vajra bell newsletter - summer 2016

vajrabellSUMMER 2016

keeping sangha connectedspreading the dharma

Also in this issuePilgrimage to Kyoto page 12

New Series Sangha Connections page 19

The Path of Practice Developing Happiness and Wisdom by Dh Amalapage 9

Where Love Meets Wisdom

by Dh Kamalashila page 6

page 2 aryalokaorg

vajrabell

Dh Amala (Chair) Dh Vidhuma (Vice Chair)

Dh Arjava Dh Dayalocana

Dh KhemavassikaDh Surakshita

SPIRITUAL VITALITY COUNCIL

CO-EDITOR Mary Schaefer mbschaefercomcastnet

CO-EDITOR David Watt davidwatt1956gmailcom

COPY EDITOR Dh Vihanasari vihanasaricomcastnet

ARTS EDITOR Deb Howard dshoward1aolcom

WRITER Bettye Pruittbettyehpruittgmailcom

DESIGN Callista Cassadycallistacassadygmailcom

VAJRA BELL KULA

Dh Arjava (Chair) Barry Timmerman (Secretary) Elizabeth Hellard (Treasurer)

Dh AmalaDh RijupathaDh ShrijnanaJean CorsonTom Gaillard

Daniel KenneyAlisha Roberts

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Gary Baker New York Sanghagbakerthehackettgroupcom

Paramita Banerjee Vancouver Buddhist Centrebudhisenyahooca

Susan DiPietro Khanti Outreachsusandipietro6gmailcom

Peter Ingraham Aryaloka Buddhist Centerpingalumniunhedu

Sabrina Metivier Nagaloka Buddhist Centersab_mativierhotmailcom

Mary Salome San Francisco Buddhist Centermarycsalomecomcastnet

Samatara Rocky Mountain Buddhist Centerkayljone108gmailcom

Mike Mappes Khante Outreachmmappesyahoocom

SANGHA NOTES CONTRIBUTORS

copy 2016 Aryaloka Buddhist Center

Aryaloka Buddhist Retreat Center14 Heartwood Circle

Newmarket NH 03857603-659-5456

InfoAryalokaorg Aryalokaorg

Dh Shrijnana Executive DirectorVanessa Ruiz Office Manager

Dh Bodhana Kitchen ManagerDh Lilasiddhi Cleaning Coordinator

Dh Rijupatha Web Master and Publicity DesignerDh Shantikirika Buddhaworks Manager

ARYALOKA STAFF

Find us on Facebook facebookcomAryaloka

or on the Aryaloka Facebook GroupfacebookcomgroupsAryalokaSangha

Connect at The Buddhist Centre Online TheBuddhistCentrecomAryaloka

page 3aryalokaorg

table of contentssummer 2016

Arts at Aryaloka04

Developing Happiness and Wisdom by Dh Amala

09

COVER IMAGE Neil Harvey neillharveycom

06

05 Path of Practice Introduction

Where Love Meets Wisdom by Dh Kamalashila

06

Pilgrimage to Kyotoby Neil Harvey

12

Sangha Notesby Sangha Note Contributors

14

Sangha Connections Interveiw with Dh Narottamaby Bettye Pruitt

19

From the Editors22

Spiritual Vitality Council24

Board Notes

Poetry Corner25

Upcoming Retreats26

Upcoming Day Events and Classes

27

19

26

12

09

Upcoming amp Ongoing Events28

page 4 aryalokaorg

arts at aryaloka

In her new book of poetry Becom-ing a Buddhist Aryalokarsquos resident poet Kavyadrishti says ldquopoems have become a record of my becoming a Buddhist So I offer this book of poems to express my gratitude to my teachers and friends who have helped me to grow and to encourage others to listen to what comes in the silencerdquo

Kavyadrishti first attended a Friends of the Western Buddhist Order class in the Portland area in 1989 She moved to New Hampshire shortly af-ter that to be closer to Aryaloka and soon found pleasure in sharing her poetry with people in the sangha

ldquoIrsquove been writing since an assign-ment in third graderdquo Kavyadrishti says ldquowhen I shared something with the class and everyone laughed It was supposed to be a lsquowhat I did this summerrsquo thing but was all fiction I began taking writing classes and workshops after raising four children and then found a way to share my workrdquo Since then she has published poems and has read at workshops and open readings in Portland and at Portsmouth Poet Laureate events

The poems span more than 20 years starting before Kavyadrishti knew much about Buddhism and ending with where she is now In

between ndash in chapters titled ldquoAcornsrdquo ldquoWith Folded Handsrdquo and ldquoThe Evo-lution of Silencerdquo she explores the many aspects of her path in becoming a Buddhist The poems range from the two-line ldquoCredordquo to a complete sevenfold puja inspired by Sangharak-shita and Shantideva

Each chapter starts with a short ex-planation of the origin of the poems included when they were written and what inspired them giving readers insight into the creative process as well as the spiritual backdrop for the poems With simple lines calling forth clear visual images she captures feel-ings and insights that are difficult to express in words The poems express the joyful painful exhausting inspir-ing confusing demanding rewarding and ever-changing path of Buddhist practice

Kavyadrishtirsquos delight in the Dharma is evident and becomes contagious through her writing This is a collec-tion of poems that can speak to and inspire anyone at any stage on the path of ldquobecoming a Buddhistrdquo

Becoming a Buddhist is available in the Buddhaworks bookstore at Aryaloka now and proceeds from the sale of the book will go to the center

mdash Deb Howard

The Voice in the Silence

You have heard itthat silence that speaks of knowingAnd you have found peacein doing going being where it ledWere you still listeninglast month last night between the tearsHave you feared the answeror forgotten once the meditation endedthen turned to the confusion the bookthe mistaken memory instead You have heard itin the silence

mdashKavyadrishti Becoming a Buddhist 2016Becoming a Buddhist a book of poetry published by Dh Kavyadrishti

Arts Study Group Zen and Creativity ldquoThe creative process like a

spiritual journey is intuitive non-linear and experiential It points us toward our essential nature which is a reflection of the boundless creativity of the universerdquo

mdashDaido John Loori

Some members of the Aryaloka arts kula and sangha are joining together to study creativity medita-tion and their interconnectedness The group meets every other week on Friday morning from 1030 am-12 noon in Exeter to discuss a chapter from Daido Loori Roshirsquos book The Zen of Creativity Cultivat-ing Your Artistic Life With 14 chapters we have a standing schedule that will take us through November All are welcome to join us on a regular or drop-in basis We ask that you just commit to reading the current chapter and come with comments and questions to discuss Contact Kiranada kiranadamyfairpointnet Deb Howard dshoward1aolcom for dates location and more infor-mation

page 5aryalokaorg

The Triratna Path of PracticeA Comprehensive Approach to Spiritual Development

IntegrationDeveloping Peace

getting to know oneself bring-ing all onersquos energies together behind spiritual purpose

Samatha mindfulness meditations

Positive EmotionDeveloping Happiness

positive connection with oneself and others skillful or postive emotion

Metta and Brahma Viharas meditations

Spiritual DeathDeveloping Understanding and Wisdom

direct knowing transformation through insight letting go

Insight practices

Spiritual RebirthExperiencing Freedom

of heart and minda new way of being

Sadhana meditationsBuddhannussati

Spiritual ReceptivityNo More Effort

spontaneous compassionate actionJust sitting meditation

The Triratna Path of Practice is a comprehensive view of the whole of the spiritual life from a Buddhist perspective and represents the crystallization of a lifetime of teachings by Urgyen Sangharakshita The Path of Practice describes the crucial elements that taken together compose a life of hap-piness purpose freedom equanimity and inner peace

The Aryaloka Spiritual Vitality Council (SVC) has endorsed making the Path of Practice and Spiritual Development the general theme for the centers 2016 programming As part of that effort the Vajra Bell continues its explora-tion of the Path of Practice with a deeper look at Positive EmotionDevelop-ing Happiness and Spiritual DeathDeveloping Wisdom and Understanding with articles by Dh Kamalashila and Dh Amala

mdash Editors

page 6 aryalokaorg

by Dh Kamalashila

Love roughly sums up the second aspect of the Triratna Path of Practice Itrsquos the human need to be empathic kind and

generous which in Buddhism is a key quality to cultivate To live alongside others we need to find ways to cut away the envy and fear that sepa-rate us Just to live with ourselves for the sake of our mental health itrsquos essential we have access to positive emotions Emotions are passionate hopes and fears the desires that motivate us in helpful and unhelpful ways Our behavior our inner life and view of things get driven by what we want what we like what we love and what we dont Through engaging in the Buddhist path all this love-hate energy gets worked on channeled and refined

So Buddhism is a path of love we can say but itrsquos also one of wisdom Therersquos always going to come a crisis on the path where in order to

continue and not fall back we need to be convinced we donrsquot have to identify with some negative emotion This is tough Identification seems out of our control Thatrsquos because it concerns what we believe Powerful views sit in our head shoring up likes dislikes and opinions They feel so right Indeed to us our opinions and preferences seem deep down to be actually who we are

Delusion runs deep but the Dharma is deeper Insight methods show us how fleeting are those things we identify with and how incoherent is our identification with them Seeing this cuts away at our attachments Yet such methods are subtle and they donrsquot immediately work for everyone Positive emotions can sometimes work better undermining ego clinging in their own way ndash partly through be-ing naturally selfless and freed from self-identity

From different directions the

methods of love and wisdom draw us into the same state of being Wisdom works through mindfulness We look carefully at our experience and see that the me we appease with an array of likes and dislikes is really a construct Itrsquos not anything solid and real Once this is seen the whole busi-ness of building ourselves up starts looking quixotic and irrelevant

With love the approach is develop-mental We cultivate and deepen a heartfelt empathy and care for others Eventually in the light of compassion and kindness concerns for ourselves donrsquot feel as urgent They fade in the light of our desire to help and be-friend the world

Delusion is woven into our social lives It is part of how we are and live with others and in the state of the world For example consider the glob-


Delusion runs deep but the Dharma is deeper

page 7aryalokaorg

al tendency toward individualism The quality and quantity of written and spoken Dharma available on our com-puters and phones are phenomenal and so is the ease with which we can communicate about it Yet often the very convenience seems to degrade our sense of community It doesnrsquot have to but it often seems to end up as a purely solitary experience Since on our own we can explore in depth the Dharma interests that appeal to us ndash and build up our own personal practices ndash why do we need to bother to keep up connections with a Bud-dhist movement which has a very particular history and teaching style

The value is in having something to grow in relation to A movement like Triratna builds naturally over the years of constant exchange around the Dharma a tradition which has integrity and a particular spirit thatrsquos noticeable everywhere you look within it This is valuable but it does not come easily The spirit of our tradition has evolved over years of communi-cation and collective practice Working with others is immeasurably more demanding than putting together a personal Dharma world That in some ways is the appeal of opting out of collective practice because it takes effort Yet itrsquos immeasurably more satisfying to co-create a culture based on the ethical principles of Buddhism that will help enormous numbers dis-cover themselves and develop their humanity for othersrsquo benefit

This brings us back nicely to the positive mind-states known as the four Brahma Viharas (named after the Brahma gods of mythology who dwell with their minds entirely per-vading their world) good will (metta) compassion (karuna) appreciative joy (mudita) and equanimity (upekkha)

Good will is like the sun shining equally on all without distinction or preference Even if there were no one to receive its light the sun would continue to shine as warmly and gen-erously as before

Compassion is like the sun at night-fall at the horizon when it is about to descend into the darkness and

becomes a beautiful display of many astonishing colors like peach purple gold gray and crimson

Appreciative joy is like the sun newly-risen in the early morning as-cending into the sky accompanied by ecstatic birdsong its bright white light sparkling and creating rainbows in a thousand dew drops

Equanimity is like the sunrsquos light mysteriously reflected in the full moon silvery white and coursing ndash isolated and magnificent ndash through the night sky

Of these the original quality is good will or metta a quality thatrsquos expressed by the five ethical precepts of kindness generosity contentment truth and mindfulness which are cultivated through the Metta Bhavana meditation In each of the meditation exercises that cultivate the boundless qualities we most easily connect to our goodwill by previously practicing the ethical precepts and removing the conditions for the five hindrances

Here one of the classic sources describes the process

A learned noble disciple leaves behind unwholesome bodily deeds and develops wholesome bodily deeds leaves behind unwholesome verbal and mental deeds and devel-ops wholesome verbal and mental deeds

Being hellip free from ill will and contention discarding sloth-and-torpor being without restlessness or conceit removing doubt and overcoming arrogance with right mindfulness and right comprehen-sion being without bewilderment the learned noble disciple dwells having pervaded one direction with a mind imbued with compassion and in the same way the second third and fourth directions the four intermediate directions above and

below completely and everywhere Being without mental shackleshellip[the learned noble disciple] dwells having pervaded the entire world

Then [the learned noble disciple] reflects like this ldquoFormerly my mind was narrow and not well-developed now my mind has become bound-less and well-developedrdquo

mdash From the Madhayama Agama a Chinese version of a Pali sut-ta from the Majjhima Nikaya as quoted by Analayo in his book Compassion and Emptiness

It is interesting that according to the Pali Canon the practices are de-scribed as simply connecting with the positive quality and then radiating it out in all directions In Triratna wersquore familiar with the method of stages as when the quality is developed toward a friend neutral person etc Full instructions for the Brahma Vihara meditations according to Buddhagho-sas commentarial instruction can be found in my book Buddhist Meditation Imagination Tranquillity and Insight

This approach comes from a 5th century commentary by Buddhagho-sa on the teaching that was written down from the oral tradition Today we still find it a useful one Itrsquos like-ly that the method of stages came about through a need for a more de-tailed comparative approach Sakya-munirsquos original method of radiation is similar to the ancient meditations where a simple object of concen-tration like earth or the color red is spread out infinitely to encompass the totality of experience Compas-sion comes to embrace everything the sum total of all there is

As we know from the Metta Bhava-na this is what happens in the final

The spirit of our tradition (Triratna) has evolved over years of communica-tion and collective practice

