2013 ARCHIVE ~ Arthapriya on Avalokitesvara

A short extract from a longer film Windhorse: Evolution:Transforming Self & World by Mariana Hermoso. Here Arthapriya talks about the significance of the figure Avalokitesvara.

Arthapriya: on Avalokiteshvara from windhorse evolution on Vimeo.

2012 ARCHIVE ~ Vajrasattva Stupa Shrine

Here's a lovely photograph of a shrine made by Matthew Widowsson on the Warehouse Stupa, dedicated to Vajrasattva, to mark the change of the year as the Winter months progress.

2012 ARCHIVE ~ Celebrating Bhante's Birthday

We celebrated Bhante Sangharakshita's birthday on 24th August, with a special Puja, short talks and White Tara Mantra.

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 ~ New Shrine Room Backdrop

For the last six months Vidyavajra has been spending two days a week on creating a backdrop for the Shrine room here at Windhorse. It's made of 510 pieces of recycled tin cans and lids, collected from our Kitchen. These have been battered flat, had patterns or letters punched into them, before being fastened together and fixed to a wooden framework. There are 28 panels around its edge with adapted verses from the Buddha's Fire Sermon and a circle of lotuses. The finished piece is called A Lotus In An Ocean Of Fire, which is the title of this years Celebration of the Buddha's Enlightenment. It has been installed in time for the  beginning of a fortnights Practice Period which will lead up to the day itself, on the 24th May.

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.

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 - Akshobya Puja

Every Full Moon of every month we do a Puja to a particular Buddha or Bodhisattva, In January this year it was dedicated to Akshobya.

2012 ARCHIVE - Touching The Earth Video

This excellent video by Pedro Vidal opened Windhorse's 2012 Celebration of the Buddha's Enlightenment. It's an atmospheric and moving evocation of the significance of the Buddha - Touching The Earth, which was this years theme. It's well worth devoting 11minutes and 19 seconds of your time to.

2012 ARCHIVE - Touching The Earth Poster

Here is the poster for Windhorse's annual Celebration of the Buddha's Enlightenment. The theme for this year is Touching The Earth. The poster concept is by Vidyavajra, creatively realised and designed by Jnanasalin.

2011 ARCHIVE - Dharma Day - July 15th

'From his greater lamp a lesser lamp we light within us.'

Dharma Day falling on a Friday allowed us to celebrate it during our usual weekly Right Livelihood period. Arthapriya gave an introductory talk, emphasizing its true value and significance, concluding with a lengthy, and moving account from the Samutta Nikaya, about the moment when the Buddha first successfully communicated his insight to Kaundinya. 

The Shrine before the Puja

After this Kavyasiddhi led us in a period where we personally recollected a moment when the Buddha's teaching had greatly impacted upon us. We then paired up, and shared what that experience had been to someone else. The morning finished with a simple Threefold Puja, led by Vidyavajra, during which we could express our reverence and gratitude to the Buddha, This was further heightened by a reading from The Udana, and the chanting of the Conditionality Verses. After the penultimate verse :-

'Reverencing the Buddha, we offer candles

To Him, who is the light,we offer light

From his greater lamp a lesser lamp we light within us The lamp of Bodhi shining within our hearts'

After the Puja

we chanted the Shakyamuni Mantra whilst making our own symbolic offering of a candle to the shrine. Once the words of the final verse faded away like a drift of incense, Vidyavajra recited those penultimate words once more, as a reminder of the real meaning and significance of this day

'From his greater lamp a lesser lamp we light within us.'

2005 ARCHIVE - Saddhayu's Ordination

Usually people have their Public Ordinations within the context of a long Ordination Course in Spain, or at one of Triratna's UK based retreat centres. Saddhayu's Private Ordination, where he was given his name by his Private Precepter Mokshananda, was held during a retreat for Spanish speakers at Ghuyaloka in Spain. He then flew back to the UK for his Public Ordination here at Windhorse. This was an unprecedented event in the history of Windhorse:evolution, and of great significance. Taking place, as it did, in the middle of our warehouse beneath the Stupa, the central spiritual focal point for the whole business. A Public Ordination formerly welcomes an individual into the Triratna Buddhist Order, in this case directly in front of his friends and 'kalyana mitras' (his spiritual mentors). The ordinands new name is publicly announced for the first time, verses of acceptance and vows in relation to ordination are recited. They then receive a 'Kesa'(a strip of cloth signifying being part of the Order) from a Public Precepter, in this instance from Padmavajra. By this simple act did Saddhayu (whose name means 'a life of faith') join the Triratna Buddhist Order in 2005. Sadhu! Sadhu! Sadhu!

The Ordination platform

Saddhayu with his 'Kalyana Mitras'
(l) Jnanaketu & (r) Vilasavajra

Saddhayu making the three traditional offerings
( a flower, candle and incense) 

Saddhayu reciting his vows and verses of acceptance 

Being ritually cleansed

before receiving his Kesa

Saddhayu with some Spanish speaking friends

With thanks to Saddhayu for providing these photographs of his Ordination,
that was obviously of such personal significance to him.