Melbourne Buddhist Centre Newsletter

Sangha Interview

photo of Arunamalin For this issue we talk with Arunamalin

What are you passionate about?

One of the things that I really enjoy is the challenge of finding ways of communicating the Dharma to others. This, first of all, requires clarity about how I practise and how I engage or don't engage with the Dharma. This provides its own working ground and personal challenges.
Then, moving to the next stage, is to find ways to be able to clearly communicate the Dharma in a way that is understandable to the person to whom I am talking. During the course of any week, I may encounter many different people that come with their own life experiences, ideas and varying levels of knowledge of the Dharma. And so the approach required may differ considerably. I consider myself very fortunate to be able to meet so many people who are asking themselves very real questions about theirs lives and trying to find some understanding and ways of working the highs and lows that life can bring. The spiritual friendship that starts to develop from some of these ongoing discussion is one of the delights of living the spiritual life.

What are you reading at the moment?

First I should say that I read very slowly so it can take me ages to get through a book. Currently I am reading "The Yogi's Joy which is a recently published commentary by Sangharakshita on three of the songs of Milarepa. Great stuff! I have also briefly dipped into "Forest Recollections" about the wandering monk in Thailand but yet to get going with this one. Lastly is a book that I have read but return to often entitled "Cultivating a Compassionate Heart" by Thubten Chodron. It is a quite detailed description of the visualisation practice of Avalokitesvara. This was also a very kind gift from my friend Steven Caldwell in Sydney.

If you could have five beings at dinner party (dead, alive or conceptual) who or what would they be?

Too difficult! It would have to be six. I would love to meet the Buddha and Avalokitesvara. It is one thing to read, study, practise and perhaps to some degree understand, but to have the opportunity to spend some time in the presence of perfected compassion would be mind blowing. I've never met Sangharakshita and so he would have to be on the guest list which would also give me the opportunity to express in person my appreciation for all that he has done in creating the FWBO and WBO. Then there is Nagabodhi, who ordained me and has given me such care and understanding that is so rare to find in this world. And in the same vein are my friends Padmasiddhi and Siladasa. Two exceptional men! There would probably have to be a whole heap of waiters and waitresses so that I could also invite other friends along as well that are not named above!

What school of Buddhism most influences you and why?

On a heart level, I do have a strong leaning towards much of the Tibetan approach to the practice of Buddhism. The cultivation of compassion seems to be so strongly emphasised. The Bodhisattva Ideal as brought out in the Mahayana has been a very strong influence in my life since becoming a Buddhist. It has also been a guiding light when I've started to lose my way and has helped me to focus on the principal way I would like to live my life.
Of course where would I be without the clear teaching of Conditioned arising as outlined in the Pali Canon? It forms the basis of all other teachings.

What interests do you have outside the centre?

As many of your would know, my partner and I bought a house just outside of Maldon at the end of last year. This was the beginning of the realisation of a dream. I would love to ultimately live in the country as well as be able to offer a place where we are able to conduct retreats.
The other aspect of this is gardening. I love getting my hands into the dirt and watching things grow. Watching the way I go about it, in planning, working and tackling some of the difficulties of this extreme climate has also given me some surprising glimpses of the way my mind works. Ask me about the "willfullness rock"

