Ordinations in India

Triratna News is delighted to report that the following men were ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order on June 19th at Bhaja Retreat Centre, India:

Public preceptor Chandrashil
Private preceptor Amoghasiddhi:
Rangrao Rangari becomes Shraddhapriya, one who loves faith 
Subhas Pudke becomes Alokvajra, Luminous diamond
Shilvant Nagarale becomes Kumarvajra, Prince diamond
Satyam becomes Asangavajra, unattached diamond
Nagvajra becomes Dhammasen, leader of dhamma
Utpal becomes Ratnakumar, Jewel Prince
Dilip Shende becomes Sugatpriya, beloved of Buddha
Vinod Dighade becomes Asangapriya, one who loves detachment
Dhruva Gajbhiye becomes Buddharatna, Buddha Jewel
Prajnavant Shende becomes Akshayamitra, indestructible friend

Private preceptor Lokamitra:
C.N.Nandeswar becomes Dhammanaga (meaning of name not yet given)
 Trinath becomes Maitreyaratna (meaning of name not yet given)

Public preceptor Amoghasiddhi
Private preceptor Adityabodhi
Sikandar Ughade becomes Karunaditya, Sun of Compassion
Chandanshive becomes Shakyaditya, Sun in the shakya clan

Private preceptor Ratnashila:
Sunil Ghodke becomes Jinaratna, the Victorious Jewel
Ajay Patre becomes Nagdeep, the Luminous Buddha

Private preceptor Jutindhar:
Tulanand Barsagade becomes Jinasagar, Ocean of Conqueror

Private preceptor Yashosagar:
Jagdish Parmar becomes Vajradhvaja, banner of determination
Narendra Masaram becomes Vimaldassi, one who has pure vision

Private preceptor Amrutdeep:
Chandrakant Dhoble becomes Amrutsur, bravely striving for Nirvana

Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

Ordinations at Guhyaloka

Maniraja writes from the Guhyaloka Support Team  to say “the Public Preceptors are pleased to announce that the following men were publicly ordained on Monday 13^th June 2011 in Guhyaloka:

Ray Force becomes Silanatha (bar over the “i” and the second “a”) a Pali name meaning “Protector of Ethics”, westernised spelling Silanatha, Private Preceptor Dharmadipa.

Allan Kirkman becomes Bodhinaga (bar over the first “a”), a Sanskrit name meaning “Serpent of Awakening”, westernised spelling Bodhinaga, Private Preceptor Amoghavamsa.

Andreas Kahari becomes Kusalananda, a Pali name meaning “He who finds joy, happiness and delight in what is Skilful”, westernised spelling Kusalananda, Private Preceptor Satyaraja.

Jari Ahvalo becomes Karunasiha (bar over the second “a” and the “i”), a Sanskrit name meaning “Lion of Compassion”, westernised spelling Karunasiha, Private Preceptor Saddhaloka.

Gabe Branbury becomes Prasadacitta (bar over the second “a”), a Sanskrit name meaning “He whose mind is Tranquil”, westernised spelling Prasadachitta, Private Preceptor Shantinayaka.

Phil Daly becomes Dayabhadra (bar over the second “a”), a Sanskrit name meaning “He who is auspicious and excellent through Kindness, westernised spelling Dayabhadra, Private Preceptor Jnanavaca.

Andreas Fisher becomes Sanghasevaka, a Pali name meaning “Servant of the Sangha”, westernised spelling Sanghasevaka, Private Preceptor Bodhimitra.

Steve Hart becomes Sajjana, a Sanskrit name meaning “A Good Man”, westernised Spelling Sajjana

Private Preceptor Maitreyabandhu.

John Bunting becomes Suvannamani (dot below every “n”), a Sanskrit name meaning “He who is like a Golden Jewel”, westernised spelling Suvannamani, Private Preceptor Vajragupta.

Rob Cloke becomes Maitridasa (bar over the second “a”), a Sanskrit name meaning “Servant of Loving Kindness”, westernised spelling Maitridasa, Private Preceptor Padmavajra.

Ady Griffiths becomes Vidyadasa (bar over the second “a”), a Sanskrit name meaning “Servant of Knowledge”, westernised spelling Vidyadasa, Private Preceptor Padmavajra.

Christian Richard becomes Ujumani (dot below the “n”), a Pali name meaning “He who is an Upright Jewel”, westernised spelling Ujumani, Private Preceptor Paramabandhu.

David Waterston becomes Satyadasa (bar over the third “a”), a Sanskrit name meaning “Servant of the Truth”, westernised spelling Satyadasa, Private Preceptor Ratnaghosha.

Jonathan Heddle becomes Sanghanistha (dot over the first “n” and a dot below the second “s” and the “t”), a Sanskrit name meaning “He who is devoted to the Sangha”, westernised spelling Sanghanistha, Private Preceptor Saddharaja.

The Public Preceptor for all the above was Satyaraja.

Ross Pearce becomes Dharmagatu (bar over the last “a”), a Sanskrit name meaning “Singer of the Dharma”, westernised spelling Dharmagatu, Private Preceptor Buddhadasa, Public Preceptor Manjuvajra.

Jonny Jimenez becomes Padmasalin (accent over the “s” and a bar over the last “a”), a Sanskrit name meaning “He who is rich in Lotuses”, westernised spelling Padmashalin, Private Preceptor Saddharaja, Public Preceptor Moksananda.

SADHU!

