Running Tide issue 15

Voice of Amida-shu, Amida-kai and The Amida Trust: Pureland Buddhism: Absolute Grace, Total Engagement: Issue 15, Summer 2008 £2.50/€4.25/US$5.00

RUNNING TIDE

2008 CONFERENCE ISSUE A GLIMPSE BEHIND THE SCENES, CONFERENCE ADDRESS BY HEAD OF THE AMIDA ORDER, ARTICLES BY WORKSHOP PRESENTERS AND MORE . . .

FAITH AND ART

2008 COURSES AND EVENTS

PANDRAMATICS

Editor’s Message The 2008 Living Buddhism Conference explored and looked at issues which concern Buddhists living in the East, West, North, and South. It was a rich, diverse, multi-faceted, multi-cultural, and multidimensional conference. As a follow up, the Running Tide pays special tribute to these issues in this edition by creating a “Conference Issue”.

RT has also created a new section called “Faith and Art”. Art and creative thinking have always been present in the Pureland tradition, and so this seemingly recent development in Amida is in fact reviving a practice that is part of our history and tradition. We’d certainly like to see it come back and thrive, however, for that to happen we need to play an active part. And so, we are currently exploring the role of spirituality, creativity and the arts in our lives and in our communities.

Can the arts play a role in Buddhism? Can Buddhism encourage creativity? Can a creative Buddhist tradition change the social fabric in the West?

Our society has been enriched by a diversity of religious customs and rituals but are we also in danger of killing the religious sentiment by these very customs and rituals that we now call tradition?

Is it time for a Buddhist reformation, revolution? Will it look completely different and unrecognizable to many Buddhists? Or is it merely time to strip away some spiritually inhibiting structures and practices so that we get back to the basics of the Buddha’s core teaching?

There is a feeling that we need a space where the DHARMA is taught and applied; where one can study, debate and practice; where spontaneity, creativity and play can happen; where the fusion between the intellect, spirit and emotion creates more than just a spark but a fire that never dies. If Buddhism is to remain alive and vibrant should we not start to approach it and engage with it from a different angle? This could potentially revolutionise and change the current mood in our communities, our society, so that our sensibilities towards the transcendent, the light, the dark, and each other’s sufferings are awakened.

What I am seeing at Amida is a tradition of asking questions, but where these questions stem from, and subsequently, lead us to are fundamentally important. Amida is asking us to open our hearts and expand our minds, so that we enter a meaningful relationship with the world around us, and engage in a heartfelt search that branches out in all directions - known and unknown.

To be part of a living tradition is to be fully alive; open to creative participation; open to encouragement; and open to compassion for the sake of all sentient beings and even to go beyond all that!

NAMO AMIDA BU

Susthama

May all the merit of this issue be transferred and dedicated to Saille Brock Abbott ( 1962 - 2008) MAS “Saille passed away at home after a lengthy bout of cancer, a recurrence of her previous episode in 2006. Her extraordinary courage, grace, humour and wisdom throughout her ordeal was an inspiration to her family and her very many friends. Her life philosophy was to live in the present, live one day at a time, and to find joy in every day regardless of the circumstances. She was at peace when she died, firm in her belief that she had lived her life fully and with no regrets for any of the decisions that she had made in her lifetime.” ~The Abbott Family Saille’s departing words:

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“. . . and so, my dear friends, I hope you will each choose to journey with me on your own ride, walk, jump, dance, skip of this one wild and precious life that we have each been given. I will meet you there. . .”

In this issue

Running Tide Running Tide is the periodical of the Amida Trust, to offer a voice for faith and practice, as well as critical, existential and socially engaged enquiry within the broad framework of Pureland Buddhism. We publish short articles, poetry, pictures, interviews, comment and Buddhist resource materials. Opinions expressed are those of the contributors and do not necessarily reflect the position of the Amida Trust, Amida-shu or Amida-kai.

Running Tide is distributed by: Amida Trust, The Buddhist House, 12 Coventry Road, Narborough, Leicestershire LE19 2GR, UK, +44 (0) 116 286 7476 Web sites www.amidatrust.com http://amidatrust.ning.com/ www.amidatrust.com/runningtide.html www.buddhistpsychology.info http://amidatrust.typepad.com/amidashu http://www.amidatrust.typepad.com/amidakai/ Amida Centres/Groups Newcastle: http://lotusinthemud.typepad.com/amida_newcastle/

Sheffield: http://pureland.wordpress.com/ Hawaii: http://amidatrust.typepad.com/hawaii/ London: http://www.amidalondon.org.uk/ Belgium: http://www.namoamidabu.be/ France: http://amidatrust.typepad.com/france/ Correspondence and contributions For consideration for publication: runningtide@amidatrust.com Amida Trust A religious charity established in UK, registration number 1060589, for the furtherance of Buddhism. The Trust sponsors a wide range of Buddhist activities. The Amida Trust is a member of the Network of Buddhist Organisations in UK, the European Buddhist Union, and has mutual affiliation with the Buddhist Peace Fellowship as well as The World Buddhist University.

Amida Order & School The Amida Order and Amida School are a religious order and communion, respectively, following the Pureland tradition, established under the auspices of the Amida Trust. In this periodical the letters OAB after a name indicate membership of the Order of Amida Buddha and the letters MAS indicate membership of the Amida School. The Amida School is also referred to as Amida-shu.

All Order members are also School members.

Amida-Kai The Amida Association, an association for spirituality and its application. Amida-kai is the association for everybody interested in the Trust's work, for the application of spiritual principles to empirical world problems, and to the exploration of the meaning of spirituality irrespective of faith alignment.

Membership of Amida-Kai Open to anybody who supports Amida Trust and is interested in spirituality and its application, on payment of an appropriate subscription. Membership of the Kai does not imply membership of the Amida Order or School or any particular religious affiliation.

Amida-kai members can download Running Tide in colour at: http://amidatrust.typepad.com/runningtide with specified username and password.

*** FAITH AND ART *** A new section featuring poems, paintings, photos, short stories and more . . .

P. 4 What is Pandramatics?

Kaspalita Thompson P. 6 *** OTHER PERSPECTIVE*** Does Amida Guide my Action?

Kazuo Yamashita P. 8 Letting Go Alex Barr P. 10 Running Tide would like to give a special thanks to all the presenters, speakers, and th participants at the 2008 5 Living Buddhism Conference The conference issue Behind the Scenes

By Modgala Duguid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 12 Community & Structuralism: A Summary of the Opening Address

By David Dharmavidya Brazier . . . . . . P. 14 Breaking the Mould

By Caroline Prasada Brazier. . . . . . . . . P. 16 Dharma-based Person-Centered Approach in Japan

By Kazuo Yamashita. . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 19 Losing Homelands Known and Unknown

By Zelda Alexander. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 22 Psychosis and Insight

By Bodhakari Rand. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 24 Lessons for Africa Learned from the 5th Living Buddhism Conference

By Maxine Fine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 26 RT

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New feature

FAITH AND ART “The Amida paradigm is based upon the belief that if we remain modest about human nature and just entrust ourselves, miracles of creativity and growth will constantly erupt in our midst, whereas if we were to try to rely upon our own power, cleverness or selfdirection primarily we would stifle this creative source. Our practice thus precipitates us into Amida's mandala of spontaneity. . .” ~Dharmavidya

prayer

Copperplate nib movement Quick flicks of the pen

Richard Crookes 2008

when I’m saying I know what it is, I’m losing it, when I want something concrete to happen, I’m closing the gate, when my head is going first, nobody else can enter so please stay unknown, even though I will use words and images for you during our unfolding relationship ~Alena Budkovska 2008

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Faith and art

Is There A Place Is there a place where true love is found like a flower from the ground Is there a place Where the wind whispers in Spring Is there such a thing Is there a place where a true heart is growing Like a Stream flowing And love like a seed Sowing In the blowing wind Is there a place Where can it be found I would buy it by the pound I can hear the sound off in the distance Where the wind whispers when you sing And the birds all gather around you Is there a place Where love can be found Like a blade of grass from the ground Is there a place to find In the warm sunshine Is there a place where I can find true love Is there such a thing When I searched around in the Spring Or on the wings of a dove Where is true love In the forest Will I ever be at rest Where is it to be found I don`t hear a sound Searching high and low To find where true love may grow Is there a place Where I can find true love for life What is the price It must be nice Where do I find true love in a sea so vast I don`t know Where can true love be found not a sound Silent in my heart a deafening sound is there a place Where true love can be found ~S.Kroeger April 15,2008 RT

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Faith and art

What is Pandramatics?

by Kaspalita Thompson OAB

I'M OFTEN ASKED, “WHAT IS PANDRAMATICS?” when talking about what we do on a Tuesday evening here at The Buddhist House. Usually I mumble my way through an answer including words like improvisation, spontaneity and creativity and end by saying “but it's different every week...”

