessiman.

Poetry and the Provenance Of Pleasure - new article by Maitreyabandhu

Maitreyabandhu, an Order Member from Triratna’s London Buddhist Centre, winner of a number of poetry prizes (and well-known to readers of Triratna News as a result), writes with news of his recent article in the current Poetry Review. He says “It’s called ‘The Provenance Of Pleasure’ and aims to explore what a Buddhist vision of poetry might look like. You can read it on a PDF at this address. Hope you like it. Love, Maitreyabandhu ”.

We’ve taken a look, and discovered a whole issue devoted to the theme of poetry and spirituality. The editors introduce the topic by saying "It’s easy to assume that spirituality is an old-fashioned topic: one that poetry outgrew when modernity began. Yet we can reclaim the term, and use it to glimpse what various faiths feel like from the inside. Spirituality isn’t just a way to get lyric lift into a poem – it must colour the poet’s whole relationship to poetry…"

Maitreyabandhu begins by quoting David Constantine’s poem ‘Pleasure’, from his 2004 collection A Poetry Primer, going on to say “I want to explore the kind of pleasure described in David Constantine’s poem from a Buddhist point of view. I want to do this because I believe Buddhism offers fresh insights into the spiritual value of poetry. I use as my model an ancient Buddhist Sutta (literally “thread of discourse”) called the Honeyball Sutta, which describes how our mind is patterned and structured. What I hope to show is that the human and spiritual value of poetry is to be found in the end-in-itself pleasure that David Constantine’s poem affirms.

After introducing and discussing quite a number of Buddhist technical terms, he ends with a reflection on why he’s driven to write poems (and enter them into poetry competitions!), by saying “I’m writing to give myself, and hopefully others, non-appropriative (niramisa) pleasure. I want to participate in that strange magic of poetry – its capacity to enhance creaturely life, mature vitarka (self-awareness) and suspend the ruminations of prapañca”.

To find out more - and to discover the meaning of those terms - you’ll have to read the full article! It’s available at www.poetrysociety.org.uk/content/publications/review/pr1011

Dhivan publishes second novel, 'Eglantine Dream'

 Dhivan writes from Cambridge UK with news of the publication of his second novel, saying - “Hello, having self-published my first novel, Green Eros, in 2008, I've felt emboldened to complete and publish another - eglantine dream.

“Whereas my first novel dealt with the challenges of love and philosophy in fictionalised north Lancashire, the new one is set in an entirely imaginary world rather different from ours. It's an adventure story, of a sort, set in a vividly realised other world”. 

On the back-cover we learn Gerald Garposier is a master of the Academy, an institution of the proud and ambitious people who call themselves the Hens. But when he decides to investigate the Haeras – who are everywhere among the Hens but completely ignored – he finds himself cast out of the Academy and alienated from his people. Meanwhile Kala, a woman of the Haera people, is looking for him, and when she finds him, they begin an adventure together that will change everyone’s lives, travelling beyond the borders of their land to a hidden tower of the Eglantine...

Both books are available via Dhivan’s publishing site apus press

Dhivan is a member of the Triratna Buddhist Order and author of a recently-published book on the Buddha’s Teaching on Conditionality: ‘This Being, That Becomes’, available from Windhorse Publications.  

Maitreyabandhu writes from the London Buddhist Centre to say “I'm delighted to hear I’m one of the four winners of the annual Poetry Business Book and Pamphlet Competition. The prize is £500 plus a pamphlet of twenty-four  of my poems published in May this year by Smiths/Doorstep.  This will be my first pamphlet so I am especially pleased. It is  a well known competition, so the pamphlets often get reviewed in the poetry press.

 

“The judge, Simon Armitage, said my collection was ‘Nostalgic, but not sentimental or wistful, the poems have a real sense of the here and now. They strike home.’  My collection is called The Bond, and one of the poems, Retrospect,  is copied below.

“Also I'm publishing a 10 page article called The Provenance of Pleasure in the next (Spring) issue of Poetry Review.  It’s based on the Honeyball Sutta, from the Majjhima Nikaya, which I’m applying to poetry”. 