- LoveWisdom continued on page 8

page 8 aryalokaorg

radiation stage of all the Brahma Vihara meditations Therersquos an infinite non-specific radiation (anodhiso-pha-rana) of the relevant quality In this there is no preference The wish is for universal inclusion and impartiality as illustrated in the Karaniya Metta Sutta as informally translated by Sangharak-shita

Let his thoughts of boundless love pervade the whole world above below and across without any obstructions without any enemyThis non-preferentiality is brought

about by breaking down barriers a sub-stage preparatory to the radia-tion in which we look back on how the practice went and compare the responses evoked in relation to the friend neutral person and opposed

person We then equalize them the memory of our more generous responses draw us up out of less gen-erous ones of which we let go with the result that in the final radiation the feeling is purer and more certain without any obstructions without any enemy

Where the early texts describe ra-diation therersquos no mention of others receiving the quality Love simply fills space It is freely available to all who are contained within space but it ra-diates quite independent of anyonersquos interest or even their presence Met-ta karuna etc express disinterested love like the sun whose warmth is dis-pensed impartially without privileging some favored area over another

Meditators know how this becomes a kind of meditative absorption Once you get into it you can stay there hap-pily a long time In that way radiation absorption is akin to the jhana that comes through one-pointed attention to a single object There is similarly a satisfying immersion in the object but in this case the object is everything In the first case therersquos a progression from the multiplicity of the sense world down to a single point of expe-rience in the second the progress is from a single point ndash the positive quality ndash out into universal radiation

The texts describe a third kind of absorption that is again outward- facing the four arupas or formless jhanas These spread out to bound-less infinity like the Brahma Viharas but their sense of boundlessness unites with insight into universal

realities and the experiential spheres of infinite space of infinite awareness of no things being per-ceptible and wherein neither perception nor non-perception can be said to arise

Compassion meets wisdom as it moves from a single point to infinity in an intima-tion of insight into the insubstantial nature

of the self We naturally identify with the self as the central point of our world But in the Brahma Vihara medi-tations we progressively dis-identify from that center until there is no center

We tend to think of ourselves as being situated here in space (even here in our heart or head) which is clearly no more than a habitual idea So to extend out from that single point of identification to the limit of our imagination of space attenuates our natural self-sense to the point of transparency even invisibility Itrsquos an experiential non-analytical and very pleasant way to undermine the illusion of a solid self

The inner absorptions and the

outer radiation absorptions are worth cultivating not only because they sup-port insight but because theyrsquore so good for our mental health Benefits that come from cultivating universal empathy include mental ease pa-tience and curiosity Tradition says radiating metta confers an ability to sleep deeply And as was pointed out at the beginning the Brahma Viharas are in themselves states of decreased self-clinging

So if we practice the Brahma Viha-ras in relation to wisdom practices empathy increases and self-identi-fication decreases Eventually they merge so that love and wisdom become one awakened heart Bodhicitta

The inner absorptions and the outer radiation absorptions are worth cultivating not only because they support insight but because theyrsquore so good for our mental health

Kamalashila has been active for 40 years teaching meditation establishing communities writing and leading Dharma study Among his writings is his book Buddhist Meditation Tranquility Imagi-nation and Insight He founded the West London Buddhist Centre in 1976 and was a founder of the Vajraloka Meditation Centre and Vajrakuta in Wales He was ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order by Sangharaskhita in 1974 His website with his teachings and writings is DharmaDoororg

- LoveWisdom continued from page 7

page 9aryalokaorg

by Dh Amala

In this article I aim to outline two of five great stages of the spiritual path They can be called ldquoDeveloping Happinessrdquo

and ldquoDeveloping Understanding and Wisdomrdquo The same aspects are termed ldquoPositive (or Skillful) Emotionrdquo and ldquoSpiritual Deathrdquo respectively in the Triratna Path of Practice as de-scribed by Dharma teacher extraordi-naire Urgyen Sangharakshita

Happiness and wisdom sound good Irsquom ready to experience and to develop both of those qualities Where do I start

Yoursquove got to accentuate the positiveEliminate the negativeAnd latch on to the affirmative Donrsquot mess with Mister-In-BetweenYoursquove got to spread joy up to the maximumBring gloom down to the minimum Have faith or pandemoniumrsquos Liable to walk upon the scene

mdashLyrics of the song ldquoAccentuate the Positiverdquo music by Harold Arlen and

lyrics by Johnny Mercer 1944

Many of you may know this up-beat song made popular by the likes of Johnny Mercer and Bing Crosby decades ago While the words donrsquot exactly express the Dharma teachings on cultivating positive emotions they

make a good start for a discussion For our purposes letrsquos say that Mis-ter-In-Between is apathy or indecision and lack of mindfulness and that pandemonium is the ever-present wheel of samsara bringing confusion unsatisfactoriness and disappoint-ment into our lives To either side of these are the poles of the positive and negative joy and the blues faith and pandemonium

What is the positive in a Buddhist context That which conduces to greater love and care greater con-tentment and generous exchange greater clarity and understanding both within us and among those around us and that which leads to enlightenment

Positive emotion does not mean being always smiley-happy and feeling good It does not refer to passing moods or sentiments It refers to emotion as motivation as the deeper undercurrents in our mind and heart that flow toward clarity and real ap-preciation of what is actually happen-ing in life

The positive is not some thing an object to be acquired or adopted into our psyche and our life We canrsquot go out and get it somewhere nor can we manufacture a potion of the positive It is attitude and approach It is appli-cation of attentiveness to unfolding moments thoughts and actions every day It is a sifting or selecting among sometimes confusing choices and motives for ways to greet and engage

with the world with respect and kind-ness through acts of body speech and mind

It takes practice to prioritize the skillful-leaning (positive) tendencies within our minds that are so jumbled and full of conflicting impulses Some of us who tend to wear a negative bias like glasses that tinge everything with a cloud of gloom need to find ways to recognize love and care when we see it We need to learn how to accept kindness and feel its soothing effects while looking for ways to be kind to others We need to put aside the gloomy glasses and learn how to feel joy We need to allow ourselves to feel connection and to feel touched in the heart

Others of us who tend to wear a generally happy bias like cool sun-shades also need to open to the truth of things We need to let our-selves feel the cool gray of an im-pending storm or a sad and awkward moment between friends We need to sit with sadness and not jolly it away to discover that difficulty walks side by side with happy Then we will feel greater depth of connection and let ourselves be touched deep in the heart

A foundational skill for learning how to embody the positive is curios-ity which can be described as open observation of things without jumping too quickly to assessment judgment or conclusion With curiosity we ask

Developing Happiness and Wisdom No More Pandemonium

- Happiness continued on page 10

page 10 aryalokaorg

simply ldquoWhat is thisrdquo and wait to hear the answer before speaking

On the way to positivity we proceed with our eyes open honestly look-ing within ourselves and all around at just what there is in front of us with a minimum of embellishment or embroidery We learn to suspend the habitual running commentary interpretation and editorializing that

accompany experience If the path is stony and rough the landscape is dry and the plants all around have thorns we note just that If the path is soft underfoot covered deep in pine needles and the trees around are tall and lush protecting us from bright sun we note just that Trees thorns soft stony ndash we aim to approach all landscapes with appreciation and respect

To be open and attentive ndash to a friend to our own feelings and thoughts to aches and pains to a situation at work ndash is already positive Mindful attention is already kind Awareness without haste or cut-off is already generous Our attitude or approach of open curiosity paves the way for skillful and positive tendencies to proceed

What is the negative in a Buddhist context That which conduces to ill-will greed or unawareness and spiritual ignorance that which per-petuates stress unsatisfactoriness (dukkha) and leaves us none the wiser as to how to attain happiness or wisdom

The negative is not a thing It too is an approach a way of being thinking and acting a habit even The negative is rooted in views that hold us to be separate beings in some definitive enduring way If I am me and this me has some ultimate significance then you are other and all things are other

and significant in relation to me With this set of blinders on we act

and think and speak with continual self-reference We all do this It is called spiritual ignorance and from it comes all manner of unsatisfying experience (dukkha) We suffer as we grasp greedily after things and experiences that we think will make us happy We suffer as we separate the world into people and things we

like and donrsquot like We suffer when our hopes and expectations are dashed time and again If this is the negative then yes please ndash as the song says ndash let us eliminate it

The negative is not just what we donrsquot like find difficult or do not enjoy ndash like a bad mood It is what-ever keeps us entangled in samsara whatever keeps us unaware of how things really are whatever does not enlighten

To lean away from the negative openness and curiosity again are important Open unflinching ob-servation of what is happening in a moment and over time shows us that grasping behavior and hateful thoughts contribute to our unhap-piness We begin to see that if we connive to get our own way believing we must protect our self-importance we are likely to damage relationships along the way The deep-down satis-fying sense of connection with others may be lost to the extent we are locked in self-reference It requires steady resolve to develop the kind of fearless open attention that shows up our own unskillfulness

The Four Right Efforts guided by the Five Precepts are essential for this stage of developing happiness and eliminating the negative The efforts are undertaken in meditation and at all times off the cushion They are

(1) to prevent the arising of unaris-en unwholesome states

(2) to abandon unwholesome states that have already arisen

(3) to arouse wholesome states that have not yet arisen

(4) to maintain and perfect whole-some states already arisen

What does this mean 1) To make sure that hateful jealous

or complaining thoughts do not rise in my mind I remain actively mind-ful aware of the tiny beginnings of thoughts ready to turn away from anything unhelpful This requires vigi-lance and training myself to recognize mental hindrances

2) If hateful jealous or other un-helpful thoughts arise in my mind I find a way to stop them Just stop Why dwell on a train of thought that makes me feel bad about myself puts someone else down or seeks to take advantage

3) To encourage mental states that bring ease contentment and focus I actively set out to cultivate mindful-ness metta energy concentration tranquility and more again through meditation and in activity

4) Once positive states of mind are present I recognize and support them and allow them to expand This requires letting myself have new kinds of experiences going beyond habitual thought patterns and understandings of myself

The Five Precepts are recited in the Triratna Buddhist Community in both their negative and positive forms ndash things to abstain from and things to cultivate The positive qualities can be thought of as a description of the natural states of enlightened mind As we get to know ourselves drop some of our self-limiting views and learn to pay attention to things around us we naturally become more kind gener-ous content truthful and mindful The precepts are a framework for our efforts

In the process of strengthening pos-itive tendencies weakening negative habits and creating conditions for happiness to arise faith is a helpful partner Faith can mean many things

The negative is not just what we donrsquot like find difficult or do not enjoy like a bad mood It is whatever keeps us entangled in samsara

- Happiness continued from page 9

page 11aryalokaorg

and appear to us in different ways To some faith will center on the example of the historical Buddha a man who through determination and focus broke through spiritual ignorance to find the roots of enduring happiness wisdom and equanimity If he can do it we can too

Faith also means confidence con-fidence in the path and the Buddharsquos teachings in the practices we are doing in ourselves Faith can be a coming together of our heart and mind with our experience We start to believe what we see that being truth-ful makes communication more satis-fying for example Faith can be a trust in ourselves We are able to change unhelpful habits experience joy and withstand sadness and survive when these states change

The work ndash or practice ndash of the stage of developing happiness and positive emotion involves being more mind-ful knowing ourselves deeply paying attention to the thoughts motivations and patterns behind our behavior

In this stage we make a real connec-tion among our inner mental states our actions what happens and how we feel For example if I make the effort to practice Metta Bhavana med-itation and to listen to others with metta during the day I experience greater clarity and fulfillment I also may experience strong shifts in how I understand myself I may have some

rude awakenings I may realize ndash in the difficult person stage of a metta meditation or in a meeting ndash that the other person is just being who they are I am the one who is perceiving and perpetuating the difficulty My mental framework and attempt to make myself look good often sour an otherwise perfectly friendly situation

Repeated awakenings of this nature can shake us deeply We find we are not any more or less important than the other person We all act in a dance of inconceivable complexity responding to situations and con-ditions and in turn contributing to situations and conditions Boundar-ies of me and other blur Perhaps we begin to see there is no need to look through the lens of me all the time We realize that the way wersquove thought of situations has been colored and distorted by self-reference It can be scary to remain open and curious as we recognize our own delusion and a new way of looking emerges

This kind of experience is called ldquoDeveloping Understanding and Wis-domrdquo or ldquoSpiritual Deathrdquo This phase of spiritual life is indeed both of these Wisdom is seeing reality more clearly as well as a profound letting go of former or limited views particularly regarding the sense of selfhood

Wisdom or clear seeing goes hand in hand with mindful attention active abandonment of the negative and

cultivation of the positive It is natural that we start to recognize our own agency in the life we experience and we begin to change As the main reference point moves away from me it becomes not a point at all without periphery and center vast like all of space

At this stage we need a strong base of positive emotion skillful habits and faith behind us While we may be elated and relieved to experience the release of a limited self-view we also may be disoriented

It is more important than ever to stand firmly in the ethical practices of kindness generosity contentment truthfulness and mindfulness It is vital to develop our confidence in the depths and universal reach of loving kindness and compassion joy and equanimity It is helpful to look to the Buddha for the way to live after wisdom strikes Glimmers of a radi-ant confident and clear way of being will emerge for us mingled with the processes of cultivating what is skillful and positive letting go and even breaking down

Stages of the spiritual life unfold in sequence as our practice deep-ens but are not discrete Peace and integration will deepen as the next stages develop Happiness and posi-tive emotion contribute to the arising of both wisdom and spiritual death and are refreshed and deepened by the new perspectives that come from deep letting go A continual overlap-ping process moves us forward along the path

While every phase and every effort is integral to the journey for many of us the stage of developing happi-ness and positive emotion is one that deserves dedicated attention The emerging wisdom and understanding infused with love and compassion will flower readily into radiant freedom

Amala began her journey with

Buddhism in the 1970s and with the Triratna Buddhist Community in 1991 She was ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order in 2000 and is active at Aryaloka Buddhist Center where she is currently chair of the Spiritual Vitality Council

page 12 aryalokaorg

by Neil Harvey

A man sails to Chi-na to find out more about what the monk Bodhidharma brought from India the teach-

ings of Gautama the teachings of an enlightened one He sits at the feet of masters for some years and wakes up He hurls a three-pronged dorje in the direction of his island home He sails back to see where the dorje has landed and there begins teaching what he learned

