A 'Map of Terms' for Triratna Dharma

Mat New writes from Madhyamaloka, a Triratna community in Birmingham UK, asking us to publicise his ‘Map of Terms’ - a rich and accessible summary of the Dharma, as shown in the  photo opposite.  It's a simple one-sheet summary of all the main Dharma terminology used in Triratna, plus the relationships between them. He says - “I am distributing an A0 poster (120cm x 85cm) of some of the most popular Buddhist lists and terms presented in a logical, graphical format. Its main function is reference and recollection, and would be ideal for hanging on the wall in any area where study/reading/discussion takes place.

“The poster includes some of Sangharakshita’s teachings and paraphrased definitions, plus accurate Pali and Sanskrit translations for all terms. It’s been in existence for about a year and a half in many different forms (this is version 2.13) and I've been regularly discussing its progress with anyone who would listen! The final copy has been looked over in depth by Padmakumara and Shantavira, plus Saraha, Vidyaruci and Cittapala and others - in fact everyone who has stayed in my room over the last 12 months has spent time looking at it and discussing it with me.

“The main content (about 70% of it) is derived from Triratna’s Garland Of Terms, complied many years ago by Cittapala and Ashvajit. Each individual list is surely correct, and if there’s anything controversial about the Map it’s where each list sits in relation to each other - for example do the Four Right Efforts go under Meditation or Ethics? People who read it continually come up with more and more possibilities of where things *could* go, and more things that could be fitted in but as far as I'm aware the layout is as reasonable and valid as any other.

“There is also a disclaimer on the key at the bottom: 'Lists have been placed in a logical order, but this resource is not intended to provide a definitive map of how the Buddha’s teachings relate to each other. It has been produced primarily as a means of memorising material and quickly referring to many terms and lists found in the Buddhist tradition.'

“I can supply them for around £22, or £27 posted to addresses in the UK. That’s quite a lot I know, but it’s expensive to get them printed in such small quantities. All profits will go to the Birmingham Buddhist Centre’s 'Sangha Building' project - the much needed repairing, renovating and improving of the Centre.  If you would like one then please email me at matnoo at hotmail dot com and I’ll send payment instructions”.

Kindly eyes,
Mat.

The Map is also available on the Triratna News ‘Resources’ page as a multi-page PDF for home printing.

Western Buddhist Review Volume 5 Out Now!

The Western Buddhist Review is an on-line journal produced by members of the Triratna Buddhist Order and publishing articles of interest to practicing Western Buddhists. Volume 5 has just been completed and is available online at www.westernbuddhistreview.com/vol5/index.html.

Jnanaketu, its editor writes - “Volume 5 has a remarkable range of material. In it you’ll find six good articles, an interesting collection of book reviews, and a critical note from Sangharakshita. Although the articles will speak for themselves, I’d like to give you a taste of what they contain.

“The first piece is a substantial critique of D. T. Suzuki. Nagapriya investigates the origins of Suzuki’s presentation of Zen to the West, his relationship with militarism and Japanese nationalism and his attitude to non-Japanese people. Nāgapriya concludes that Suzuki’s legacy has probably been deeply damaging to the development of the Dharma in western countries:

“In stripping away the rituals, traditions, and practices of Zen, as well as its cultural and historical development, Suzuki dismantled Zen as a religious phenomenon. While his emphasis on the goal of Zen is perfectly legitimate, his lack of attention to the path removes the possibility of its realization”.

“An American academic, Bill Ferraiolo, compares the teaching of the Stoic philosopher Epictetus with the teaching of the Buddha, and considers to what extent the Dharma can be successfully mediated through Hellenistic philosophy. It’s good to be able to publish this piece since its aspirations are very much aligned with the Triratna Buddhist Community’s interest in excavating affinities between the Dharma and the work of western philosophers. This topic cries out for further treatment.