And of course, the questioner very politely smiles, and then goes away no wiser. I'll try and outline something a little more coherent in this article.

A little bit of History About seventy years ago Jacob L. Moreno began to create psychodrama - taking some of the elements of theatre rehearsal and ritual and applying them to therapy. A psychodrama group would enact the psychic space of the client (whom Moreno termed the ‘protagonist’) and Moreno would facilitate. Psychodrama uses therapeutic methods within this world, from simply asking the client to walk around the scene, stepping out of their own role, to swapping role with others and having a ‘double’ (a different person to play the protagonist’s concealed self) voicing invisible thoughts. In this way each member in the group contributes to the therapy of the protagonist.

Moreno believed that creativity was the driving force of 6

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humanity, and moreover, in a spiritual twist (that received less attention as therapy became a secular profession), that any creative or spontaneous moment was the work of God, in this world.

Around twenty years ago, David Brazier was training as a psychodrama facilitator/director. Brazier coined the term ‘archedrama’ after one of his training sessions at a workshop in Holwell, Devon, where they explored more universal archetypal themes, rather than individual issues usually explored in psychodrama.

And so the seed for Pandramatics was sown. In archedrama we take some of the methods and techniques used to explore personal issues in psychodrama and apply them to more universal themes, relating to the archetypes within each of us, and to broader social themes. The aim became less therapeutic and more exploratory, a search for something new, the creative moment.

In November 2007 we resurrected archedrama for a day workshop, as part of our “Arts and Spirituality” series through the Maitri Project. After the success of this event, and the sense we had of the potential for creativity and growth in this field, we proposed to reserve some time each week for this sort of exploration.

Faith and art

After learning that the term 'archedrama' had since been taken by a group in Vancouver, we coined a new term for this new incarnation of this group: Pandramatics.

The God of Pandemonium Pan, of course, has a dual meaning. The first refers to the Greek God Pan (Pa-on), from whom we get the word panic, a God who inspired fear in large groups of people, also known for his erotic and creative energies. The second?

Simply the Greek word pan, meaning 'all'.

The sense of Pandramatics thus being an art which includes all things dramatic, from the theatre to psychodrama, archedrama, ritual and play. Particularly taking us to the edge of our expectations, of going beyond what is already known.

Is Pandramatics Spiritual?

In our most recent day workshop, we performed and then explored two pieces of work. The first was overtly religious, as well as social and political: issues around protests surrounding the Dalai Lama's visit to the UK, and his banning of certain Buddhist practices for his followers.

The second piece of work explored issues around deathrites. The scenario of a funeral was set up on ‘stage’ or in the workspace and we explored the feelings around death, and engaging with the bereaved.

Both of these pieces of work were suggested by participants and if more secular issues, purely social or political, had been presented, we could have used some of the same methods, of exploring the different roles in each drama, to explore these issues.

Is pandramatics inherently spiritual? Or does it depend upon the content?

I would argue that whatever issues are presented, the

Pandramatics exploration of them is inherently spiritual.

The art of enacting them, playing with elements of ritual (sometimes more strongly than others) is one which we hope to uncover a deeper truth. The process of rarefying and making meaning within the scenarios is a religious act which must ultimately point to something beyond the mundane.

Moreno, in psychodrama, talks about the cultural conserve - the common understanding of the world a society or group has, a particular way of making meaning. In the cultural conserve of our Pandramatics group are ideas and concepts found in the Pureland Buddhist spiritual tradition.

Although not all members of our group are religious, we are currently using our shrine room for our weekly sessions, and the religious symbolism in the room invariably affects the drama.

But more than this, it is my belief that all people have a spiritual aspect, whether religiously expressed or not. In my experience of other drama groups, most groups, at some early point, create rituals around connecting to the earth and other elements, and progress through exploring themes around sexuality and intimacy, existential loneliness and death, each of which has a spiritual component.

Of course, groups and facilitators particularly interested in the spiritual may draw out this element more than others, but I believe the spiritual is present in each session, as throughout life.

And as in life, each day really is different, and hard to put into words. I'd encourage you all to come and experience Pandramatics. There's no substitute for it, and as the sutra says, “experience is the most beautiful adornment!”

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Other perspective

YES, Amida Guides My Action

by Kazuo Yamashita I am looking at myself and wondering how Amida Buddha’s wisdom guides me in my daily life. The Nembutsu is the wisdom directing me. Amida Buddha’s guidance is extremely deep and more fundamental than I ever expected or imagined. Amida Buddha’s wisdom is much bigger than what we think. In this context, I am Bombu, I am a foolish person.

Below are times when I can say, “Yes, Amida guides my actions”: When I hear Amida Buddha’s teaching, I feel warm, accepted and am fulfilled by great Joy. So, I can do things and act positively in my life; while working; with my friends; with my family, etc.

When I hear Amida Buddha’s teaching. I say death is absolutely not good. I was born for the purpose of hearing Amida’s wisdom wholeheartedly and share my joy with other people who connect with me. I feel so sad to know people have died without hearing this teaching. So, I want to stay healthy and wish people good health.

When I hear Amida Buddha’s teaching, I say that war is absolutely not good.

Harmony and peace is very important. I become more sensitive to this issue in this world. I want to seek the way and what I can do for peace.

When I hear Amida Buddha’s teaching, I recognise and see my selfishness and attachment to myself. I become more careful to this reality. This makes me listen to others more carefully.

This teaching comes to me as nembutsu. It has two aspects; one is wisdom, and the other is helping emotionally. So, this gives me a more positive life in this lifetime. But, it is not always the case, most of the time I forget this force and I spend my energy on dealing with my life. It is hard. But, when I do the Nembutsu I look back at those realities.

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Other perspective

yes . . . no, I CAN’T SAY However, Amida’s guidance is even deeper than all that. This is fundamentally important. In this section I cannot say whether the answer to the question is “Yes” or “No.” It is beyond my thought.

Amida Buddha’s wisdom reflects back to me that there is no truth in myself. I am drunk and deluded. I can not look at myself correctly. Please imagine, when drunk people ask other drunk people “Are you drunk?” drunk people tend to say “No, I’m not drunk, I’m not drunk.” Amida’s wisdom always teaches that there is no truth in your life. Only the Buddha-Dharma is true.

Amida Buddha’s wisdom reflects back to me that I am not capable of attaining or telling the truth, and that I am making bad things even when that is not my intention (this is because of my ‘evil karma’). However, I do not like this guidance. I want to think that I do good things in my life.

Amida Buddha reflects back to me that I do not have the power in myself (Self-Power) to go beyond this truth. Amida already sees through my reality, made a Primal Vow, and created the Nembutsu and offers it to me.

Amida Buddha is saying, ‘Please accept and trust my Primal Vow. You just call my (Amida Buddha’s) name wholeheartedly.’ It is the nearest way to become Buddha! But, it is very difficult to understand because my “SelfPower” (especially doubting Amida’s Primal Vow) is very, very, very strong. When I trust wholeheartedly, my “Self-Power” turns into “Other Power” by Amida Buddha’s power I become absolutely liberated. Now I am.

From Amida Buddha’s view there is no truth in my action. Only good action is Nembutsu. It’s too simple, but absolutely true.

Namo Amida Bu RT

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Other perspective

LETTING GO How do we get to where we want to be?

by Alex Barr

Last week my wife and I were in St Petersburg.

Along Nevsky Prospekt in the heart of town, cars race at sixty miles an hour. One rainy day, as we walked, it was impossible to avoid being sprayed and soaked with water.