The man was Kūkai a Japanese monk born in the 8th century and we are meditating on the mountain (Mt Koya in Japan) where the dorje he threw was found where sincere people have meditated studied and prayed since 819 AD where it is said Kukai side-stepped death and still sits in perfect samadhi under the ancient trees which shade monasteries and 120 temples

We are Triratna Order members mitras meditators artists photogra-phers and poets ndash 12 pilgrims who were guided by our leader Kiranada fresh from a year-long solitary retreat on a 14-day pilgrimage in April 2016 to backstage Kyoto Japan We are Brits Americans a Swede a Finn and a New Zealander and we are a long way from home We journeyed to Mt Koyasan and Kyoto the heart-mind cultural treasury of Japan

Massive pillars of cedar and pine

support tons of decorative roof tiles at temple after temple as if they were light as feathers At each gate we turn around to pop off our street shoes back up onto the clean wooden step slip on temple slippers and scuff our way onto polished broad-planked floors ndash creaking by design ndash and then abandon the slippers and rise again in stocking feet to tatami grass mats

The thresholds we enter from soto to ushi ndash outside to inside ndash mirror our pilgrimsrsquo path We pass through great guardian pillars to gliding paper walls to the shadowy world of the interior alcove There we discover a poem upon which calligraphy silently dances on a scroll and an earthen vase holds a spare stemleafflower arrangement It is a shrine to beau-ty impermanence and wisdom that seems to whisper ldquoBe welcome to leave your armor out at the gate and please join us within this precious momentrdquo

Two of Kiranadarsquos life-long col-leagues opened their home art studios to us These kimono artists of the highest tradition presented their silks ndash bright color fields shaped by wax resist ndash conducted a formal tea ceremony and offered sweet treats and so much laughter

At the Pure Land Honen-in Temple devoted to Amida Buddha the screen to the Abbotrsquos private quarters and moss blanketed garden was pulled back for us We had an exclusive audience ndash a great privilege ndash at a low

table on cushions just down the hall from the emperorrsquos personal rooms

Our schedule was full but perfectly punctuated with free time to explore museums meet pottery artisans watch traditional dance try calligraphy and flower arranging or shop for gifts This pilgrim returned to 17th century Haiku master Bashorsquos preserved hut to meditate write Heart Sutra man-tras on native paper and sit alone for hours watching the soft Kyoto rain

How could one not write poetry At the Daisen-In temple I encoun-

tered these words of Zen Master Soen Ozeki

A Song of Gratitude

The whole family harmonious and devoutAware of debts to our parents and ancestorsRevering Nature grateful for societyAlways humble learning from othersAble to give demonstrating kindnessMaking onersquos motto ldquoA bright liferdquoOverlooking othersrsquo faults correcting onersquos ownModerate in speech not getting angryGentle kind honestLetrsquos appreciate the joy of lifehellipWhere kindness is the natural by-product of being alive

Pilgrimage to Kyoto Where Kindness is the Natural By-product of Being Alive

photo Neil Harvey

page 13aryalokaorg

Here is a Kyoto pilgrimrsquos recipe for awakening

At 7 am sit in a circle of Order members and mature meditators

Enjoy a slow breakfast of exotic vegetarian tastes and textures

Be led to sacred shrines and deli-cate gardens where for generations aspirants before you have prayed for your enlightenment

Purify your hands and mouth at ancient stone basins where shining water flows

Offer incense and candles for those to come

Breathe Wander carefree among foreign but

friendly faces who bow and laugh with you at the slightest invitation

Step mindfully honoring the social restraints of politeness and commu-nity All are designed to support the truth that your individuality is a playful illusion and harmonious unity with everyone equally is where you will find home And ldquoeveryonerdquo includes the frogs calling down in the bamboo forest creek the purple iris briefly blooming the startling Buddha statue that penetrates your being bringing tears the evening bath that loosens your bones the yukata (sleeping ki-mono) cotton on your shoulders the fired clay cup that holds your tea the thin rice membrane walls that wash away the impulse to trivial speech and the new bamboo brush in your hand To all these you softly offer thanks as to dear relatives

As my airliner taxied away from the gate for the return flight home out the window I noticed two impecca-bly-uniformed ground crewmen wear-ing white helmets As our jumbo jet passed them in unison they deeply bowed to the plane and waved us on our journey This moment rang with so many other moments in Kyoto the enthusiastic ldquoArigato Gozaimasurdquo to every passenger from the white gloved bus driver chanting quietly together beneath the Okaeri Ami-

Kiranada (second from left) led a pilgrimage to Kyoto Japan with 12 pilgrims from around the world including (left from bottom) Dayadharani Kiranada Taramani Alexandra Suffolk Maitriprabha and Victoria Fahey and (right from top) Warren Moeller Robbin Smith Neil Harvey Lisa Kelly Visshudhimati Susan Carragher and Sanghadevi Photo Ito-san

tabha rupa looking over his shoulder receiving the precise kyosaku awak-ening stick blow from the Zen master in zazen the all-universe-this-moment look from the begging monk as we drop small change into his bowl the Koyasan priestrsquos invitation to focus on the seed syllable ldquoahrdquo

Some 1200 years after Kūkairsquos hero-ic journey this contemporary woman flies far away to find out more about what is pulling at her heart She learns about the teachings of Gautama an enlightened one She sits at the feet of masters for some years and wakes up Lucky us She throws fabric art paintings and calligraphy in the direction of her home She receives the name Kiranada which means ldquoshe who gives or radiates moonlightrdquo She organizes the trip of a lifetime and more make the journey with her

This is our small song of gratitudeMay all benefit


photo Neil Harvey

Neil Harvey is an award-win-ning artist photographer and writer A student of the Nyingma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism he has been practicing meditation at the Aryaloka Portsmouth and New York sanghas since 2011

page 14 aryalokaorg

ARYALOKA SANGHA(NEWMARKET NH)

sangha notes

Aryaloka offered and hosted a range of retreats celebrations prac-tice days and classes this past spring Highlights of recent activities and ongoing events follow

Ongoing eventsBodhana continues to lead open

meditation sessions for all levels of experience Monday Tuesday and Thursday mornings

Rijupatha leads a monthly Young Sangha Hangout for friends in their 20s or 30s (or thereabouts) These gatherings offer young folks with an interest in Buddhist practice to meet and practice together

Alisha Roberts leads monthly Chil-drenrsquos Sangha classes for children up to age nine In each class there is a short talk gentle meditation and an arts and crafts activity related to a Buddhist theme

Special eventsSatyada and Amala hosted Aryalo-

karsquos Buddha Day Celebration with readings talks and quiet contempla-tion to help deepen our relationship with the Buddha and enlightenment

To celebrate the founding of our community Khemavassika led medi-tations and a puja as part of Triratna Day

Order members from the northeast gathered for a practice day ldquoThe Big Picturerdquo with Kamalashila an Order member from the UK They studied and meditated upon the relationship between compassion and emptiness This was Kamalashilarsquos third retreat at Aryaloka in three years and dis-cussions have already begun for an Order retreat with him in 2017

Aryalokarsquos Fundraising Dinner and Silent Auction in May raised more than $1800 of much-needed funds Many thanks to those who contribut-ed artwork crafts gift certificates and other items to the auction and to the crew who prepared a delicious Thai dinner

More than 30 Order members mi-tras and friends attended this yearrsquos Spring Work Days in May One group cleared a spot for a memorial garden while another group cleaned out the barn in preparation for some upcom-ing renovations to Akashaloka

RetreatsIn April Sunada and Viriyalila led

ldquoLiving With Mindfulnessrdquo an opportu-nity for folks to try a gentle introduc-tion to weekend retreats

Megrette Fletcher led ldquoAfter the First Biterdquo a retreat on mindful eat-ing that took a deep look at habits around food to transform mind health and life

Friendsrsquo NightAs part of the late winter Friendsrsquo

Night series members of the teach-ing team led a session called ldquoWhat is the Buddhardquo ndash our introductory session on the Buddha his history and enlightenment A second session ldquoEgo and the Idea of a Fixed Selfrdquo was facilitated by Arjava and Akashavanda It explored the fiction of self and how we cling to it The discussion looked at how ego grasping affects mindfulness compassion and awakening in daily life

During the spring series Satyada is leading an introductory session on the The Noble Eightfold Path Arjava is leading ldquoNo Self No Problemrdquo a follow-on to the winter series session Tom Gaillard and Khemavassikarsquos group are studying stories from the Jataka Tales These fables are some of the oldest texts describing the Bud-dharsquos remembrances of his past lives and express Buddhist values such as kindness generosity and truthfulness

mdash Pete Ingraham

Keeping Sangha Connected

Sangha members Elizabeth Hellard (below) and Tom Gaillard (left) joined more than 30 others in May for work days at Aryaloka

page 15aryalokaorg

Kay Jones now Samatara was sent off to be ordained in March by her newly formed womenrsquos chapter (left to right front) Tejavani Samatara Varada and (standing left to right) Shuddhabha and Vara-suri

Karunadevi (back right) from San Francisco led a womenrsquos practice day with (left to right front) Varasuri Kelley Willett Kathleen Sta-chowski Amy Engkjer Ashly Roberts and (left to right back row) Annette Puttkammer LeAnne McDonald Cynthia Stary Varada Tejavani and Carol Matthews

ROCKY MOUNTAIN SANGHA(MISSOULA MT)

We are pleased that two new Order member chapters have been established in Missoula Beginning in December 2015 a mixed chap-ter began meeting weekly and has continued with steady attendance and enthusiasm Members are Abhayanaga Karunakara Saramati Sarananda Sthiradasa and Varasuri A newly-formed womenrsquos chapter be-gan meeting in January this year We have met every other week by Skype because of the distances between us Montana isnrsquot called big sky country

for nothing The chapter has man-aged also a few in-person meetings on some weekends Itrsquos been great that all four Dharmacharinis in west-ern Montana can attend this chapter Shuddhabha Tejavani Varada and Varasuri We look forward to having our newest Dharmacharini Samatara ex-Kay Jones join us this summer We gave Kay a send-off to Akashavana the womenrsquos ordination retreat center in the mountains above Valderro-bres Spain at the end of March and are holding a place for her when she returns

During the second week of May the Rocky Mountain Buddhist Center

hosted a visit by Karunadevi and Tara-prabha Karunadevi led the Wednes-day Sangha night with a discussion of the Brahma Viharas She also led a womenrsquos practice day with 12 women in attendance on the theme of spiri-tual friendship ndash a lovely lively event Karunadevi and Taraprabha then joined the other Dharmacharinis for a womenrsquos Order meeting Everyone ap-preciated having these two wonderful women visit our Sangha

mdash Dh Varasuri

sangha notes

page 16 aryalokaorg

The annual spring Triratna retreat was held in early May at Samish Island Camp in Washington Organized by the Vancouver Sangha with some help from the Seattle Sangha the retreat was attended by people from Seattle Vancouver Island San Fran-cisco and Tacoma More than half of the 40 attendees were from Vancou-ver The location was picked for its beauty centrality and affordability The retreat ― ldquoFour Reminders A Tiny Splash of a Raindroprdquo ― was led by Order member Nagapriya

The following are reflections from Seattle Sangha member Gary Derry who attended the retreat

Our human birth is preciousI wasted time now time wastes

me Cultivate a sense of blessedness as you use your three conditions of opportunity capacity and motiva-tion How can I make the most of my favorable conditions How can I bring more gratitude into my life

As our small group met outside to discuss these questions several owls carried on their own conversations in the nearby trees After a refreshing day of sits small group discussions and delicious food we went into silence after our evening meal We walked along the bay draped in the pink orange of sunset in twilight I reflected on living in gratitude rather than moaning over my struggles

Death and impermanenceNever be too overjoyed when

someone arrives nor too distressed when someone leaves It is challeng-ing to let go of our attachments to the future If this is our last time together all I want is to be present Rejoice in personal merits Hold them lightly Embrace death as part of the karmic rebirth process

While rediscovering the labyrinth I noticed swallows squeakily vie for a place to rest in three nests at the apex of the roof outside the shrine building I love you and one day you

and I will dieKarma and consequences

I have the significant responsibility of always being between inheriting the consequences from my past ac-tions and creating my future Be care-ful about the stories I reinforce Own my part In the middle of the night an owl announced my comings and goings with one hoot for each time I went outdoors Can I see how my past actions have created my current life What kind of legacy do I want to leave behind in this lifetime

The limitations of samsaraSamsara is the opportunity Suffer-

ing is the beginning of the real path We live in samsara ndash the wheel of the wholeness of life Recognize and accept the stories I create Create a space between an event and the sto-ries I create about the event Watch how I tend to find fault with others and myself How do I create my own suffering I have a choice

As I rowed a canoe on the brackish lake blue herons flew overhead on their way to their rookery I smelled the fresh air and felt the breeze on my cheeks On shore people swam and others sunbathed Radiate love and place your heart on the Dharma remembering that others suffer just as I do In my heart I wished ldquoMay we be happy may we be well and may we be free of sufferingrdquo

mdash Gary Derry Paramita Banerjee with edits by Reg Johanson

TRIRATNA VANCOUVER(VANCOUVER BC)

SAN FRANCISCO SANGHA(SAN FRANCISCO CA)

Spring brought more sunny after-noons to San Francisco a pattern that lasted until the summer fog started rolling in The construction on Bartlett Street ndash where the San Francisco Bud-dhist Centre is located ndash is complete and the street is open to traffic again

Down the street from the center is the San Francisco Police Depart-mentrsquos Mission Station where activists camped out and fasted for 17 days in April and May to bring attention to patterns of police brutality in San Franciscorsquos communities of color This peaceful protest raised awareness of institutionalized racism already on many minds due to policecommunity dynamics around the country and the climate of intolerance fostered on a national level by the rhetoric used in the presidential race

The center hosted a Sangha night series in May on ldquoTransforming Intolerance and Racism Training our Hearts and Mindsrdquo The series was intended for anyone interested in us-ing Dharma training tools to respond creatively to the persistent problem of racism including rising Islamophobia in our world

