Buddhist Voices

In this latest episode of the Buddhist Voices podcast, we follow the personal journeys of Sarvananda and Satyadaka, two lifelong friends and dedicated Dharma practitioners who have lived together in various contexts for over twenty years. It's a rare opportunity to listen into stories from such a close companionship, making this conversation a true delight to share with you.

This episode covers a wide array of topics, including our friends' individual private ordinations, the evolution of their Dharma practices over time, and their profound connections with the Arts as a key aspect of spiritual life.

Both Sarvananda and Satyadaka became involved in the Triratna Buddhist Community during their early twenties. Their journey began at Vajraloka Retreat Center in Wales, and they later relocated to Norwich where they found like-minded Order members who shared their passion for Buddhism and the life of the artist. Sarvananda has been a devoted writer throughout his life within the Order, while Satyadaka has nurtured a strong musical practice.

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In this episode of the Buddhist Voices podcast, we explore the personal journey and reflections of Dharmacharini Maitripala, a member of the Triratna Buddhist Order as well as a private and public preceptor, based in Brunswick, Australia. 

Initially leading a seemingly idyllic life, Maitripala's quest for 'more' was sparked by a serene moment of beauty as she noticed the glistening morning dew delicately resting on the cobwebs on her laundry line. Such a potent image seems to have gradually awakened something within her. But it would be some time before she would find herself in a shrine room remembering that same image.

She came across the Dharma in 1991 when attending a weekend course led by Buddhadasa and Guhyavajra in Melbourne. Both Buddhadasa and Dayamegha were her first main dharma teachers. During this time she was bringing up her three daughters in the lovely forest town of Emerald about an hour and half from Melbourne.

Throughout the episode, Maitripala reflects on the evolution of her spiritual practice, with a particular emphasis on her deep appreciation for the Metta Bhavana practice, or the cultivation of loving-kindness. She describes it as an insight practice and encourages fellow practitioners not to give up on the practice if they’ve found it difficult in the past The Metta Bhavana has been a cornerstone of her life and goes some way in describing why she was named, "Maitripala," which translates as "Guardian of Love and Kindness." She shares how her name serves as a living testament to her commitment to the Bodhisattva path and her mission to promote love and kindness in the world.

Maitripala's journey deepens further when she is asked to become a public preceptor, a substantial responsibility within the Triratna Buddhist Order. She recounts the moment she received this request and how it instigated a profound shift in her perspective. This transition has brought about new challenges and opportunities for personal growth, allowing her to serve the Order in a more profound capacity.

The conversation also touches on the common pitfalls newcomers to the Dharma face and the importance of patience and spiritual friendship on the path. Another important thread within this interview is the evolving relationship she’s had with her family and being a mother of three. Join us in this episode as we follow Maitripala's inspiring journey, underscoring the transformative power of practice, commitment, and the embrace of the Bodhisattva path.

Visit the dedicated site for Fifty Years, Fifty Voices

Read more about Season Two of Fifty Years, Fifty Voices

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In this latest episode of the Buddhist Voices podcast, we take a deep dive into the life and transformative journey of our guest, Dharmachari Samasuri. Our guest's journey began whilst struggling her way through medical school in London. Sharing a house with long time friend Karunamati when she found herself on the brink of a breakdown. 

Amidst the backdrop of Glastonbury Festival, she fondly remembers marching up to the Buddhafield tent to learn meditation. Having grown up in South Devon, Samasauri has always had a strong connection with nature, and the mythic dimension of practice. The warmth of the people she encountered, the sense of belonging, and the unique enchantment of rituals led by Varabhadri on her inaugural retreat with the London Buddhist Centre resonate vividly in her memory. 

The narrative expands further as we delve into Samasuri’s experiences on Buddhafield family retreats. Embracing the chaos of being on retreat with her two children and finding extraordinary ways to integrate practice into her family routines. These retreats not only impacted her but also nurtured a sense of Dharma practice within her children, offering them glimpses into the mythic realm and ethical living.

Satyalila gracefully opens up the challenges of being a parent within our movement in the past as Samasuri shares in her own experience of deciding to become a mother and the strong upsurge of maternal instinct that arose in her early 30’s. Describing needing to seek wider support from the Steiner movement.

The episode concludes with a reflection on her yidam, Mamaki, the yellow female buddha of the east and the resonance with her ordained name, meaning "equanimous heroine". Evoking a powerful connection. As Samasuri navigates her spiritual journey, equanimity has become an important guiding principle, embracing abundance without getting overwhelmed.

