GLOBAL SANGHA NEWSLETTER 116
25th May 2022
​
THIS WEEKEND: BUDDHIST PSYCHOLOGY

All times in this Newsletter are Rome time zone

PODCAST GS68

28-29th May
“ENCOUNTER & PATH”
A WEEKEND OF EXPERIENTIAL BUDDHIST PSYCHOLOGY
Dr. David Brazier, Dr. Iris Dotan Katz, 
Dr Yaya de Andrade  & Kimiko Nita 

Theme: Therapy as a Spiritual Path for Client & for Therapist.  A presentation of the application of Buddhist psychology in a  number of dimensions; a forum in which to reflect upon the spiritual path from a psychological point of view and the psychological work from a spiritual perspective. 
Content: talks, seminars, master class demonstration, groupwork, "Dharma à Deux", case presentation and discussion.  Theoretical material will be presented and there will also be experiential workshops so participants should be willing to share material about personal life and agree to respect the confidentiality of others.  
Suitable for: The weekend is open to anybody interested both in understanding their own life and relationships better and in the therapeutic process and how this relates to the spiritual path in a Buddhist approach. 

Saturday 
10:00-12:00 SESSION ONE
Check in and Orientation
Lecture: "Sustaining & Changing Conditions" - David. Brazier
Small groups.

14:00-15:30 SESSION TWO
"Attachments & Dependence" - Kimiko Nita

16:00-17:30- SESSION THREE
 "Reflections on Supervision in Buddhist Psychology" - Iris Dotan Katz
 "Humour & Wellbeing" - Yaya de Andrade
Discussion

19:30-21:00 SESSION FOUR
“Master Class“ Demonstration session - David Brazier

Sunday
10:00-11:00 SESSION FIVE
“Dharma à Deux” Therapy Group - facilitated by David Brazier & Iris Dotan Katz

11:30-12:30 SESSION SIX
Discussion of the Buddhist Psychology training  

14:00-16:00 SESSION SEVEN
- Dialogue: Iris Dotan Katz & Yaya de Andrade
- Seminar - Q&A
Final gathering and sharing.

Tickets <https://www.tickettailor.com/events/globalsangha> 


DAILY NEMBUTSU GATHERING

Geeta Chari: From Monday 6th June, I would like to offer Nembutsu every morning at 6:30 am Rome time. We begin to chant straightaway, without social talk, for 20 minutes, in chain-style. There is a bell rung at the end. People who wish to stay and talk afterwards are welcome to do so. Namo Amida Bu
 
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84702079106?pwd=bGxZbGF4c2hTU2xUbTdNWjZoRFNMUT09




Picture
Photo by Priti Vaishnav

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SUMMER SCHOOL IN FRANCE

8-12th August 2022
POETIC WEEK
At Eleusis, Central France  -  In person only

As last summer, a time for relaxed living in good company, sharing poems and other writings over brunch, Dharma discussions, going for walks, good conversation, community, communing with nature in the adjoining 35 acres of meadow and woodland where we hope, eventually, to establish the Oasis 2 Project. A chance to unwind in good company and tranquil surroundings well off the beaten track.

Full board: 30€ per day, lower rate if you stay longer.


13-14th August 2022
OBON: CELEBRATION OF FAMILY & ANCESTORS
At Eleusis, Central France  -  In person & Online

Obon, tamburo
Chiamo gli antenati
Apro le danze!
 - Obon haiku by Angela Romani

This year Global Sangha will celebrate Obon on the second weekend of August, which is also full moon, so this will incorporate the August Upavastha. Some of the event will be online. A more full and comprehensive event will take place at Eleusis, including a visit to the nearby community at Oasis. Nembutsu; chanting; readings; meditation; offerings to the ancestors and spirits; odori dancing and other celebratory activities. In person participants may stay longer if they wish to have some time for relaxation and to enjoy the area.

Full board: 30€ per day
Online: 25€ for the event


15-20th August 2022
BUDDHIST PSYCHOLOGY SUMMER SCHOOL
At Eleusis, Central France  -  In person only

Of particular interest to those already on or hoping in the future to join the Buddhist Psychology Diploma Programme, but open to all who are interested, the Summer School will include seminars, workshops, experiential groups, demonstrations and discussions. There is no better way to deepen one's understanding and learn and refine skills. The event will be at David Brazier's house in France. Accommodation is limited so this will be a first come, first served, booking. This course is almost full.
 
Full board: 30€ per day
Book now: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/globalsangha/677962/
Info: Jisshas <jisshas@googlegroups.com>

Please note that Eleusis France has limited accommodation space: Eight people maximum including host. There is, however, plenty of outdoor space if you prefer to camp. Life here is simple and rustic.
Informal visits may also be possible at some other times than for the scheduled programmes.