“The (very sadly) posthumous article by Adarsha examines the role of rights language and practice in the policies and practices of an international development agency active in India – the Karunā Trust. The author traces the origins of ‘rights’ in western discourse and suggests that rights are philosophically inconsistent with the Dhamma. He goes on to claim that whilst this is the case, there is an argument to be made for using rights language tactically, within a context of duty, and supports this contention with reference to the work of Dr Ambedkar, the Indian Dalit leader, and of Sangharakshita and others. He surveys Chambers’ “Obligations-Based Approach” which supports such a tactical stance from the angle of development, and outlines what he calls a “Dhamma-based Approach”. He concludes that “in relation to the ‘have-nots’, it is possible to use a language of rights since there does not seem to be a better language that our partners can use which enables them to tackle the systemic discrimination they suffer, and because this perspective does lend itself to bringing about meaningful social change. In relation to the “haves”, the emphasis would be on duties, as currently is our [Karuna’s] approach when fundraising on doorsteps or among the team in terms of lower salaries…..It seems to be the rule that when Buddhism enters a new culture some adaptation has to take place in order for existing paradigms and practices to be assimilated into what can be recognised as Buddhism”.

“Bodhiketu seeks to shed new light on the traditional account of the stages of spiritual maturity: Stream Entrant, Once-returner, Non-returner and Arahant. After exploring the matter of ethical development, Bodhiketu suggests that this schema has been understood in such a way that the bar has been set discouragingly high, which runs the risk of undermining the confidence of Dharma practitioners. His investigations lead him to recommend a more encouraging reading of the schema, which he hopes will benefit readers’ Dharma practice. A version of this piece appeared in Shabda, but I’m sure that you’ll find this revised version valuable.

“Jayarava offers a annotated translation of and detailed commentary on the one hundred syllable Vajrasattva mantra, which should be of considerable interest not only to Vajrasattva devotees, but those who are curious about the way in which mantras have come down to us. He draws attention to important themes in the mantra, and considers the nature of authenticity in relation to mantras in general.

“Last, but by no means least, Sāgaramati offers a scholarly exploration of the claims made by an eminent Indian scholar that the progressive nidāna sequence can be traced to the Cūlavedalla Sutta of the Majjhima Nikāya. In the course of this exploration, he discusses the enormous significance of the progressive sequence as it appears in, for example, and convincingly reiterates the contention that, had the implications of the progressive sequence been grasped earlier, the way in which the Dharma has been presented to the West could have been fundamentally altered.

“In addition to these articles, you’ll find substantial book reviews embracing a wide variety of topics: mindfulness and depression, money, sex, war, karma, literary theory and Buddhist scriptures, Aung San Suu Kyi, recent translations from the Pali Canon, Buddhism and science, the origins of Buddhist meditation, what the Buddha taught, and the British Buddhist scene”.

The Western Buddhist Review is produced as a labour of love by Jnanaketu and others but it welcomes donations - please visit their donations page to make a contribution.

Jnanaketu ends by saying “If you would like there to be a sixth volume of the Western Buddhist Review, please consider giving at least something - or, even better, putting us in touch with people who might consider making regular donations. Cheques can be made out to Western Buddhist Review, and sent to me at 11, Park Road, Moseley, Birmingham B13 8AB. Or you can send straight to the WBR bank account: Western Buddhist Review, HSBC, sort code 40-18-14, a/c no 51061550”.

New Spanish publications of Sangharakshita

Upekshamati , chairman of Triratna’s Mexico City Buddhist Centre, writes with news of three new Spanish publications of Sangharakshita. He says -

“Some news from Mexico. Three new books of Bhante are now in Spanish.

“The translation of the first volume of the memoirs of Bhante: ‘The Thousand-Petalled Lotus’, his commentary on the Vimalakirti Nirdesa: ‘The Inconceivable Emancipation’ and his exploration of the Sangha jewel: ‘What is the Sangha?’ have been published in Spanish here in Mexico.

“These three works have taken some time to see the light in book form, but at last, and with the help of some friends, we at the Mexico Buddhist centre (and soon elsewhere in the Spanish Buddhist world) now have available these important works in our beautiful sounding tongue.

“We’d especially like to thank the Uddiyana Fund and the Windhorse:Evolution Growth Fund for funding the translation of the Survey into Spanish, and Ediciones CBCM, the translating and publishing arm of the Mexico City Buddhist Centre for the work involved. Congratulations to all those involved and thank you Bhante”.

Upekshamati

New German Dharma publication

Amogharatna writes from the FWBO’s Berlin Centre with news of their latest publication - a guide to all the most commonly used Dharma terms. He says -

“On 16th March 2010 in the context of a Sangha evening at the Buddhistisches Tor Berlin, Ashvajit launched the publication of the German translation of his and Cittapala's popular booklet 'A Garland of Terms'. Beginning as a purely personal project to improve his German, Amogharatna spent several years systematically collecting translations for the terms in the booklet and later realised that a German edition of the title would be much appreciated.