- SF Sangha continued on page 18

sangha notes

The annual spring Triratna retreat was held in May on Samish Island in Washington State

page 17aryalokaorg

The Triratna New York Sangha has been my spiritual home for more than eight years and I am happy to provide an update from us for the Vajra Bell

In late March the New York Sangha took a major step forward its council decided to sponsor and hold a spring retreat More than two dozen of us gathered at The Grail a Jesuit wom-enrsquos retreat center in the Hudson Valley just an hour north of New York City for an inspiring weekend of med-itation study and fellowship

This was the first time we have organized a retreat of our own at a retreat center and enlisted the other Northeast Triratna sanghas for sup-port The weekend brought together Triratna members from New York New Jersey Maine Massachusetts New Hampshire and Vermont includ-ing several members who do not have the benefit of a local sangha and were particularly happy for the opportunity to participate in our community

The theme was ldquoLove meets Wis-dom Compassion Impermanence and Insightrdquo The retreat was led by Kamalashila an Order member from the UK and one of our movementrsquos most experienced meditation teach-

ers along with Order member Amala from Aryaloka in New Hampshire another experienced meditation teacher

One highlight was some amaz-ing chanting led by Amala who also taught several sessions Many of us enjoyed a trip across the Hudson by ferry as one leg of our journey to the retreat What a great way to get things started The Grail itself is a fantastic place for a retreat a classic Victorian estate house with plenty of bedrooms and bathrooms an expansive proper-ty and a stone labyrinth whose spiral path is designed to foster contempla-tion and insight

Having made the long trek to Ary-aloka many times in the past it was our pleasure to be able to reciprocate and offer hospitality to our many friends Special thanks to Savanna Jo Luraschi for organizing the retreat Of course it took a village so thanks also to Padmadharini and Singhatara for all the wonderful food Josh Heath for serving as shrine keeper Gary Baker for coordinating transportation Vajra-mati for handling publicity and Alyssa Fradenberg and Liesl Glover for helping with preorganization support along with many others including Jon Aaron and Elaine Smith

In other NY news we are continuing

NEW YORK SANGHA(NEW YORK CITY NY)

to slowly build our sangharsquos founda-tion of leadership Padmadharini an Order member originally from the UK who has been with us for about two years has provided a wonderful supplement to Vajramatirsquos long-time leadership Samayasri joined us earlier this year and has led some insightful Sangha night teachings In September New Zealander Tejopala will be joining us

We started a weekly drop-in med-itation class for beginners and are launching a training program to en-able mitras and other sangha mem-bers to lead the group At the main Sangha night we have enjoyed many inspired teachings from our leaders and visiting Order members as well as programs developed by other sangha members including Savanna and Alyssa Josh always brings amaz-ing creativity and spirituality to our shrines which he sometimes pulls together beautifully in just a few short minutes

If you are in New York City on a Tuesday night come visit us or if you have friends in the Big Apple that could benefit from our spiritual com-munity send them our way We are online at triratna-nycorg

mdash Gary Baker

PORTSMOUTH BUDDHIST CENTER(PORTSMOUTH NH)

Recently Candradasa became co-chair of the Portsmouth Buddhist Center supporting Suddhayu who has taken on a demanding new job These two Dharmacharis are long-time friends and will be a dynamic duo at our council helm

New program offerings will build both our Sangha and our connec-tion to the Portsmouth community The Sunday morning meditation has expanded into a more substantial community gathering and is our main event of the week Join us from 10 am till noon any Sunday

A weekly level two Buddhism class led by Narottama and Khemavassika has gelled into a lively group in recent

Order members Suddhayu (left) and Candradasa recently became co-chairs of the Portsmouth Buddhist Center

weeks offering a bridge for newcom-ers to get more involved with the Sangha We also will launch a series of occasional Buddhism and the Arts events this summer These will take place in a studio at Portsmouthrsquos But-ton Factory giving people a chance to bring their creative side into their Dharma practice Details of the pro-gram can be found online at TheBud-dhistCentrecomPortsmouth

Candradasa and Rijupatha are leading weekly meditation classes at the Portsmouth Public Library as part of a collaboration with other local meditation and mindfulness teach-ers Sessions are on Mondays from 6 ndash 645 pm and Wednesday lunch-times 1215 ndash 1 pm

Join the Portsmouth Sangha as part of Triratna on the Seacoast We look forward to seeing new faces and bonding with old friends as the sum-mer progresses

mdash Bettye Pruitt

sangha notes

page 18 aryalokaorg

share We started Saturday with a guid-

ed Metta Bhavana meditation We followed that practice with further analysis of the Five Spiritual Faculties We discussed vigor the energy that motivates our practice Although we chose many different words to describe it the theme was the same vigor fuels our practice

We then changed gears and gave Susan DiPietro the floor The men were eager to hear about her recent trip to Nepal She shared pictures and highlights of her journey The men were moved when she told them she made a dedication to the Concord Sangha at Everest Base Camp as an expression of her devotion to the Sangha and a tribute to the men who share her spiritual journey

After lunch we picked up the dis-cussion of the remaining faculties Concentration was introduced as the counterpart to vigor With meditation we quiet the mind by reducing dis-tractions and narrow the focus of our

The Khanti Outreach Sangha Re-treat at the Concord State Prison for Men in New Hampshire was held in late April The theme was ldquoThe Five Spiritual Facultiesrdquo

The retreat opened Friday night with the refuges and precepts We reflected on our intentions for the retreat and meditated The Dharma study started with discussion about the faith we establish in ourselves and our practice We discussed the belief that this path is the right one and that our investment in it will lead to the elimination of suffering and ultimately enlightenment

We discussed wisdom as the coun-terbalance to faith The pursuit of wisdom opens a window into seeing reality and allows us to increase our understanding of life its purpose and how our conduct shapes that reality It was a rich dialogue and as always the men embraced the opportunity to

CONCORD SANGHA(CONCORD NH)

attention typically to the breath We work to hold this state for increasing amounts of time Concentration al-lows us to focus the boundless energy of the mind

We then put our knowledge of concentration and mindfulness into practice One of the men taught the basics of Origami as a way to exer-cise mindfulness He led us through the creation of a swan and a frog Watching this group work together to fold paper into a sculpture was a testament to the richness contained in each moment

We concluded the retreat with a round of reflection and gratitude and the recitation of the refuges and precepts

If you are interested in attending a retreat please contact Khema-vassika or Satyada There are two more retreats scheduled for this year ― July 22ndash23 and October 20ndash21 Friday sessions begin at 630 pm and Saturdays at 830 am

mdash Mike Mappes

sangha notes

The series was well attended and brought newcomers to the center Order member Viveka led medita-tions each evening that were followed by impressive teachings from guest speakers on breaking down and clarifying what is meant by racism the different ways it expresses itself and how we all find ourselves in places of privilege and disadvantage

In June a series of activites were of-fered for Buddhist Action Month the Triratna-wide invitation to get involved in practical actions to express our care and concern for the planet its people and other beings that inhabit it Activities include an evening on the ethics of housing and talks by Sangha members engaged in various forms of activism Among other things we will look at the psychological dilemma of feeling disempowered by the mass scale of suffering in the world and managing our internal dynamics as part of a process of engaging

The centerrsquos land in Lake County is once again available for retreats and individual rentals A ldquoBeginnerrsquos Mindrdquo weekend retreat in early June was scheduled along with a week-long summer immersion retreat led by Parmananda on the ldquoAlchemical Heartrdquo in mid-July

mdash Mary Salome

The Start of a Young Sangha In the summer of 2014 a bit over-

whelmed by from the San Francisco hustle and bustle a few young mitra friends met at a bar Sharing un-certainty about careers we all were pondering a similar question ldquoHow can I align my livelihood with my true and deeper intentionsrdquo

From those initial get-togethers we saw the potential for group discus-sion and support among millennials facing similar questions and with lives marked by transitions Right livelihood was only one facet of living in our modern culture All the choices we make in society have an impact on

us and the wider world What about consumerism awareness of the envi-ronment our fears discovering paths that lead to more freedom and even online dating

This was the start of our Young Sangha group We opened it up to the larger Sangha by formally creating a half-day retreat on the first Saturday of every month Each retreat day has a friendly and inclusive space with a mix of group discussion meditation and sharing of personal experiences The gatherings have been a way to check in on personal intentions and have been a heartfelt ongoing sup-port for all the organizers

For future events we are excited to get involved with Buddhist Action Month try outdoor practice and expand to other creative and playful events We look forward to more mitras taking a lead role as our core group expands

mdash Brad Schwagler

- SF Sangha continued from page 16

page 19aryalokaorg

by Bettye Pruitt

The Button Factory is a big red brick industrial building in Portsmouth NH that houses artistsrsquo studios Narottama

welcomed me into Studio 321 a cluttered space on the third floor where he lives and creates a couple of days a week In December last year I came to the holiday open studios at The Button Factory and had admired the beautiful whale and other figures

Narottama had carved out of drift-wood At a more recent meeting in his studio he had a painting-in-progress on an easel ndash a landscape with dark blue mountains in the background ndash and a well-used copy of In the Bud-dharsquos Words on the table nearby

Connecting with Triratna

Triratna came to Bill Horton at a time of crisis In 1991 while working on a construction site he fell from a ladder and broke his leg in two places ldquoAt that time I had six children and a farm with 30 cows and we were raising 30 acres of organic vegetables I found myself going from 150 miles per hour every day to a dead stop in a recliner with a cast on my legrdquo

At the time there were only 600 Triratna Order Members in the world (today there are more than 2000) and one of them lived a mile and a half from Billrsquos house in Maine ldquoI knew this person but I didnrsquot know anything about the Order or anything He came over and visited and said lsquoIrsquom starting a meditation class in Belfast would you like to comersquo I said lsquoYes as soon as I can walkrsquordquo

The Order member was Dayarat-na ldquoI still feel a very strong sense of appreciation and gratitude for that connection on many different levels one being that he taught me the Mindfulness of Breathing and showed me that yes you can slow your mind downrdquo Narottama recalled his state of mind at that time ldquoYou reach a sort of a crisis in your life and say lsquoIs this all there is There must be something morersquordquo

The quest for more led him deep-er into meditation the Dharma and

Triratna He became a mitra in 1994 and in a few years began teaching classes in the Belfast sangha after Dayaratna returned to Cambridge UK At times he drove well over two hours each way from Maine to New Hampshire to attend mitra classes at Aryaloka

ldquoI didnrsquot do that very often but there was a very strong desire to experi-ence community approach the truth wake up whatever you want to call it Along the way there were a lot of people who were very helpful and Irsquom here today because of those connec-tionsrdquo

Experience of ordinationBill Horton became Narottama at

Guhyaloka in southeastern Spain in 2007 ldquoSo I was a mitra for 12 years Whoever was in charge probably figured I was going to be too old if they didnrsquot ordain me and just said lsquoWersquod better get this guy donersquordquo In fact at one point he had become

sangha connectionsConversations with Triratna Order Members

Dh Narottama Supporting Others in a Helpful Mindful Way With No Expectations

Narottama lives and creates a few days a week in Studio 321 in The Button Factory in Portsmouth NH

Writerrsquos Note I proposed writing a series of profiles of Triratna Order members for the Vajra Bell because it allows me to do two things in my work that I most enjoy interviewing people about their lives and careers and supporting ndash in my professional jargon ndash a ldquoglobal learning commu-nityrdquo The glue holding together a network as far-flung as Triratna is stronger when people have a sense of whorsquos out there and can imagine them as they go about their lives Moreover as a mitra who has asked for ordination I naturally am curi-ous about the group I am joining and the experiences of those who have gone before me This is the first in a series of interviews with Order members on three broad topics their first encounter with Triratna the changes they experienced with ordination and their practice now My first subject Narottama is someone I see frequently around the Portsmouth Buddhist Center and am able to speak to in person I found our conversation inspiring I hope you will too

- Connections continued on page 20

page 20 aryalokaorg

frustrated with the ordination pro-cess and even considered dropping out Someone suggested he think more about helping other people get ordained and less about his own process That proved to be helpful advice which he has carried forward as an Order member His Sanskrit name Narottama means a man who is upright capable and dependable in the Dharma

Narottama was in Spain for more than four months ndash a significant go-ing-forth in itself He had three teen-aged children still at home a business to run and no extra money ldquoSo how do you leave for four months The rational logical side said lsquoYou donrsquotrsquo And when I talked to people in my family they said lsquoYou donrsquotrsquordquo

Reflecting on that experience he realized that it ldquosort of touches on the Dharma niyama I donrsquot want to reify anything or make the abstract con-creterdquo he said ldquoBut when I commit-ted when I made the decision that I was going to go to Spain and stopped the internal conflict it just opened up It was like the doors opened and there were helping hands ndash these invisible helping hands I donrsquot want to be mysterious and strange about it but it was almost as if someone said lsquoLet go and just go with itrsquo Oh what a powerful experience that wasrdquo

The friendships that developed over the four months were ldquoincredibly powerful Irsquom still in contact with a lot of those men and in different ways Itrsquos not just a text a phone call and an email You can connect with people internally and wish them well and I think thatrsquos also a meaningful form of contactrdquo

In a way Narottama said ldquoItrsquos a question of whatrsquos really pulling you along And when you allow that ex-pression to come out it starts moving into the realm of spiritual energy which is in everything all the time We kind of screw it up because we put labels on this pull or energy and try to

understand it The intellect gets in the wayrdquo But in the case of the synchro-nicity surrounding his ordination he said ldquoI think it was a very strong reminder that there are things going on that we donrsquot necessarily need to know about from the intellectrdquo

How did ordination change him ldquoWhat changed for me in ordination is still happeningrdquo he said ldquoItrsquos not so much an event as a process I think ordination has just given me recogni-tion that what Irsquom doing is meaningful has merit and is worthy And to be recognized as such gives it validity permission almost Thatrsquos both an in-ternal and an external component in that At some point whatrsquos happening inside manifests itself outside Things are just flowing in a certain wayrdquo