'Don't they care?' my wife complained.

'Maybe they just don't notice us,' I said.

'But they must know someone is on the pavement.'

A trivial but perhaps useful example of the ethics of intention. The drivers didn't mean to cause us discomfort, but could hardly not have foreseen the chain of cause and effect. How do we look at this from the viewpoint of Dharma?

According to the law of karma as I understand it, it's only when we harm living beings intentionally that we create bad results. Every time I walk around my garden it's impossible to avoid treading unintentionally - on a snail or two. But what about indirect harm caused through avoidable actions? In such cases the harm is unseen, and hence easily not brought to mind.

And yet, if the chain of cause and effect should be clear to a reasonably educated person, don't such uncaring actions create bad results? This is a question to which I'm searching for an answer.

The indirect harm I'm most concerned about is 10

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the effect of aviation on climate change. As an environmental campaigner this is my main focus.

Obviously most things we do create CO2 emissions, but (assuming we do it mindfully and efficiently) we can't avoid heating our homes or buying food. Flying, however, is something most of us could avoid altogether. It's clear that most people would balk at such a restriction on their freedom. It's fellow-Buddhists, for whom compassion and letting go are familiar qualities, I would most expect to respond to my campaign ...but more of that later.

There isn't space in this short article to present detailed arguments about the harmful effects of aviation. The case is made eloquently by George Monbiot in Heat and Chris Goodall in How to live a low-carbon Life. Monbiot concludes, 'If you fly, you destroy people's lives.' And Goodall, 'No single step that we could take as individuals to take responsibility for global warming comes close to deciding to stop flying.'

Some of those who are concerned about aviation turn to carbon offsetting to assuage their guilt. Once again, there isn't space here to go into the science, but there's plenty of web chat on the subject, which Monbiot and Goodall also deal with, as does a report by Ethical Consumer magazine. My present opinion is that offsetting is an unquantifiable and uncertain process, in most

Other perspective

cases a smokescreen obscuring the immediate effects of aviation on the climate.

Trying to convince fellow-Buddhists of all this raises some tricky Dharma issues. It's easy to allow ill-will to arise, and with it the poisonous outflows (âsavas) of clinging to views (ditthâsava) and - in the sense of wanting to succeed as a campaigner - clinging to becoming (bhavâsava). Ill-will, and a general muddiness of mind, arise when I start to wonder why I have to campaign at all, and why the issues, and the consequent avoidance of indirect harm, aren't paramount concerns for all Buddhists. These unskilful states are aggravated by an awareness that, because of its global nature, Buddhism generates a vast network of international flights.

And who am I to point a finger at what I regard as other people's lack of compassion and willingness to let go? I've heard monks talk in general terms about the need for sila, and meditation teachers urge me to practice harder, but never, in the Samatha Association I belong to, have I heard anyone intervene in another meditator's sila. The

Buddha told people off severely for having misguided views, but they were people drawn by his charisma to ask him questions. He didn't campaign. The Network of Engaged Buddhists is a fine example of metta-based environmental campaigning without attachment to an outcome, but their campaigns are aimed at government and society in general rather than fellow-Buddhists.

So I'm left wondering how to proceed, and how to achieve equanimity while watching (somewhat enviously, I might add) monks, nuns, and lay meditators fly back and forth. I wonder whether all these comings and goings are really necessary. Is the spiritual development of a few, through contact with distinguished teachers, worth the indirect harm caused to some of the poorest beings, as climate change causes unstable weather patterns and rising sea-levels? If the way out of suffering causes suffering, what does that mean?

Oh, and in case you're wondering, we went to Russia by sea.

FRIENDSHIP WITH THE GOOD . . . . . . IS THE WHOLE OF THE SPIRITUAL PATH JOIN FRIENDS OF AMIDA NETWORK

http://amidatrust.ning.com/ On the Grapevine

The muse is alive and well at The Buddhist House, in Narborough, where David and Caroline Brazier have been busy as bees!!!

We’ll have a chance to receive the fruits of this creative energy and keep up to date with their current thinking in due course. The following are coming soon:

Caroline Brazier Caroline Brazier David Brazier

GUILT - Spring 2009 LISTENING TO THE OTHER TITLE: to be announced . . . Stay tuned RT

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CONFERENCE 2008

BEHIND THE SCENES Pre-Pre-Conference Gathering

by Modgala Duguid OAB

I arrived a week before the conference thinking I would just be the cook and join in some of the pre-conference events while preparing food for the conference. I, and we, had not bargained for the flu epidemic that had decimated the sangha in the Buddhist House.

With Dharmavidya and Prasada seriously ill and other members of the household in recovery, Susthama, Kaspa, Alena and I prepared to share the responsibilities and take care of our guests who had arrived for the pre-conference events. After a very moving Vow 22 class (ministry training program) where our guests from Japan, America, Wales and South Africa started to share about their lives, experiences and faith we settled into being a community. As they settled into the house during the day I did the preliminary shopping. In the evening Susthama took them to meet one of our Amida students who was, with others, opening a new alternative health centre appropriately named “The Amitayus Centreâ€?. All enjoyed this very much. Then Susthama also became ill‌ Now there were three, plus of course our guests. While Kaspa and Alena prepared the house and the myriad things needed for the conference our guests became *our stars*. In a wonderful pre-conference weekend they each led fascinating impromptu workshops where we all learned much about each other's lives, work and practice and shared about our paths.

We joined together in the Amida services and the Dharma Hall resonated with our chanting and Nei and Chih Quan sessions. During the week they visited the Maitri project with Mudita and Jake, visited places of worship in Leicester with Kaspa, and on a lovely day out with me explored a Cistercian monastery, then went to Bradgate Park, a deer park in Leicestershire, for a walk amongst majestic, gnarled old oaks and winding streams while deer meandered in the distance.

However, we did have to eat! And this cook had to prepare food not only for us pre-conference participants but also for the dozens of people expected for the conference.

The kitchen became the hub. Though in many traditions, and certainly in ours, cooking is a particular practice (some call it a meditation), I think of it as a creative art. Whatever we may call it there is something very special about preparing food together and at the end of the day serving up creations to delight the palate of others and spread some joy amongst the community.

Each morning our guests gathered in the kitchen for work practice. As our Amida friends gathered round the table, different ingredients in a mix, I felt a little like the conductor in an orchestra as I explained the shapes and sizes needed from each vegetable for the dishes of the day.

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CONFERENCE journal Let the chopping begin! Water runs and oil sizzles while the knives go snip, snip, snip.

It's a beautiful harmony.

My voice cannot help but join in, singing hymns to Amida.

In the pans the colours combine and the scents of the herbs and spices tantalise our nostrils.

My eyes run over the jars and packets on our shelves. I feel them call out to be added to the pans. Coriander and cumin, basil and oregano, sage and bay all speak to me. Sometimes my hand reaches out and to my surprise another flavour calls out to be added. Rarely are they wrong.

Each pan and each dish has a different voice and they too speak to me: ‘Please put some more of me in,’ says the carrot, ’and careful, not so much swede.’

‘Hi have you forgotten me?’ bubbles the soup, ‘I need a stir and maybe a bit more water or a tomato or two.’

They sweep me away into another world. Traditionally the Pure Land is described in terms of jewelled trees and sweet scented lotus flowers. This Pure Land is made up of jewelled vegetables and the scent of herbs.

Then later there is the joy of serving. Each brunch and evening supper, and during the conference we share the fruits of our labours and for me there is a feeling of intense gratitude.

To the fruits and vegetables, herbs and spices, to all who have laboured to produce them and to all who have helped me prepare and worked together in the kitchen, not least of all Walter whose return to the Buddhist house was so propitious and his hands in the washing up bowl so badly needed. And certainly Kazuo you do deserve a certificate in chopping vegetables!

