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NEWSLETTER
Editor - David Brazier
number 193 - 13th March 2024 |
All times in this Newsletter are Rome time zone |
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We say that Buddhism is not inconsistent with science. This is true, but it is inconsistent with scientism. There has been a tendency to extend some of the general ideas of science well beyond their proper orbit. There can, for instance and most significantly, never be an exact science of the mind. Exact science is the application of cause and effect. If there is a cause there will be a corresponding effect. This is a form of determinism. If you know all the relevant factors, you can predict the movement of an inanimate body through space with precision and without fail. This kind of certainty is never possible in psychology. People are not machines. They are animate. The factor of animus is all important. One attempts to understand the conditions that bear upon a person, but however much you know them, it will not enable you to predict the thought, feeling or action of the person with certainty. The most that psychology achieves in this respect is probability. Statistics, because they are numbers, seem scientific, and social administration tends to be based upon what the average person does. Buddhism, however, does not aim to make everybody average. The freedom of animus can never be excluded. In any given set of conditions there can always be new origination. It is sometimes said that everybody is already a Buddha, but does not realise it. The point, surely, is that we are actually much more free than we realise. In Buddhist Psychology we study the factors that delude us into losing confidence in our freedom and coming to think of ourselves as victims. In true Buddhist practice one has the faith to reclaim the freedom that one already has. Enjoy the Newsletter Namo Amida Bu - David
17th March 13:00 NAIKAN WITH KIMIKO
The next one hour Naikan Session. Naikan, literally "inward reflection" is a Japanese approach to life review and Dharma practice. It leads to a sense of gratitude and a healing and enhancing of relationships. Naikan is both a spiritual practice and a personal therapy. Naikan developed out of a Pureland Buddhist retreat practice in which one reflected upon one's life and its destiny. The modern practice can be performed in intensive five or seven day retreats or on a daily basis or from time to time. In Global Sangha we often combine Naikan with Chi Quan, a practice of tranquil abiding in which one offers the fruits of one's introspection to the Buddhas in the spirit of "this is not me, this is not mine, this is not myself" and receives in response the grace and peace bestowed by the tathagata.Join zoom meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/88992070497?pwd=M3pDRG9LT3BpMnFwR1BSY0I3Vi9QUT09ID: 889 9207 0497 -:- passcode: 999175 THIS WEEK'S PODCAST
This weeks podcast is about despair. When we lose touch with our freedom, energy can sink very low. In Buddhism, one name for this is jaramarana. This is the state that is like being alive but dead inside. When we study the theory of dependent origination, jaramarana is the final stage. The long sequence of steps that begins with denial (avidya) culminates in despair. Dharma means fundamental reality and the fundamental reality of a person is that one is alive - one has virya, vitality - but as society treats us more and more as machines and as we, in mass society, relate to one another more and more as commodities or utilities, the scope for a pervasive sense of alienation and distrust grows. When this impacts upon a person, the immediate response is anger or resistance - the "bar" - but when anger is futile because there is no escape or nothing one can do, it can easily turn into despair. Buddhist training is about restoring the virya, but this is not just something added. For the virya to be real, spontaneous and authentic, one needs to have the faith to dig deeper. This is why the Buddhist psychology is so useful. KO-FI
Do visit The Feeling Buddha Ko-Fi site at |
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26-28 April. Northern Spain DEEPENING BUDDHIST PSYCHOLOGY
Path and Encounter David Brazier & Iris Dotan Katz Buddhist psychology is not really concerned with making one into something that one is not, but rather with reaching deeper into what one already is. The Dharma is the fundamental source of our being. We spontaneously recognise it as love, compassion, joy and peace. This recognition is something we already have. It is an unconditional gift. Some call it Buddha nature, but we should not get carried away by the idea that we are all buddhas. The source is not a personal possession. A certain humility is necessary. When we are in touch with the unconditioned, we encounter one another in a new spirit and creative things happen. This is the basis of therapy, of spiritual accompaniment, of deep encounter. It is what is lost in the maelstrom of materialism, superficiality and self-centredness that dominates the contemporary world. This is a workshop to support our practice, restore our recognition of what really matters and meet one another in the safety of the Dharma. Enquiries & booking: Oscar via Jisshas < jisshas@googlegroups.com> TALLER DE FIN DE SEMANA:
PROFUNDIZANDO EN LA PSICOLOGÍA BUDISTA: CAMINO Y ENCUENTRO
CON DAVID BRAZIER E IRIS DOTAN KATZ
En Ain Karim, Haro, La Rioja
Del 26 al 28 de abril de 2024
La psicología budista no se preocupa realmente por convertirnos en algo que no somos, sino más bien en profundizar en lo que ya somos.
El Dharma es la fuente fundamental de nuestro ser. Lo reconocemos espontáneamente como amor, compasión, alegría y paz. Este reconocimiento es algo que ya tenemos. Es un regalo incondicional. Algunos lo llaman naturaleza búdica, pero no debemos dejarnos llevar por la idea de que todos somos budas.
La fuente no es una posesión personal. Es necesaria cierta humildad. Cuando estamos en contacto con lo incondicionado, nos encontramos unos con otros con un espíritu nuevo y suceden cosas creativas. Ésta es la base de la terapia, del acompañamiento espiritual, del encuentro profundo. Es lo que se pierde en la vorágine del materialismo, la superficialidad y el egocentrismo que domina el mundo contemporáneo.
Este es un taller para apoyar nuestra práctica, restaurar nuestro reconocimiento de lo que realmente importa y encontrarnos unos con otros en la seguridad del Dharma.