Update from Madhyamaloka's Dharma training course

Richard Millington writes from Madhyamaloka, Triratna’s large community in Birmingham UK, with news of their 6-month Dharma training course for young Buddhist men, which is well underway now. He says - “We thought it would be good to send out an update to everyone! There are nine of us on the course, with international representation from Tomas Lindblom (Sweden) and Chris Menz (Australia). Also in attendance are Vimokshadaka, Ben Mann, David Basak, Richard Turner, Leigh Smith, Mat New, and me.

“Over the length of the course we’ve gone more deeply into the fundamentals of the Dharma and the principles behind the Triratna approach to Buddhism. We’ve been made very welcome by the Madhyamaloka community, who have given up substantial amounts of time and energy for the course (honourable mention to Sanghadeva, who has been preparing restaurant standard food almost every day since we arrived).

“Vidyaruci has done a great job of planning the material and organising teachers, and we’ve had some really interesting and fruitful material. Since the course began we’ve done two retreats with Subhuti (one on Bhante’s system of meditation and one dealing with the Satipatthana Sutta); study skills and critical thinking classes with Jnanaketu; Sangharakshita’s approach to the Dharma and the history of Buddhism with Vidyaruci; ethics with Devamitra; Dr Ambedkar and the Indian Movement with Dharmashalin; reflection and insight workshops with Dhammaloka and Jnanaketu; skilful communication with Dhammarati; meditation days with Paramartha; logic with Vidyaruci; the Pali Canon with Sagaramati and Saraha; devotional practice with Mahamati; the Perfection of Wisdom literature with Abhaya; and Buddhist approaches to Mind and Science with Ratnaprabha. [phew! - ed]

“We’re also keeping up a strong arts and culture element to the course, with screenings of world cinema and theatre, classical music evenings (a trip to see one of Dvorak’s string quartets), and a group reading and analysis of Hamlet. (I’m reliably told there is also a secret group that meets occasionally to play Dungeons and Dragons). We’ve just put on a ‘sub-35 retreat’, where a group of us gave talks on the Threefold way of Ethics, Meditation and Wisdom.

“Perhaps the most striking thing about the way the course is developing is the sense of warmth and trust that is emerging within the group. There is an atmosphere of mutual supportiveness that at times is quite wonderful. Speaking personally, the opportunity to take a break from day-to-day responsibilities to practice the Dharma intensively, and engage with higher culture more generally, has been invaluable.

“The guys all seem relaxed and happy and we’re all benefiting in our various ways from the course. We’ll send through another update before we finish, but until then, we’d like to say a massive thanks to everyone who has contributed their time, energy, resources or money to make it possible.

“With gratitude and metta, Richard Millington


Student interviews from the Triratna Dharma training course at Madhyamaloka

Click the embedded video for an interview with Vidyaruci and others on the course, lying on Madhyamaloka’s lawn in the blissful Spring sunshine. Or here for the direct link.

One-Year Ordination Training Course offered at Padmaloka

Aryabandhu writes from Triratna's Padmaloka Buddhist Retreat Centre with breaking news of a great opportunity for any men seeking ordination into the Triratna Buddhist Order.  He says "We are planning to run a one year intensive ordination training course for men from January to December 2012.  There aren’t many places in our movement these days where you can fully immerse yourself in a spiritual life and train for ordination. So we’re creating one here at Padmaloka.

"Come and live at Padmaloka for a year and take part in all the Going for Refuge retreats, and most of our other retreats - we will finalise the programme later in the year. There will also be time for your own study and travel and a bit of time to work with the community.

"We don’t guarantee that you get ordained at the end of it … but we do hope it can significantly speed up the process! The Ordination team is enthusiastic about this initiative.

"We think it will cost about £5000, but as an introductory offer we are asking for £3000, which includes board, lodging and all retreats. You may even be able to reduce this by up to 50%. Windhorse:Evolution might be able to offer £1000 off, if you work there for 3 or 4 months this autumn, and also Karuna might be able to offer £500, if you do a six-week fundraising appeal with them, half way through the course in June 2012.”

Places are limited to 4 men.  Apply by writing to Aryabandhu at Padmaloka:
manager@padmaloka.org.uk or call 01508 538112, or visit the Padmaloka homepage.

Changing Self Changing World - upcoming young men's weekend

News is just in from Jonathan Heddle and Ivan Trujillo from Windhorse:Evolution in Cambridge of an upcoming Buddhafield East weekend for young men.

We don’t usually advertise details of specific events here but there’s always room for an exception - they seem to be catching a wave of new energy for Buddhist practice as changing the world - as well as the self of course.

Aryapala, one of the organisers, says -


"Calling all men in their teens, 20's and 30's to a weekend camping in the wilds of Norfolk. Set in a beautiful field in Tuttington Norfolk, the venue has excellent facilities including a large round house with a wood stove, hot showers & sauna, a large tipi with a fire pit, and a woodhenge.


"We'll be contemplating Sangharakshita's radical vision of changing self and world and how we are living it. 
There will be a talk by Padmavajra (a senior Order member who has been a practicing Buddhist since he was 16) helping to expand on this vision of transforming oneself and the world around us.

"The weekend is open to men with some experience of FWBO meditation practices.

"Please invite anyone you know who would benefit.  Price £20/£35/£50 (you choose depending on what you can afford)"


More details on Facebook or the Buddhafield East website.  Dates are April 16-18. Book soon!

Lots more stuff for younger people on the Young Buddhists Facebook group for instance an invitation by Saraha for men to join him a week of wandering and wild camping in the Pyrenees straight after the International retreat.

Enjoy...