Namo Amida Bu

In this photo: Kazuo Yamashita (Japan), Alan Oliver (USA), Maxine Fine (South Africa)

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CONFERENCE 2008

COMMUNITY & STRUCTURALISM: th

A Summary of the Opening Address at the 5 Living Buddhism Conference May 2008, Narborough

by David Dharmavidya Brazier OAB

In many ways it is an odd thing that I am now standing here before you as the Head of a religious order - that being a thoroughly inter-personal job. Throughout my life I have rarely been a popular person. I have only gradually learnt some social graces and I have never found it easy to conform to the value system of the social groups that I have lived in. I wonder what it is about my karma that has drawn me to situations where I remain a misfit - or maybe there really are very few people who think the way I do. I have certainly long had the sense that “If most people think something, then it is probably wrong.”

Let me give a simple example. A quick way of getting approval in many gatherings of this kind would be, in the case of Buddhism, to say something like: “I’m in favour of the Buddh, I just don’t like the -ism.” This kind of slogan is supposed to unite us around the idea that things should not be institutionalised. However, if there is no instituting there is no uniting, so the idea is bankrupt - just a con. There is no Buddh without the -ism just as there is no social behaviour without a society. A religion has to be an activity and, in varying degrees, an organised activity - organised by concepts and conventions. It cannot be a pure essence completely disembodied. There is a Buddhist saying that “The Great Way lacks for nothing yet needs something.” This is a typically paradoxical Buddhist saying, but what it means is that the Great Way might exist in theory in some kind of pristine isolation but means nothing until it is embodied by you and I. It needs us.

Does Buddhism need to change? Along a rather similar line to what I have just said, some have said to me: Buddhism does not need to change, it is we who need to change. However, again, personally, I take the opposite view.

We are human beings. We are as we are. If this world is going to become a better place then it must do so using ordinary human beings such as we are. The idea that all will be well when we ordinary human beings have undergone a great shift in our being and consciousness and become other than what we currently are is an unrealistic day dream.

That is delusion.

I take my lead in it from Honen Shonin. It simply is not good enough to make all progress dependent upon individual human change. It is a doctrine of despair and it is a doctrine of social irresponsibility.

Question: If individuals don’t change, how will anything improve?

Answer: Is the difference in homicide rate between New York 1990 and New York 2005 (between which dates there was a substantial drop) due to New Yorkers suddenly doing more meditation? No, it was due to changes in the way the city was administered. It is like public health. Is the way to solve public health problems to cure every individual sick person? No. Curing sick people is a good thing to do, but the way to solve the problem is to lay sewers, organise refuse collection, and so on. It is collective measures that change the situation. The same is true with people’s moral life. A great deal depends upon how they are organised. How virtuous a person is has an individual element, but it has a much larger communal element. People behave according to the kind of community that they inhabit.

I am, therefore, a structuralist. We do have to have structures. The best structures, however, have fluid articulations, and have means for evolution and internal modification. The first essential in any constitution are the provisions covering how the constitution can be changed. Not only do we have to have structures, but to a substantial degree we become those structures. They become like extended arms and legs. If we belong to a social group then much of our life takes place within it. On the internet at present, for instance, we see an enormous concern with the creation of “communities”. In fact the whole history of the internet could be seen in terms of an attempt to revolutionise the nature of community.

Humankind is on a quest for extended community. The alienation generated by mass society has brought huge problems in its wake - marital breakdown, displaced persons, youth disaffection, crime - all on massive scale. It has also led to a frightening degree of homogenisation. People will say that globalization has produced a breakdown of structures, but in many cases it has produced ever larger and more impersonal structures. The challenge is to find structures that enable people to live as full human beings. If this quest is to be captured in a single word, then that word is “community.”

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CONFERENCE journal

Now I believe that Buddhism has a significant part to play in this structural revolution that is going on and in the longing for community that lies at the core of it. In order to understand my point, we must appreciate that Buddhism is a human artefact and a collective one. Buddhism is not primarily something individual. It is primarily a certain religious sensibility and religion is a collective phenomenon.

Western Buddhism is, in my view, stuck in the rut of individualism compounded by a rather negatively conservative sectarianism and it will take some effort to get it back on the road. In passing, let me say that I am not against conservatism in its better forms - a respect for tradition is vital - but one needs a living tradition, not a dead form.

I personally see my role as being to empower others to do constructive things. Constructive often means to create and operate structures. We have created here a community. Whatever people think of our ideology, the people who come and sample this community get a good experience. We need to extend this experiment. To do so, however, requires personal dedication. We will have our freeloaders, just as Shakyamuni did. But, also like him, we have some excellent people too. This conference is itself evidence that there are people inspired by the message of the compassionate Buddha, people that the Buddha has found to help in the great work that needs doing - the work that is ultimately the creation of an alternative type of community in this world - a community of trust.

It is good to feed the hungry and to tend the sick. It is good to protect animals and the environment. It is good to help refugees and oppose war. However, all of these things are, in my way of thinking, blossoms on the bush. They are not the trunk. Similarly with art and culture. We sponsor a range of art and culture activities, but that is not our prime interest and raison d’etre. No. We are, first and foremost, a religious foundation. That is the root and trunk of our being here.

In my perspective, religion is the human attempt to look beyond the conditioned, ordinary world toward ultimate things. Each religion has its own ways of doing it. Religion grounds the person in something greater than his or her ephemeral empirical being. We live in this transient world, but we do so much more effectively for having our sights upon something beyond. Because we are here our conceptualisation of what is beyond is necessarily inadequate.

We shall be wise to acknowledge that for if we do we shall be able to live in peace with others who are making a similar attempt in a different manner and shall be open to learning from one another. Buddhism should be enlightened in this way. It should not fall into the extremes of secularism on the one hand that denies a beyond nor of narrowness on the other that tries to assert an exclusivity of wisdom and knowledge.

With such a grounding, we should be able to have a solidity of faith that carries us through the difficulties of this life without falling too far into prejudice and narrowness. I am appalled that I have been to Buddhist gatherings that are sexist, that are obsessed with being acceptable to secular authority, that are authoritarian, that are tied to tradition in a stifling backward looking way, that are smugly anti-intellectual. I am deeply concerned about lines of thinking that disparage serious thought - that in the name of tricks like “non-duality” or “oneness” stifle serious debate about anything that has real consequence in the world. The fact that one is reaching toward the beyond does not mean that there is nothing to be done here in this world - that is the worst kind of gnosticism.

Some will think that there is some kind of contradiction between the two poles of my presentation - structuralism on the one hand and transcendentalism on the other. They are, however, the yin and the yang that complement one another. Our structures are bombu structures. They are our human attempt to live in the reflection of that Light that remains ever beyond our grasp. Buddhism is the middle way. At one extreme lies the world renouncing religiosity that sees this world as hopeless and takes flight into practice as escapism. On the other extreme is that kind of secularism that thinks that because we have schools we do not need to listen to God, because we have courts we can forget about karma, because we have immigration authorities we do not need any religious stuff about caring for out neighbour - in other words, that thinks we can do it ourselves. We can’t.

Religion begins with a recognition of our limitations. That does not mean do nothing. It means recognise both that there is much to do and that nothing that we do will be perfect. We have to build structures that will support community - social structures, intellectual structures, physical structures. But let us never think that our structures do anything more than cry out toward Amida.

In this conference we shall have plenty of opportunity to explore and debate these questions. I commend it to you.

Namo Amida Bu.

For the full address go to http://amidatrust.ning.com/forum/topic/ RT

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Breaking the Mould Does Buddhism need to change as it comes to the West? th

5 Living Buddhism Conference May 2008, Narborough

by Caroline Prasada Brazier OAB

This question lay behind the 2008 Amida Living Buddhism conference, and indeed similar questions have been posed at many Buddhist events which I have attended over the past few years. Buddhism in the West is in its infancy. Whether or not we conclude that it needs to change, inevitably, if it finds its place among our established religions, it will.

Buddhism has changed and adapted its way around the globe. As it swept across Asia, it evolved from the often relatively solitary wandering Bhikshu, or small groups of Bhikshunis, of the Buddha’s day, to the full scale monasticism of China and Tibet, and back to the more locally based temple family system in Japan. It incorporated local gods as temple protectors and local idioms as frameworks for liturgy. Buddhism is a hungry religion which has absorbed doctrines and practices from Bon, Taoism and Confucianism among others. Many changes grew from practicalities; climate and local custom rather than precedent from the sutras. Even in Theravada, which apparently does not change, there has probably been some tendency to incorporate ideas from Mahayana, as evidenced by the Quan Shi Yin shrines found in Thai temples or, more recently, interest in interbeing.