Several talks on the Honeyball Sutta are available from Triratna’s FreeBuddhistAudio, including several by Subhuti.  It's a classic text which plays a central role in the early Buddhist analysis of conflict. Click here to download.  

Retrospect

In my story, you walked to school that day,

left the moped in the garage with your

gauntlets on the seat, caught up with me,

suggested we should meet back at your house,

your brother still at work. I tell myself

we carry on from there, off and on

until I move away. Now you’re twenty-five

and have learnt the art of smiling. We talk

about that time you waited in the bath

next to your parents’ kitchen after school.

But the story won’t make sense, the facts

you left too small to be given consequence.

I can’t put explanations in your mouth.

You just stand there in the kitchen doorway,

pencil-slim and pale and carrying a helmet.

Minding The Breath - an offering from Amsterdam

Gunabhadri writes from Holland with news of a generous offer from André Douw, a mitra at Triratna's Amsterdam Buddhist Centre.  He’s a composer, teacher and former chair of the Composition Department at the Amsterdam Conservatory and is now, via a page on his website, offering 189 on-line melodies for the Pan flute, with guidance and applicable to other woodwind instruments

She says - “The nice thing about this page is that it is offered in the spirit of Dana (generosity)!  You can download music of the various melodies and (if you wish) donate some money to the Amsterdam Buddhist Centre and/or ‘De 3 Juwelen’ (a Triratna project which supports translations of Triratna texts into Dutch)”.

In André’s own words: “The learning method offered here has been composed in the spirit of the Buddhist principle of ‘Dana’ or Generosity.  If you support this principle you may donate to the Triratna Buddhist Order in The Netherlands…”

You’ll find his page at http://andre-douw.nl/  

Metta from Gunabhadri

'Poetry East' at the London Buddhist Centre

Maitreyabandhu writes from the London Buddhist Centre with news of the 2011 line-up for Poetry East, their new venture showcasing the work of well-known contemporary poets, exploring the relationship between poetry and spiritual life. He says -  "Hi there all, I'm particularly proud of my line-up for Poetry East next year, so I thought I'd let you know! Here's the details... Love Maitreyabandhu

January 22nd
Penelope Shuttle  has published nine collections of poetry including Redgrove’s Wife, which was short-listed for both the Forward and the TS Eliot Prize. Her new collection, Sandgrain and Hourglass, was a PBS recommendation. 'Her poems of mourning...are among the best she has written.' Elaine Feinstein, The Times.

March 26th
Jo Shapcott won the Commonwealth Poetry Prize for Best First Collection, the Forward Poetry Prize, and the National Poetry Competition (twice). She is Professor of Poetry at the University of London and President of the Poetry Society. Her most recent collection Of Mutability, was shortlisted for the Forward Prize.

October 1st
Jackie Kay won the Cholmondeley Award in 2003. Her Maw Broon Monologues, performed at the Tron Theatre in Glasgow were shortlisted for the Ted Hughes Award for New Work in Poetry. Her latest book Red Dust Road, a memoir about meeting her Nigerian birth father, was sterilized on BBC Radio 4. In 2006, she was awarded an MBE, for services to literature.

November 19th
Bernard O'Donoghue is a poet and literary critic. His 1995 collection, Gunpowder won the Whitbread Poetry Award. His Selected Poems was published by Faber and Faber in 2008. He received a Cholmondeley Award in 2009. Bernard is a Fellow of Wadham College, Oxford, and a senior member of the Oxford University Poetry Society

Re-imagining the Buddha - a new paper by Sangharakshita and Subhuti

Subhuti has just released a new paper entitled 'Re-imagining the Buddha'. Co-authored with Sangharakshita, and based on a series of conversations they had together this Autumn, it's an important clarification and extension of Sangharashita's thinking on the subject of ‘The Imagination’ - and of especial interest to both Western and Indian Buddhists.

