3rd September 2008: Travels

Caroline and I have just returned to Amida France retreat centre after a journey by car of a little over 2000 miles taking in the 15th European Shin Buddhist Conference in Bad Reichenhal in Germany, visits to sangha friends in Belgium and Netherlands, and the leading of a day retreat for the Amida Belgium sangha. At the conference we had particularly valuable meetings with

• Gregg Krech, director of the Todo Institute with whom we had a great deal of common ground


• Eiken Kobai sensei who gave us copies of his books:
  
  
  • The True and Real World of Salvation: An introduction to the life and teaching of the Venerable Master Shinran
  
  
  • Misunderstandings of Master Rennyo
  
  
  • Understanding Jodoshinshu
  
  
• Toshikazu Arai, author of
  • Grasped by the Buddha: A translation and commentary on Tannisho
  
  and all our friends in the German and other European Shin sanghas.

Twenty people gathered for the Belgian Sangha day retreat including a number of new-comers. It is very impressive how this sangha has developed its practice and, more especially, its function as a mutually supportive sangha over many years.

In all it was a wonderfully refreshing trip. Along the way we saw wonderful scenery in the Black Forest and the German Alps, enjoyed spending time in a great variety of accommodations ranging from our tent to a ninety person co-housing project in Den Haag, Netherlands and took part in many rich discussions of Pureland faith and practice