Coming to the West, the question is not so much “will Buddhism change?” as “how will it change?” What aspects of Western life and philosophy will become the bedrock of Western Buddhism?

Adaptation is the hallmark of the Buddhist advance across new continents. Even where the West attempts to import a tradition unchanged, inevitably the practice takes on fresh nuances in interaction with our culture, fanned by our Western interests and our Western delusions. Some such change is reactive, defined against the backdrop of our Christian past, some Western Buddhists critique belief in a judgemental God or insistence on metaphysical allegiances. Secular Buddhism is popular and fiercely evangelical, oblivious of its sectarianist tendencies. Other Western Buddhist thinking incorporates Christian values such as forgiveness, mercy, or human rights, again often unacknowledged and under a secularist rubric. Still other forms of Western Buddhism are infiltrated by fascination with the exotic, the esoteric and the New Age, owing more to the Western love of adventure and new experiences than tradition.

In our own Amida sangha, I am aware of the cross currents of influence and possibility which come from this Western ideology. In our discussions we draw on the spiritual and philosophical heritage of Europe, on traditions such as existentialism and phenomenology. Western theological debate has undeveloped parallels in Buddhism. I hope that British Buddhism will embrace the thoroughness and clarity of Western religious thought, and move beyond its current somewhat woolly thinking. Also I am interested here in what we can learn from Western form and in experimenting with pouring the essence of Shakyamuni’s message into jugs which suit the Western aesthetic and lifestyle. In this I believe that Pureland has advantages. Western religion has largely rejected monasticism. Whilst still a minor specialism, valuable, but for the few, the predominance of religious life in the West is undertaken by community based clergy, who, in Protestant contexts, are married householders.

The local church takes its place in the community, a focal point for social, as well as religious, activity. Japanese Pureland similarly has clergy who see themselves as servants of their congregations, and like the founders, Honen and Shinran, reject monastic life. They are, as Shinran put it, “neither monk nor lay person”.

In Amida we have two paths of ordination. The Ministry path follows one direction, emphasising the roles of householder and service to a community, independent operation and celebration of rites. The Amitarya path makes religious commitment communal, embedded in a global context, and emphasising availability to collective purpose and willingness to travel where needed. Whilst to a degree these mirror the monastic and non-monastic paths, the details are complex and specific to our tradition (it has to be said that there are few defining characteristics of monasticism, or priestly roles, which are not varied in reality by different groups).

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So what can we learn from Western models of religious institution? What can we take as advice and what as warning? In a short article, such questions are better raised than answered, but broadly, I think we can learn much from recent developments in popular Christianity. Christianity itself is going through much soul searching and experiment. Guitars in churches brought innovation, but sometimes seemed a little desperate in appealing to the popular. Wide-screen TV and burger evenings may be dubious attempt to popularise, or a wily ploy to entice the otherwise unholy.

Some pointers, then, which I think we can look at and discuss include: Approachability of clergy The abandonment in many contexts of full religious dress in favour of less conspicuous dog collars, combined with ordinary dress, creates a more approachable image for Christian clergy. I find that in chaplaincy work, a simple plain red outfit with wagessa is more suitable than traditional robes would be. I am more approachable for those I visit (who may or may not be Buddhist), a facilitative presence rather than a religious icon.

Energy and fervour

The churches which flourish today often have a lively, impassioned, evangelical style. Watching a Pentecostal service on the television this week, with its exuberance, music and dance, I can understand why. If our religious life brings joy, let us show it. Let our nembutsu be an expression of our enthusiasm and inspiration, not a painful dirge.

Simplicity of message:

The popularity of the Christian Alpha course is testimony to the search for straightforward explanation and teaching. In particular people want the basic message of their religion in sound bites which can be quickly absorbed and related to personal experience. The current climate of advertising, rationalism and the rise of a culture of personal reference have led people to expect their religious message to be offered in palatable form.

Creativity and arts

The relationship between religion and the arts has an illustrious history both in the West and in Buddhism. Pureland in Japan spawned writers, poets, painters, dance and music. In the modern context, many people can relate more readily to the expression of religious experience through the abstract mediums of imagery and colour than through literalism and doctrine. Taize chanting, religious performance and modern art all bring exciting new dimensions to Christian worship. The modern acceptance of complexity, ambiguity and doubt seeks a methodology which gives space for expression without interpretation. Creativity offers media which can facilitate this.

Clarity and rationality of explanation

Whilst creative media avoid the need for clear definition, the Western search for truth is also well grounded in the rigours of scholasticism. Whether in a textually based search into the history of ideas, or a philosophical enquiry into the nature of belief and dogma, Western religious academia has contributed to the consolidation of understanding. Clergy have a role in translating and passing on such ideas in forms which ordinary people can understand. Drawing on methods from Christian theology and academic research, we can illuminate our understanding of Buddhist history and doctrine.

Personal prayer-life and religious experience

Christianity values direct religious experience. Conversion and dialogue with the Divine are hallmarks of many people’s faith. Prayer provides a route to discerning direction and guidance. In some Pureland traditions too, Shinjin is core to the religious life. Invocation and offering, contemplation and a sense of being led all have a place in our practice. Personal engagement is important in making religion meaningful. I think we can go further. Discussing the relevance of prayer and devotional practices, its forms and relevance to our practice, is something which I would like to see given more space in our community. Do we bring Amida into our meetings and consultations or simply leave Him in our shrine room?

These pointers are not answers. Some are controversial. Raising them, I hope, perhaps, to stimulate debate and offer a more useful source for discussion. Like it or not, we are adapting our practice and our interpretations, whilst also deepening our understanding of the tradition through our rich interchanges with Pureland friends in Japan and elsewhere. At the end of the day we must find a way to practice in the West as Westerners. I hope we will do so in a way that makes a positive and lasting contribution to the religious life of our members, cultures and the world.

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CAUGHT IN THE ACT Three Gems on Stage Conference Convivial

Holly Schofield A lovely blend of the Shy and Timid with the Strong and Bold.

Alison Squires Beautiful, brilliant and no musical instrument necessary to add to her so(u)lo singing!

Bodhakari A delightful, down to earth quality mixed with heavenly heartfelt sensation 18

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Dharma-based Person-Centered Approach in Japan A Summary of Workshop Presenting Gisho Saiko’s Work

by Kazuo Yamashita Translated by Dr. Toshikazu Arai, Soai College, Osaka, Japan 29th August 2001 at Ako 8th International Person-Centered Approach Forum in Japan This workshop is based on my personal experiences as a professor of psychology. My experiences have led me to feel that Buddhism and Person-Centred Approach (PCA) are inseparable.

PCA and Japanese culture It has been about half a century since C. R. Rogers’ theory on the client-centered therapy was introduced to Japan.

Since then, his ideas, including those on PCA, have been widely welcomed and accepted. Rogers’ theory has been studied and applied not only in psychology, but in the fields of education, religion, social welfare, and nursing among others. Perhaps no other Western theories of psychology have been as influential as Rogers’ in Japan. There were many factors involved in this: Rogers’ energetic activities in research and teaching, his visit to Japan to meet and guide Japanese psychologists and therapists, young Japanese therapists and psychologists’ study with him in the US and speedy publication of Japanese translations of his new writings. However, more importantly, his theory on therapy was simple and clear, easy to understand, and easy to test and re-experience. In addition, Rogers’ view on humanity was Oriental and suited the Japanese way of thinking. It has been pointed out to us that he was influenced by the philosophy of Lao-zi and Zhung-zi.

Dharma-based Person-Centered Approach Buddhism has been one of the most influential religions on the Japanese people’s spirituality. Buddhism is a universal religion that was founded by Sakyamuni Buddha in India about 2500 years ago. It was transmitted through China and Korea to Japan in the 5th and 6th century. It ultimately developed into what may be called Japanese Buddhism. An important development of Japanese Buddhism is that in the Kamakura period (1192-1333), a new form of Buddhist schools called “Buddhism for the laity” came into existence. They all inherited Buddhist traditions from Sakyamuni Buddha but were different in form from the established traditional Buddhist schools. Honen (1133-1212) established the first Japanese form of Pureland Buddhism following the teaching of Shan-tao (613-682), the Chinese Pureland patriarch. Honen’s disciple Shinran further clarified and propagated his master’s teaching for saving every human being. Shinran’s teaching was later organized into a new school called Jodo Shinshu. In short, it is a path in which an ordinary foolish person (bombu) can become a Buddha. Anybody who believes in Amida Buddha’s *Primal Vow and recites the Buddha’s Name is reborn in Amida’s Pure Land and becomes a Buddha.