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WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE BP COURSE

The present cohort of eighteen students doing the Buddhist Psychology Diploma Programme are now almost three quarters of the way through the first semester. They have done many creative exercises - some together and some individually. Study material is provided in twelve sections per semester and most of the students are currently on the eighth or ninth. The main language of the programme is English, but as the current students come from eleven different countries we are also all learning more about communicating across cultures and languages. A sub-group of Spanish speakers has been particularly active. The present semester ends in July and we shall then have a break in August and the Summer School in France. The next semester will run September to January. The next intake will be in February. The course teaches participants facilative communication skills within a context of Buddhist models of the mind and mental conditioning, and equips them with practical approaches to interaction with others within the bodhisattva ideal, either as therapist or in life generally.


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ELEUSIS NEWS: Flowers & Fruit

David Brazier: I had a few days visiting friends in the south of France and got to pay my respects to the Mediterranean. It was blue sky and hot sun the whole time. When I got back it had evidently rained at Eleusis as the grass was noticeably taller. In the garden the succession of flowers continues. The daffodils and tulips are over. The may blossom in the hedges has gone. However, the sage is now a mass of blue flowers and on Friday, suddenly a hundred rose blooms appeared all at once !  To cap it all I picked the first strawberries.


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BOOKS

THE FEELING BUDDHA

Kahty Chen Milstead: Enshrined in grieving that feels rooted and flowerless, I was delightfully surprised at how deeply nourishing "The Feeling Buddha" has been to read and connect with. I am touched by the friendliness in David's generous interpretation of the noble truths and the practicality in his charting of the eightfold path. Connecting with this writing has reanimated my connection to the Dharma at a time when I've felt blinded to the kindnesses of living. 


THE DARK SIDE OF THE MIRROR

The Dark Side of the Mirror is a translation and commentary on a major Zen text that describes the nature of satori. The book not only gives new insight into the text, it also presents many of David's distinctive teachings, the result of reflections over many years. You can see an online 36minute video about David Brazier's book The Dark Side of the Mirror: Forgetting the self in Dogen's Genjo Koan at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJQ9l17YgaU
Snowball Flowers & Stupa at Oasis  -:-  Photo by Annette Tamuly Jung

DALL' ITALIA

ITALIAN CLASS
Angela Romani

Tuesday 17:00-18:00, 31st May & every two weeks

https://bit.ly/3yxLd3Z  -:-  Meeting ID: 889 9850 0278  -:-  Passcode: 515887


ITALIAN MEETING - INCONTRO ITALIANO
Angela Romani

Tuesday 18:00-19:00, 7th June & every two weeks
Incontro di pratica e condivisione

Dettagli da Jisshas <jisshas@googlegroups.com>


DANCE MOVEMENT THERAPY WORKSHOPS
"INTERIOR RIPPLES"
Elena Cerruto and Tania Cristiani

From 23rd May At 20:00. Every Monday.

Ask for link: Elena Cerruto elenacerruto@gmail.com.


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LA SANGHA EN ESPAÑA

Ganendra Oscar Martinez: Hola, esperamos que te encuentres bien. Te escribimos para informarte de las actividades que hemos programado para los próximos meses.

del 24 al 26 de junio
Retiro residencial de Mindfulness y Compasión.
"Vivir con corazón en un mundo incierto".Guiado por Óscar Martinez Zulueta y Patricia de la Fuente. El retiro se celebrará en Haro, La Rioja. 
Mas información: https://mcusercontent.com/2f8659c863da279c8963fff07/files/97300ce0-632a-d239-a763-af25e7a4794e/retiro_de_mindfulness_y_compasio_n.pdf

del 22 al 25 de julio
una nueva edición del programa Mindfulness y Auto-Compasión (MSC) en formato intensivo, en Bilbao.Esta es una gran oportunidad de aprender a a tratarnos con consciencia y amabilidad. 
Mas información: https://mcusercontent.com/2f8659c863da279c8963fff07/files/0cf398bf-613b-a12f-7363-d6eeb731304f/MSC_Bilbao_julio_22.02.pdf

Información e inscripciones: Ahora Centro de Psicologia y Consciencia Plena,
Teléfono: 945 12 09 48 y 620 265 962.
Correo electrónico: formacion@ahoramindfulness.es


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Buddha Maitreya

in reference to the Dharma talk given
by Dharmachari Angela Romani
at the Upavastha on 14th May.

Maitreya is depicted in splendid robes, seated in padmasana, his hands in the gesture of dharmacakramudra, (the wheel of the dharma on the right, the elisir of long life on the left). He is surrounded by four guardians in the four directions, with two lions as a throne (symbol of royalty). The inner frame contains great masters like Marpa and Milarepa. The outer frame is occupied by thirty five Buddhas.