The paper continues from where Subhuti's last joint paper, ‘Revering and relying upon the Dharma’, and has been widely anticipated across the Triratna community. At the recent Combined European Order Weekend Sangharakshita briefly touched on the subject:

'I feel it is also important to have this, so to speak, magical element, not just in our lives generally but especially in our spiritual lives. And it is symbol, myth, ritual which help give life this magical element - you might say also imaginative element.'

In the paper Subhuti covers the importance of Imagination, gives a potted history of it in the West, then discusses three areas where it touches on our spiritual lives. Those areas are; imaginative empathy with living beings, aesthetic appreciation as a path to higher states, and imagining the Buddha. The last area is probably the most significant for members of the Triratna Buddhist Community in which we see Sangharakshita presenting a vision of how to find the Buddha in the modern world - whilst being ever more grounded in the historical reality of the Buddha.  These ideas have always been present within Sangharakshita’s teaching, so this is not new – but a further clarification.

Now it is published and available as a PDF here - or, courtesy of  FreeBuddhistAudio, in it's pre-publication form of a series of talks by Subhuti exploring the theme.

Art & Literature on Free Buddhist Audio

Spreading the Dharma
Sharing our Practice
Connecting our Community Worldwide

Engagement with the Arts has long been a distinctive feature of the Triratna approach to the Dharma and Sangharakshita's view of spiritual practice in general. Free Buddhist Audio is very pleased to announce our growing collection of talks in the realm of Art & Literature. As well as a keystone recording featuring Sangharakshita in discussion with the celebrated poet Kathleen Raine, our Triratna Arts section now features a fantastic series from the Poetry East project organised at the London Buddhist Centre.

Showcasing the work of well-known contemporary poets, exploring the relationship between poetry and spiritual life, Maitreyabandhu, Director of the London Buddhist Centre, hosts bi-monthly conversations between award-winning contemporary poets and himself, also a recently decorated poet. So far Fiona Sampson, Hugo Williams, Mimi Khalvati, and David Constantine interviews have been uploaded and shared through Free Buddhist Audio's Community Places.

Essential listening for lovers of the Arts!

The Poetry East format is simple: each poet is asked to provide two or three poems from the canon that have influenced their poetry; which are read first, leading the audience into a short interview with the poet, hosted by Maitreyabhandhu. He explores with them their creative life and work with emphasis on their influences, and poets they admire. This is followed by a poetry reading and questions and answers from the floor.

As the live evening is preceded by a short led meditation in order to provide the best listening conditions externally and internally, the team at Free Buddhist Audio would like to offer the same for our listening audience. Browse our guided introductions, led practices and other meditation resources from practitioners all over the world.

The team at Free Buddhist Audio is working hard to create dynamic webspaces where our community of practitioners share their understanding of the Buddha's teaching. We need your generous contributions to continue our work. Please consider a donation to Free Buddhist Audio today!

Join our community! Make a Donation! Get involved!

The Poet’s Way: new book from Windhorse Publications

Windhorse Publications, for many years the Triratna Buddhist Community’s main publishing house, is proud to announce their latest new title - ‘The Poet’s Way’.

Beautifully produced, it’s a practical guide to writing and sharpening up your poetry writing - everything from line to rhyme and shape on the page. Its special feature, of course, is that its written by Manjusvara, a long-ordained member of the Order and already well-known as the author of ‘Writing Your Way’ and co-founder of Wolf at the Door writing workshops. As such, he’s perfectly-placed to offer Buddhist reflections on the writing process and issues such as influence, memory, and the relationship with prayer and ritual - hence, to vividly demonstrate how poetry can reveal new aspects of spiritual life.

Sarah Ryan, their manager, says-

"The Poet’s Way is a step-by-step guide which breaks poetry writing down into its essential elements with chapters such as ‘Rhyme and the School of Song’, ‘The Mindfulness of Language’ and, ‘Letting the Silence Speak’. It’s a practical guide to writing and, at the same time, it communicates with great depth Buddhist wisdom, compassion and insight.

“We’ve had some wonderful words about it already...

‘.For anyone bewildered by poetry’s forms, shapes, and particular mind-ways, The Poet’s Way offers a warm-hearted, step-by-step awakening into the possibilities and powers of poems.” Jane Hirshfield, poet and author of Nine Gates: Entering the Mind of Poetry

‘This book will transform your writing no matter what stage in your career, and it may even transform your life” Des Dillon, Arvon Foundation tutor and award-winning poet.