By Dharma-based I mean an approach based on the spirit of an ordinary foolish being who believes in Amida Buddha as found in Jodo Shinshu. I believe the term Buddha-Dharma better represents the religious system that is commonly called Buddhism. The reason is that it is a way of life for all of humanity, not just a system of thought. Sakyamuni Buddha attained perfect awakening to the truth and reality of human suffering, and this awakening is called “wisdom.” Out of compassion for people, he shared his realization with them to emancipate them from suffering. The Buddha-Dharma has come from the Buddha’s supreme awakening and contains the dynamic power of saving people based on his wisdom and compassion. Following the spirit exhibited by the Buddha, the Dharma-based Approach is intended to help individuals resolve their distress and agony. In this way, I believe that the Buddha-Dharma relates closely to psychotherapy, counseling, and other activities that are meant to help people in difficulty. At the same time, it is a practical way leading people to resolve their suffering and to enter a realm of true peace. I feel that Buddhism should be understood as a system of psychotherapy to be conducted in the spiritual realm rather than as a doctrinal or philosophical system.

Some basic points about Buddhism:

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Human existence is filled with suffering. Not being able to do what one wants to do is the true nature of suffering.

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The fundamental cause for human suffering is “ego-attachment” deeply rooted in human ego. Egoattachment makes a person desire that the world acts according to his wishes.

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Therefore, in order to acquire true joy, ease and peace, one must carry out certain practices.

*Primal Vow - 18th Vow in The Larger Pureland Sutra. Oh Blessed One, may I not come to the complete awakening if, when I have done so, living beings inhabiting other worlds, who conceive a longing for awakening, who listen to my Name, who set their heart upon being reborn in my Pure Land, and who keep me in mind with settled faith, are not assured of meeting me standing before them in full retinue and glory at the time of their death, such death thus being completely free of anxiety.

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Shinshu Counseling I will use four diagrams to explain Shinshu counselling also know as Dharma-based Person-centered Approach (DPA). In these figures, normally complex human relations have been simplified into a direct and personal relationship in a counseling situation between A (helper, counselor, therapist) and B (helpee, client).

Figure 1 is a simplified illustration of the counseling relationship which C. Rogers recommended.

A and B are in a person-to-person relationship. They face each other as equals and establish a personal relationship. They have deeper interactions as they carry out their counseling activity. A is called “I” and B, the client, is “Thou”. This is important as it recognises B as a person and not an object. The arrows indicate freedom of expression and communication on both sides.

Figure 2 shows a relationship in which A has taken an authoritative and manipulative attitude toward B. B feels threatened and acts defensively. In this situation, B is obstructed from developing congruent awareness and giving congruent expression.

Figure 3 shows a relationship which I call Buddhist Counseling. In contrast with Figures 1 and 2, underneath the X dimension, in which A and B stand as individual persons, there is a Y dimension, where the Buddha-Dharma operates.

The solid lines that extend from A, in the X dimension down into the Y dimension symbolizes A’s awareness that the counsellor is rooted in the Buddha’s realm. In contrast, B the dotted lines that extend from B indicate that B is not necessarily aware of the Buddha’s realm. A’s perspective is that both client and counsellor are equally rooted in and sustained by the Buddha’s realm.

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CONFERENCE journal Humans live in the finite and relative world, limited by space and time. Human relations, too, evolve within this limitation, but with the awareness of the Buddha’s Realm the counsellor is sustained by the infinite and absolute world of the Buddha which surpasses space and time. In other words, the counsellor feels illumined and protected by the Light of the Buddha.

The differences in nature between the X and Y dimensions are shown as follows: X dimension (Human Realm) Y dimension (Buddha’s Realm) Human Beings The Buddha(s) Mundane Supra-mundane Transcendent Relative Absolute Finite Infinite Limitless, Eternal Birth-and-death Non-birth and Non-death Realm of Thought/Calculation Realm beyond Thought

PLEASE NOTE!!I In the two dimensional illustration represented, in Figures 3 and 4, the Y dimension, might look as if it physically existed in a relative relationship with the X dimension, but that is not the case. The Buddha’s realm is absolute, eternal and where one is enlightened. Even though line X and line Y are drawn parallel to each other, they differ in nature in reality.

The only difference between DPA and conventional counselling is the awareness that the counsellor is sustained and held by the Buddha’s Realm. The counsellor conducts the counseling practice rooted in the realm of the Buddha and the Dharma.

Figure 4 illustrates the kind of DPA which I have tentatively named Shinshu counseling and have been developing for a number of years.

This represents Shinran’s view on humanity and human relations.

In my opinion, very few personalities in Japanese history, have observed human nature and human spirituality as closely as Shinran. From the viewpoint of PCA, he made an existential, experiential, selfaware, and person-to-person approach on the basis of his complete trust in Amida Buddha’s Primal Vow. Shinran always had the sense of joy and gratitude for being born as a human being after having come across Amida Buddha’s Primal Vow. It is because he had experienced being saved by a power that wasn’t his own - an Other Power - at a time when he was trying hard to but unable to save himself by traditional Self-Power practices.

After twenty years’ diligent endeavor to attain Buddhahood in the prestigious monastery on Mt. Hiei outside of Kyoto, Shinran had found himself totally incapable of attaining his goal. He was not able to attain enlightenment by keeping precepts, studying scriptures, and carrying out different types of meditation. That meant to him that he was unable to liberate himself from transmigration (birth-and-death) for eons to come and that he was doomed to hell. Although he was in despair of his own ego-attachment, ignorance, foolishness, and evilness, he came across Honen and the teaching of Amida’s Primal Vow. Honen, who became his teacher had taught him that he could be saved from despair by entrusting himself to the Primal Vow and by Amida through reciting the Buddha’s Name (Namo Amida Butsu) only. He understood that by reciting the Name he was entrusting himself to Amida’s Primal Vow, or placing faith in Amida.

Shinran also realized that the Primal Vow was intended to save “wretched and hopeless” people, namely himself. It was the working of the Primal Vow that made him realize his true condition and so rely solely on the Primal Vow. In short, Shinran’s teaching amounts to this: one is saved by faith in Amida’s Primal Vow alone. This faith is twofold - from the time of the historical Sakyamuni Buddha, no one can attain Buddhahood through the traditional self-power efforts and that the Primal Vow is to save ordinary foolish beings who are incapable of carrying out religious practices and precepts, or performing any good acts to accumulate religious merit. It seems to me that the spiritual world and the Buddha-Dharma that Shinran started 800 years ago keeps casting new “light” on the present age. Shinshu counseling is an attempt to carry out the PCA with this understanding.

For the full paper http://amidatrust.ning.com/profile/kazuoyamashita RT

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Losing Homelands Known and Unknown A dramatic presentation and workshop at the Amida Conference

by Zelda Alexander

This was a two-part contribution, inspired by my own history. I grew up in apartheid South Africa, the child of Latvian immigrant parents whose extended families were murdered in the Holocaust. In 1997 I visited Latvia, my unknown homeland for the first time. These experiences led to my recording thoughts and feelings in writing, both fact and fiction.

On Saturday afternoon at Narborough, I presented a selection of these writings, weaving together history and story telling. The history pieces are memoirs, journal entries and publicly available information, while the story telling consists of loosely autobiographical fictional episodes which resonate with these factual elements. I moved between two chairs, to distinguish the strands of factual history from those of fictional story telling: fact and fiction work together to enhance their emotional impact.