The work of an Order member Narottama said is to ldquocontinually lessen your ego clinging Thatrsquos going to take place internally as well as in classes and everywhere else And there sure as heck is a lot of opportu-nity to lessen the ego It comes up all the timerdquo

Current practice mindfulness and metta

Narottamarsquos practices these days focus on basic mindfulness and metta ldquoIrsquove realized recently that a lot of us talk about compassion and compas-sion is conditionalrdquo he said ldquoThere are certain things that have to be in place for compassion to arise If Irsquom

not feeling a sense of metta when I run into someone whorsquos suffering therersquos no room for compassion to arise So I have to keep it mindful keep it positive and be open and curious about whatrsquos nextrdquo

Being open to whatrsquos next is a practice in itself ldquoIrsquom moving towards zerordquo he said ldquoI donrsquot want to know I donrsquot need to know I donrsquot need to figure everything out Itrsquos just whatrsquos the next step the next thing to do while trying as much as possible to experience as clearly as possible whatrsquos going on paying more atten-tion to the raw data and not the in-terpretation the narrative that we tell ourselves Thatrsquos what wersquore caught up in It can be useful but it can also be a wicked hindrancerdquo

More than anything Narottama fo-cuses on ldquojust participating in liferdquo and supporting others in doing the same About a year ago his son died of cancer Now he takes his three-year-old grandson to the library one day a week finding pleasure in helping the boy get over his shyness and fear of new situations

ldquoIf you can help another human being navigate this challenging world that wersquore in help them build con-fidence in themselves and listen to their own heart not what other peo-ple are telling them ndash within reason ndash I think thatrsquos one of the best gifts you can pass on to people We all need it

- Connections continued from page 19

If I start to worry about a finished product Irsquom going to ruin it Itrsquos like the spiritual life in general you have a direction and herersquos the canvas What are you going to do with it and wherersquos it going to go

sangha connections

page 21aryalokaorg

in some wayrdquoNarottama is a mainstay of the class

offerings at the Portsmouth Bud-dhist Center He also teaches at the Nagaloka Buddhist Center in Portland ME and participates in the menrsquos ordination trainings at Aryaloka He doesnrsquot think of himself as a teacher though and prefers to be thought of as ldquohostingrdquo

Recently he signed up to cook at the menrsquos ordination training retreat next summer still following that advice about helping others get or-dained ldquoTo me the richest experience in life is being involved in other peo-plersquos worlds ndash my 98-year-old mother my three-year-old grandson intro classes whatever it is ndash just being engaged in a helpful mindful way Not expecting anything back It sounds all altruistic and warm and fuzzy but I get a hell of a lot out of itrdquo For Narottama these connections are what keep it all together

Down the rabbit hole of artSince attending a retreat at

Adhisthana in England ldquoBeauty Eros and the Spiritual Liferdquo led by Subhuti in May 2014 Narottamarsquos quest to lessen ego clinging ldquomoved into the realm of seeing beauty everywhererdquo For him beauty has become ldquoanother avenue into seeing reality If you can step away and stop judging and com-paring and all of thatrdquo he said ldquoyou can enter into the realm of seeing conditioned existence and by seeing that you are participating in beauty with a capital B Then that opens up into creativity and where can you express that ndash in a conversation in a class in a painting in a poem and everywhererdquo

Part of being in the Order Narotta-ma says is being encouraged to be oneself ldquoOften when wersquore ordained we think lsquoOh Irsquom doing it for these reasonsrsquo But therersquos always some deeper level to be explored And this way of creativity and seeing beauty is really a path to waking uprdquo

Buddhaworksthe aryaloka bookstore

Your support brightens Aryalokarsquos futureBuddhaworks is located at the Aryaloka Buddhist Center

The bookstore is geared up for the summer

You will findA nice selection of cotton medita-

tion shawls and cotton Om scarves in lovely colors

A silver and turquoise pendant with matching earrings in the jew-elry section that can be purchased as a set or separately The jewelry section also has both neck and adjustable wrist skull malas adjust-able copper Om Mani Padme Hum rings and one spinning Om Mani Padme Hum ring

A supply of Nag Champa incense and several sweet Jizos for your home or garden

A fresh selection of cards with photography by Bodhana and art-

work by Eric EbbesonSeveral additional book titles in

the used book section If you plan to weed out your collection of Dhar-ma or poetry books please keep us in mind for donations

A display of the long awaited book of poetry by Kavyadhristi titled Be-coming A Buddhist This is a collec-tion of poems by Kavyadhristi that touch the heart and warm the soulWhen logging in your purchases please indicate the part number for each item you are buying (if avail-able) as this helps us to track what items are selling and what items need to be reordered

ndash by Dh Shantikirika

Bettye Pruitt joined the Triratna community through the Portsmouth Buddhist Center in 2011 She became a mitra in 2012 and asked for ordination in 2013

For example he suggested one can approach each day creatively whatev-er it entails ldquoYou can paint it with dark moody colors or bright shiny colors or boring colors ndash however it is itrsquos up to you And thatrsquos a way of living that really adds a lot more richnessrdquo

I asked if his carving and painting began after the 2014 retreat or had he always done them ldquoItrsquos like coming back to somethingrdquo he said Recently Irsquove fallen into the rabbit hole of art Itrsquos everywhere I was up way too late last night dabbling and I realize itrsquos all just a practice If I start to worry about a finished product Irsquom going to ruin it Itrsquos like the spiritual life in general you have a direction and herersquos the canvas What are you going to do with it and wherersquos it going to go So yoursquore opening yourself up to a higher form of guidance in some way And

your self falls away and you become more open to what there is and let it happen ndash the painting or the conver-sation or whateverrdquo

ldquoItrsquos nice if you were encouraged as a child Narottama said but some-times when yoursquore not encouraged as a child you do it anyway ndash carve your initials in trees and whatnot But itrsquos in everyone and Irsquod like to turn the Button Factory 321 into a space for art What can we do in hererdquo

page 22 aryalokaorg

by Mary SchaeferCo-editor Vajra Bell

In early June I attended a retreat led by Yasho-bodhi an Order member from London I landed at

Aryaloka Friday evening coming off an intense and stressful few weeks As I settled in for the opening dedication in the shrine room my body vibrated while my mind still actively picked through details of the week and work not yet done

In those opening moments Yasho-bodhi invited us to take the weekend to ldquorest your brainrdquo and ldquogive your lit-eral mind a holidayrdquo At that invitation my shoulders dropped slightly and I wanted to ask ldquocan I give my body a rest toordquo But my mind just wanted the details on what steps I needed to take to achieve this brain rest

The retreat theme was ldquoOpening to the Heartrsquos Wisdomrdquo described as an ldquointensive meditation weekend invit-ing the heart to be open and listening deeply to what it is trying to tell us hellipallowing the mysterious process of the bodhichitta to manifest in our experiencerdquo

ldquoHow ambitiousrdquo Yashobodhi said warning us that there are no short cuts to wisdom

Try as I might particularly in our western mind-centric world I canrsquot think or study my way to wisdom I instead ndash as Yashobodhi suggested ndash need to create the conditions for wisdom to arise It requires space and spaciousness in my life so that I can open my heart for listening deeply and allowing wisdom to show itself

As I started to rest my brain my body followed suit I then started to become keenly aware of how tired my body and brain were with all the effort they were putting forth in the world Not the conditions of space and spaciousness If wisdom was there no way was I going to hear it with all that clutter and clatter

from the editors

Opening to the heartrsquos wisdom does not require effort Yashobodhi said Our minds are always so busy She likened our careening thoughts to a bull in a china shop and we often bring that busyness and effort to the cushion

Keep a light touch in your medi-tation she encouraged Open the space Breathe in the world ndash whatev-er you are experiencing ndash and breathe out your influence on the world And may that influence be light easy and kind Play donrsquot plow your way through meditation she said

As I breathed in and breathed out listening to her quiet thoughtful guid-ance my mind and body eased Make the space No effort How simple (how hard) is that I felt lighter more cre-ative and playful

The retreat was an important reminder with a large dose of per-mission to take time to just sit and breathe and give the mind a holiday Go light on the effort Meditation is not something on my to-do list to be worked at under the heading ldquothings to do to be a better Buddhistrdquo It is an invitation to breathe in and breathe out watch listen deeply and wait Only then can I open to my heartrsquos wisdom

Deepening FriendshipIn 2010 I asked for ordination into

the Triratna Buddhist Order These past few years I have been on a path of deepening commitment to the Buddha deepening practice of the Dharma and deepening friendships within the Sangha In May surround-ed by my fellow mitra sisters in the Dharma I took another step to deepen my friendships In a sweet and affirming ceremony with Amala Khemavassika and Lilasiddhi became my Kalyana Mitras (KM) ndash a term that means beautiful friend

Spiritual friendship said the Bud-dha is the whole of the spiritual life and that is particularly true in the Triratna Buddhist Community with the emphasis on Sangha and friendship

Amala as a private preceptor led the kalyana mitra (KM) ceremony at Nagoloka in Portland ME where Khemavassika and Lilasiddhi became Mary Schaeferrsquos spiritual friends

Making Space You Canrsquot Think Your Way to Wisdomfrom the editors

page 23aryalokaorg

from the editors

by David WattCo-editor Vajra Bell

Four times a year we have the privilege of publishing the Vajra Bell and I have the opportu-

nity to write in this space I generally reflect on the quality of the writing we receive and the joy and comfort I ex-perience at Aryaloka While this issue is filled with wonderful essays articles and poetry (please read them) world events have drawn my attention to why I practice in the first place

Several years ago after the Sandy Hook massacre Shrijnana led a sim-ple memorial ceremony in the shrine room She placed the large gong in the center of the dome and rang it 27 times ndash once for each of those killed We then meditated As I meditated on compassion I was engulfed by sor-row Soon I was choking back sobs I stayed until everyone left so that I could weep openly In the wake of the recent tragedy in Orlando I had a similar experience while meditating

The idea that one man acting out of his own anger and despair could destroy so many beautiful lives is disturbing enough but the reality of it again opened up a well of sorrow

Trying to develop wisdom in the face of these tragedies that strike so close to home ndash not to mention the countless other daily tragedies in the world ndash I can feel like Irsquom living in denial How is it possible to reconcile the anger I feel with the desire to be compassionate to all beings How is it possible to believe that my practice and what little acts of generosity I and my fellow practitioners do can some-how blunt the momentum of the evil that exists

If I have learned anything from the Dharma it is to take a long expansive view The suffering of the victims and their families and those who grieve with them will diminish and transform over time Acting with compassion we can help with that process Those who were killed did not live in vain Our world and our lives are richer because they were here If we act

skillfully we can help the world learn to celebrate the gay community and by extension ourselves We can celebrate their courage and vitality and realize that maybe we have those qualities too

One realization I had during these experiences of sorrow is that I tend to use anger to avoid sadness because sadness is so much more painful Just as aversion is a hindrance in medita-tion it is also a hindrance in life Using anger to avoid sadness means that I also avoid the skillful states that can arise as it passes ndash appreciation for the good things in life opportunities for reconciliation and acceptance of the path forward

The Dharma teaches me to value if not love these moments of sorrow These are moments for transfor-mation not despair Sorrow is not permanent It is a gateway to action compassion and joy

Sorrow Gateway to Action Compassion Joy

page 24 aryalokaorg

board notesby Barry Timmerman

In May the Aryaloka Board of Directors and the Spiritual Vitality Council held their annual joint meeting an oppor-

tunity to review our progress and our shared mission Each entity reported on initiatives progress challenges and a shared vision for the future of Aryaloka

The board shared specifics on a variety of projects

The Stupa Landscaping PlanWe will need to raise funds for

major landscaping around the stupa but in the meantime we will continue to groom the stupa area and begin to plant flowers in strategic areas

The Memorial GardenDuring the work weekend much

progress was made on designating and clearing an area for a memorial garden a lovely area just off the trail

to the right of the stupa There is a grove of trees and in the center a large glacial boulder serves as the focal point of the garden Venera Gattonini a skilled craftsperson is working on designs to hold Ayake-marsquos ashes There will eventually be benches in the area for meditation and reflection

The July to December Programming

The Aryaloka events calendar for the second half of 2016 is nearly finalized We have a full schedule of workshops and retreats of varying lengths as well as days scheduled to celebrate Buddhist events that are acknowledged all over the world

The Friends of AryalokaThis program is intended to create

more connections in the community and for people to learn more about us We have a registration form in the works

Sangha CareThe development of this kula is

moving along nicely Rack cards and flyers are ready to be printed and the process of interviewing and selecting volunteers is under way We also will be providing training for volunteers

PledgingWe are reaching out to current

pledgers to ask for an increase in their commitments and to encourage those who have not yet pledged to do so A generous Sangha member will match any and all pledge increases

All board minutes are available for review on the bulletin board down-stairs at Aryaloka Feel free to speak with any board member about ideas or concerns It is a gift to have the opportunity to be exposed to the Dharma and to have such an empha-sis on Sangha

by Dh Khemavassika

Aryalokarsquos Spiritual Vitality Council (SVC) meets monthly to review all aspects of the cen-ters efforts to provide

for the spiritual needs of our commu-nity Members are Amala (co-chair) Vidhuma (co-chair) Dayalocana Surakshita Khemavassika Arjava and Shrijnana who recently joined our group

Our crowning achievement over the past few months was the updating of A Vision for Aryaloka that was drafted several years ago to guide the work of the board and the SVC This document describes what Aryaloka will look like in five years and the goals the center hopes to achieve by the end of that time The vision looks

spirituality vitality councilat all aspects of our operation from facilities to the ideal composition of our Sangha Aryalokarsquos Board of Directors will review and add to the document

The council reviewed ways in which it can promote cooperation with other Triratna centers in the area partic-ularly Boston Portland and Ports-mouth Coordinating programs with other centers will prevent scheduling conflicts and allow for greater sharing of teaching resources We also re-viewed the possibility of working with other centers to share in the celebra-tion of festival days

The council created procedures to address concerns about teachers that may come from sangha members We reviewed the program for the second half of the year to ensure that we have a balanced program for mem-bers at all levels

page 25aryalokaorg

Thoughts on Nowby Leslie Myers Strong

We all have a limited number of trips around the sun At the end of our last trip we become a body in a box under six feet of earthor a bag of ash for loved ones to scatter