“This is our last new book of the year and there are some interesting Winter themes I think – imagination, intuition and reflection. Plus a bit of magic and mystery too. Not to mention it goes very well with cups of tea on these chilly nights!

“And it’s out now! You can order by emailing us at sales@windhorsepublications.com or it should be available from most Triratna Buddhist Centres very soon.

Click on the links two video clips of Manjusvara talking about The Poet’s Way:

The Poets Way 1 http://vimeo.com/15472898
The Poet's Way 2 http://vimeo.com/15473004


The Poet's Way from Clear Vision Trust on Vimeo.


"With much metta, Sarah"

The Real Tuesday Weld's Christmas offering

The Triratna Buddhist Order contains over 1,600 men and women from all over the world and a remarkable variety of lifestyles including many artists and musicians. Padmamati , aka Stephen Coates, from West London has for many years been the brains behind The Real Tuesday Weld.

The Real Tuesday Weld was formed by London based songwriter and audio provocateur Stephen Coates in 1999 inspired by dreams of crooner Al Bowley and the American actress Tuesday Weld and influenced by 1930s jazz, Serge Gainsbourg and Ennio Morricone.

After a series of low key releases on British, US and Japanese labels the band became known for wedding the suggestive hiss of ancient shellacs and vintage radio transmissions to samples, loops and glitchy beats. The first full-length albums When Cupid Meets Psyche (2001), I Lucifer (2004) and the US only The Return of the Clerkenwell Kid (2005) have garnered a huge amount of critical acclaim including The Times, Independent, Telegraph and Guardian albums of the week. I Lucifer spawned the multi-award winning animation 'Bathtime in Clerkenwell' and a host of imitators.

Padmamati

Now, publishing on the ‘antique Beat’ label, they’ve just launched ‘SEASONS SONGS’, their new mini seasonal album that’s packaged as a limited edition greetings card. Padmamati and the band are joined by Martyn from The Tiger Lillies, Marcella from The Puppini Sisters, Mara Carlyle and Joe Coles from Lazarus Plane Crash for a weird and wonderful winter cabaret. We won’t say any more - just give you the link to explore further should you wish...

www.antiquebeat.co.uk/index.php?The-Real-Tuesday-Weld-1

New painting of Sangharakshita - introduced on video

Today’s story features a video interview with Lokeshvara, chairman of Triratna’s Padmaloka retreat centre. He’s introducing a remarkable new painting of Sangharakshita they’ve recently taken delivery of. Painted by Aloka, it’s enigmatically entitled ‘Sangharakshita as Mythophanic Psychopomp’ and features as the centre-fold in their new 2011 programme - out now. 

“What’s mythophanic?”, you might ask. “What’s a psychopomp?” You’ll have to listen and find out!

 Suffice to say Lokeshvara sees the painting as showing an aspect of Sangharakshita whereby he introduces us to the realm of ‘undefined meaning’, and thereby helps us bring that dimension into relationship with our ordinary daily lives...

Click on the embedded player below to watch it, or find it directly on YouTube at www.youtube.com/watch?v=EcNthYyGy18

Aryamati wins poetry prize

Aryamati writes from Manchester, UK, to say - “l'm pleased to say l've won a poetry prize in Didsbury Arts Festival.  l'd like to give thanks to Bhante, for encouraging us to develop our imaginations through the arts.  Only when l came to Manchester as a mitra did l begin writing poetry; my gratitude to him for opening a new awareness - and to Ananda and Manjusvara for their ‘Wolf at the Door’ workshops, and their friendship. And to Vishvantara for her love and support.  

“This poem was inspired by a Garden exhibition at Manchester Art Gallery, it's in 2 parts. 

Lots of metta to you all, Aryamati

PAINTING GARDENS

Gertrude Jekyll

Pole-axed by weak sight

 you turned from Turner to gardens; 

enthralled by his whites, his touches of red

you poured them into English borders;

banking marigolds beside lavender,

startling delphiniums

with folk foxgloves;

weekend gardeners

became painters.

