Read the latest from FWBO & TBMSG News below - a website that keeps your finger on the pulse and your heart inspired!
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Aryamati and 800 Years of Women’s Letters
Aryamati, an Order Member from Manchester, is pleased to share the reprinting of one of her eight books on women’s writing. The book is titled '800 Years of Women’s Letters', and was first published 19 years ago, which - she says - means it can be classed a classic!
She was among the first to research the rich source of information contained in women’s private letters, commenting "When not suspected of innovative ideas by their menfolk, they discussed a bold range of themes, from improving education and diplomacy to dealing with illness - and poverty".
She goes on to say -
"I was particularly interested in women's spirituality, which is why l begin 800 years ago, with Hildegard of Bingen. Mystic, composer, herbalist, renowned preacher, she also wrote prescient advice to men in power. And Santa Teresa de Avila shows her ability as administrator, reformer and poet - spiritual women seldom mentioned by male hierarchy till recently. Though l include letters from Queens, l was also keen to find letters from working class women; easier once primary education was introduced. But l was pleased to find a petition from some women weavers at the time of the French revolution. l end with a letter l translated from La Pasionaria, the communist firebrand who made famous speeches to support the Republic against the uprising of Franco".
Aryamati has been invited to speak for an hour on her book as part of International Women’s Week at Manchester Central Library. She'll be speaking on Wednesday 10 Mar from 6-7pm. The event is FREE and refreshments will be provided. Friends will read a range of lively extracts.
You'll find more about the book, including some reviews, on Amazon. 
No title
‘Turning Arrows into Flowers’ Friday 28th May to Tuesday 1st June 2010 www. internationalretreat. fwbo.org
FWBO News is delighted to bring you news of the second FWBO International Retreat, a big family-friendly event run by the FWBO Chairs Assembly in conjunction with Buddhafield and Taraloka.
The event commences on the Friday evening and goes through to Tuesday lunchtime. There will be a full programme of talks, meditations, storytelling, and rituals, plus free time for meeting up with friends or going for a walk. Some of the FWBO’s most experienced teachers will be there, including Jnanavaca, Maitreyabandhu, Padmavajra, Saddhanandi, Sona, Tejananda, Vajradarshini, Vidyamala, with more to be confirmed…
There will be two sessions each day when those with children can bring their kids along to be looked after, allowing them to go to the talks, meditations and so on. Also, in the evening we'll have storytelling that kids can come to, sometimes join in, and sometimes stay for part of the ritual/puja that follows on from it... Children aged 3 or under can come for free, and 4 to 16 year olds half price.
It promises to be another huge opportunity for a very imaginative collective celebration of Buddha Day (Wesak) - the festival of the Buddha's Enlightenment. It's also a great way to experience the depth and breadth of the movement, and to get a taste of just how satisfying it can be not just to practice but to live for a short time immersed in a Buddhist context, to work together in teams, and so on.
Places are limited so book soon!
For more details check the dedicated retreat website at www. internationalretreat. fwbo.org
Story-telling, chanting and ritual: to create an atmosphere of magic and beauty, re-enacting the story of the Buddha’s Enlightenment. Meditation: teaching and time to practice how can we see-through negativity and free our own hearts and minds. Talks and discussion: looking at the society we live in and what helps and what hinders our attempts to move towards Enlightenment. How can we help turn “arrows into flowers”? Sangha: an experience of the breadth and depth of the FWBO with hundreds of us from all over Europe living, practising, and creating sangha together over a long weekend. Family Friendly: facilities and activities for children and teenagers. 
Vajraloka Shrineroom gear offer
Balajit writes from Vajraloka, the FWBO’s Welsh retreat centre dedicated to meditation - with a great offer! He says -
“During 2009 Vajraloka ran a successful appeal to raise £2000 for a complete overhaul of our shrineroom gear. I'd like to thanks all the many people who contributed so generously to help us reach this target. After many years of use, the old blankets, mats and cushions have now been boxed up and are looking for a new home! Though the gear looks well used, with bits of filling spilling out on the odd item , they could still be of use to a centre or outreach group, with some needle and thread.