Lugar: Casa de Espiritualidad “Ain Karim”, c/ Bretón de los Herreros, 31, Haro, La Rioja.
Horario: Comienzo el viernes a las 18 h, hasta el domingo con la comida.
Si tienes cualquier duda o consulta, puedes llamarnos al 620265962 o escribir a formacion@ahoramindfulness.es
BUDDHIST PSYCHOLOGY COURSE Recent comment by a student half way through the course: I would like to begin by expressing my gratitude for the opportunity to participate in this course. I am thankful for the incredible teachers and peers I have encountered, as well as the supportive environment that fosters love and companionship throughout this experience. Not only have I discovered new theories and approaches, but I have also delved deeper into my own personal journey, which, thanks to the course and the broader global sangha, has become more of a shared path. I deeply appreciate the confirmation of the course as an encounter. GRIEVING
At a recent BP seminar, Sonia, another student mid-way through the programme, gave an excellent short lecture on grieving from a Buddhist Psychology perspective. She began her talk with the modest disclaimer "I just want to say that I am not a psychologist. I'm not a therapist. I have not much knowledge about psychology more than I have been studying in this last year, so this is a topic that I chose - about grief and death - because it is something that I have been living the past year since my mother died." She then gave a fine account of personal experience as related to the principles of BP.
The next seminars will be on 23rd March (10:00 & 18:00). If you are interested in Buddhist Psychology &/or may be thinking of joining the training programme next year, please get in touch via Jisshas. |
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Monday to Friday 06:30 DAILY NEMBUTSU Geeta Chari: Let’s do some Nembutsu every weekday 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. Saturdays and Sundays are rest days. Namo Amida Bu Every Thursday there is a half-hour reading and discussion of the Summary of Faith and Practice from 06:00 to 06:30, followed by Nembutsu as usual. ESPAÑOL Practicamos Nembutsu todas las mañanas (excepto fines de semana) a las 6:30 hora de Roma. La práctica consiste en recitar el nembutsu en cadena durante veinte minutos. Al finalizar se escuchará el sonido de la campana, y posteriormente, los que lo deseen podrán conversar. Namo Amida Bu Join Zoom Meetinghttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/84997972011?pwd=NFVGZDhBTy95NTJlalJYWHZaYVJtUT09WhatsAppThere is now a WhatsApp group for those who would like to attend Daily Nembutsu. Please contact jisshas@googlegroups.com to be added. Every Sunday 10:00 SUNDAY PUJA
Dharmavidya, Liz, Sujatin & friends gather for a service on Sunday mornings, normally at 10:00. There is usually a short period of sharing and commonly a theme emerges. This past weekend the theme began with the question of how to handle everyday worries and in due course morphed into a reflection upon the Hindu Shivaratri Festival and its symbolism of male and female energies uniting. If you would like to join this group, please come along to a meeting. This is a good way to practise together. There are two zoom links given below as travel arrangements sometimes cause some difficulties. When the first does not work, try the second. https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84734198325?pwd=eDU5Z0dBUmVuVmFyZktab3dIeHNmQT09Meeting ID: 847 3419 8325 -:- Passcode: 536609 Meeting ID: 447 192 6002 -:- Passcode: 004138 Mondays 09:15
QI GONG WITH ANGELA
Angela is offering Qi Gong on Mondays at 9.15 am Rome time. If you are interested, please contact her via Jisshas < jisshas@googlegroups.com>
Comment by an attender: "I just want to say thank you for the lovely and warm welcoming to your morning Qi Gong experience. I feel very grateful for it. A new way to start the week." MEETINGS WITH SUJATIN JOHNSON GS Buddhist teacher of many years experience 2nd April, 2024 19;00 TREE OF LIFE SANGHA OPEN MEETING This is an open meeting of the Tree of Life Sangha on Tuesday 2nd April, including puja and readings led by Sujatin Meeting ID: 447 192 6002 -:- Passcode: 004138 9th April, 2024 19:30 COMMENTARY ON THE SUMMARY OF FAITH & PRACTICE Sujatin will lead a group discussion on this extensive commentary by Dharmavidya which covers all essential aspects of Pureland Buddhist faith and practice. These meetings will continue on the second Tuesday of each month.
Meeting ID: 447 192 6002 ~|~ Passcode: 004138
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Nature grows back where the works of humans decay and often here flowers are more beautiful than the masonry they overgrow.
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Book now for 23rd-27th October 2024 4th ITZI CONFERENCE "COLLOQUIUM ON BUDDHIST PSYCHOLOGY" We are planning to meet in October this year for a grand colloquium on Buddhist psychology. Come and join us. You don't have to be a presenter in order to attend, but we hope that as many people as possible will share their ideas, whether they take a 90 minute, 45 minute or 15 minute slot, alone or jointly with a colleague. Experiential workshops & led discussions will be just as welcome as learned papers. We are aiming to bring together fifty people with an interest in Buddhist psychology, its nature, development, application and relevance to the contemporary world. I bought one of the first tickets. Come and join me, attend, participate & present your work & ideas. It will be a residential colloquium held in northern Spain in an excellent venue, secluded in the mountains, that we have used before and know well. This is a good place for a colloquium. Previous conferences in this series have been very enjoyable gatherings and have included a wide variety of presentations on aspects of Buddhist psychology and its applications in various forms of therapy, personal development, spiritual practice and social life & organisation. The event will be limited to fifty places, so early booking is advisable. The cost for early booking is 320€ fully residential. Information: Sonia via 2024itzi@googlegroups.com,
SIGN UP FOR
THE BUDDHIST PSYCHOLOGY COLLOQUIUM OCTOBER THIS YEAR IN SPAIN
"2024 ITZI Conference"
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