“With the assistance of Elisabeth Bendlin and Aryadeva who checked and improved the translations, Harald Eckhoff who translated the Prefaces, and Andreas Eikelkamp who provided the index and worked on the layout, the booklet is published as 'Buddhistische Begriffe und Listen, die man kennen sollte', which translates into English as 'Buddhist Terms and Lists, that one should know'.

“Proceeds from the sale of the booklet will go towards helping to finance the new FWBO centre in Berlin, which is planned to open in 2011.

“Copies of the booklet (ISBN 978-3-00-030568-9) can be purchased from Buddhistisches Tor for 5 Euros plus postage. Contact the centre on info@buddhistisches-tor-berlin.de. More information about the new centre project can be found at www.buddha-berlin.de.

'Visions of Mahayana Buddhism' - new book by Windhorse

Sarah Ryan from the FWBO's Windhorse Publications writes with new of a new book, 'Visions of Mahayana Buddhism' -

“Mahayana means 'Great Way' or ‘Great Vehicle’ and refers to a powerful current of Buddhist thought, practice, and culture. Mahayana Buddhism spread across Asia, settling deeply in China, Korea, and Japan in particular. Its emphasis on wisdom and compassion continues to be deeply felt today.

"In a unique overview of this inspiring tradition, Nagapriya introduces its central themes and huge spectrum of practices, literature, and movements. Charting the evolution and expression of the Mahayana as a whole, he tracks its movement across South and East Asia, uncovering its history, culture, and doctrines. In doing so, he blends extensive knowledge with a strong element of lived practice.

"Ideal for both educational and personal use, this far-reaching and imaginative guide provides a solid foundation for any study in Buddhism and a valuable perspective on Asian history.”

"I hope you’re well and congratulations on the anniversary of FWBO News – long may it continue! Sarah

Nagapriya is already well-known as an author thanks to his critically-acclaimed 'Exploring Karma and Rebirth'. He lectures in Buddhist studies at Manchester University in the UK, specializing in Mahayana Buddhism.

FWBO News anthology for January 2009

Every one or two months FWBO News produces an anthology of all recent stories that have appeared on the website. It’s made available in an easily-printable form; this is intended as a way of making the site (and the stories!) more visible to those who don’t find themselves in cyber-space very often.

The most recent edition has just been prepared and covers the period January 2009.

You can download it from the Resources section of the FWBO News website, or directly here.

Comments and suggestions on the site are always welcome.

Windhorse Publications releases 2009 catalogue

Windhorse Publications, the FWBO’s main publisher, have released their 2009 catalogue – and very handsome it is!

There's lots on Buddhist practice, for instance Paramananda’s pocket guide to meditation focusing on ‘The Body’ – the third book in Windhorse’s best-selling series, which includes ‘The Heart’ and ‘the Breath’, both by Vessantara.

There’s a new edition of Transforming Self and World, Sangharakshita’s guide to the Sutra of Golden Light, aand new edition of the Dhammapada.

Windhorse don’t simply publish books – there’s a growing collection of multi-media introductions to meditation.

To be released are ‘Life with Full Attention’, an 8-week course on mindfulness by Maitreyabandhu; which will accompany the FWBO’s first International Urban Retreat in June 2009, and Nagapriya’s second book ‘Visions of Mahayana Buddhism’, which looks set to be as popular as his ‘Exploring Karma and Rebirth’.

Sangharakshita’s ‘Living Ethically – Advice from Nagarjuna’s Precious Garland’, also due for release during 2009, will join his existing books ‘Living with Awareness and ‘Living with Kindness’.

The catalogue is available on-line or to download from Windhorse’s very handsome new blog, which you'll find at windhorsepublications.blogspot.com.

They are also taking advance orders for ‘The Essential Sangharakshita’, just published by Wisdom. This eagerly awaited selection of Sangharakshita’s writings, edited by Vidyadevi, is available for pre-order now through Windhorse Publications for the bargain price of £16.99.

They say, "Due for release in January 2009, The Essential Sangharakshita is the culmination of over fifty years of one man's study, practice, and personal experience of Buddhism".

And we say, "Enjoy!"

Outreach work at the Bristol Buddhist Centre

‘Vitarka’ is the Schools and Educational Outreach project based at the Bristol Buddhist Centre. In 2007 they were successful in a grant application to the UK Government’s ‘Faith Community Capacity Building Fund (FCCB); and this year has seen the fruits of their work.

