<description>&lt;div&gt;In this latest episode of the Buddhist Centre podcast, we are delighted to welcome back Tejananda, one of the most experienced meditation teachers within the Triratna Buddhist Community. Tejananda will be bringing insights from decades of practice to his upcoming Home Retreat on The Buddhist Centre Live, &lt;a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/emptiness-and-compassion-the-divine-abodes-with-tejananda-and-friends-tickets-808081161507?aff=LiveSection"&gt;‘Emptiness and Compassion: The Divine Abodes’&lt;/a&gt;, starting March 29th. &lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
The retreat is part of a trilogy (so far!) exploring the Buddhist concept and experience of ‘emptiness’ (&lt;em&gt;shunyata -&lt;/em&gt; pointing to the lack of an “objectively” fixed essence or selfhood in &lt;em&gt;anything)&lt;/em&gt;. This time around we are approaching the great field of contemplation and reflection from the meditative perspective of the 'divine abodes' (&lt;em&gt;brahma viharas&lt;/em&gt;)—unconditional love, compassion, joy, and equanimity–all seen as pathways to liberating the mind. By cultivating these beautiful qualities, Tejananda says, we can find a larger context for our afflictive emotions—craving, hatred, and ignorance—and in the process gradually find unveiled the uncultivated, unlimited, and unconditional nature of them as ways to engage with ourselves, with other beings and with reality itself. &lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Tejananda is interested in a non-abstract, earthed, experiential relationship to ‘emptiness', and in the transformative power of compassion for our consciousness. The ensuing conversation opens a seam of truly rich material: from constructed realities (yes, we talk about the Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest) to how we can work with difficult emotions, to the relief of resting in a developing experience that we are fundamentally okay. Even as we are all subject to impermanence in the luminous emptiness of this reality, “Let there be unconditional love” is Tejananda’s quietly encouraging rallying call. &lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
This is a fascinating glimpse into the work waiting for us when we close our eyes in meditation, experience more fully sensed and in potentially higher resolution than any fancy-pants headset can render!&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
🧘 &lt;a href="https://www.eventbrite.com/e/emptiness-and-compassion-the-divine-abodes-with-tejananda-and-friends-tickets-808081161507?aff=LiveSection"&gt;Reserve your place on ‘Emptiness and Compassion: The Divine Abodes' with Tejananda and friends&lt;br&gt;
&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Show Notes&lt;br&gt;
&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Like all our Home Retreats Tejananda’s week-long meditation event is designed to support you in exploring in-depth Buddhist practices and teachings in your own time - during the live retreat or at any time after in the archive.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://thebuddhistcentre.com/stories/toolkit/home-retreats/"&gt;Visit our Home Retreat spaces&lt;br&gt;
&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://audioboom.com/posts/7600948-meditating-in-the-mandala-the-dharma-toolkit-episode-29"&gt;Listen to ‘Meditating in the Mandala’, a previous episode with Tejananda about Triratna’s System of Practice&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://thebuddhistcentre.com/stories/toolkit/love/"&gt;‘Being Divine Online’ - a Home Retreat space with Ratnavandana on the Brahma Viharas&lt;br&gt;
&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Home Retreat spaces with Paramananda and Bodhilila focussed on the body in meditation: &lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;

&lt;/div&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;a href="https://thebuddhistcentre.com/stories/toolkit/paramananda-the-alchemical-heart/"&gt;‘The Alchemical Heart’&lt;br&gt;
&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;

&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;
&lt;a href="https://thebuddhistcentre.com/stories/toolkit/the-myth-of-meditation/"&gt;‘The Myth of Meditation’&lt;br&gt;
&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;

&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;‘&lt;a href="https://thebuddhistcentre.com/stories/toolkit/the-poetics-of-awakening/"&gt;The Poetics of Awakening' &lt;br&gt;
&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;

