Buddhist Centre Features
Buddhist Voices

Following an Inner Calling

By Zac on Thu, 27 Oct, 2022 - 10:28

Growing up in Chorley, Lancashire, in the northwest of England, Abhaya (1936-2022) recalls his early life as the youngest of four siblings, raised by parents who were run off their feet. With Dad away at the war, mum managed a small chip shop in which he and his brothers used to help out. Following in the footsteps of his older brother Jack, Abhaya would later spend several years at a Catholic Seminary, a period he jokingly characterizes as being like...

Buddhist Voices
Buddhist Voices

Fifty Years, Fifty Voices: Abhaya (Highlights)

By Zac on Sat, 1 Oct, 2022 - 11:48

“You have to balance or hold the bearer of the archetype with the ordinary human being, that’s very important. Because there’s no way you’re going to reconcile them.”

Abhaya Annals:

In 1968 I was living in Cornwall with my family, sharing in a kind of family community experiment. I had met Bhante and the seedling movement a year before at his first summer retreat at Haslemere, Surrey.

In 1978 I was working as a carpenter at Sukhavati in Bethnal Green, which soon came to be...

Buddhist Centre Features
Buddhist Centre Features

Letting Go Of Fear

By Centre Team on Tue, 18 Aug, 2020 - 18:20

Letting Go Of Fear

By Centre Team on Tue, 18 Aug, 2020 - 18:20

The Buddha was said to be completely fearless. What does that mean for us?

We all experience fear at times. And fear has its uses! It can spur us into action and help us avoid danger. But fear can also imprison us and paralyze us. It can stop us from leading the life we want. 

It’s a scary world sometimes. So how can we become fearless ourselves?

This is a beautiful animated film by Aryajit about how to face our fears and...

Free Buddhist Audio
Free Buddhist Audio

Dharmabyte: Merit Does Not Equal Insight

By Sadayasihi on Mon, 23 Sep, 2019 - 14:00

With his customary dry wit and sharp eye Abhaya leads us on the crazy paving path through the Diamond Sutra - a text guaranteed to turn your world upside-down. Some very funny parts to this talk - and some excellent evocations of rigorous Dharma practice as part of the everyday business of life.

In this excerpt we hear readings from the sutra about how merit is not enough for insight to arise. From the talk entitled The Diamond...

Sangharakshita Memorial Space
Sangharakshita Memorial Space

Memoir of Bhante in the Early Days​

By dhabhaya on Sat, 3 Nov, 2018 - 19:51

I was invited to write the following little memoir as a contribution to a possible booklet to be published for Bhante’s funeral. Plans then changed, so it now seems fitting to post it on the Remembrance page for the Book of Gratitude.

With warm wishes to all at this strong time.

Abhaya

File NameSize
Bhante In the Early Days by Abhaya62.96 KB