They have recently been featured in a new book ‘Faith Communities Pulling Together - Case studies from the Faith Communities Capacity Building Fund’, published by the UK's Community Development Foundation and available for purchase or free download.

As the report itself states – “The (Vitarka) project focused on creating practical foundations for the Bristol Buddhist Centre’s outreach work with schools, and then increasing its work with schools. The intention was that the work would contribute to greater community cohesion, by enabling children and young people to learn more about faith and increase their understanding about people of different faiths.

“A part-time schools and educational coordinator with experience as a teacher was employed. Her first priority was to create the resource pack for schools. The material was based on what teachers had been asking for, including a guide to Buddhist festivals, meditation and ‘stilling’ exercises, a form of sitting meditation.

“She also built up a database of local primary and secondary schools to which she could then send a mail shot explaining what the Centre could offer. This included lessons, assemblies and materials, for example a Buddhist Shrine Kit which was available for schools to borrow. Follow-up material was made available for the teachers, placed on the Centre’s website”.

In addition Kamalamani - the coordinator of the Vitarka project - has conducted her own review, which is available online here.

See also the FWBO's Clear Vision Trust website for award-winning education packs on Buddhism for all key stages.

New Book from Breathworks - Living Well with Pain and Illness

The FWBO’s ‘Breathworks’ project is delighted to announce the publication of their first book, ‘Living Well With Pain and Illness’, written by Breathworks’ co-founder Vidyamala, herself a long-term sufferer of chronic pain. They say -

“The book, subtitled ‘The mindful way to free yourself from suffering’, gives a detailed summary of the principles and practice of the Breathworks programme.

"It is intended for anyone looking for new ways to live with pain and illness or other long-term difficulties. The main focus of the book is physical pain, but the mindfulness techniques are relevant to illness of any sort. They will help with managing energy and fatigue; also improve quality of life. The techniques are also relevant to mental and emotional suffering, such as stress, anxiety and depression.

“The book starts with Vidyamala's own story of living with pain. It looks at the nature of pain and describes how we can find a new relationship with it using mindfulness. It explores mindfulness and how it can bring wholeness, even if your body is injured or ill. The book then goes on to practical guidance on how to come home to your body through breath awareness and mindful movement, introduces three formal meditation practices with useful tips, and looks at how you can take mindfulness into your daily life.

“The book has been written in part in response to requests from people unable to attend a Breathworks course. It was also written with a strong sense of how Vidyamala felt when she first faced the loneliness of disability and chronic pain with few skills to help, in the hope that some of the lessons learned can help others find an easier way through their own journey with pain and illness.

Highly recommended!

Reviews and recommendations for the book are already arriving – a selection are printed below:

“The cultivation of mindfulness can make a profound difference in how we relate to pain and whether even chronic pain conditions need to turn into endless suffering and misery. This has been known over the past 2600 years, and is now being supported by studies in both medicine and neuroscience. In this book, Vidyamala makes the practice of befriending your experience through mindfulness, however unpleasant or pleasant it may be, both commonsensical and compelling. I admire her tremendously. This is a beautiful and very important book. It could save your life -- and give it back to you.”
Jon Kabat-Zinn, Ph.D.,Professor of Medicine Emeritus, Umass Medical School and author of Full Catastrophe Living and Coming to our Senses

"The book is a moving and compelling invitation to bring a radically new way of working with the fact of our pain. It is a book of enormous tenderness and honesty, offering wise guidance on how we can live with greater ease by turning towards what we most fear about our pain and suffering."
Prof Mark Williams, Professor of Clinical Psychology, Dept of Psychiatry, University of Oxford

"Vidyamala Burch has practiced mindfulness for many years, as well as applying the practice to the relief of physical suffering, both her own and that of other people. She has now embodied the fruits of her extensive experience in a very readable and useful book. I hope that Living Well with Pain and Illness will have a wide circulation, in a world where, despite all our progress, there is still so much suffering, some of it unnecessary."
Urgyen Sangharakshita

"This is one of the most generous and empathic books I have read. Nobody with an open mind could fail to learn from it. Readers with and without pain will recognise eloquent descriptions of the traps we fall into when we struggle to avoid what we don't want in our lives."
Dr Amanda Williams, Reader in Clinical Health Psychology, University College London

There's also a review online from the Irish Times.

