Padmasambhava is a historical and mythological figure who established Buddhism in Tibet
Devotion to the Guru — a day that concentrates on devotion and ritual
Arthaketu writes:
I would like us to immerse ourselves in ritual, so over the course of the day we will be doing three pujas to Padmasambhava. One in the morning, one in the afternoon and one in the evening. The pujas themselves are not the traditional seven fold puja, they have been written by Dhiramati to invoke Padmasambhava and are imaginative, evocative, challenging and at times humorous.
There will also be time for meditation and discussion. In the discussion I would like us to explore our attitude to devotional practice and we will also look at an excerpt from Advice from the Lotus Born called A Spur towards Spiritual Practice. It is a fantastic text full of advice and beautiful images. The part I want us to look at is concerning faith. Here is an extract from it to whet your appetite:
From A Spur towards Spiritual Practice
… Again Master Padma said: Tsogyal, for attaining enlightenment, to have faith is to complete half the practice of the dharma.
Faith is like a fertile field: any instruction planted will grow
Faith is like a wish fulfilling jewel: it yields the blessings to accomplish whatever one pursues
Faith is like a world ruler: it upholds the kingdom of the dharma
Faith is like a strong castle: it withstands the disturbing emotions of self and others
Faith is like a bridge or boat: it allows you to cross the ocean of samsara
Faith is like a rope dangling into an abyss: it pulls you out of the lower realms
Faith is like a healing physician: it eliminates the chronic disease of the five poisons
Faith is like a powerful escort: it leads you through the perils of samsara
Structure of the day
- 10.30am – 5.30pm day retreat
- 6pm – 7pm shared meal — please bring vegetarian food
- 7pm – 9.30pm talk and puja
We begin with a day retreat. Ratnasagara will introduce us to the figure of Padmasambhava and then Arthaketu will speak about the importance of ritual and devotion in Buddhist practice, where it fits in, how to approach it and so on.
After a shared meal, the evening will begin with a talk by Manjunaga called Speaking to the Nagas – A descent into our watery depths. It will conclude with the last of our pujas.
You don’t need to come to all parts of the day — come to any or all
Who is the festival for?
The day is open to anyone who has completed the Buddhism 2 course — Going Further. If you fall outside this category and still wish to come, please talk to Arthaketu on 0161 834 9232.
As it is a festival day there is no fixed charge. So in effect you can get a free day retreat, although of course dana is always welcome.