As engaged Buddhists, Amida members may, and indeed many have, come into contact with those who have suffered dislocation, war, major loss and exile, and who know the pain of being a refugee or an asylum seeker without a homeland. These traumas are both personal and historic. By drawing on my own history and that of my family, I create a vehicle through which participants can enter imaginatively into these experiences. It thus becomes a means to explore these universal themes. The experiences of one person, brought to life through memoir and imaginative reconstruction, can provide a window of insight into the feelings and experiences of many. Also illuminated in this way is the process through which trauma is transmitted from one generation to the next. To put it slightly differently, my intention in presenting my writings in this way is that through relating my particular history in this dramatic way, we may all be helped to enter imaginatively into the felt experience of those - from many times and places who suffer loss and dislocation.

I requested that we not have a discussion immediately following the presentation because of its emotional impact. (And the emotional impact was marked, with several people weeping openly during the presentation.)

On Sunday morning, therefore, we had a follow-up workshop, led by Modgala and myself, to give participants an opportunity to share and process the experience of the presentation, and to bring in some more material in order to broaden the scope and help to universalise the insights. We wanted to offer a space in which people could think about the long term effects on survivors and their descendants of being caught up in conflicts,

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natural disasters and in some cases genocide, and to pose the question: “how can Amida members use the insights of engaged Buddhism to help in these situations?”

Most of the people in the Sunday workshop had heard the presentation, but there were two who had not, and this provided an additional interest and dimension to our discussion. We went around the room sharing our experience of the previous day's presentation. Those who had not heard it spoke after this. Several interesting things came out of the sharing.

First, most of those present could, in one way or another relate to the presentation in a personal and immediate way and wished to share these feelings and reflections.

So most of the workshop time was taken up by the very moving personal accounts of participants. Some people, for example Modgala and Sundari, were able to contribute both from their own personal experiences and from their work. Modgala has experience of working with traumatised people in different parts of the world, and shared some of this. She emphasised the importance of providing people who have suffered huge losses with the opportunity to tell their stories. Hearing another's story can help us understand more about what lies behind their actions and attitudes. For others in our workshop group, the focus was more on their personal history or that of loved ones. What seemed to be generally the case, however, was that everyone was able to connect emotionally to the kinds of trauma I had described, to find parallels in their own lives, and to see the relevance of this kind of emotional insight into engaged and compassionate work in the world.

Second, Prasada, who was one of those who had not heard Saturday's presentation, pointed out that within our little group we had (unintentionally!) created a situation of insiders (those who had been at the presentation) and outsiders (those who had not).

She reflected on what it felt like, even in this relatively small way, not to belong, and how powerful that feeling is.

Another theme explored at some depth was that of 'home', and what it is to be or feel 'at home' or not 'at home'. Although this was not discussed during the workshop, Philip later raised the question, ‘how Buddhists (given the 'going forth' of the Buddha, which can be understood as a renunciation of 'home') can work with the almost universal feeling that not to feel or be 'at home', not to belong in some way, is a painful and difficult experience?’

Several people, while talking about their own family's histories, commented on the personal significance to them of hearing about another person's research into their history, and how it made them want to find out more about their own family's history.

At least two of the participants later told me that they were going to try to find out more from whatever sources were available to them.

Although I have given this presentation a number of times in a variety of settings, the Amida Conference provided a unique opportunity for me to sit with participants a day later and process as a group the thoughts and feelings my writings had brought up.

This was a great gift which I shall treasure.

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Psychosis and Insight A workshop at the Amida Conference

by Bodhakari Rand

In running a workshop on psychoses and insight at the recent Amida conference, I was hoping to raise some questions and stimulate discussion, rather than being able to offer any particular knowledge on the subject. I would like to present a few of the same thoughts and questions here for the same reason.

I am very aware of both the benefits and the shortcomings of models. Whatever belief system we adhere to, scientific, Buddhist, another religion, that belief system will have a model of the world, of reality, of what happens. This includes subdivisions of science, such as psychiatry. A model can be helpful, in that it brings the great unknown down to something more systematic, something more “bite size” for us to get our heads around. But a model is also just a model, and no model is accurate. It cannot be accurate. It is something, usually two dimensional and static, mapping something of infinite dimensions that is dynamic. Rather like a map of India, useful to find your way around India, but also a pretty poor representation of the infinite number of interwoven, dynamic phenomena that we call India.

We have the two words “psychosis” and “insight”. Behind them hide many attempts at modelling, and a multitude of individual experience. Buddhist “insight” is generally seen as an extremely positive event, a goal even, whereas the word “psychosis” in general usage describes a very negative event, perhaps a disaster, and something from which ideally a person should return to “normal”: often how they were in the past, as quickly as possible.

The model of the mind that I take from Buddhism and the Amida Buddhist Psychology course, includes building defences against the world, fortifying the constructed barrier between “self” and “other”, in order to avoid pain, uncertainty, loss and change. This model of the mind includes a store consciousness the “Alaya”, somewhat similar to Freud's unconscious. So this might be “storing” our individual past experiences, whether they be in this life time or even earlier, and includes tendencies to “built up” habitual responses.

The Buddhist model also includes the ideal “Reality” something free of self-material altogether. Perhaps this could be seen as a “purified” state, purified of urges to build self, purified of habitual responses, and thus, creative and in the moment. This might be seen as a “natural state”, if “Reality“ is seen as what remains when we free ourselves from our limited self-preoccupation and responses obscured by these.

Freud proposes a one-life model including a personal unconscious, where personality arises from the childhood of this one life. His student Jung added the idea of a shared unconscious that we all tap into, sharing in human history (and possibly beyond) in terms of myths, including religious and other archetypes.

If the “barrier” between us and “Reality” is the self material, both in terms of the skandha cycle (the self perpetuating/defending cycle) and the Alaya (the dual aspect of the same “self”) a relative or absolute breakdown of the organisation of the self structure in a short space of time could cause an influx of “Reality” that completely overwhelms the individual, perhaps sometimes also mixed with material, including pain, stored in their unconscious. A practising Buddhist may be better prepared for this than many other people, through a systematic practice and intent to break down the “self” barriers he or she

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might gradually gain more capacity to hold the unknown. Capacity might also be gained through the experience of “sitting with” chaotic and painful experience, consciously calming ones’ reactions, and having come to gradually allow the unconscious to become conscious.

I think it is fair to say that we live in a society obsessed with rationality. Psychosis and insight seem to share that they are beyond the normal understanding of the term rational. Both are also experiences by definition that are not shared by others. Throughout history, there have been visionaries whose visions have been unique to them, including witch doctors and oracles. In old times, and different cultures this was and is viewed as a positive, not negative, indicator.

An account I’d like to share, is about a man who has had intermittent “psychotic” episodes, and has on occasion, subsequently, been hospitalised. I met him during what I imagined to be the onset of such an episode, and would say that he had a greater than normal insight into some dynamics in his past life, that he in fact had accessed some greater level of understanding than he normally had. From this state, over a period of time, he reached a state where he actually believed people to be other than they were, and often that they were out to kill him. Subsequently, he was hospitalised, drugged to sleep for a while and then gradually brought back to a waking state. While still in hospital, he displayed visual arts and musical abilities that had never manifested in his life before (nor after he became “well” again). He also reported a fantastic memory for detail with regards to events in his life. To me, he appeared simultaneously both to be more attuned, and less attuned than he had previously been. However, I found that when he was “well” I experienced him as operating from an extremely narrow frame of mind. I did not think that this “self with very small fortress” would be able to withstand much of an onslaught. So, the self would need a stronger fortress to protect itself against a vast array of what must be defended.

I myself had an experience of insight in my early twenties. This arose in dependence on certain important conditions; I was cut loose from my culture and my normal environment, and found myself very isolated from what I thus far had been accustomed to. It so happened that I meditated every night, although I didn't know any such word as meditation. This went on for months. Then one day many insights started pouring in. These were not to do with my personal life or my unconscious material in any great degree. They were very much to do with the world/universe, and the relatedness of phenomena. I saw the non-existence of individual selves, the world as a dance of colour and energy, and felt amazing love and compassion for all who suffered, and who were unable, I assumed, to see what I was now was seeing. I saw death as an illusion, and every detail of the world as profound. I thought, naively, that if I could communicate my vision, which was much more extensive than what I have detailed here, all would be well with the world. I started trying to communicate through the inadequate medium of language (and in English, a language that isn’t my mother tongue), and soon came to realise that I’d better stop or I might soon be part of the mental health system!