The Five Female Buddhas: a 'terma' from Vessantara

Back in June FWBO News reported that Vessantara was embarking on a three-year retreat in the mountains of France. He has now gone, but we have recently been alerted to a ‘terma’ left by him, and wanted to share this with readers who may be interested.

Specifically, his book ‘The Five Female Buddhas’ is available in full on his website. This is a detailed commentary on five pujas, one to each of the Five Female Buddhas. These are mentioned as part of the extended family of figures in the well-known Five Buddha Mandala and appear in many other places in Tibetan Buddhism, for instance in the Tibetan Book of the Dead.

The five pujas were also written by Vessantara and are also available on his website here. Of the project as a whole, he says -

“Writing the sadhanas and the pujas was a strange process. There were times when rationally I felt very presumptuous – who was I to be doing such things? Yet at another level it felt very right – as if the figures just needed a channel to communicate themselves, and I happened to be that channel.

“And I decided early on in the process that I needn’t worry about the outcome. If there was no spiritual power in the figures then, perhaps after some initial interest, they would die away. But if they spoke to people’s spiritual needs, and helped them to engage with the spiritual adventure, then they would find a way to do so despite any imperfections that I might have introduced”.

Vessantara’s many other books are all available from the FWBO's Windhorse Publications.

FWBO News anthology now available - July-September 2008

Every two or three months FWBO News produces an anthology of all recent stories that have appeared on the website. It’s made available in an easily-printable form; this is intended as a way of making the site (and the stories!) more visible to those who don’t find themselves in cyber-space very often.

The most recent edition has just been prepared and covers the period July-September 2008. You can download it from the Resources section of the FWBO News website, or directly here.

Meanwhile FWBO News’ readership continues a steady growth; the graph opposite shows its progress from 2006 (when the site was launched) to the present.

New reading lists available from Windhorse Publications

Windhorse Publications have for many years been the main publisher of FWBO books, at least in English, with some 140 books currently on offer. With so many to choose from, where to start...?

Happily, they have just released four new reading lists - one each for those seeking an introduction to Buddhism, those wanting to go deeper, those interested in meditation, and those thinking of taking up the FWBO Mitra Study course (which can be found on the new website www.fwbomitracourse.com).

FWBO News hopes to bring you more news of their Autumn publications soon - starting with the new edition of the FWBO Puja Book.
Enjoy...

Two lesser-known FWBO journals…

FWBO News is pleased to be able to mention two lesser-known journals published by members of the Western Buddhist Order – Urthona and the Western Buddhist Review.

Urthona
Urthona (www.urthona.com) is the fruit of a small but dedicated band of lovers of the arts; for them, Urthona is “a magazine for rousing the imagination”. It’s been published since 1992 and issue 25 is just out: Celtic Connections.

They say – “It’s an exploration of the myths of the Celtic world, their enduring appeal and their continued relevance. This issue is for those who are trying to make connections with the pagan roots of our culture, who want to make these wonderful old stories meaningful for their lives, and who want to make links with the pre-christian ways of spirituality which existed in the British Isles before the Roman invasion”.

Back issues are available here, and a generous selection of online articles cover such subjects as The Five Storied Palace (A journey around the symbolic cosmos in the company of Dante with some notes for twenty-first-century travellers); A Fountain Sealed (Reflecting on the tragic split in Coleridge’s poetic Imagination); and Experiments and Values: Sangharakshita talking about the arts in the twentieth century, his likes among its artists and writers, and his new collection of poetry.

Urthona is available from FWBO bookshops or by online ordering.

The Western Buddhist Review

Very different – but equally a product of the meeting of Buddhism and the West – is the FWBO’s ‘Western Buddhist Review’. The WBR takes a more academic approach, and in the latest issue, Issue 4, you'll find Abhaya reflecting on Letters of Gold: Imagery in the Dhammapada; Was the Buddha Omniscient? by Nagapriya, author of the well-known ‘Karma and Rebirth’ ; and the related article Kamma in Context: The Mahakammavibhangasutta and the Culakammavibhangasutta by Manishini (Alice Collett). Many other topics are covered, not least a thought-provoking inquiry into Suicide as A Response to Suffering and Jnanavira’s Reflections on the Feminine in Japanese Buddhism

Issue 5 is expected shortly and will be published on the WBR website.

Other on-line FWBO publications include many past issues of Dharma Life and Madhyamavani – at one time the journal of the Preceptors College.