&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://thebuddhistcentre.com/stories/toolkit/following-the-white-deer/"&gt;'Following the White Deer: Answering the Mythic call in Meditation’&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.windhorsepublications.com/?s=paramananda"&gt;Paramananda’s books on Buddhism and meditation from Windhorse Publications&lt;br&gt;
&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://thebuddhistcentre.com/stories/toolkit/forces-for-good/"&gt;‘Forces for Good – Challenging Emotions as Portals to Liberation’ with Balajit, Singhashri and Viveka&lt;br&gt;
&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://thebuddhistcentre.com/stories/toolkit/mindfulness-and-imagination/"&gt;‘Entering the Mandala: Mindfulness and Imagination’ with Vidyamala and Vishvapani&lt;br&gt;
&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Follow us on &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/thebuddhistcentre"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;YouTube&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt; and &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="http://instagram.com/buddhistcenter"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Instagram&lt;br&gt;
&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
***&lt;br&gt;
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&lt;a href="https://thebuddhistcentre.com/live"&gt;Visit The Buddhist Centre Live&lt;/a&gt; (events year-round on Buddhism, mindfulness, meditation, and culture)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://thebuddhistcentre.com/stories/toolkit/meditation/"&gt;Come meditate with us online six days a week!&lt;br&gt;
&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://soundcloud.com/rascal-press/06-make-room-for-fun"&gt;Theme music by Ackport!&lt;/a&gt; Used with kind permission.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;

&lt;/div&gt;
</description>

Journey into love and the amazing potential for freedom of heart and mind with us...

447: A Luminous Emptiness - Meditating and Loving in Reality with Tejananda

<description>&lt;div&gt;Join us for a ‘90s story of inspired Buddhist practice in Missoula, Montana - of great friendship, fierce love, burnout and life lessons learned in the fire of idealism and spiritual adventure. There’s nothing quite like going through a big experience together - and Tipu’s was a very big one for so many people as a new Buddhist community took root in the United States. &lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Founders Buddhapalita and Varada witness to the joys, trials, sacrifices and lasting consequences of starting the first (east) Indian restaurant and explicitly ethical Buddhist ‘Right Livelihood’ business in a small midwestern city. Old friends and colleagues, Aryadrishti and Viriiylila, bring their own accounts of fortitude, loss, abandonment and resolution to the reunion. Grief and cherishing, naivety and wisdom go hand in hand as we hear the tale of Tipu’s Tiger and how much it still means all these years later. &lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Listen to this beautifully, sometimes achingly, resonant conversation about the good that survives long after a shared project has fallen away. Listen closely, hang onto the tail of the tiger, and you can still almost taste the best chai and channa this side of Mumbai…&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Recorded in Ahuatepec, Mexico, October 2023.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Show notes&lt;br&gt;
&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.shop.tipuschai.com/pages/about-us"&gt;Tipu's Chai&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt; &lt;/strong&gt;(the legacy business, no longer owned by Buddhapalita and Varada)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://wolfwaterresources.com/"&gt;Wolf Water Resources&lt;/a&gt; (Aryadrishti's subsequent ethical engineering business)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
This week’s guests &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Aryadrishti&lt;br&gt;
Buddhapalita&lt;br&gt;
Varada&lt;br&gt;
Viriyalila &lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
***&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://thebuddhistcentre.com/live"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Visit The Buddhist Centre Live&lt;/a&gt; (events year-round on Buddhism, mindfulness, meditation, and culture)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://thebuddhistcentre.com/stories/toolkit/meditation/"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Come meditate with us online six days a week!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://soundcloud.com/rascal-press/06-make-room-for-fun"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Theme music by Ackport!&lt;/a&gt; Used with kind permission.&lt;/div&gt;
</description>

A great story of passion and inspiration in a 1990s American Buddhist restaurant. The trials, triumphs and tremendous impact of running an ethical business on the lives of those who served and came of age in their Dharma practice together.

