Amida News

Never Die Alone

The book, Never Die Alone: Death as Birth in Pure Land Buddhism, published by Jodo Shu Research Institute is on the brink of publication and copies can be pre-ordered from Amazon. Authors include: Mark Blum author of The Origins and Development of Pure Land Buddhism; Carl Becker author of Breaking the Circle: Death and the Afterlife in Buddhism; David Brazier, head of the Amida Order, author of Who Loves Dies Well: On the Brink of Buddha’s Pure Land; Yoshiharu Tomatsu the Director of the Jodo Shu Research Institute’s Ojo and Death Project; and a group of Thai Buddhists offering a different view of Buddhist dying.

Does Amida guide my action?

Kazuo Yamashita, has posted a weblog entry on Friends of Amida: Does Amida guide my action? Kazou is a shin-shu counselor and was one of the panel speakers at this years conference

I am looking at myself how Amida Buddha’s wisdom is guiding me. This wisdom is directing me as Nembutsu. I think partly “yes”, but Amida Buddha’s guidance is extremely deeper and more fundamental than I am expecting. Amida Buddha’s wisdom is more bigger than our thought. In this context, I am Bon-bu, foolish person.

Sahishnu Returns from India

Rev. Sahishnu, Amida chaplain and project leader at Amida Delhi, has returned to UK after a very successful five month tour of duty in India.

Amida Delhi: Visit and school admission ceremonies

Just got back from a week in Delhi visiting our project there. The project is in its fourth year and offers English classes to some of the poorer communities in the East of the city. This year Amida chaplain, Sahishnu has two volunteers with her. Kaspalita and I travelled out on Monday a week ago. We spent most of our time visiting the different classes, held in different Buddhist temples around the area. Some were for children, some for young women, and others for mixed adults. They tended to be very interactive with lots of word games and singing. On Sunday the visit culminated with a school admission ceremony for ten people in Shanti Nagar, a district just over the border in Uttar Pradesh. This group has been meeting with Sahishnu for a couple years to practice Buddhism and its members have become particularly interested in our form of Pureland and wanted to become part of our group. You can see photos of our visit on my facebook site

Among those joining the school was Shiv Kumar Gautam who has been a very active supporter of the project in his local community. At the ceremony he also received the Buddhist name Suvidya. The community from Shanti Nagar presented us with a lovely picture of the Buddha teaching the five ascetics. In this picture you see Kaspar and I seated with Suvidya in his home. 

Prasada and Kaspa return from India

Rev. Prasada, assisted by Rev. Kaspalita, has just returned from ten days in Delhi where she went to support the Amida Trust project which provides English teaching to children and young people from poor areas and also to conduct ceremonies to admit ten new members to the Amida-shu.

Prasada and Kaspalita to India

Rev. Prasada will fly to India tomorrow to visit our community in Delhi who are all excitedly awaiting her. She will be assisted by Rev. Kaspalita on what will be his first Amida mission overseas.

Whirling Dervishes

Members of the Amida community last night attended a performance organised by the Anatolian Cultural and Educational Society that included a display of derishe dancing and many other aspects of Anatolian culture.

Prasada India Visit Plan Finalised

Rev. Prasada Caroline Brazier, deputy head of the Amida Order, will be traveling to India on 10th December for a one week visit to conduct refuge ceremonies. She will be accompanied by Gareth Thompson as jisha. This visit will support the Amida Delhi Project and help establish the Amida-shu sangha in India.

Karen Community Burma Protest in Sheffield

Photo by Sally Woods (MAS)

Burma Demonstration in Newcastle

Burma Protests in Sheffield

The Amida Sheffield Congregation are planning involvement in the campaign to support imprisoned monks in Burma.

Burma Vigil

There are plans for another vigil in Leicester this coming Saturday to highlight the terrible events in Burma. If you would like to participate, contact susthama@amidatrust.com, 0116.2867476. Last weekend Sr. Susthama organised a multi-faith vigil that got extensive TV, radio and press coverage.

Sahishnu to India

Rev. Sahishnu Marston set off this morning from Heathrow airport for Delhi to take up the post of leader of the Amida Trust India Project 2007-8. The project will continue the work of previous years offering assistance to young people from deprived backgrounds, especially through education in English language. Joining Sahishnu will be volunteers trained through the Amida Volunteer Scheme.