Jarman said it with flowers to Dungeness Powerstation

By the concrete hulk,

the nuclear powderkeg,

chrysanthemums mourning

flagrant scarlet-orange

poppies crumpling;

bulwarks of huge daisies

lavender’s blue-mauve

dilly-dilly - on withered sedge;

thyme passes unloved sand-dunes,

wild flowers crown rusting crosses.

Zen stones

final filming.

Cut.

Exploring the five ‘Prajnas’ at the London Buddhist Centre

Padmalila writes from the London Buddhist Centre with news of a special retreat they’re running later this month, exploring the ‘Prajnas’ or Wisdoms - perhaps better known as the female Buddhas.

She says - “These are a lesser known set of five archetypal Buddhas in female form who appear traditionally in sexual union with their male counterparts but who are now being explored as independent Buddhas.

“In 2001 Vessantara spent a long solitary exploring these figures and the symbols of each began to emerge more clearly. He developed visualisations for them, mantras and a set of pujas too. Gradually images of the figures are emerging - Visuddhimati, Aloka and Amitajyoti have all made representations of some of them and Kumuda, in Bristol, has made a very striking set of all five figures which hang in the centre’s reception room.

“It is still early days, and a rare occurrence to have a retreat exploring these female Buddhas. Each are associated with an element and with a wisdom (an aspect of Enlightenment), plus their own mudra (hand gesture), colour, animal, and more. Thus they span both everyday reality and spiritual reality.

The retreat runs from 17-22nd October at Vajrasana, is open to men and women, and will be led by Vanaraji and Padmalila. Find out more via the LBC website www.lbc.org.uk/5prajnas.htm .

new painting of the Triratna Buddhist Order’s Refuge Tree

In May this year Triratna News reported on Chintamani’s new painting of the Triratna Buddhist Order’s Refuge Tree, on its way to Seattle. Now Saddharaja, from Cambridge UK, has created another, this time for use in India. He writes to say -

“I painted it specifically for the Indian Sangha, and you’ll notice the figures include Dr. Ambedkar and Anagarika Dharmapala in addition to the other figures. The reason is that I noticed on my trips to India that people were sticking Dr Ambedkar pictures on to Aloka's Refuge tree image, so I decided I wanted to paint a Refuge tree that specifically had him on it - if Bhante was happy with that. By chance Bhante had included a piece in Shabda in the early 2000s about this very subject, stating exactly how they should be represented, and the principles by which they could be included on the tree. So my thanka followed his wishes. However, I'm happy for Triratna Buddhists everywhere (not just in india) to have it around - if that is helpful to them and their practice.

“After painting my Refuge tree, I subsequently found that Aloka HAD in fact painted an alternative version to his Refuge tree: This included Dr Ambedkar and Dharmapala in the way that Bhante had wanted it. I have often see this used on shrines in India. In painting mine, I was in any case strongly influenced by Aloka's Refuge tree image - as we all have been. For many years, his image was the only one around, and I am very grateful to him for painting it.

“If you look closely you’ll also notice the Teachers of the Past (or at least some of them) are in a slightly different position on my Refuge Tree to the exact position Bhante placed them and Aloka originally painted them. This is to do with 'authenticity' and my practice. My Refuge tree has come out of my experience of the practice, undertaken at Bhante's inspiration and guidance. However, for some reason I simply cannot understand, the figures at the back simply INSISTED on positioning themselves in the way they do - in my practice. So I stopped trying to visualise them in their 'right' place, allowing them to be where they are. When painting the tree, I felt I needed to paint it as faithful to my own experience of the practice, so that's why they are positioned the way they are. However, I realise that may lead to some confusion for some people who see the thanka.

“I'm very happy for you to mention my refuge tree painting in Triratna News, and publish images of it. Please feel free to use it anywhere, anytime. I'm very happy for it to be distributed as widely as possible.