I will be no differentThis I cannot changeNo one has survived this realm we call life

But now Now as I sit in solitude by the windowbathed in midwinter lightmy cat by my side ndash I hear a dove cooa neighbor slicing my quiet with his gunI see the snow sparkle in the lightNow is infinite in possibility

Now is peaceNow is pain freeNow is the chickadee practicing his spring songgiving the blue jay permission to join in

Now is worry freeNow is filled with reflection and gratitude for all the ldquonowsrdquothat have guided me to this moment this now

Now is malleableNow can and will change in a breath

Kyoto Pilgrim Momentsby Neil Harvey

This body andthoughtbrush the radiant momentin empty spaceA snap shot in ink

Heaven to Eartha man sweeps the rockswith dry twigs

Pink petals rain on the pathPure Land chantersarch toward the after heavenwhile Zen men open-eyeddare the cosmos to inform this umeboshi plum in an ochre dish

Away beyond the branchesthe voices of children chirplike a flock of ecstatic birds in a fruit filled tree

Dripping cedars anointed with rope the worship of fox and dragonrice and water tea

From across the ancient gardenthe bamboo water dipper goes clack

Three turtles wearing mud coatssunon a ledge shelfmoored to the edge of the temple pondA grandmother carp glides paststirs the surface and disappears

We snap photosHappy to brush this radiant momentin empty space

poetry corner

photo Neil Harvey

page 26 aryalokaorg

July 21 mdash 26Summer Stillness

Meditation Retreat Led by Dh Amala

Several days of stillness silence and meditation can be an important means to deeper understanding of ourselves and the Dharma Through reading and study classes and par-ticipation in sangha life the Buddhist way of life gradually permeates Retreat time helps our learning soak through to our core so that we are more consistently and fully expressing kindness and wisdom in our lives

On this retreat we will have sev-eral formal meditation sessions each day including the practice of Mind-fulness of Breathing Metta Bhavana open formless meditations and walk-

ing meditation There will also be time during the day for personal contem-plation yoga practice or deep rest

Over the course of five days there will be one or two optional private meditation reviews for each partici-pant

There will also be optional small-group check-ins twice during the re-treat for those who find sharing their experience helps them to be con-scious of the patterns and processes they are experiencing

We will hear short poems of inspiration and will have chanting of mantras andor offering of puja as we find them helpful

We will be in silence for the du-ration of the retreat apart from these supportive sessions

In silence we can hear our inner

voice more clearly In stillness we can see the ripples of our patterns and re-activity more distinctly In meditation we can see ourselves holding on and letting go In the simplicity of retreat we can set aside commitments and activities we can let go of whatever hinders our way to peace and happi-ness and wisdom

Enjoy sitting in the shrine room with the sounds of summer birds and insects Discover the freedom of letting go into silence and stillness within and all around

This retreat is open to those with some meditation experience Introductory meditation instruction is not offered on this retreat however guidance and support are available through the small group sharing ses-sions and the one-to-one reviews

upcoming retreats

In yoga we seek to find suitable grounding and remain aware of the transitions we make through shift-ing poses all the while keeping the breath alive and vital in our prac-tice So too in meditation we must stay grounded while being open to our changing experience perhaps anchored by the sensations of the

July 29 mdash 31Yoga and Meditation Retreat

Led by Molly SchlangenDh Satyada

breath For this weekend retreat we will blend the approaches of yoga and meditation to reach a deeper expres-sion of each All the while cultivating both inner and outer awareness

The retreat leaders Molly Sch-langen and Satyada appreciate the chance to work together to bring these opportunities for the integra-tion of mind and body to the commu-nity Please join us for this rejuvenat-ing weekend

On this weekend retreat we will be exploring the practice of Noble Silence ndash stillness of body speech and mind ndash and learning how to bring stillness into our daily lives If you are considering attending a longer multi-day Noble Silence retreat this event would be an excellent introduction It will give you an idea of what to expect on the longer retreat and also what you may encounter as you go deeper within your practice

The Noble Silence retreats are open to people who have already learned

the mindfulness of breathing and Metta Bhavana or other meditation practices Those brand new to med-itation are recommended to attend our Living with Mindfulness weekend retreat or our Introduction to Medi-tation workshops and classes before registering for a Noble Silence retreat

This retreat will be led by Bodha-na and Lilasiddhi members of the Triratna Buddhist Order who have led several Noble Silence retreats at Aryaloka Simple vegetarian food will be served

August 25 mdash 28Introduction to Noble Silence

Weekend RetreatLed by Dh Bodhana

Dh Lilasiddhi

page 27aryalokaorg

upcoming day events and classes

With yoga and meditation we can cultivate a beautiful tranquility in the body and heart We will explore how each practice enriches the other contributing to a sustained calm that can change the way we live and our perception of the world around us

Suitable both for beginners and experienced practitioners we will learn the ancient Buddhist meditation practice of mindfulness of breathing and the subtlety of practicing Ashtan-ga Yoga focusing on pranayama the Ashtanga asana sequence modifica-tions and a period of learning about adjustments ndash both personal and hands on There will be several ses-sions of each practice throughout the day with plenty of breaks and time for discussion

September 23 mdash 25Sublime Composure Yoga and

Meditation RetreatLed by Lona Kovacs

Dh Suddhayu

upcoming retreats

Saturday August 20900 am ndash 600 pm

On these six Wednesday evenings we will learn traditional Buddhist meditations and also explore basic Buddhist teachings

The three basic meditation forms taught will include the Mindfulness of Breathing the Metta Bhavana or de-velopment of loving-kindness medi-tation and walking meditation These forms have been found to be sup-portive and helpful to most every-one by helping us to focus to become more at ease to know our own minds more fully

Buddhist teachings wersquoll explore will include the five ethical precepts the principle of conditionality or inter-connectedness and the Four Noble Truths The course emphasizes how the Buddhist tradition applies to our lives and the world as we know it now

Led by Meditation Teaching Team

Introduction to Meditation and Buddhism

July 6 to August 10Wednesday evenings

700 ndash 900 pmCome and experience a day of quiet

meditation on a long summerrsquos day The Silence and Stillness retreat is a one day retreat dedicated to building a meditation practice We will provide the time and space for growing a meaningful personal practice

This retreat is suitable for all levels although most beneficial for anyone who has taken an introduction to meditation class After the introduc-tory portion of the day we will be in silence with light instruction until the concluding discussion at the end of the day There will be opportuni-ties for individual meditation review meetings in the afternoon Lunch and snacks will be provided

Led by Dh Khemavassika

Silence and Stillness Day Retreat

To register for a retreat day event or a class please visit

aryalokaorgprogramsregistration

page 28 aryalokaorg

upcoming events

ongoing events

keeping sangha connectedspreading the dharma vajrabell

JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER

Information on the upcoming retreats day events and classes are located on pages 26 ndash 27 To register for a retreat please visit aryalokaorgcategoryretreats

MORE DETAILS

Every Tuesday evening 645 ndash 915 pm

bull Led by Dh Amala Dh Arjava and other sangha membersbull Open to allbull Suggested donation $10 per classbull No registration necessary

Typically our Tuesday night activities includebull 645 ndash Gathering tea and an-nouncementsbull 700 ndash Meditation and shrine room activitybull 745 ndash Study discussion or a talk on the eveningrsquos topicbull 915 ndash End

Friendsrsquo Night at Aryaloka

With these activities you are free to participate or to just sit and listen Nothing is compulsory If you have any questions please ask

Open Meditation Practice

Are you looking for more opportunities to meditate with others or for help maintaining a regular meditation practice Join us on Monday Tuesday and Thursday mornings for open meditation sessions followed by time for discussion Everyone is welcome to attend Some guidance will be provided for those new to meditation The open medita-tion sessions will not be held when retreats are in session There is no fee for these sessions but donations are appreciated

No registration required

Monday Morning Sessions7 ndash 8 am and 830 ndash 1030 am

Tuesday and Thursday Sessions9 am ndash 1000 am

16 Path of Practice The Importance of WisdomLed by Dh Amala

Sat

17 Mindfulness and HealthPresentationLed by Dh Vidhuma

Sun

24 Ancient Wisdom Study Day TeragathaLed by Dh Surakshita

Sun

Yoga and Meditation Retreat Led by Molly Schlangen and Dh Satyada

29 Fri

31 Sunto to

21 Summer Stillness Meditation RetreatLed by Dh Amala

Thu

26to

Tueto

Childrenrsquos SanghaLed by Alisha Roberts

10 Sun

Deepening Practice GroupLed by Dh Amala and Dh Khemavassika

Introduction to MeditationMindfulness of Breathing

09 Sat Introduction to MeditationMetta BhavanaLed by Dh Lilasiddhi

13 Sat


14 Sun


Silence and Stillness Day RetreatLed by Dh Khemavassika

20 Sat

Introduction to NobleSilence RetreatLed by Dh Bodhana and Dh Lilasiddhi

25 Thu

28 Sunto to

Menrsquos Going for Refuge Re-treatLed by Menrsquos Ordination Team

09 Fri

18 Sunto to

Introduction to Meditation 6-week CourseLed by Meditation Teaching Team

21

12

toOct

Wed

Sublime ComposureYoga and Meditation RetreatLed by Lona Kovacs and Dh Suddhayu

23 Fri

25 Sunto to


25 Sun

front cover

contact information

table of contents

arts at aryaloka

path of practice

where love meets wisdom

developing happiness and wisdom

pilgrimage to kyoto

sangha notes

sangha connections

from the editors

spirituality vitality council and board notes

poetry corner

upcoming retreats


back page ndash upcoming and ongoing events

aryalokaorg

vajrabell

Dh Amala (Chair) Dh Vidhuma (Vice Chair)

Dh Arjava Dh Dayalocana

Dh KhemavassikaDh Surakshita

SPIRITUAL VITALITY COUNCIL

CO-EDITOR Mary Schaefer mbschaefercomcastnet

CO-EDITOR David Watt davidwatt1956gmailcom

COPY EDITOR Dh Vihanasari vihanasaricomcastnet

ARTS EDITOR Deb Howard dshoward1aolcom

WRITER Bettye Pruittbettyehpruittgmailcom

DESIGN Callista Cassadycallistacassadygmailcom

VAJRA BELL KULA

Dh Arjava (Chair) Barry Timmerman (Secretary) Elizabeth Hellard (Treasurer)

Dh AmalaDh RijupathaDh ShrijnanaJean CorsonTom Gaillard

Daniel KenneyAlisha Roberts

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Gary Baker New York Sanghagbakerthehackettgroupcom

Paramita Banerjee Vancouver Buddhist Centrebudhisenyahooca

Susan DiPietro Khanti Outreachsusandipietro6gmailcom

Peter Ingraham Aryaloka Buddhist Centerpingalumniunhedu

Sabrina Metivier Nagaloka Buddhist Centersab_mativierhotmailcom

Mary Salome San Francisco Buddhist Centermarycsalomecomcastnet

Samatara Rocky Mountain Buddhist Centerkayljone108gmailcom

Mike Mappes Khante Outreachmmappesyahoocom

SANGHA NOTES CONTRIBUTORS

copy 2016 Aryaloka Buddhist Center

Aryaloka Buddhist Retreat Center14 Heartwood Circle

Newmarket NH 03857603-659-5456

InfoAryalokaorg Aryalokaorg

Dh Shrijnana Executive DirectorVanessa Ruiz Office Manager

Dh Bodhana Kitchen ManagerDh Lilasiddhi Cleaning Coordinator

Dh Rijupatha Web Master and Publicity DesignerDh Shantikirika Buddhaworks Manager

