Refugee week 2009

Refugee week is a countrywide programme of arts, cultural and educational events, held to celebrate the contribution refugees make to the UK.  Refugee Week 2009 takes place nationally from 15-21 June. To find out more about Refugee Week, its purpose and history visit the national Refugee Week website.

You can find out what is happening in Sheffield and download an events diary from here.

Refugees

When we say that we take refuge in the Buddha, the Darma, and the Sangha, we acknowledge our status as refugees. A refugee is a person who cannot brest at ease, who is fleeing trouble, strife, violenc, fear – which is to say, dukkha, suffering. We are refugees from a world steeped in anger, greed, and delusion, seeking asylum in the country of the Buddha, the Pure Land. We turn toward the Pure Land because of the presence of injustice, war, poverty, disease, exploitation, discrimination, and other marks of samsara, the world of delusion. And we especially seek refuge from our own addiction to the three poisons. Each nembutsu is, in a way, a petition for admittance to a better place, where we can be free from sufferings created by self and others and work instead to increase the happiness of all beings.

Refuge is always extended to those who need it. Amida takes in all the refugeesof racism, all the refugees of sexism, all the refugees of homophobia, all the refugees of poverty, all the refugees of illness, all the refugees of violence, all the refugees of sadness, heartache, ennui,confusion, disillusionment, depression, and suffering. And Amida takes in all the refugees of our own racism, all our own sexism, our own wrong treatment of others for whatever reason. killers and victims, soldiers and civilians, blacks and whites, womwn and men, gays and homophobes, poor and rich, afflicted and healthy, we all qualify for the refuge of the Pure Land.

Political refugees sadly often find they are unwelcome in their new land and unable to return to the old. But refugees who come to the Pure Land all become full citizens of the Land of Bliss. Nembutsu becomes our national anthem and the Dharma our Constitution. We pledge allegiance as bodhisattvas to do what we can do to offer aid to others, to laugh at the foolishness of our self-cherishing, and to retain a mind of grateful awareness for the gift of refuge in our true home. We return to the Old Country of samsara to help bring strangers and loved ones back to refuge with us, or to work for peace and happiness among those who do not realise yet that they too are refugees.

Buddhism of the Heart by Jeff Wilson

Refuge ceremony

We had a  refuge ceremony for Suzanne this week. The weather was lovely so we held the service out inthe back garden of Broomspring Lane and then shared a delicious meal together.

More photographs here

From the service -

Taking Refuge in the Three Jewels

In ordinary life people seek safety by taking refuge in many things that do not support a goof life or that are impermanent. There is, however, a special Buddhist way of taking refuge which does not have bad side-effects and which can be counted upon, giving us security that works in every situation. This way is to take refuge in the Buddha, Shakyamuni, the founder of our spiritual tradition, the Dharma, his teachingaof Eternal Truth and the Sangha, the Buddhist community: throughout space – all those who practise the Buddha’s teaching throughout the world today and also throughout time – all who have practised these teachings, from the Buddha himself to us today. The Buddha, Dharma and Sangha are colectively referred to as the Three Jewels or the Three Treasures. They are jewels and treasures because they are the most precious things inBuddhism. They are refuges because they help and support us on the spiritual path. The act of taking refuge is the most important religious act in Buddhism.  In addition, we take refuge in the Buddha of Infinite Light and Infinite Life, Amida and in Amida’s Pure Land, here and everywhere, now and in all time, which is called Sukhavati.

Cathedral meditation

Last Saturday there was a half day meditation workshop held at the cathedral organised by Bhaktika and Sundari from Amida Sheffield and Mary from the cathedral. It was a small group which allowed the opportunity for all to contribute to what turned out to be a successful event. Our numbers were bolstered by the addition of a student who had turned up at the cathedral hoping to attend a German-language service only to be told that the date had been switched. We invited her to join us which she gladly did and shared about her experiences on a Goenka Vipassana ten day retreat she had undertaken in Switzerland.

The afternoon session included a guided body scan and a loving-kindness meditation and an active listening exercise in which we shared, in pairs, what we valued in our meditation practice.

Mary had brought in a large poster of Rembrandt’s Return of the Prodigal Son to give people an opportunity  of meditating on a picture. The sharing about this experience was particularly valuable.

These sessions are open to anyone and began as an opportunity for people who attend the monday cathedral meditation to spend a little more time in sharing their practice. If you would like to know more, or be on the mailing list for the next event, please email amidasheffield[at]blueyonder[dot]co[dot]uk