Honen Shonin

Statue at Taima Dera





BENCHO'S UNDERSTANDING OF HONEN

Shoko-bo Bencho (1162-1238) was a, perhaps the, leading disciple of Honen Shonin (1133-1212), the principal propagator of Pureland Buddhism in Japan. Nowadays it is common to give this honour to Shinran (1173-1263), but in the important contemporary records of that time, Shinran is not mentioned and Bencho appears as Honen's main protégé.

..... there is a seeming paradox at the heart of Honen's teaching and each of his leading disciples were to wrestle with this in different ways. Arguably Bencho's grasp of it was closest to the teacher's meaning. The paradox is that Honen offers a universalist approach by means of an exclusive commitment. He says that one should reject all other teachings and choose the nembutsu and that by doing so one will have embraced all the teachings in all their seeming diversity. Again, he says that only those who do so are saved yet everybody can be saved in this way. How can this make sense? Getting to a full understanding that goes beyond the seeming contradiction is a key to understanding the nembutsu teaching.

Bencho had a simple solution to this puzzle and, as best we can tell, it reflects Honen's own. This is that as soon as one genuinely choose the nembutsu, all the other teachings immediately become instances of nembutsu. This means that nembutsu is not so much just a distinctive act, as a perspective upon the whole Dharma. It is as if there were a huge room with many things inside. The room has many windows but only one window gives a view of the whole room. This is the nembutsu window into the hall of Dharma. We can also understand that this window is associated with humility. Honen gave up a promising ecclesial career to reach out to ordinary people and offer a path for the most humble members of society. Bencho similarly, although well set up as a respectable provincial priest, still went and accepted the role of disciple in order to receive this key understanding. Both men were highly accomplished scholars, yet they adopted the simplest, most easily accessible, practice. They renounced the potential privileges of elitism.

Complete article:
https://eleusis.ning.com/group/buddhism/forum/topics/how-bencho-understood-honen

Español: https://bit.ly/3Minblf



DHARMA OCEAN LECTURE

You can view a half hour lecture on how, in China during the Song Dynasty, the Tien Tai school became a springboard for the emergence of Pureland practice.

The Dharma Ocean Programme is a course on Buddhist History run by Global Sangha

View video  -:-  Enquiries: Jisshas <jisshas@googlegroups.com>



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POETRY CORNER

Here is a poetry dialogue.

Stephen Toft sent me the following haiku that had been published in The Trouvaille Review:

Stephen Toft

            poem xxv

            waking  
                     early

            above
            the mountain 
                     cold

            morning
            star

I replied
David Brazier: Here is what it stimulates in me

After long sleep, mind dull, turbid,
I walked upon a mountain path. The air
was dawn-time still, the sun still hid
behind the ridge, had not yet found me there.
The spirits all around me played. I did
as I was bid. The land was scant and bare.
In the azure above, as in its nid,
the solitary morning star! I could but stare.
The turmoils of my wretched dream were fled.
Somehow the scene was fair beyond compare.
There came a voice from Heaven and it said
“In purity like this, I nought forbid.”

Stephen Toft: i love this - many thanks for sharing it 


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DIARY  
All times are Rome time zone


Tuesday 17:00-18:00, 31st May & every two weeks
Italian Class
- Angela Romani
https://bit.ly/3yxLd3Z  -:-  Meeting ID: 889 9850 0278  -:-  Passcode: 515887

Tuesday 18:00-19:00, 7th June & every two weeks
Italian Meeting - Incontro Italiano
- Angela Romani
Incontro di pratica e condivisione
Dettagli da Jisshas <jisshas@googlegroups.com>

Thursdays 16:30
Readings from the Commentary on the Summary of Faith & Practice
- Dharmavidya & Priti Vaishnav
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86563620686?pwd=OUh4L25zbHl6SEpFWW9LT3o5YnVVZz09
Meeting ID: 865 6362 0686  -:-  Passcode: 274590

Thursday  14:30, 2nd June & every two weeks
IBAP Group / BP Diploma Tutors Meeting *

Thursday  19:00-20:30, 26th May & every two weeks
ITZI Supervision Group **
- Iris Dotan Katz
For presentation, review and discussion of counselling/psychotherapy casework from a Buddhist psychology perspective.