Listen on The Buddhist Centre Online

Visit the dedicated site for Fifty Years, Fifty Voices

Read more about Season Two of Fifty Years, Fifty Voices

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In this episode of the Buddhist Voices podcast, we delve into the life of Dharmachari Jyotipala. Ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order in the late 1970s, Jyotipala's spiritual journey has taken in many different contexts within the Order, including a spell living in India wearing formal Buddhist robes. However, his spiritual life started much earlier than that. Raised a catholic he became inspired by Thomas Merton and joined a then new monastery in Utah, ‘Our Lady of the Holy Trinity’, with the intention of becoming a Trappist monk. 

In this insightful interview conducted by Satyalila in 2018, Jyotipala's remarkable level of honesty and humility shines through. His path in the Order has taken a number of unforeseen twists, and he candidly discusses his own challenges and shortcomings with a charm that's deeply endearing. His conversation exudes an unmistakable sense of contentment, coupled with a strongly resonant faith. Indeed, he describes himself simply with the Indian term 'japawolla', someone who finds solace in the chanting of mantras. 

In 2002, after distancing himself from the Order, Jyotipala's life took another turn as he made plans to relocate to New Zealand with his then second wife. Amid these shifts he resigned from the Order, leading him into what he refers to as a phase ‘in the wilderness’. He sought refuge at Throssel Hole, a Buddhist Abbey and retreat center nestled in Northumberland, England, a place that felt like home and offered what he describes as a simpler practice of ‘just sitting’. 

For eight years, he found peace in this phase of his life, until receiving an unexpected phone call and card from an old friend, Padmavajra… Join us as we explore Jyotipala's heartfelt story of challenge and faith, and witness something of the serenity he carries within him.

Extracts from this interview were used in the Fifty Years, Fifty Voices project.

Join Satyalila for another episode of the Buddhist Voices podcast as she engages in a heartfelt conversation with Suryaka about their journey of discovering and embracing Buddhism. This interview was originally conducted for the Fifty Years, Fifty Voices project. Suryaka's name is pronounced as "Su-ree-a-ka," meaning "Like the Sun."

Suryaka’s initial attraction to yoga and meditation retreats was that they seemed cheap and like a nice holiday! Having avoided any kind of religious practice throughout their life due to a fear of being confined and squished by religious institutions, she experienced a pivotal moment on retreat at Dhanakosa Retreat Centre in Scotland. Sitting by a stream she realized that Buddhism could perhaps provide the means she’d been looking for to channel their energy. This led them to the Manchester Buddhist Centre, where she found a genuine sense of community, shared work and authentic teachers who deeply resonated with their experience. 

This journey was not without its challenges. Suryaka discusses openly the difficulties she encountered in forming a personal connection with a specific Buddha figure. She also touch upon difficulties experienced in training for ordination, especially mixed feelings encountered during the ordination retreat itself; as well as the strain it placed on their relationship with their family.

This moving episode offers an honest exploration of the Dharma life, navigating challenging emotions and the complexities of familial life, while trying to grapple with exactly what the Dharma truly entails. Suryaka's story exemplifies the strength that emerges from finding and following one's calling, even in teh face of adversity.

In this podcast episode, we have the pleasure of hearing from Rijumayi, currently based in Melbourne, Australia, as she shares her spiritual journey as part of the Fifty Years, Fifty Voices project. Rijumayi takes us back to her formative years, recounting her initial encounters with Buddhism during her teenage years. Her interest in the teachings was ignited whilst in high school, she attended a lecture by the Dalai Lama in the city. The reverence and respect that people had for him would leave a lasting impression on her. As well as delving into her evolving experience with meditation and the Dharma, Rijumayi remarks that in her search for meaning, she really found the framework for transformation that she was looking for at the Melbourne Buddhist Centre, which lead to her eventual ordination into the Triratna Buddhist Order. 

Throughout the discussion, Rijumayi stresses the importance of seizing this precious opportunity to practice, encouraging listeners not to postpone their spiritual journeys and to cultivate meaningful spiritual friendships. She generously shares insights into her daily routine, revealing how it supports her steadfast commitment to going for refuge in the three jewels.

As part of the Fifty Years, Fifty Voices project, celebrating 50 years of the Triratna Buddhist Order; In this episode of the Buddhist Voices podcast, we hear from Manjuvajra, a member of the Order for over 45 years, who shares their experience of reassessing their relationship with the order after withdrawing from their previous institutional roles. Manjuvajra notes that the order they joined many years ago was very different from the current manifestation, making it harder to identify with the practicalities of the order.

Reflecting over many decades of practice, Manjuvajra describes an ever-deepening confidence in the existence of the Buddha, which illuminates both the Dharma and Sangha jewels. They also reflect on the development of spiritually supportive friendships that provide intimacy without emotional bondage. Manjuvajra has found a deepening of their connection to the three jewels through long retreats and expresses a desire to create a culture of long retreats within the community, where individuals can develop their own particular strand of practice with the support of a small group.