“With much metta, Saddharaja”

Sahaja launches new website

Sahaja is a member of the Triratna Buddhist Order who has for many years made sculptures from scrap metal. Anyone who’s visited the Manchester or Sheffield Buddhist Centres, or Padmaloka Retreat Centre, will be familiar with his giant metal angels and other figures.

Now Aryamati, a friend of his, writes from the North of England to say -

“Sahaja has a new website - www.sahajaart.com.

"At present he can no longer afford to continue with his impressive metal sculptures, but this last year has seen a renaissance of his creativity. With paint, cut-outs, photos and brilliant colours he is devising striking paintings. These have been put on a lively website which many of us will be intrigued to visit.

“Sahaja is willing to sell some of his sculptures and new paintings. You can also commission Sahaja to make new work, for instance to draw you a portrait in this new medium, if you wish to make a present to a friend.

“He is happy to discuss his ideas with you - and the possibility of paying him monthly rather than with one lump sum.

"Sahaja earns very little, as a Care Worker, on minimum wage. He cannot afford broadband, but sometimes goes to library to read his emails budmaher@live.com, or you can contact him via his website at www.sahajaart.com/contact.php

“Thanks, Aryamati”

The photos show images of Sahaja’s work currently on display in the garden of Triratna’s Birmingham Buddhist Centre, plus one of his new paintings.

Maitreyabandhu wins Ledbury Festival Poetry Competition

Maitreyabandhu - by now well known to readers of Trirantna News as a successful poet - writes with news of ANOTHER poetry prize! He says -

“Dear all, I wanted to let you know that I've won the Ledbury Festival Poetry Competition with my poem The Cutting. It's my first poem in Iambic pentameter to win something, so I'm chuffed about that. The prize is a week's residential writing course and I'm invited to speak at The Ledbury Poetry Festival next year - except I can't as I'm on the four-month Guhyaloka retreat!

“Here's the poem.
“Love, Maitreyabandhu”

The Cutting

The cutting at the end of Crockets Lane
had a meadow on either side, a brow
fringed with blackthorn and a few sheep grazing
in sodden fields below. It carried steam trains
up to Lapworth, before the Beeching Axe
closed the branch lines down; now it was
a brambled ‘v’ overrun with elderflowers
and buddleia. We’d go there blackberrying,
filling colanders and plastic tubs –
the cutting was a good walk from the house,
almost far enough to tire the dogs.
I remember children on the embankment
carrying Union Jacks – silhouetted
against the sky like rows of little soldiers.
They came from all the local infant schools
because we’d heard the Queen would visit Henley
in the royal train. But that can’t be right:
the line came up before I was even born,
only dad remembered steam trains huffing on it.
I took Stephen there one summer; we kicked up
dandelions and it was hot; we got those
sticky burrs stuck to our shorts and socks.
We were looking for somewhere we’d be safe
and out of sight, a cleft beside a pond,
and as we walked two pigeons clattered out.
We waded nettles that reached up to our chest.
I managed to lift his shirt and touch his side,
but he was scared and so was I. And anyway
the train didn’t stop; we just stood there
on the platform while she thundered past.

Billy Collins, this year’s Ledbury poet in residence and competition judge in the Adult Category, commented: “Any reader will appreciate how this poem deftly moves from a precise natural setting to a false remembering then to another memory both real and sexually vivid. The thundering train at the end leaves us pleasantly stunned.”

Sadhu Maitreyabandhu!

Musituality - Music in the Spirit of Harmony - coming up in Birmingham

Rich Batsford, a Mitra at Triratna’s Birmingham Buddhist Centre writes to say -

“On July 16th there’s a great concert at the Birmingham Buddhist Centre in case you'd be interested in featuring it in your blog. The three organisers - of which I’m one - see ourselves as three musketeers, of Christian, Muslim and Buddhist persuasions. We’ve created ‘Musituality - Music in the Spirit of Harmony’ - it aims to build on the success of last year's sell-out concert in Birmingham Cathedral. This year we’re part of this year’s Moseley Festival.