How do I know that I was not more deluded when I was in this state? Well, I don't. I still think, however, that that experience was more “real” in terms of how I perceived things. Using the Buddhist paradigm that states that the mundane world is unsatisfactory, impermanent and insubstantial, my experience was relatively satisfactory; it made complete sense in every detail, and lacked the doubt of my normal states of mind. The universal truths underlying the experience seemed eternal. Also, experiencing an overcoming of the boundary between that which I would normally consider my “self” and “other” was beyond any intellectual understanding. The boundary between self and other, and even between mind and matter seemed much less, which made the world more like a malleable playground.

As members of spiritual communities, we may sometimes be in a position to support others who are going through experiences which initially might be painful or overwhelming, or irrational, a mixture perhaps of the unconscious past and/or a greater sense of what lies beyond seeping through the fortress walls. Seeing this is a welcome signpost on the path: a sign of growth with its inevitable initial stage of chaos before the enhanced “self” comes to a new order. Perhaps we as Buddhists can play an important role influencing the wider world of mental health to see that some experiences currently classified under the term “psychosis” are actually a chaotic and irrational interlude that takes place between something rather limited and more expansive that can be reached through a conscious synthesis. Perhaps one day, these experiences will be a welcomed opportunity rather than disaster to be discarded and “reversed”.

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CONFERENCE 2008

Lessons for Africa Learned From the 5th Living Buddhism Conference

by Maxine Fine

Master Hsing Yun, a Chinese monk who left China for Taiwan in 1949, founded the Fo Guang Shan Buddhist Order in 1967. By the 1990s he had fulfilled his vow to build a Temple on every continent in the world. Though they welcome Westerners and Africans, the order draws mainly Asians, and thus, focuses on them throughout the world.

Toward the turn of the 21st century, Master Hui Li, another powerful and charismatic monk from the same order, determined to address, more directly, the suffering of the people of Africa. Deeply concerned about the plight of children affected by the Aids pandemic, he undertook to build care centres to look after destitute children in every country in Africa. He left Fo Guang Shan and started a new organization, Amitofo Charity Association (ACA) in Africa. He plans to build schools, hospitals, training centers and seminaries as well as contribute food, clothing and other material goods to other care centers in the vicinity of each care centre. He already donates wheel chairs to disabled people throughout the continent regularly.

The aim of ACA is to produce healthy adults who have skills to benefit themselves and uplift their societies. Children will be cared for and supported until they are independent, educated young adults with useful skills. As I understand it, another important aim is to propagate Buddhism in Africa. ACA's stated intention is that the care centres should fit into the local culture and follow the local traditions. They hope to use local concepts that correspond with Buddhist teachings as steppingstones to propagate Buddhism. The ultimate aim is to meld the local beliefs and culture with Buddha-Dharma, much as has happened when Buddhism spread from India to other countries. However, the children at the Malawi Centre, which has been running for a few years, have been given Chinese names (the Chinese helpers cannot pronounce their given names) and wear little gray Chinese robes at the Sunday service. They are taught to chant Namo Omitofo. It seems to me that some Chinese Buddhists, while saying they do not force their beliefs on others, do not see the extent to which they uphold the Chinese Buddhist culture and narrowmindedly think that their way is the way forward on those they would like to help in Africa. I am not aware that any effort is made to teach the children the religion and culture that they were born to. It must be acknowledged that the ACA Chinese Buddhists have great compassion and fervently devote their lives and money to alleviating suffering in Africa.

Before I attended the 5th Living Buddhism Conference I was already concerned about ACA's attempt at Buddhist colonization of Africa. At the conference I heard

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much that confirmed my concerns. The Amida-shu project in India teaches very poor people English, not Pureland Buddhism. It became more evident to me that Buddhist volunteers and other helpers in foreign countries need to be profoundly sensitive to the culture, beliefs and experienced difficulties of those they would like to help. I believe, now, that the helpers and those helped must talk about the best way to help and what is most needed by the people. We should engage deeply and meaningfully with members of the communities in which we build care centres. There should be an equal partnership. Those proffering help should try to understand, and thus show the utmost respect, for the ways of those they are helping and should help them to achieve their own aims and not the aims of the Buddhists helpers. Buddhists should not force their ways upon anyone, especially young children. Some say that Africa does not need another religion but does need help. Can we steer ACA to give the people in Africa the help they need with no strings attached?

Many members of ACA are aware of these issues. I hope we can steer the organisation to care for the children it takes on without insisting on passing on Chinese Buddhism and culture. I hope ACA can simply open the unsurpassed Buddhist toolkit for those who are ready and want it. I think we can learn much from the Amida-shu model, which, as I understand it, tries to provide kind, accepting friendship; partnership rather than parental leadership; a safe space to find one's own way rather than insisting everyone adopt the way of Amida (wonderful and unsurpassed as it undoubtedly is!).

My own teacher, Master Hui Re (Wisdom Sun) decided to join Master Hui Li after visiting the care centre in Malawi. ‘Africa is a Dharma desert,’ he declares. Buddhism is fairly well established in every continent except Africa. Master Hui Re is quite open minded and listens carefully to the views of his “Western” students. He understands the need to rear children in their own culture and belief system.

Very relevant to ACA's mission, in my opinion, was Alan Oliver's presentation, Developing a Global Process for Buddhist Economics. I think Bhutan's concept of Gross National Happiness could be usefully applied in Africa (and the rest of the world) in developing an ecologically and psychologically sound economic model. I hope ACA will offer courses in Buddhist economics at its seminaries and training centers.

LOOK AHEAD th

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Next course in

Buddhist Psychology 11 - 19 October 2008 Hearing the Real Other Caroline & David Brazier, Gina Clayton Buddhist psychology suggests that psychological problems arise when we are locked in the deluded worlds that we have created. What we experience is a function of our need to maintain personal stability, and to this end, our minds insulate us from others by distorting perception. We see selectively or unconsciously distort what we see so that our perception fits with our preconceptions. The way out of this psychological rigidity is through more direct encounter with others, and the therapeutic relationship can be a forum in which this encounter is explored.

11-12 October RELATIONSHIP AND DIFFERENCE The creative power of helping relationships. The balance between empathic confluence and honest engagement with difference is therefore crucial to the relationship's healing quality. This skills weekend will explore the nature of this balance through practical exercises and will help participants to develop skills in building helping relationships with others.

13-16 October

Distance Learning in Buddhist Psychology STUDY ONLINE AND INTERACT WITH OTHER STUDENTS FROM AROUND THE GLOBE. LEARN ABOUT THE MAIN THEORIES UNDERPINNING BUDDHIST PSYCHOLOGY. Past students have said: * To work with this material has been very inspiring. * Varied without feeling disconnected. * The course material is inspirational and supportive to my work as a therapist.

Course starts October 1, 2008 FEES: £405 per year plus AT membership, US$800, €620.

To apply go to www.buddhistpsychology.info/dlform.htm

COURSES AT THE BUDDHIST HOUSE NARBOROUGH, UK 2008

SENSITIVITY IN ENCOUNTER This four day experiential course will use group sessions, discussion and other activity to explore the way that we relate to one another and the assumptions, habit patterns and attachments that may be activated in those relationships.

17 October DAY SEMINAR

19-21 September: Introductory Retreat 4-5 October: Meet Amida 1-4 November: Chaplaincy Development Programme

Cross-cultural issues in counselling and therapeutic encounter. In this day seminar we will focus on particular examples of difference that arise when counsellor and client are of different cultural backgrounds.

8-9 November: EXILE & RETURN RETREAT Led by Dharmavidya David Brazier

18-19 October

1-8 December: The Bodhi Retreat Teachings By Dharmavidya David Brazier

OTHER PEOPLE, OTHER WORLDS Object relation work in cross-cultural contexts.

Object relation work is a key area of skill for the Buddhist therapist. We will explore how different environments create different psychological constellations and how the therapist can work to understand and facilitate the client's process in ways that are sympathetic to this.

FOR MORE INFORMATION www.amidatrust.com courses@amidatrust.com or call +44 (0) 116 286 7476