446: The Tale of Tipu's Tiger

<description>&lt;div&gt;Our guests this week come together for a thoughtful, provocative conversation occasioned by &lt;a href="https://tricycle.org/article/suella-braverman-buddhist-politics/"&gt;Vishvapani‘s recent article for Tricycle Buddhist review&lt;/a&gt; looking at the arresting, perhaps astonishing, fact that one of the most powerful people in the UK – &lt;a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/people/braverman"&gt;Home Secretary Suella Braverman&lt;/a&gt; - is also faithfully involved as a Buddhist practitioner within the context of the Triratna Buddhist Community.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Candradasa is joined by Lokabandhu, deputy mayor of Glastonbury, UK, Vajratara from Tiratanaloka Buddhist Retreat Centre for Women, and Vishvapani, writer and broadcaster, to explore the perspectives and frameworks within which we see and experience the world and discuss how Buddhism and politics relate. &lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Buddhism offers a deeply transformative path of ethical practice that does not engage at the level of specific politics. Instead it calls for the radical re-orientation of our being in light of a recognition of the roles impermanence, deeply complex conditionality, and interdependence play in our sense of personal and societal happiness. So how does such a broadly environmental approach to the mind and reality itself sit in relation to political views that often tend to individual and collective rigidity, polarization, and the fragmentation of community? &lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
The panel evokes what we as Buddhists have to contribute in the face of diverse dangers that threaten society as we know it: challenges to liberal democracy, consequences of current responses to climate change, and a growing mental health crisis afflicting millions around the world.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
We open up the idea of Buddhists as a potential force for good, an active body within the wider community made up of people who live and act as examples of compassion and sanity in the world. Members of a ‘new society’ who might take leading roles without being compromised by division and the application of personal or group-based power. Is it all a pipe dream, or is this a tantalising, achievable possibility? At the very least, how can Buddhist approaches to life that actively envision the wellbeing of people and communities influence our personal engagement with political culture in ways that are of broad benefit?&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Join us for a podcast of ideas, values, and considered reflection on the most tricky of areas. This is how we can harmoniously talk about politics with each other - as full members of society spanning different cultures, perspectives and views.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Show notes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://tricycle.org/article/suella-braverman-buddhist-politics/"&gt;Suella Braverman Is the UK’s Buddhist Home Secretary and a Right-Wing Culture Warrior by Vishvapani&lt;/a&gt; (Tricycle Buddhist Review)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.wiseattention.org/thought-for-the-day/"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Vishvapani’s episodes of the BBC’s ‘Thought for the Day’&lt;/a&gt; &lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://mindfulsociety.org/mindful-cities-initiative/"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Mindful Cities Initiative&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.freebuddhistaudio.com/audio/details?num=162"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Buddhism, World Peace, and Nuclear War by Sangharakshita&lt;/a&gt; (Free Buddhist Audio)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.freebuddhistaudio.com/audio/details?num=133"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
The Nucleus of a New Society by Sangharakshita&lt;/a&gt; (Free Buddhist Audio)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://audioboom.com/posts/8071616-what-is-buddhist-activism"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
What Is Buddhist Activism?&lt;/a&gt; (The Buddhist Centre Podcast)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://vimeo.com/26795496"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Sangharakshita, Dr. Rewatta Dhamma, Sogyal Rimpoche, and Thich Nhat Hanh in conversation&lt;/a&gt; (Clear Vision Archive) &lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://thebuddhistcentre.com/stories/ambedkar/"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Doctor Bhimrao Ambedkar as a Buddhist social activist&lt;/a&gt; (The Buddhist Centre Online)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;em&gt;&lt;br&gt;
The Rest Is Politics&lt;/em&gt; podcast episodes with Yuval Noah Harari: &lt;/div&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/yuval-noah-harari-crisis-and-tragedy-in-israel-part-1/id1665265193?i=1000622682233"&gt;Crisis and Tragedy in Israel&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/yuval-noah-harari-the-dangers-of-ai-and-the/id1665265193?i=1000622683326"&gt;The Dangers  of AI and the Future of Humanity&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;div&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
This week’s guests &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://glastonbury.nub.news/news/local-news/glastonbury-welcomes-new-mayor-and-deputy-mayor-for-2023-24-185699"&gt;Lokabandhu as Deputy Mayor of Glastonbury&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.tiratanaloka.org.uk/community/vajratara"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Vajratara at Tiratanaloka Buddhist Retreat Centre for Women&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.wiseattention.org/"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Wise Attention by Vishvapani&lt;/a&gt; (website)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.mindfulnessinaction.co.uk/vishvapani/"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Mindfulness In Action&lt;/a&gt; (website)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
***&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://thebuddhistcentre.com/live"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Visit The Buddhist Centre Live&lt;/a&gt; (events year-round on Buddhism, mindfulness, meditation, and culture)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://thebuddhistcentre.com/stories/toolkit/meditation/"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Come meditate with us online six days a week!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://soundcloud.com/rascal-press/06-make-room-for-fun"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Theme music by Ackport!&lt;/a&gt; Used with kind permission.&lt;/div&gt;
</description>

Is it possible to engage in politics as a Buddhist? What might it look like - and not look like - if we do?

