2012 ARCHIVE ~ 2nd Annual Men's Camping Retreat

For the second year running the redoubtable men of Windhorse got together for a weekend of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha under canvas. Looks like they had fun too!

2012 ARCHIVE ~ New Padmasambhava Shrine in Wholesale Team

During 2012 Ivan Trujillo decided to revamp the Wholesale Shrine dedicated to Padmasambhava. It was constructed over a number of weeks, partly during Right Livelihood Meetings with the help of his team, but mostly in any spare time during the day. Here are a few photographs of some stages in its creation.

2011 ARCHIVE ~ Composer's Competition

Triratna as a Buddhist movement places an emphasis on the role of the arts in refining ones spiritual receptivity and expression. It is also one way we can make explorations into what a genuinely Western Buddhist Culture might be. In 2011 Arthasiddhi after many years of encouraging involvement in choirs, launched a competition to write new pieces for choirs based on a traditional Buddhist text. This video presents the five entrants and their finished choral pieces.

Composers’ Competition: towards a Western Buddhist Culture from windhorse evolution on Vimeo.

2013 ARCHIVE ~ Collectivity & Community

This is a short extract from a longer film Windhorse:Evolution: Transforming Self & World by Mariana Hermoso. Here Ratnaghosha talks about collective endeavour and creating a sense of a community at work.

Ratnaghosha: Collectivity and Community from windhorse evolution on Vimeo.

2013 ARCHIVE ~ Ratnaghosha on Personal Development

This is a short extract from a longer film called Windhorse:Evolution: Transforming Self & World by Mariana Hermoso. Here Ratnaghosha talks about how one of Windhorse's functions is to encourage Personal Development

Ratnaghosha: Personal Development from windhorse evolution on Vimeo.

2013 ARCHIVE ~ Arthapriya on Generosity

This is a short extract from a longer film Windhorse:Evolution: Transforming Self & World by Mariana Hermoso. Here Arthapriya talks about the role of Generosity in Windhorse's ethos.

Arthapriya: Generosity from windhorse evolution on Vimeo.

2013 ARCHIVE ~ Talk By Sanghapala

Here's a video of Sanghapala giving a talk with the title ~ Old Women's Talk

Sanghapala: "Old Womens' Talk" from windhorse evolution on Vimeo.

2013 ARCHIVE ~ Windhorse Group Photo

Not quite everybody, but everybody who was there on that day in September.

2013 ARCHIVE ~ Retail Team Celebrate the New Year

After working very hard in the period running up to Christmas 2012, and what a cliffhanger that was! The Retail Team in the New Year took themselves out for a wonderful meal in a local village gastro-pub.

2013 ARCHIVE ~ Our Celebration of the Buddha's Enlightenment

The Buddha after his Enlightenment turned to face the Bodhi Tree. He felt gratitude towards it, and to all his previous teachers, his life and past lives that had all led to this point of awakening. Gratitude and reverence are natural expressions arising out of sraddha. As Buddhists in the 21st Century we should be eternally grateful not just to the Buddha for achieving Enlightenment, but also that he taught a way to achieve it, and that countless thousands of devoted practitioners since have kept the flame of that Enlightenment burning. All just so we can receive, revere and feel grateful for having heard it now.

This years ritual on the theme of A Lotus in an Ocean of Fire, was an opportunity to express our gratitude and to explore this lineage of devoted practitioners. We started in the Shrine Room, in the 21st Century with a video Pedro Vidal and Vidyavajra collaborated on, based on the Buddha's Fire Sermon. This was followed by a Three Fold Puja and a reading from our own teacher Sangharakshita. We were then led in procession by Vidyavajra around the offices and warehouse stopping at team shines to hear readings of advice from past teachers. These were, in order, Patrul Rinpoche, Hakuin, Dogen, Atisha, Padmasambhava, Bodhidharma, Nagarjuna and Dhammadina. Moving sequentially back in time until we heard the Buddha's first teaching, then his decision to teach that preceded it, until finally we reached his Enlightenment experience.

By this point we had also cycled through the Three Fold Puja five times, and with the opening Worship section of the Seven Fold Puja began a substantial period for offerings to be made. This was set to a new Shakyamuni mantra led by Pranjapriya. Much incense, party poppers, glitter and ticker tape was lit,exploded or cast into the air. 

At the end of this section each person was given a night light lit from the main shrine candle. Silently progressing to the Stupa Area, and placing their light under the Stupa's lotus. Once everyone was seated, Keturaja continued the Seven Fold Puja and rounded the ritual off with a Metta Bhavana. The whole morning concluded with the usual tradition of a Shared Lunch

2013 ARCHIVE ~ Shrines Made for A Lotus In An Ocean Of Fire

As part of this years Celebration teams in Windhorse were encouraged to revamp their existing shrine, or create entirely new ones. Here are a selection of those created this year.

Created by Vidyavajra

Accounts Team Shrine

Property Team Shrine

Created by the Retail Team

Created by Vidyavajra

Created by Ivan Trujillo

Created by Ivan Trujillo

Created by Vidyavajra

Warehouse Shrine

Created by the EST Team

Created by the ADK Team

Stupa Shrine

Created by Vidyavajra

2013 ARCHIVE - A Lotus in An Ocean of Fire

This years theme for Windhorse\s Celebration of the Buddha's Enlightenment is A Lotus In An Ocean Of Fire. Here is the Poster designed by Jnanasalin.

2011 ARCHIVE - Choir at End of Year Do

Here are three videos of the choir recorded at our - End Of Year Do in 2011, performing In the Bleak Mid Winter, Carol of the bells, and Dharma Hallelujah.

2011 ARCHIVE - Cambridge Sangha Choir Competition

Five composers in our Sangha set to music three verses from the Dhammapada that express the Buddha's vision for the Sangha. The submissions were from: Akashadeva, Emma Choporian, Yashodaka, Vipulakirti and Graham Patterson. The pieces were performed by the Cambridge Sangha Choir, conducted by Arthasdiddhi. the Audience voted for a winning composition, which was later sung by the whole community celebrating Sangha Day.

2011 ARCHIVE - Talk by Kavyasiddhi

Here's a talk by Kavyasiddhi given at the Cambridge Buddhist Centre called - More than Money, The Value of Work.

2012 ARCHIVE - Celebrating Sangharakshta's Birthday

Every year we mark the birthday of  Bhante Sangharakshita. with a celebration and rejoicing in his merits, and what we owe him as the founder of the Triratna Buddhist Order and Community. Here's a talk from the youngest Buddhist currently working at Windhorse, Martine de Silva

2012 ARCHIVE - Samamati's Leaving Do

After many years working for Windhorse with a range of different responsibilities and roles, he decided to return to his homeland of New Zealand. Here's a couple of videos of songs performed at his send off.

2012 ARCHIVE - Appreciating our Cooks

Everyday our cooks prepare us a superb Vegan meal for 60-70 people, and its nice to show some appreciation for all the effort and creativity they put into it.

Martine De Silva assisting Aryadhara in the Kitchen

2012 ARCHIVE - Winter Buddha's

2012 ARCHIVE - Jubilee Street Party

Well, its any excuse for a bit of cake really.