News from Melbourne Buddhist Centre
Issue #3 Volume #1	November 2006
Welcome to this edition of our newsletter. It is designed to keep you in touch with Melbourne Buddhist Centre events and the activities of our Sangha.
Exciting news Anita Hirshhorn has been invited on the next Women's Ordination retreat to be held in New Zealand next May. Sangha Day We held a successful festival day on 5th November to celebrate the Sangha Jewel. There was a picnic in the park, two excellent short talks on the value of the Sangha, a festive puja and more.	Announcements Sangha Retreat Our annual Sangha open retreat will be held on the weekend 24 - 26th November at St John's near Wesburn. This is an opportunity for you to experience living and practising within the sangha for a weekend.Open to all friends and their families. See the website for more details. City Centre Sadly, we shall close our City Centre in Little Lonsdale St at the end of December this year as our benefactors who own the building have sold the ground floor. We cannot expect the peppercorn rent that we have so far enjoyed, to be offered by the new owners. A closing ritual is planned for that time and details will be posted soon.
Send any news items you have to news@melbournebuddhistcentre.org by 17th January for inclusion in the next newsletter. Programme of Events for 2006 - Visit our website
What's On for the rest of this year Upcoming Events Friday 24th - 26th November Sangha weekend retreat at St Johns. Sunday 10th December Order Mitra day at Brunswick Centre. 26th Dec - 6th Jan Women's Going For Refuge retreat, Sydney. Regular Programme Saturday 18th November 11am Drop in Meditation. Practice: Metta. Wednesday 22th November 7.30pm Drop in Meditation. Practice: Mindfulness. Saturday 25th November 11am Drop in Meditation. Practice: Mindfulness. Wednesday 29th November 7.30pm Drop in Meditation. Practice: Metta. Saturday 2nd December 11am Drop in Meditation. Practice: Metta. Wednesday 6th December 7.30pm Drop in Meditation. Practice: Mindfulness and Full Moon Puja. Saturday 9th December 11am Drop in Meditation. Practice: Mindfulness. Wednesday 13th December 7.30pm Drop in Meditation. Practice: Metta. Saturday 16th December 11am Drop in Meditation. Practice: Metta. Wednesday 20th December 7.30pm Drop in Meditation. Practice: Mindfulness. Saturday 23rd December 11am Drop in Meditation. Practice: Mindfulness. Wednesday 27th December 7.30pm Drop in Meditation. Practice: Metta.
Reports A Day Working Retreat by Marian van Enst A reflection on working happily at the Brunswick centre Open-hearted and prepared for reflection, work and meditation, the participants arrived. Stitch by stitch, steady up and down of cloth against window after window, scent of vanilla essence emanating from a much cleaner fridge, sorting and selecting and rejecting the fresh from the stale, the reuseable from the rather undesirable, application of brasso and orderly boxing & organising - all amidst quiet chats, interludes of a sweet, nonsomnolent silence, sparks of nonsense and bursts of lively discussion - so went the working part of the retreat. An unfevered steadiness and sense of quiet enjoyment characterised the day with its moments of serenity in meditation, its work and its double transference of merits. May we have more of them.
Sangha Interview For this issue we talk with Arunamalin What are you passionate about? One of the things that I really enjoy is the challenge of finding ways of communicating the Dharma to others. This, first of all, requires clarity about how I practise and how I engage or don't engage with the Dharma. This provides its own working ground and personal challenges. Then, moving to the next stage, is to find ways to be able to clearly communicate the Dharma in a way that is understandable to the person to whom I am talking. During the course of any week, I may encounter many different people that come with their own life experiences, ideas and varying levels of knowledge of the Dharma. And so the approach required may differ considerably. I consider myself very fortunate to be able to meet so many people who are asking themselves very real questions about theirs lives and trying to find some understanding and ways of working the highs and lows that life can bring. The spiritual friendship that starts to develop from some of these ongoing discussion is one of the delights of living the spiritual life. What are you reading at the moment? First I should say that I read very slowly so it can take me ages to get through a book. Currently I am reading "The Yogi's Joy which is a recently published commentary by Sangharakshita on three of the songs of Milarepa. Great stuff! I have also briefly dipped into "Forest Recollections" about the wandering monk in Thailand but yet to get going with this one. Lastly is a book that I have read but return to often entitled "Cultivating a Compassionate Heart" by Thubten Chodron. It is a quite detailed description of the visualisation practice of Avalokitesvara. This was also a very kind gift from my friend Steven Caldwell in Sydney. If you could have five beings at dinner party (dead, alive or conceptual) who or what would they be? Too difficult! It would have to be six. I would love to meet the Buddha and Avalokitesvara. It is one thing to read, study, practise and perhaps to some degree understand, but to have the opportunity to spend some time in the presence of perfected compassion would be mind blowing. I've never met Sangharakshita and so he would have to be on the guest list which would also give me the opportunity to express in person my appreciation for all that he has done in creating the FWBO and WBO. Then there is Nagabodhi, who ordained me and has given me such care and understanding that is so rare to find in this world. And in the same vein are my friends Padmasiddhi and Siladasa. Two exceptional men! There would probably have to be a whole heap of waiters and waitresses so that I could also invite other friends along as well that are not named above! What school of Buddhism most influences you and why? On a heart level, I do