445: Buddhism and Politics

<description>&lt;div&gt;Alfoxton House in Somerset, England has a long and rich history stretching back over 1000 years. It was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, and is where the young William Wordsworth, his sister Dorothy and their great friend Samuel Taylor Coleridge helped birth the radical new Romantic movement during a magical year there in 1797.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
In June 2020, a new Triratna Buddhist community received the keys to this astonishing property set within 52 acres of ancient woodland complete with herds of red deer grazing the hillside. This week on the Buddhist Centre podcast we hear from that community - and particularly from film director and Alfoxton community member Hartley Woolf on his affecting and poetic documentary capturing a year in the life of the inspired band of souls who have taken on the ambitious task of renovating a once great estate. &lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Following the seasons, Hartley’s film reveals the changes in the land and the travails of this huge building project, weaving connections between the poetry of the Romantics, physical work and spiritual practice. We hear how in the midst of knocking down walls and rebuilding foundational structures, Hartley treaded the sometimes difficult path between being both a member of his community and a filmmaker. And catch a glimpse of the shared wonder that emerges as relationships are forged in a project based on the deepest values of awareness, love and a common quest for the truth of reality.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Triratna has long posited a deep connection between Buddhist spiritual life and the Arts, ever since Sangharakshita first began to articulate a fresh vision of contemporary western practice in the 1960s. In the spirit of that tradition, the Alfoxton community has been working to restore the house, tend to the land and provide opportunities to go deeper into both Buddhist practice and the practice of music, poetry and philosophy. Their inspiring program of retreats and events sees them welcome hundreds of volunteers and visitors each year, bringing the electric thrill of the great English Romantics back to life for new generations of seekers.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Join us in the great oak-panelled room at Alfoxton, where Coleridge first recited 'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner', for this wonderful conversation! We’ll be hosting the online premier of ‘A Renovating Virtue’ by Hartley Woolf on The Buddhist Centre Online in September 2023.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;Show notes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kL8VxrmIHUg"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Watch the trailer for ‘A Renovating Virtue’&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.alfoxtonpark.org.uk/home"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Visit Alfoxton House! &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.alfoxtonpark.org.uk/make-a-donation"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Support the community and the restoration of Alfoxton&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMnioVjtBxE&amp;amp;list=PLijlyLMWwGRjzC8_nXIKYqQKOXcxJH8gb"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
+ Follow the Alfoxton Diaries on YouTube&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/43997/the-rime-of-the-ancient-mariner-text-of-1834"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;'The Rime of the Ancient Mariner' (text of 1834) by Samuel Taylor Coleridge&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
***&lt;br&gt;
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There are in our existence, spots of time,&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
That with distinct pre-eminence retain&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
A renovating virtue, whence – depressed&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
By false opinion and contentious thought,&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Or aught of heavier or more deadly weight,&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
In trivial occupations, and the round&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Of ordinary intercourse – our minds&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Are nourished and invisibly repaired…&lt;br&gt;
&lt;em&gt;&lt;br&gt;
William Wordsworth, The Prelude&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
&lt;/em&gt;***&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://thebuddhistcentre.com/live"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Visit The Buddhist Centre Live&lt;/a&gt; (events year-round on Buddhism, mindfulness, meditation, and culture)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://thebuddhistcentre.com/stories/toolkit/meditation/"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Come meditate with us online six days a week!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://soundcloud.com/rascal-press/06-make-room-for-fun"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Theme music by Ackport!&lt;/a&gt; Used with kind permission.&lt;/div&gt;
</description>

Explore the magical world of Alfoxton House, birthplace of English Romanticism and now home to an amazing new Buddhist community...

