A couple of weeks ago the first Triratna Writers Convention at Adhisthana took place, which was a great success. Here are the poetry flags the writers installed in the Sangharaskhita Library at the end of the Convention…
The lotus is the image that the Buddha uses to describe the growth of human beings: the unfolding of life from unfavourable conditions. In this issue of the LBC’s excellent magazine and program some moving and culturally rich examples of this are brought to light - from Shraddhapuspa’s generous life after escape from the Nazis at the start of WWII, to Jayaka’s experience in prison as a young man via an examination of Fellini’s 8 And A...
Satyalila and Ananda reflecting on the Writers Convention - both the nurturing and wildness aspects of it. And we get to hear Ananda give a wind-blown reading of his own poem, ‘Be Here Now’.
After the lovely morning shrine room poem by Norman MacCaig, beautifully read by Steph, a full day’s immersion in poetry to close out our first convention of Triratna writers…
We’ll bring you soon Dhivan’s brilliant talk on Ted Hughes, and hopefully too the poetry reading from Vishvantara, Ananda & Manjusura. We also had time to install some “poem-flags” in the Sangharakshita Library - detailed pictures to follow!
Into the last day of the writers’ gathering proper and we hear how it started - with a beautiful, typically understated piece by Norman MacCaig read by Steph, a writer herself and one of the young women who has just finished a five-month intensive Dharma course at Adhisthana…
Another wabi sabi scan, this time of Friday morning’s poignant meditation poem. A great choice by Varasahaya which prompted some tears as the eight young women prepare to leave Adhisthana today after their 5 month Dharma course…
Running parallel to the Writers’ Convention - and coming to an end at the same time - was a young women’s extended Dharma course, with women from around the world taking part. Here we meet Shraddhavajri and Vidyadharini from India who, along with their fellow long-term retreatants, have been using writing as another way to explore spiritual life and the meaning of the Buddha’s teaching in their own lives…
Our morning meditation poem on Thursday was Summer Farm by Norman MacCaig. I’ll definitely be buying this volume of Selected Poems. It’s wonderful!
In our sessions we’ve re-instituted ‘the listening chair’ we used to have for Manjusvara - and I snapped some occupants (interesting body language!) We were exploring themes from Ananda’s talk the other night about William Stafford, especially around the relationship with the Muse and receptivity.
There was a spirited discussion about the pros and cons...
After our weekend break, Satyalila is back with the latest installment from the Triratna Writers Conference. It’s unusual perhaps for a Buddhist community to place such an emphasis on the Arts as a route to spiritual inquiry - but it’s a real pleasure to listen to it happening ‘as live’!
This conversation with Satyadaka takes place in the brand new Sangharakshita library and we hear much about one of “Bhante’s” literary heroes, Dr. Johnson, as well as the...
Satyalila manages to get two of the most venerable writers attending onto her podcast bench (no mean feat!)… Ananda fresh from his talk and Abhaya making the transition to poetry from painting…
