Concluding a series of conversations on the subject of autism within The Triratna Buddhist Community.

In part three, Ratnaguna and Prajnanandi focus on communication and the development of friendship. With so much emphasis in our community on the importance of establishing deep spiritual friendships, Prajnanandi shares her experience of how building such relationships can present significant challenges for someone who is neurodiverse.

In the fourth and final conversation, they shift their focus to celebrating the positive attributes neurodiverse individuals within our Buddhist centres can offer, such as highly developed clarity, resolve, honesty and a different way of seeing the world.

In this forty minute talk Vidyapala draws on various Pali suttas, and the Buddha’s own life, to suggest ways we might move from suffering to faith

Talk given at our Big Sangha Retreat at Adhisthana, June 2023.

Images of the Buddha

On Buddha Day, Vishangka looks at what the Buddha’s enlightenment might mean to us now. The pieces of music Vishangka refers to are by Ian William Craig. We recommend you listen to them before the talk:

• Before Meaning Comes
• On the Reach of Explanations

Talk given on 7th May 2023.

The video appears on the Triratna Buddhist Community’s YouTube channel – although the conversation didn’t take place face to face at our Centre, Ratnaguna is a long term member of our Sangha and the issues that Prajnanandi addresses will be of interest here.

A second conversation focuses on sensory processing, meltdown, and shutdown responses.

Subhadramati, Dhammadinna, Dayanandi and friends tell this fifty-five year history through their personal experiences, along with what’s needed for the next fifty-five years to respond to the aspirations of women around the world, through Tiratanaloka Unlimited.

A stirring story of how women have created retreat centres such as Taraloka and Tiratanaloka, enabling women to deepen their Dharma lives, train for ordination, and become a force for good in the world.

And we can all help enable women around the world to be a force for good through Tiratanaloka Unlimited!

This video appears on the Triratna Buddhist Community’s YouTube channel.

Nagapriya launches his book, The Promise of a Sacred World: Shinran’s Teaching of Other Power, in conversation with Ratnaguna and Priyavadita at Manchester Buddhist Centre..

The book is an accessible guide to the core teaching of Japanese Buddhist master, Shinran. Nagapriya brings alive for a contemporary audience the Other Power teaching of Shinran, thirteenth-century founder of Jōdo Shinshū, the most widely practised branch of Buddhism in Japan.

Nagapriya, Ratnaguna and Priyavadita are old friends who speak very personally here, drawing on their many years of practice and study.

This video appears on the Triratna Buddhist Community’s YouTube channel.

Becoming an individual is not easy! Ratnaguna speaks about the individual, the group and the spiritual community at a session in the Essential Dharma Training for Men series.

Talk given on 25th October 2020

At an online event, Essential Dharma Training for Men: the True Individual, Arthavadin introduces, and leads a contemplation on, the Four Factors for the Arising of the Bodhicitta

Talk given on 13th December 2020

At an online event, Essential Dharma Training for Men: The True Individual, Vishangka addresses the role of community in becoming a true individual.

Talk given on 13th December 2020

In this short talk at her last women’s gathering as Mitra Convenor, Acharashraddha reflects on our conditions and what we need to support ourselves and each other to grow.

The Parable of the Rain Cloud, from the White Lotus Sutra, is her current reflection and she shares some of her thoughts here.

It is au revoir rather than goodbye as she will still be around as a Manchester Order Member and looks forward to seeing you soon.

Talk given in January 2021.

Third in a series of talks by Parami looking at the Three Protectors – Avalokitesvara, Manjusri, and Vajrapani. Here, she focusses on Vajrapani, the deep-blue embodiment of Energy. How can the figure and symbolism of Vajrapani help us, especially in difficult times?

The talk was given online in December 2020 at Manchester Buddhist Centre’s Sangha evening and was followed by a discussion which is not included in the recording

Second in a series of talks by Parami looking at the Three Protectors – Avalokitesvara, Manjusri, and Vajrapani. Here, she focusses on Manjusri, the sword bearing embodiment of Wisdom. How can the figure and symbolism of Manjusri help us, especially in difficult times?

The talk was given online in October 2020 at Manchester Buddhist Centre’s Sangha evening and was followed by a discussion which is not included in the recording

First in a series of talks by Parami looking at the Three Protectors – Avalokitesvara, Manjusri, and Vajrapani. Here, she focusses on Avalokitesvara, the embodiment of Great Compassion. How can the figure and symbolism of Avalokitesvara help us, especially in difficult times?

The talk was given online in October 2020 at Manchester Buddhist Centre’s Sangha evening and begins with an acknowledgement of the pandemic through which we are living. The forty-minute recording is of Parami’s talk, omitting the group discussion that followed.

Last of four online talks from June 2020 in which Taravandana explores the Samgrahavastus, offering personal reflections on the role they have played in her life, and practical tips on how we might practise them more fully.

This evening was very participative and the forty minute recording is of Taravandana’s introduction and conclusion, omitting group work but including some contributions from participants.

Third of four online talks from June 2020 in which Taravandana explores the Samgrahavastus, offering personal reflections on the role they have played in her life, and practical tips on how we might practise them more fully.

This evening was very participative and the forty minute recording is of Taravandana’s introduction and conclusion, omitting group work but including some contributions from participants.

Dayanandi considers the first two – generosity and kindly speech – followed the next day by Aparajita’s exploration of beneficial activity and exemplification.

Aparajita explores the second two – beneficial activity and exemplification – following Dayanandi’s look at generosity and kindly speech the previous day.

Second of four online talks from June 2020 in which Taravandana explores the Samgrahavastus, offering personal reflections on the role they have played in her life, and practical tips on how we might practise them more fully.

This evening was very participative and the forty minute recording is of Taravandana’s introduction and conclusion, omitting group work but including some contributions from participants.

The Four Samgrahavastus describe the four things we need to bring together and sustain a healthy community: generosity, loving speech, beneficial activity and bringing the best out of each other.

First of four online talks from June 2020 in which Taravandana explores the Samgrahavastus, offering personal reflections on the role they have played in her life, and practical tips on how we might practise them more fully.

This evening was very participative and the half-hour recording is of Taravandana’s introduction and conclusion, omitting group work and feedback from participants.

Arthavadin encourages us to explore, connect with, and cultivate myths that help us positively transform ourselves, our relationships with others, and the world around us.

Talk given at an online men’s gathering in May 2020 – a morning of meditation, discussion, and spiritual friendship for local men practising in our community, or who have dipped their toe in and would like to find out more.