* Aa'shiq al-Rasul fuse classical Indian beats with contemporary Afro-Caribbean and Middle Eastern sounds, becoming the UK's most versatile band in the Muslim music scene. They have performed on stages as diverse as the Glastonbury Festival and Symphony Hall and have toured many countries throughout the world. Their album's have been widely praised and well received - the latest, Majesty, is in shops now.
"a spiritually uplifting experience" Radio Dawah

* St Marys Schola present an ethereal blend of vocal harmony ranging from the transcendent, pristine polyphony of master Renaissance Composer Thomas Tallis, right through centuries of rich choral tradition to the tonal warmth of the modern day John Rutter.
“an instant rapport with their audience” B13 Magazine

* Solo pianist Rich Batsford performs his own meditative and beguiling compositions that feature gorgeous melody, harmony and insistent rhythm drawing comparisons with Eric Satie and Keith Jarrett.
"Utterly spell-binding” Birmingham Post

"Through creating contemporary, positive and reflective music Aa'shiq al-Rasul intend to increase people's understanding of one another to help build social bridges globally whilst working with all faiths and cultures towards sharing a message of peace, love and hope."
Amran Ellahi - Aa'shiq al-Rasul Founder and Musituality co-organiser

Also, myself and Olivia Moore - a very talented Indian-influenced violinist and member of the Manchester Triratna Sangha - are planning a series of concerts together at other Buddhist centres around the country in the future. We’d love to hear from anyone in any Sangha who is interested in hosting or helping organise a concert. Please contact me on batsfordpromotions@gmail.com .

Please also note you can listen to my album of meditative piano music on my website at www.richbatsford.com

best wishes and much metta

Rich

Buddhafield Festival coming up soon - last chance to get tickets!

The 15th Buddhafield Festival is coming up soon, and following a successful presence at the Glastonbury Festival, their publicity machine is in full swing! They’ve written inviting all members of the Triratna Buddhist Community to “5 days of uplifting, life transforming workshops and talks, along with a whole array of live music, dance, meditation teaching & radical discussion”.

They go on to say -
“As always, we hope to infuse it with our heartfelt wish to bring joy, connection and nourishment to all that comes to the field.

“This year we’ll be using the theme ‘A Force for Good in the World’ to explore the origin of our name ‘Buddhafield’.

More specifically, this year, we have our well known favourites:
* The Dharma Parlour * Opening and Closing ceremonies * Mahasukha’s 'Soulful Singing' * Jayaraja’s Adult Games * Jewl’s Ecstatic Dance * Heart-to-Heart Tantric workshops * introductions to Joanna Macy’s 'Work that Reconnects' * Non-Violent Communication * and a great deal more...

“But this year we’ve got plenty of new stuff too! There’s the much loved Adam, veteran of the legendary Lost Horizon Sauna Cabaret, leading ‘The Art of Taking Yourself Less Seriously’ workshops (now why would he think Buddhists need them...?) ; Vajralila and Sudakini exploring ʻFeeding Your Demonsʼ (workshops pioneered by American Tibetan nun Tsultrim Allione); the all-day Wild Woodland Interactive Gamelan coming to the festival (where creators Annie and Simon use natural materials to create a unique variety of percussive instruments allowing both children and adults to play alongside each other); and finally the wonderful Swamp Circus and their very big tent - where they’ll teach all manner of circus skills such as Acrobatics, Acro Yoga, Trapeze, Rope, Balancing, Stilts, Unicycle, and Tight Wire.

“Please accept our invitation and come and join us for a really special Buddhafield festival 2010! If you haven't been before - check a review from last year below...

Tickets available on-line via the Buddhafield website www.buddhafield.com/?festival=booking.  But don’t forget - when they’re gone they’re gone!

"Buddhafield is as close... so far... as you are likely to come to a perfect community of beings living and celebrating the way we all know we should be. We all know how and at Buddhafield we are reminded of that. No drugs and drink leave the air and the smiles as clear as crystal. .... Its small, its pretty, its clean..... Thank you Buddhafield, from the bottom of my heart for giving me this gem again. I could carry on with more descriptions of how the magic in this field left me gleaming and in awe but it's not needed, just go." John Chas-Wright