Overall, this conversation initiated by Dharmacharini Satyalila is honest and intimate, not shying away from the challenges of practising within a spiritual community and the importance of deepening one's confidence in the teachings.

In 2018, Satyalila had the pleasure of sitting down with Akasasuri at the Adhisthana Library for an interview as part of the Fifty Years Fifty Voices project. Extracts from this interview were used in the project, and now we are gradually releasing the full interviews to provide a deeper dive into the lives of various members of the Triratna Buddhist Order across the globe.

In this far-reaching conversation, Satyalila and Akasasuri touch on many aspects of her life in the order. They begin by discussing where it all began as well as the events that led to Akasasuri joining the then "Friends of the Western Buddhist Order" and her experiences with other teachers who influenced her journey. Her journey began with training as a Gestalt therapist and psychosynthesis in Holland.

Like many conversations in the 50 Voices project, Akasasuri emphasizes the importance of friendships within the Triratna Buddhist community. She speaks warmly of Dharmacharini Vajrayogini, who she regards as a formidable woman and a great Dharma teacher. Despite their age difference, they established a deep friendship, and Akasasuri regards her as her first teacher.

Later, they discuss Akasasuri's experiences of working for the movement, which spanned several different Triratna contexts, including various Buddhist centres and her work as a van driver for Windhorse Trading. Throughout the conversation, the importance of Going for Refuge to the three jewels in Buddhism is highlighted, and they discuss how it can be put into action through kindness and service.

In the latest episode of the Buddhist Voices podcast, we are privileged to hear from Dharmachari Manidhamma. It was during a big procession celebrating Buddha Jayanti (the Buddha's 'Awakening' or 'Enlightenment'), where a life-sized bronze statue of Dr Ambedkar was installed, and slogans of 'Jai Bhim' and 'Victory to the Great Buddha' could be heard. 

As a young boy, Manidhamma fondly remembers making friends and playing while also going to the Buddhist temple and taking part in Pali chanting. However, he was born into a family of bonded labourers in a society rife with caste-based discrimination and exclusion. Growing up, he was not even allowed to walk on the main streets of his village. It was his father who, inspired by Dr B. R. Ambedkar's speech at Pulgaon, decided to move their family to a small town called 'Aarni,' where life was expected to improve. 

Manidhamma went on to learn about Buddhism and meditation while studying to become a pilot. However, the impact of Bhante Sangharakshita's visit was so great that he gave up his pilot's career and took a year-long training course to become an Order member in Pune. He also joined a residential community and began working in team-based 'Right Livelihood' social projects run by the Bahujan Hitay trust. Manidhamma's enthusiasm and intensity for the Dharma during those early days is contagious. Later, he was ordained with three Americans, one Australian, and eleven Indian brothers at Saddhamma Pradeep Bhaja retreat centre as part of the first International Ordinations in India in November 1994. This event highlights just how international the Order and movement are. 

After his ordination, he spent the next five years spreading the Dhamma and running a home for destitute children in Andhra Pradesh. He also founded The Jambudvipa Trust in Pune and worked for the sangha during challenging times. Manidhamma doesn’t shy away from showing his vulnerability when remembering times post-ordination that was not so easy, working with his temper, internal pressures and conflicts. This episode is a testament to the transformative power of the Dharma and the resilience of the human spirit.

Extracts from this interview were used for the Fifty Years, Fifty Voices project:

In this podcast episode, Amritavani shares her journey towards the Dharma, starting from her childhood fascination with something bigger calling her. She talks about her exploration of different spiritual paths, including yoga, Christianity, and the divine feminine, before finally finding her way to the Dharma through a meditation class in Croydon. It was at the Croydon Buddhist Centre that she met two inspiring order members who left a lasting impression on her, Vijayasri and Sucimani, who made her feel accepted and heard, which eventually led her to deepen her exploration of the spiritual life within the context of the Triratna Buddhist Order.

Amritavani also speaks movingly about her experience of being a mother and how it informs her practice. With limited retreat time. Working with guilt when she goes away from her young children whilst having limited energy for formal practice because she loves them dearly and needs to take care of them. However, despite these limitations, she often finds herself inspired by her name, which translates to have the word "limitless" in it, challenging any perceived limitations she might have within the moment.  

Finally, White Tara's warm embrace echoes throughout the interview. Her warm embrace offers the guidance and support needed to deal with the challenges that motherhood and Dharma practice can face. 

Extracts from this interview were used for the Fifty Years, Fifty Voices project:

Recorded in Cambridge with Simone Moore in 2018.