444: A Renovating Virtue – Hartley Woolf and His Alfoxton Film

<description>&lt;div&gt;
&lt;a href="https://thebuddhistcentre.com/stories/toolkit/mindfulness-and-imagination/"&gt;&lt;em&gt;If you enjoy this conversation, come explore the theme online on our Home Retreat with Vidyamala and Vishvapani!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
“&lt;em&gt;Imagine an enormous subterranean chamber all lit up from within. We are living in a tiny chamber next to – indeed, part of – the larger one. We can see nothing at all of what’s going on in the large chamber. In fact, we have no idea that the large chamber is even there&lt;/em&gt;.”&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Sangharakshita&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
This week we’re opening portals to awareness and the wonders that can arise when we really start to pay attention to everything that’s going on in the world around us. What would it be like to experience yourself without restrictive concepts? What dimensions might open up in your life as you engage with myths and symbols? Awareness, or mindfulness, is an essential foundation for all spiritual growth. And through knowing experience directly we can transform difficulties and become happier, calmer and more fulfilled. But awareness offers much more: it also provides a doorway to other dimensions in the large chamber of our being. Awareness of the body, heart and mind can blossom into awareness of boundlessness, love and mystery, as Buddhist teachers have taught down the millennia.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Imagination is a key to this opening. When our minds are clear and we’re alive to what’s within us and around us, our imaginations wake up to new possibilities. Kusaladevi joins Vidyamala and Vishvapani in a conversation exploring the theme of their upcoming Home Retreat, &lt;a href="https://thebuddhistcentre.com/stories/toolkit/live/#mindfulness"&gt;Entering the Mandala: Mindfulness and Imagination&lt;/a&gt;.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
This Home Retreat is an opportunity to live for a week with mindfulness, kindness, poetry and creativity, even in the midst of our daily lives. An exploration of mindfulness and imagination through talks, meditation, creative activities, discussion and shared ritual, particularly focused on the richly evocative symbol of the mandala. Come join us in the vastness of the present moment!&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
***&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Show notes&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.mbct.com/about-mbct/"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.sangharakshita.org/"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Urgyen Sangharakshita&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.freebuddhistaudio.com/browse?s=Vidyamala"&gt;Dharma talks by Vidyamala&lt;/a&gt; | &lt;a href="https://www.freebuddhistaudio.com/browse?s=Vishvapani"&gt;Dharma talks by Vishvapani&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://www.freebuddhistaudio.com/collection/five-buddha-mandala"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
More about the Five Buddha mandala&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://audioboom.com/posts/8095458-vidyamala-obe-a-platinum-jubilee-honour-for-breathworks"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Listen to 'Vidyamala, OBE! - A Platinum Jubilee Honour for Breathworks'&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;em&gt;&lt;br&gt;
From &lt;/em&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/45527/lines-composed-a-few-miles-above-tintern-abbey-on-revisiting-the-banks-of-the-wye-during-a-tour-july-13-1798"&gt;&lt;em&gt;Lines Composed a Few Miles above Tintern Abbey, On Revisiting the Banks of the Wye during a Tour. July 13, 1798&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;em&gt; by William Wordsworth&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
—And I have felt&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
A presence that disturbs me with the joy&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Of elevated thoughts; a sense sublime&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Of something far more deeply interfused,&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Whose dwelling is the light of setting suns,&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
And the round ocean and the living air,&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
And the blue sky, and in the mind of man:&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
A motion and a spirit, that impels&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
All thinking things, all objects of all thought,&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
And rolls through all things. &lt;br&gt;
&lt;em&gt;&lt;br&gt;
William Wordsworth&lt;/em&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
***&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Vidyamala&lt;/strong&gt; was ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order in 1995 and is co-founder of Breathworks, a leading mindfulness organisation and she focuses particularly on using awareness and kindness training to work with pain and illness. This draws on her own experience of managing spinal pain and disability. She is an award-winning author of three books and was awarded an OBE in 2022 for her services to pain management and well-being. She regularly leads retreats and workshops, and speaks at international summits, events and webinars.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
Vidyamala has long had an interest in the creative mind and heart and how to access this through myth, ritual and non-conceptual approaches and looks forward to deepening this even more on this online retreat.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="http://www.vidyamala-burch.com/"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
www.vidyamala-burch.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="http://www.breathworks-mindfulness.org.uk/"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
www.breathworks-mindfulness.org.uk&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Vishvapani&lt;/strong&gt; has practised meditation and Buddhism for over 40 years. He’s a writer, best known for &lt;em&gt;Gautama Buddha: the Life and Teachings of the Awakened One&lt;/em&gt; and as the Buddhist contributor to Thought for the Day on BBC Radio 4. He’s a prominent figure in the UK’s mindfulness world and has taught over 150 mindfulness courses.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
He loves to explore poetry, myth and imagination, along with Buddhism, in his writing, teaching and practice.&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="http://www.vishvapani.org/"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
www.vishvapani.org&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="http://www.mindfulnessinaction.co.uk/"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
www.mindfulnessinaction.co.uk&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;br&gt;
***&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://thebuddhistcentre.com/live"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Visit The Buddhist Centre Live&lt;/a&gt; (events year-round on Buddhism, mindfulness, meditation, and culture)&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://thebuddhistcentre.com/stories/toolkit/meditation/"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Come meditate with us online six days a week!&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br&gt;
&lt;a href="https://soundcloud.com/rascal-press/06-make-room-for-fun"&gt;&lt;br&gt;
Theme music by Ackport!&lt;/a&gt; Used with kind permission.&lt;/div&gt;
</description>

“If the doors of perception were cleansed, we would see the world as it really is – infinite.” William Blake

443: Mindfulness and Imagination with Vidyamala and Vishvapani

News, event coverage, mantras and rituals, Dharma conversations among diverse voices from the Triratna Buddhist Community around the world, keeping you up-to-date with the latest in our sangha.

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