Fridays  19:30
Amitabha Service For the West 
- Vajrapala & Angela Romani
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89480699209?pwd=enBHS3RYWVZxN1FyUGthZ1o0cVdFZz09
Meeting ID: 894 8069 9209   -:-   Passcode: 137836

Saturday 10:00 & 20:00, 18th June
Buddhist Psychology Seminars *
For students on BP course

Saturdays 14:00
Refuge Group *
A group for those who have taken refuge**.
Puja, Dharma Talk, Sharing, Discussion,

Saturday 11th June
Upavastha: Full Moon Sangha Day
https://bit.ly/3rQMToL  -:-  Meeting ID: 879 5343 9118  -:-  Passcode: 804176

Sabado 16:30
Encuentro de la Sangha en español y servicio.

Guiado por Ganendra.
Por zoom. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81138990223?pwd=dmNZU3VmRTRhUjBobVdnMjhuV3NYUT09
Para asistir, escribir por whatsapp a +34 620265962.

Sundays 10:30,
Global Sangha Interest Group
Next meeting theme: Buddhism & Ecology
- Liz Allmark
An informal meeting for all.
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88974912642?pwd=N2VyQnc0MUM4WUU0YTFTdCt0QWVmQT09
Meeting ID: 889 7491 2642  -:-  Passcode: 537296

Sundays 20:00
GS Friendship Group
An informal meeting for all
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87394084532?pwd=eEY3eUhHcjN0b0xLanZXcTNqVmVzdz09
Meeting ID: 873 9408 4532  -:-  Passcode: 519784

Weekend 28-29 May
"Encounter & Path" 
A weekend of Buddhist Psychology

David Brazier, Iris Dotan Katz, Kimiko Nita, Yaya de Andrade & Natividad Menendez 
Tickets <https://www.tickettailor.com/events/globalsangha>

* Codes separately notified
** Details from Jisshas <jisshas@googlegroups.com>

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GENERAL

Jisshas <jisshas@googlegroups.com> - for all general enquiries
Tickets <https://www.tickettailor.com/events/globalsangha> - to book courses


DONATE

If you would like to support my work of facilitating the sangha and especially of assisting people to come to Eleusis in France for teachings,  the simplest way is to make a donation via Ko-Fi https://ko-fi.com/feelingbuddha
You will also find a wealth of interesting articles there curated by Geeta Chari.


USEFUL LINKS

Global Sangha Web Site: https://www.globalsangha.net/
Recent Audio Podcasts: https://eleusis.ning.com/notes/LATEST_PODCAST_AUDIO 
Dharma Ocean Buddhist Studies Programme <jisshas@googlegroups.com>,
The Feeling Buddha on KoFi: https://ko-fi.com/feelingbuddha
Tickets for Events: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/globalsangha
Spain: Ahora, Centro de Psicologia y Consciencia Plena: formacion@ahoramindfulness.es Teléfono: 945120948 y 620265962

IBAP & Buddhist Psychology Programme
(English) Dharmavidya <dharmavidya&fastmail.fm>,
(Español) Nati Menendez <natim.luna@gmail.com>,
ITZI: https://zen-therapy.org/

GS on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/710544479619937
GS at Eleusis: https://eleusis.ning.com/group/global-sangha
Dharmavidya: dharmavidya@fastmail.fm
Dharmavidya on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/davidbrazierauthor/
Dharmavidya website: http://eleusis.ning.com
Zen & Now - the musical https://www.zenow.net/
Books: https://shepherd.com/best-books/spirit-japanese-buddhism
Donations: https://ko-fi.com/feelingbuddha


GLOBAL SANGHA CONTACT PEOPLE BY REGION

Worldwide: Jisshas <jisshas@googlegroups.com>,  
United Kingdom: Geeta Chari <charige@googlemail.com>,
France: Dharmavidya <dharmavidya@fastmail.fm>,
Spain Pais Vasco: Ganendra <omzcoaching@gmail.com>,
Spain Pais Vasco: Sonia Gobbato <songobbato@gmail.com>
Spain: Nati Menendez <natim.luna@gmail.com>,
Italy: Angela Romani <ange.romani.2017@gmail.com>
Latin America: Maya Choi <gallerychakana@gmail.com>,
USA: Carol Corey <carolcore@gmail.com>
Africa: Juline Smit <julinesmit@googlemail.com>,
Israel: Iris Dotan Katz <irisdo@netvision.net.il>,
India: Priti Vaishnav <pritivaishnav@gmail.com>,
Hong Kong: Nando Maril <nandomaril@gmail.com>,
Japan: Nita Kimiko <knloveandpeace64@gmail.com>,


You can see other Global Sangha materials, past podcasts and articles via : https://eleusis.ning.com/notes/GLOBAL_SANGHA_INDEX

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Thank you very much
Namo Amida Bu
Global Sangha at Eleusis
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10 rue de l'Orange
03360, Ainay le Château, Allier
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