ARYALOKA STAFF

Find us on Facebook facebookcomAryaloka

or on the Aryaloka Facebook GroupfacebookcomgroupsAryalokaSangha

Connect at The Buddhist Centre Online TheBuddhistCentrecomAryaloka

page 3aryalokaorg


Arts at Aryaloka04


09


06



06


12


14


19

From the Editors22


Board Notes

Poetry Corner25

Upcoming Retreats26


27

19

26

12

09


page 4 aryalokaorg

arts at aryaloka









mdash Deb Howard








page 5aryalokaorg










Insight practices








mdash Editors

page 6 aryalokaorg

by Dh Kamalashila












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page 9aryalokaorg

by Dh Amala


















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page 12 aryalokaorg

by Neil Harvey














A Song of Gratitude



photo Neil Harvey

page 13aryalokaorg
















photo Neil Harvey


page 14 aryalokaorg


sangha notes


















mdash Pete Ingraham



page 15aryalokaorg








mdash Dh Varasuri

sangha notes

page 16 aryalokaorg





















sangha notes


page 17aryalokaorg













mdash Gary Baker









mdash Bettye Pruitt

sangha notes

page 18 aryalokaorg













mdash Mike Mappes

sangha notes




mdash Mary Salome









page 19aryalokaorg

by Bettye Pruitt


















page 20 aryalokaorg

















sangha connections

page 21aryalokaorg
























page 22 aryalokaorg









from the editors










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from the editors












page 24 aryalokaorg



















by Dh Khemavassika







page 25aryalokaorg

















poetry corner

photo Neil Harvey

page 26 aryalokaorg














upcoming retreats












Dh Lilasiddhi

page 27aryalokaorg






Dh Suddhayu

upcoming retreats















page 28 aryalokaorg

upcoming events

ongoing events




MORE DETAILS












Sat


Sun


Sun


29 Fri

31 Sunto to


Thu

26to

Tueto


10 Sun




13 Sat


14 Sun



20 Sat


25 Thu

28 Sunto to


09 Fri

18 Sunto to


21

12

toOct

Wed


23 Fri

25 Sunto to


25 Sun

front cover

contact information

table of contents

arts at aryaloka

path of practice



pilgrimage to kyoto

sangha notes

sangha connections

from the editors


poetry corner

upcoming retreats



aryalokaorg


Arts at Aryaloka04


09


06



06


12


14


19

From the Editors22


Board Notes

Poetry Corner25

Upcoming Retreats26


27

19

26

12

09


page 4 aryalokaorg

arts at aryaloka









mdash Deb Howard








page 5aryalokaorg










Insight practices








mdash Editors

page 6 aryalokaorg

by Dh Kamalashila












page 7aryalokaorg





















page 8 aryalokaorg


















page 9aryalokaorg

by Dh Amala


















page 10 aryalokaorg


























page 11aryalokaorg
















page 12 aryalokaorg

by Neil Harvey














A Song of Gratitude



photo Neil Harvey

page 13aryalokaorg
















photo Neil Harvey


page 14 aryalokaorg


sangha notes


















mdash Pete Ingraham



page 15aryalokaorg








mdash Dh Varasuri

sangha notes

page 16 aryalokaorg





















sangha notes


page 17aryalokaorg













mdash Gary Baker









mdash Bettye Pruitt

sangha notes

page 18 aryalokaorg













mdash Mike Mappes

sangha notes




mdash Mary Salome









page 19aryalokaorg

by Bettye Pruitt


















page 20 aryalokaorg

















sangha connections

page 21aryalokaorg
























page 22 aryalokaorg









from the editors










page 23aryalokaorg

from the editors












page 24 aryalokaorg



















by Dh Khemavassika







page 25aryalokaorg

















poetry corner

photo Neil Harvey

page 26 aryalokaorg














upcoming retreats












Dh Lilasiddhi

page 27aryalokaorg






Dh Suddhayu

upcoming retreats















page 28 aryalokaorg

upcoming events

ongoing events




MORE DETAILS












Sat


Sun


Sun


29 Fri

31 Sunto to


Thu

26to

Tueto


10 Sun




13 Sat


14 Sun



20 Sat


25 Thu

28 Sunto to


09 Fri

18 Sunto to


21

12

toOct

Wed


23 Fri

25 Sunto to


25 Sun

front cover

contact information

table of contents

arts at aryaloka

path of practice



pilgrimage to kyoto

sangha notes

sangha connections

from the editors


poetry corner

upcoming retreats



aryalokaorg

arts at aryaloka









mdash Deb Howard








page 5aryalokaorg










Insight practices








mdash Editors

page 6 aryalokaorg

by Dh Kamalashila












page 7aryalokaorg





















page 8 aryalokaorg


















page 9aryalokaorg

by Dh Amala


















page 10 aryalokaorg


























page 11aryalokaorg
















page 12 aryalokaorg

by Neil Harvey














A Song of Gratitude



photo Neil Harvey

page 13aryalokaorg
















photo Neil Harvey


page 14 aryalokaorg


sangha notes


















mdash Pete Ingraham



page 15aryalokaorg








mdash Dh Varasuri

sangha notes

page 16 aryalokaorg





















sangha notes


page 17aryalokaorg













mdash Gary Baker









mdash Bettye Pruitt

sangha notes

page 18 aryalokaorg













mdash Mike Mappes

sangha notes




mdash Mary Salome









page 19aryalokaorg

by Bettye Pruitt


















page 20 aryalokaorg

















sangha connections

page 21aryalokaorg
























page 22 aryalokaorg









from the editors










page 23aryalokaorg

from the editors












page 24 aryalokaorg



















by Dh Khemavassika







page 25aryalokaorg

















poetry corner

photo Neil Harvey

page 26 aryalokaorg














upcoming retreats












Dh Lilasiddhi

page 27aryalokaorg






Dh Suddhayu

upcoming retreats















page 28 aryalokaorg

upcoming events

ongoing events




MORE DETAILS












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front cover

contact information

table of contents

arts at aryaloka

path of practice



pilgrimage to kyoto

sangha notes

sangha connections

from the editors


poetry corner

upcoming retreats



aryalokaorg










Insight practices








mdash Editors

page 6 aryalokaorg

by Dh Kamalashila












page 7aryalokaorg





















page 8 aryalokaorg


















page 9aryalokaorg

by Dh Amala


















page 10 aryalokaorg


























page 11aryalokaorg
















page 12 aryalokaorg

by Neil Harvey














A Song of Gratitude



photo Neil Harvey

page 13aryalokaorg
















photo Neil Harvey


page 14 aryalokaorg


sangha notes


















mdash Pete Ingraham



page 15aryalokaorg








mdash Dh Varasuri

sangha notes

page 16 aryalokaorg





















sangha notes


page 17aryalokaorg













mdash Gary Baker









mdash Bettye Pruitt

sangha notes

page 18 aryalokaorg













mdash Mike Mappes

sangha notes




mdash Mary Salome









page 19aryalokaorg

by Bettye Pruitt


















page 20 aryalokaorg

















sangha connections

page 21aryalokaorg
























page 22 aryalokaorg









from the editors










page 23aryalokaorg

from the editors












page 24 aryalokaorg



















by Dh Khemavassika







page 25aryalokaorg

















poetry corner

photo Neil Harvey

page 26 aryalokaorg














upcoming retreats












Dh Lilasiddhi

page 27aryalokaorg






Dh Suddhayu

upcoming retreats















page 28 aryalokaorg

upcoming events

ongoing events




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front cover

contact information

table of contents

arts at aryaloka

path of practice



pilgrimage to kyoto

sangha notes

sangha connections

from the editors


poetry corner

upcoming retreats



aryalokaorg

by Dh Kamalashila












page 7aryalokaorg





















page 8 aryalokaorg


















page 9aryalokaorg

by Dh Amala


















page 10 aryalokaorg


























page 11aryalokaorg
















page 12 aryalokaorg

by Neil Harvey














A Song of Gratitude



photo Neil Harvey

page 13aryalokaorg
















photo Neil Harvey


page 14 aryalokaorg


sangha notes


















mdash Pete Ingraham



page 15aryalokaorg








mdash Dh Varasuri

sangha notes

page 16 aryalokaorg





















sangha notes


page 17aryalokaorg













mdash Gary Baker









mdash Bettye Pruitt

sangha notes

page 18 aryalokaorg













mdash Mike Mappes

sangha notes




mdash Mary Salome









page 19aryalokaorg

by Bettye Pruitt


















page 20 aryalokaorg

















sangha connections

page 21aryalokaorg
























page 22 aryalokaorg









from the editors










page 23aryalokaorg

from the editors












page 24 aryalokaorg



















by Dh Khemavassika







page 25aryalokaorg

















poetry corner

photo Neil Harvey

page 26 aryalokaorg














upcoming retreats












Dh Lilasiddhi

page 27aryalokaorg






Dh Suddhayu

upcoming retreats















page 28 aryalokaorg

upcoming events

ongoing events




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table of contents

arts at aryaloka

path of practice



pilgrimage to kyoto

sangha notes

sangha connections

from the editors


poetry corner

upcoming retreats



aryalokaorg





















page 8 aryalokaorg


















page 9aryalokaorg

by Dh Amala


















page 10 aryalokaorg


























page 11aryalokaorg
















page 12 aryalokaorg

by Neil Harvey














A Song of Gratitude



photo Neil Harvey

page 13aryalokaorg
















photo Neil Harvey


page 14 aryalokaorg


sangha notes


















mdash Pete Ingraham



page 15aryalokaorg








mdash Dh Varasuri

sangha notes

page 16 aryalokaorg





















sangha notes


page 17aryalokaorg













mdash Gary Baker









mdash Bettye Pruitt

sangha notes

page 18 aryalokaorg













mdash Mike Mappes

sangha notes




mdash Mary Salome









page 19aryalokaorg

by Bettye Pruitt


















page 20 aryalokaorg

















sangha connections

page 21aryalokaorg
























page 22 aryalokaorg









from the editors










page 23aryalokaorg

from the editors












page 24 aryalokaorg



















by Dh Khemavassika







page 25aryalokaorg

















poetry corner

photo Neil Harvey

page 26 aryalokaorg














upcoming retreats












Dh Lilasiddhi

page 27aryalokaorg






Dh Suddhayu

upcoming retreats















page 28 aryalokaorg

upcoming events

ongoing events




MORE DETAILS












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front cover

contact information

table of contents

arts at aryaloka

path of practice



pilgrimage to kyoto

sangha notes

sangha connections

from the editors


poetry corner

upcoming retreats



aryalokaorg


















page 9aryalokaorg

by Dh Amala


















page 10 aryalokaorg


























page 11aryalokaorg
















page 12 aryalokaorg

by Neil Harvey














A Song of Gratitude



photo Neil Harvey

page 13aryalokaorg
















photo Neil Harvey


page 14 aryalokaorg


sangha notes


















mdash Pete Ingraham



page 15aryalokaorg








mdash Dh Varasuri

sangha notes

page 16 aryalokaorg





















sangha notes


page 17aryalokaorg













mdash Gary Baker









mdash Bettye Pruitt

sangha notes

page 18 aryalokaorg













mdash Mike Mappes

sangha notes




mdash Mary Salome









page 19aryalokaorg

by Bettye Pruitt


















page 20 aryalokaorg

















sangha connections

page 21aryalokaorg
























page 22 aryalokaorg









from the editors










page 23aryalokaorg

from the editors












page 24 aryalokaorg



















by Dh Khemavassika







page 25aryalokaorg

















poetry corner

photo Neil Harvey

page 26 aryalokaorg














upcoming retreats












Dh Lilasiddhi

page 27aryalokaorg






Dh Suddhayu

upcoming retreats















page 28 aryalokaorg

upcoming events

ongoing events




MORE DETAILS












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front cover

contact information

table of contents

arts at aryaloka

path of practice



pilgrimage to kyoto

sangha notes

sangha connections

from the editors


poetry corner

upcoming retreats



aryalokaorg

by Dh Amala


















page 10 aryalokaorg


























page 11aryalokaorg
















page 12 aryalokaorg

by Neil Harvey














A Song of Gratitude



photo Neil Harvey

page 13aryalokaorg
















photo Neil Harvey


page 14 aryalokaorg


sangha notes


















mdash Pete Ingraham



page 15aryalokaorg








mdash Dh Varasuri

sangha notes

page 16 aryalokaorg





















sangha notes


page 17aryalokaorg













mdash Gary Baker









mdash Bettye Pruitt

sangha notes

page 18 aryalokaorg













mdash Mike Mappes

sangha notes




mdash Mary Salome









page 19aryalokaorg

by Bettye Pruitt


















page 20 aryalokaorg

















sangha connections

page 21aryalokaorg
























page 22 aryalokaorg









from the editors










page 23aryalokaorg

from the editors












page 24 aryalokaorg



















by Dh Khemavassika







page 25aryalokaorg

















poetry corner

photo Neil Harvey

page 26 aryalokaorg














upcoming retreats












Dh Lilasiddhi

page 27aryalokaorg






Dh Suddhayu

upcoming retreats















page 28 aryalokaorg

upcoming events

ongoing events




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table of contents

arts at aryaloka

path of practice



pilgrimage to kyoto

sangha notes

sangha connections

from the editors


poetry corner

upcoming retreats



aryalokaorg


























page 11aryalokaorg
















page 12 aryalokaorg

by Neil Harvey














A Song of Gratitude



photo Neil Harvey

page 13aryalokaorg
















photo Neil Harvey


page 14 aryalokaorg


sangha notes


















mdash Pete Ingraham



page 15aryalokaorg








mdash Dh Varasuri

sangha notes

page 16 aryalokaorg





















sangha notes


page 17aryalokaorg













mdash Gary Baker









mdash Bettye Pruitt

sangha notes

page 18 aryalokaorg













mdash Mike Mappes

sangha notes




mdash Mary Salome









page 19aryalokaorg

by Bettye Pruitt


















page 20 aryalokaorg

















sangha connections

page 21aryalokaorg
























page 22 aryalokaorg









from the editors










page 23aryalokaorg

from the editors












page 24 aryalokaorg



















by Dh Khemavassika







page 25aryalokaorg

















poetry corner

photo Neil Harvey

page 26 aryalokaorg














upcoming retreats












Dh Lilasiddhi

page 27aryalokaorg






Dh Suddhayu

upcoming retreats















page 28 aryalokaorg

upcoming events

ongoing events




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front cover

contact information

table of contents

arts at aryaloka

path of practice



pilgrimage to kyoto

sangha notes

sangha connections

from the editors


poetry corner

upcoming retreats



aryalokaorg
















page 12 aryalokaorg

by Neil Harvey














A Song of Gratitude



photo Neil Harvey

page 13aryalokaorg
















photo Neil Harvey


page 14 aryalokaorg


sangha notes


















mdash Pete Ingraham



page 15aryalokaorg








mdash Dh Varasuri

sangha notes

page 16 aryalokaorg





















sangha notes


page 17aryalokaorg













mdash Gary Baker









mdash Bettye Pruitt

sangha notes

page 18 aryalokaorg













mdash Mike Mappes

sangha notes




mdash Mary Salome









page 19aryalokaorg

by Bettye Pruitt


















page 20 aryalokaorg

















sangha connections

page 21aryalokaorg
























page 22 aryalokaorg









from the editors










page 23aryalokaorg

from the editors












page 24 aryalokaorg



















by Dh Khemavassika