have a strong leaning towards much of the Tibetan approach to the practice of Buddhism. The cultivation of compassion seems to be so strongly emphasised. The Bodhisattva Ideal as brought out in the Mahayana has been a very strong influence in my life since becoming a Buddhist. It has also been a guiding light when I've started to lose my way and has helped me to focus on the principal way I would like to live my life. Of course where would I be without the clear teaching of Conditioned arising as outlined in the Pali Canon? It forms the basis of all other teachings. What interests do you have outside the centre? As many of your would know, my partner and I bought a house just outside of Maldon at the end of last year. This was the beginning of the realisation of a dream. I would love to ultimately live in the country as well as be able to offer a place where we are able to conduct retreats. The other aspect of this is gardening. I love getting my hands into the dirt and watching things grow. Watching the way I go about it, in planning, working and tackling some of the difficulties of this extreme climate has also given me some surprising glimpses of the way my mind works. Ask me about the "willfullness rock"
Editorial: Tales From Samsara by Jivita Freedom (part 2) The bewildered prisoner stared at his neighbour in disbelief. Obviously his years of incarceration had unhinged the poor man's mind. He was sitting in a prison cell with the door open but not wanting to leave because he was "already free." 'You are not free my friend, look around you. What do you see? You are surrounded by prison bars. The beautiful garden is just through that open door. Go on, escape while the guard is asleep. You won't get a chance like this again,' the prisoner explained as patiently as he could. The neighbour turned and smiled at the prisoner's face, pressed through the bars of his cell. He rose from the floor and pulled his stool up to the bars and sat beside the prisoner. 'I did escape once, a long, long time ago,' he said. 'I walked through the garden just like you did this morning. I walked among the flowers as the birds sang in my ears, and the suns shone just for me. It was wonderful, it felt so good to be free at last. I climbed over the wall and ran as fast as I could. I ran and ran until my lungs were about to burst. Collapsing by a stream, I took a drink and sat back against a tree. I just sat and sat and sat, doing nothing, just delirious with happiness. I was free...' 'When evening came, the forest gradually grew darker and darker. The air cooled and the birds flew away through the trees. Before long, I found myself sitting in darkness. Instead of the singing of the birds, I was surrounded by the sounds of the night. My heart began to beat faster as I huddled against my tree. I tried to quieten my breathing, hoping that the night creatures would not hear. All through the night my mind was in turmoil. I suffered terrifying visions of monsters and demons coming through the trees to get me. Every snuffling sound in the undergrowth was some hungry snake on the prowl. Every far away call was some hideous monster sniffing the air for my scent. By the time morning came I was a quivering wreck, I longed to be back in the safety of my little prison cell. So do you know what I did?' To be continued.....
Advertisement Don't Forget our Bookshops! The two bookshops are brimming with books, incense, rupas, bells, candlesticks and other items which would make excellent gifts at this festive season. You are vey welcome to call in and browse at your leisure, and we will happily give any help or advice you need. New books are always arriving. Currently on order is 'The Heart' by Vessantara. This is the second book in his 'Art of Meditation' series and explores the potential of the heart through the practice of Metta. Vessantara is a senior member of the Western Buddhist Order, is a respected author and known as a story teller. Also arriving in the new year is 'There is more to Dying than Death - a Buddhist Perspective' by Lama Shenpen Hookham. This book draws on the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of preparing for death throughout one's life. Lama Shenpen Hookham is British and has practised in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition of over 30 years. She excels at making Tibetan Buddhist philosophy inspiring and pertinent for contemporary society. If you would like to order either of these books, or any other you can not see on the shelf, just let us know. We can usually help. New at the shop - beautifully (and very locally!) made sturdy wooden meditation stools - $40.
Dharma Quote of the month "When we hold on to our opinions with aggression, no matter how valid the cause, we are simply adding more aggression to the planet, and violence and pain increase. Cultivating non-aggression is cultivating peace" Pema Chodron
Copyright Melbourne Buddhist Centre November 2006 Please forward this newsletter to friends and family. All rights reserved worldwide. Reprint only with permission from copyright holder(s). All trademarks are property of their respective owners. All contents provided as is. This, and previous newsletters may be accessed online at: www.melbournebuddhistcentre.org/newsletters.html To contact us with feedback, questions or praise, email us This is an opt-in newsletter available by subscription only. We neither use nor endorse the use of spam. Thank you!

News from Melbourne Buddhist Centre

Issue #3 Volume #1

November 2006

Exciting news

Sangha Day

Announcements

Sangha Retreat

City Centre

What's On for the rest of this year

Upcoming Events

Regular Programme

Reports

A Day Working Retreat

Sangha Interview

What are you passionate about?

What are you reading at the moment?

If you could have five beings at dinner party (dead, alive or conceptual) who or what would they be?

What school of Buddhism most influences you and why?

What interests do you have outside the centre?

Editorial:

Tales From Samsara

Freedom (part 2)

Advertisement

Don't Forget our Bookshops!

Dharma Quote of the month