Toowoomba Buddhist Centre
              NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY 2012

 


                                                                                    4-6 Cress Street                                                                                                                                   Toowoomba Qld 4350
                                                                        www.toowoombabuddhistcentre.org
                                                                                           
Dear Friends,

This month we celebrate the Parinirvana of the Buddha. Nirvana is of course a mysterious thing. According to Bhikkhu Thanissaro in The Wings to Awakening, (1) the Buddha bringing the mind fully into the present, being fully present to the processes of the mind, and seeing them as impermanent, insubstantial and unsatisfactory, he abandoned identification with them. This caused them to disband, and what remained was deathlessness, beyond the dimensions of time and space. When all residual attachments even to these subtle realisations brought about by concentration and discernment were let go of there thus followed a state called non-fashioning (non–conditioning) in which the mind made no present input to maintain experience of time and space.  With no present input to maintain experience of time and space the cycle of fabricated/conditioned experience is disbanded. This formed an opening to the unconditioned, the undying happiness that the Buddha-to-be had sought – knowledge of unbinding, or total release. As Mark Epstein puts it: “In simply seeing his own craving, he appears to have eviscerated it. Here again is the central Buddhist notion of awareness being healing.”(2) [Roger]
1) Thanissaro Bhikkhu, 1996, The Wings to Awakening. An Anthology from the Pali Canon, Dhamma Dana Publications, Massachusetts, p. 9.
2) Epstein, M., 1995, Thoughts Without A Thinker, Basic Books, p. 76.

FEBRUARY 2012 CALENDAR 
N.B. Friends Nights are from 7-9pm on Thursdays

THU   2           Friends Night:   Meditation & Reflection [K]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
           
THU   9           Friends Night:   Meditation & Threefold Puja – Parinirvana Day [V]

WED 15          Women Mitras Study: re-commences weekly for 2012, at 9.30am
                        Mitra Study Course: re-commences weekly for 2012, at 2pm

THU  16          Friends Night:   Meditation & Reflection [V]
           
THU  26          Friends Night:   Meditation and Sevenfold Puja [R]

STUDY, REFLECTION, DISCUSSION:
   This month, the study normally undertaken on Friends Nights, is going to take a different form.  Study of an article, sutta or larger item, will be replaced with a short item or quotation for reflection and discussion.  It will be taken from Buddhist scriptures, literature, writings or from poetry.
    Please note the re-commencement of the mid-week study groups on Wednesday, 15th February: Women mitras are studying Ratnaguna’s “The Art of Reflection”; the Mitra Study Course continues with Mod.1,Yr.Two – Vision and Transformation, which was started in November.

  

WOMEN’S MEDITATION:
The Tuesday Women’s Meditation group is soon to celebrate 4 years of frequently coming together, to develop tranquillity, positivity, friendship and a deeper sense of meaning in life.  The group has re-commenced for 2012, ably assisted by Jennie and Christine.  In four years, many women have come, gone, stayed or joined us from time to time.  If you think these sessions may be something in which you would like to participate, contact Viryaja for more information, after the 8th February, on vp@toowoombabuddhistcentre.org or phone 0404 299 573.

RETREATS:
The following weekend, residential retreats (at nearby Le Grezze) have been booked for 2012:
            April 27th to 29th led by Amitasraddha: a taste of ‘Breathworks’
            July 13th to 15th led by any or all of Hrdayaja, Nagadeva, Viryaja.
            September 28th to 30th led by Siladasa.
How about putting these dates in your diary now, so you won’t miss out on being able to participate?

SANGHA DAYS:
Sangha Days are opportunities for all members of the local (including Brisbane) sangha, for Friends, Mitras and Order members, to come together to practise and develop friendship and deeper connections with one another. Following the success of Sangha Days last year, consideration is now being given to this year, 2012.  Tentative dates so far, for Sangha Days to be held, perhaps alternating between Toowoomba and Brisbane, are: Buddha Day, Sunday 6th May, and (close to) Dharma Day, Sunday 1st July.  More dates to note in your diary!  More information in future newsletters. [Viryaja]

COURSES:
The next round of eight-week courses are proposed to start with the Introducing Buddhism courseon Monday night (7-9pm) the 13th of February and the Introduction to Traditional Buddhist Meditation on Tuesday night (7-9pm) the 14th February. 
A seven-week daytime course, Introduction to Meditation, led by Viryaja, will commence on Tuesday, 21st February, from 2pm to 4pm or 1pm to 3pm, whichever is the most suitable time for participants. For this course, contact Viryaja for more information, on vp@toowoombabuddhistcentre.org or phone 0404 299 573, after 8th February.

PAINTING THE BUILDING:
Many thanks to Simon, who has made such a good start on the 1st stage of  the outside painting project.  Many thanks also to Jayantha, his family and to Roger, for their help in the preparation.More information about dates for painting sessions and help needed, will be in the March newsletter.

AGM:
The Annual General Meeting of the Toowoomba Buddhist Centre Inc. is scheduled for Saturday 3rd March.  Members of TBC Inc. will receive notification and other information by February 17th.

THOUGHT FOR THE MONTH:

Cut the root of a tree and the leaves will wither;
Cut the root of your mind and Samsara falls.

The light of any lamp dispels in a moment the
   darkness of long eons;

The strong light of the mind in but a flash will
   burn the veil of ignorance.

                         From: Tilopa’s Song of Mahamudra