page 25aryalokaorg

















poetry corner

photo Neil Harvey

page 26 aryalokaorg














upcoming retreats












Dh Lilasiddhi

page 27aryalokaorg






Dh Suddhayu

upcoming retreats















page 28 aryalokaorg

upcoming events

ongoing events




MORE DETAILS












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front cover

contact information

table of contents

arts at aryaloka

path of practice



pilgrimage to kyoto

sangha notes

sangha connections

from the editors


poetry corner

upcoming retreats



aryalokaorg

by Neil Harvey














A Song of Gratitude



photo Neil Harvey

page 13aryalokaorg
















photo Neil Harvey


page 14 aryalokaorg


sangha notes


















mdash Pete Ingraham



page 15aryalokaorg








mdash Dh Varasuri

sangha notes

page 16 aryalokaorg





















sangha notes


page 17aryalokaorg













mdash Gary Baker









mdash Bettye Pruitt

sangha notes

page 18 aryalokaorg













mdash Mike Mappes

sangha notes




mdash Mary Salome









page 19aryalokaorg

by Bettye Pruitt


















page 20 aryalokaorg

















sangha connections

page 21aryalokaorg
























page 22 aryalokaorg









from the editors










page 23aryalokaorg

from the editors












page 24 aryalokaorg



















by Dh Khemavassika







page 25aryalokaorg

















poetry corner

photo Neil Harvey

page 26 aryalokaorg














upcoming retreats












Dh Lilasiddhi

page 27aryalokaorg






Dh Suddhayu

upcoming retreats















page 28 aryalokaorg

upcoming events

ongoing events




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front cover

contact information

table of contents

arts at aryaloka

path of practice



pilgrimage to kyoto

sangha notes

sangha connections

from the editors


poetry corner

upcoming retreats



aryalokaorg
















photo Neil Harvey


page 14 aryalokaorg


sangha notes


















mdash Pete Ingraham



page 15aryalokaorg








mdash Dh Varasuri

sangha notes

page 16 aryalokaorg





















sangha notes


page 17aryalokaorg













mdash Gary Baker









mdash Bettye Pruitt

sangha notes

page 18 aryalokaorg













mdash Mike Mappes

sangha notes




mdash Mary Salome









page 19aryalokaorg

by Bettye Pruitt


















page 20 aryalokaorg

















sangha connections

page 21aryalokaorg
























page 22 aryalokaorg









from the editors










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from the editors












page 24 aryalokaorg



















by Dh Khemavassika







page 25aryalokaorg

















poetry corner

photo Neil Harvey

page 26 aryalokaorg














upcoming retreats












Dh Lilasiddhi

page 27aryalokaorg






Dh Suddhayu

upcoming retreats















page 28 aryalokaorg

upcoming events

ongoing events




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front cover

contact information

table of contents

arts at aryaloka

path of practice



pilgrimage to kyoto

sangha notes

sangha connections

from the editors


poetry corner

upcoming retreats



aryalokaorg


sangha notes


















mdash Pete Ingraham



page 15aryalokaorg








mdash Dh Varasuri

sangha notes

page 16 aryalokaorg





















sangha notes


page 17aryalokaorg













mdash Gary Baker









mdash Bettye Pruitt

sangha notes

page 18 aryalokaorg













mdash Mike Mappes

sangha notes




mdash Mary Salome









page 19aryalokaorg

by Bettye Pruitt


















page 20 aryalokaorg

















sangha connections

page 21aryalokaorg
























page 22 aryalokaorg









from the editors










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from the editors












page 24 aryalokaorg



















by Dh Khemavassika







page 25aryalokaorg

















poetry corner

photo Neil Harvey

page 26 aryalokaorg














upcoming retreats












Dh Lilasiddhi

page 27aryalokaorg






Dh Suddhayu

upcoming retreats















page 28 aryalokaorg

upcoming events

ongoing events




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front cover

contact information

table of contents

arts at aryaloka

path of practice



pilgrimage to kyoto

sangha notes

sangha connections

from the editors


poetry corner

upcoming retreats



aryalokaorg








mdash Dh Varasuri

sangha notes

page 16 aryalokaorg





















sangha notes


page 17aryalokaorg













mdash Gary Baker









mdash Bettye Pruitt

sangha notes

page 18 aryalokaorg













mdash Mike Mappes

sangha notes




mdash Mary Salome









page 19aryalokaorg

by Bettye Pruitt


















page 20 aryalokaorg

















sangha connections

page 21aryalokaorg
























page 22 aryalokaorg









from the editors










page 23aryalokaorg

from the editors












page 24 aryalokaorg



















by Dh Khemavassika







page 25aryalokaorg

















poetry corner

photo Neil Harvey

page 26 aryalokaorg














upcoming retreats












Dh Lilasiddhi

page 27aryalokaorg






Dh Suddhayu

upcoming retreats















page 28 aryalokaorg

upcoming events

ongoing events




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front cover

contact information

table of contents

arts at aryaloka

path of practice



pilgrimage to kyoto

sangha notes

sangha connections

from the editors


poetry corner

upcoming retreats



aryalokaorg





















sangha notes


page 17aryalokaorg













mdash Gary Baker









mdash Bettye Pruitt

sangha notes

page 18 aryalokaorg













mdash Mike Mappes

sangha notes




mdash Mary Salome









page 19aryalokaorg

by Bettye Pruitt


















page 20 aryalokaorg

















sangha connections

page 21aryalokaorg
























page 22 aryalokaorg









from the editors










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from the editors












page 24 aryalokaorg



















by Dh Khemavassika







page 25aryalokaorg

















poetry corner

photo Neil Harvey

page 26 aryalokaorg














upcoming retreats












Dh Lilasiddhi

page 27aryalokaorg






Dh Suddhayu

upcoming retreats















page 28 aryalokaorg

upcoming events

ongoing events




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front cover

contact information

table of contents

arts at aryaloka

path of practice



pilgrimage to kyoto

sangha notes

sangha connections

from the editors


poetry corner

upcoming retreats



aryalokaorg













mdash Gary Baker









mdash Bettye Pruitt

sangha notes

page 18 aryalokaorg













mdash Mike Mappes

sangha notes




mdash Mary Salome









page 19aryalokaorg

by Bettye Pruitt


















page 20 aryalokaorg

















sangha connections

page 21aryalokaorg
























page 22 aryalokaorg









from the editors










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from the editors












page 24 aryalokaorg



















by Dh Khemavassika







page 25aryalokaorg

















poetry corner

photo Neil Harvey

page 26 aryalokaorg














upcoming retreats












Dh Lilasiddhi

page 27aryalokaorg






Dh Suddhayu

upcoming retreats















page 28 aryalokaorg

upcoming events

ongoing events




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front cover

contact information

table of contents

arts at aryaloka

path of practice



pilgrimage to kyoto

sangha notes

sangha connections

from the editors


poetry corner

upcoming retreats



aryalokaorg













mdash Mike Mappes

sangha notes




mdash Mary Salome









page 19aryalokaorg

by Bettye Pruitt


















page 20 aryalokaorg

















sangha connections

page 21aryalokaorg
























page 22 aryalokaorg









from the editors










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from the editors












page 24 aryalokaorg



















by Dh Khemavassika







page 25aryalokaorg

















poetry corner

photo Neil Harvey

page 26 aryalokaorg














upcoming retreats












Dh Lilasiddhi

page 27aryalokaorg






Dh Suddhayu

upcoming retreats















page 28 aryalokaorg

upcoming events

ongoing events




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front cover

contact information

table of contents

arts at aryaloka

path of practice



pilgrimage to kyoto

sangha notes

sangha connections

from the editors


poetry corner

upcoming retreats



aryalokaorg

by Bettye Pruitt


















page 20 aryalokaorg

















sangha connections

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page 22 aryalokaorg









from the editors










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from the editors












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by Dh Khemavassika







page 25aryalokaorg

















poetry corner

photo Neil Harvey

page 26 aryalokaorg














upcoming retreats












Dh Lilasiddhi

page 27aryalokaorg






Dh Suddhayu

upcoming retreats















page 28 aryalokaorg

upcoming events

ongoing events




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front cover

contact information

table of contents

arts at aryaloka

path of practice



pilgrimage to kyoto

sangha notes

sangha connections

from the editors


poetry corner

upcoming retreats



aryalokaorg

















sangha connections

page 21aryalokaorg
























page 22 aryalokaorg









from the editors










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from the editors












page 24 aryalokaorg



















by Dh Khemavassika







page 25aryalokaorg

















poetry corner

photo Neil Harvey

page 26 aryalokaorg














upcoming retreats












Dh Lilasiddhi

page 27aryalokaorg






Dh Suddhayu

upcoming retreats















page 28 aryalokaorg

upcoming events

ongoing events




MORE DETAILS












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Sun


29 Fri

31 Sunto to


Thu

26to

Tueto


10 Sun




13 Sat


14 Sun



20 Sat


25 Thu

28 Sunto to


09 Fri

18 Sunto to


21

12

toOct

Wed


23 Fri

25 Sunto to


25 Sun

front cover

contact information

table of contents

arts at aryaloka

path of practice



pilgrimage to kyoto

sangha notes

sangha connections

from the editors


poetry corner

upcoming retreats



aryalokaorg
























page 22 aryalokaorg









from the editors










page 23aryalokaorg

from the editors












page 24 aryalokaorg



















by Dh Khemavassika







page 25aryalokaorg

















poetry corner

photo Neil Harvey

page 26 aryalokaorg














upcoming retreats












Dh Lilasiddhi

page 27aryalokaorg






Dh Suddhayu

upcoming retreats















page 28 aryalokaorg

upcoming events

ongoing events




MORE DETAILS












Sat


Sun


Sun


29 Fri

31 Sunto to


Thu

26to

Tueto


10 Sun




13 Sat


14 Sun



20 Sat


25 Thu

28 Sunto to


09 Fri

18 Sunto to


21

12

toOct

Wed


23 Fri

25 Sunto to


25 Sun

front cover

contact information

table of contents

arts at aryaloka

path of practice



pilgrimage to kyoto

sangha notes

sangha connections

from the editors


poetry corner

upcoming retreats



aryalokaorg









from the editors










page 23aryalokaorg

from the editors












page 24 aryalokaorg



















by Dh Khemavassika







page 25aryalokaorg

















poetry corner

photo Neil Harvey

page 26 aryalokaorg














upcoming retreats












Dh Lilasiddhi

page 27aryalokaorg






Dh Suddhayu

upcoming retreats















page 28 aryalokaorg

upcoming events

ongoing events




MORE DETAILS












Sat


Sun


Sun


29 Fri

31 Sunto to


Thu

26to

Tueto


10 Sun




13 Sat


14 Sun



20 Sat


25 Thu

28 Sunto to


09 Fri

18 Sunto to


21

12

toOct

Wed


23 Fri

25 Sunto to


25 Sun

front cover

contact information

table of contents

arts at aryaloka

path of practice



pilgrimage to kyoto

sangha notes

sangha connections

from the editors


poetry corner

upcoming retreats



aryalokaorg

from the editors












page 24 aryalokaorg



















by Dh Khemavassika







page 25aryalokaorg

















poetry corner

photo Neil Harvey

page 26 aryalokaorg














upcoming retreats












Dh Lilasiddhi

page 27aryalokaorg






Dh Suddhayu

upcoming retreats















page 28 aryalokaorg

upcoming events

ongoing events




MORE DETAILS












Sat


Sun


Sun


29 Fri

31 Sunto to


Thu

26to

Tueto


10 Sun




13 Sat


14 Sun



20 Sat


25 Thu

28 Sunto to


09 Fri

18 Sunto to


21

12

toOct

Wed


23 Fri

25 Sunto to


25 Sun

front cover

contact information

table of contents

arts at aryaloka

path of practice



pilgrimage to kyoto

sangha notes

sangha connections

from the editors


poetry corner

upcoming retreats



aryalokaorg



















by Dh Khemavassika







page 25aryalokaorg

















poetry corner

photo Neil Harvey

page 26 aryalokaorg














upcoming retreats












Dh Lilasiddhi

page 27aryalokaorg






Dh Suddhayu

upcoming retreats















page 28 aryalokaorg

upcoming events

ongoing events




MORE DETAILS












Sat


Sun


Sun


29 Fri

31 Sunto to


Thu

26to

Tueto


10 Sun




13 Sat


14 Sun



20 Sat


25 Thu

28 Sunto to


09 Fri

18 Sunto to


21

12

toOct

Wed


23 Fri

25 Sunto to


25 Sun

front cover

contact information

table of contents

arts at aryaloka

path of practice



pilgrimage to kyoto

sangha notes

sangha connections

from the editors


poetry corner

upcoming retreats



aryalokaorg

















poetry corner

photo Neil Harvey

page 26 aryalokaorg














upcoming retreats












Dh Lilasiddhi

page 27aryalokaorg






Dh Suddhayu

upcoming retreats















page 28 aryalokaorg

upcoming events

ongoing events




MORE DETAILS












Sat


Sun


Sun


29 Fri

31 Sunto to


Thu

26to

Tueto


10 Sun




13 Sat


14 Sun



20 Sat


25 Thu

28 Sunto to


09 Fri

18 Sunto to


21

12

toOct

Wed


23 Fri

25 Sunto to


25 Sun

front cover

contact information

table of contents

arts at aryaloka

path of practice



pilgrimage to kyoto

sangha notes

sangha connections

from the editors


poetry corner

upcoming retreats



aryalokaorg














upcoming retreats












Dh Lilasiddhi

page 27aryalokaorg






Dh Suddhayu

upcoming retreats















page 28 aryalokaorg

upcoming events

ongoing events




MORE DETAILS












Sat


Sun


Sun


29 Fri

31 Sunto to


Thu

26to

Tueto


10 Sun




13 Sat


14 Sun



20 Sat


25 Thu

28 Sunto to


09 Fri

18 Sunto to


21

12

toOct

Wed


23 Fri

25 Sunto to


25 Sun

front cover

contact information

table of contents

arts at aryaloka

path of practice



pilgrimage to kyoto

sangha notes

sangha connections

from the editors


poetry corner

upcoming retreats



aryalokaorg






Dh Suddhayu

upcoming retreats















page 28 aryalokaorg

upcoming events

ongoing events




MORE DETAILS












Sat


Sun


Sun


29 Fri

31 Sunto to


Thu

26to

Tueto


10 Sun




13 Sat


14 Sun



20 Sat


25 Thu

28 Sunto to


09 Fri

18 Sunto to


21

12

toOct

Wed


23 Fri

25 Sunto to


25 Sun

front cover

contact information

table of contents

arts at aryaloka

path of practice



pilgrimage to kyoto

sangha notes

sangha connections

from the editors


poetry corner

upcoming retreats



aryalokaorg

upcoming events

ongoing events




MORE DETAILS












Sat


Sun


Sun


29 Fri

31 Sunto to


Thu

26to

Tueto


10 Sun




13 Sat


14 Sun



20 Sat


25 Thu

28 Sunto to


09 Fri

18 Sunto to


21

12

toOct

Wed


23 Fri

25 Sunto to


25 Sun

front cover

contact information

table of contents

arts at aryaloka

path of practice



pilgrimage to kyoto

sangha notes

sangha connections

from the editors


poetry corner

upcoming retreats



vajra bell newsletter - summer 2016

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