“Having supported people through thousands of hours of meditation, I’m sure they are well charged with prana and positivity!
“If you are involved in a group that could put such gear to immediate use please get in touch with me at balajit@post.com
“In total we have 35 cushions, 23 mats, 9 foam blocks and 3 wooden stools. All we ask is that the recipient collects them, or meets the full cost of a courier. Remaining money from the appeal fund is going to support our ritual activities, in the form of some new devotional and musical items.
Balajit
Details of their program of retreats are at vajraloka.org - or check their Facebook page. 
Bahujan Hitay Amaravati celebrates with annual festival
Amitayus, an Indian Order Member from TBMSG’s vibrant Amaravati centre in central Maharastra, writes with news of their recent annual festival, organised to celebrate a very successful 2009. He says -
“Jaibhim and many good wishes from Bahujan Hitay project Amravati.
“It is our pleasure to let you know that Bahujan Hitay project Amravati has organized the Bahujan Hitay annual festival. Participants included beneficiaries, indirect beneficiaries, stakeholder’s staff, donors, well-wishers and management. It is a reflection of our year long success, and for the first time we made it for four days in length, from 9-12 February.
Events included sports events for the Staff and the cultural activities for our direct and indirect beneficiaries and stake holders. The concluding ceremony on 12 February was presided over by Dhammachari Nagabhadra, Chairman of our Bahujan Hitay project management committee.
Some sense of the breadth of Amaravati’s activities can be found from their annual report - available on the Resources page of FWBO News at www.fwbo-news.org/features/Amaravati_annual_report_2007-8.pdf 
India week continues - introducing the Bodhisattva Foundation
We continue this week of stories from India with a report from the Bodhisattva Foundation, a new FWBO/TBMSG charity created to work with women from nomadic tribes near Mumbai in Maharastra. Alokasri, its founder, writes-
First Republic Day Celebration by most disadvantaged community:
“India`s 60th Republic day was celebrated on 26th January 2010 all over India but there was something special about the festivities in Aundhe - a small village near Lonavala 100km from Mumbai. Unbelievably, it was first time Republic day had ever been celebrated in that community.
“Aundhe is home to a community of Adivasi and Katakari people, known as nomadic tribes in India. They are every bit as marginalized, if not more so, than the Dalits, or Scheduled Castes, who TBMSG have been working with for over thirty years now. When we met them we were really surprised to discover that in last 60 years they were not knowing what is meant by republic day, nobody involve them in such occasions or make any efforts to aware them about their citizenship. So an early result of our work is that they celebrated 60th Republic Day for those people in their own community.
“On the day, the head of the local Sarpanch, or village Council, hosted the national flag in the early morning at 8.30 AM, saying that though Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar had through his hard work given a constitution to the country, yet there is need to create an awareness amongst people about their rights and educate them how to receive basic amenities from the local authorities.
“Alokashri then explained the purpose of the Bodhisattva Foundation and its first project, the Comprehensive Education Center was inaugurated. It will emphasise a balance of formal and non formal education, plus social awareness programs that will help raise the confidence of the community so that local people will take responsibility of their own development and become self reliant.
“The Bodhisattva Foundation is an Indian Charitable Trust (NGO) run by Indian women who are actively involved in Buddhist practice and as expression of their practice working for underprivileged, marginalized and disadvantage section of the society. It works in partnership with Bodhisattva Activity, a similar trust registered in the UK”.
As a way of fundraising for their activities, Alokasri is leading a series of pilgrimages in India, the next ones being to Nepal in March and north-eastern India in April-May. For further details of these, or their charitable work, please email Alokasri on bodhisattvaactivity@gmail.com 
Jai Bhim International tours India
Starting today FWBO News is featuring a week of stories from India and some of the many FWBO/TBMSG projects there. We start with a report from Ann Dennehy from San Francisco, founder and director of Jai Bhim International. She’s been touring Buddhist youth projects all over India. Here’s what she says -
“Dear Friends - I am writing from Bodh Gaya, about halfway through the current Jai Bhim International tour, connecting with the Jai Bhim community and implementing our new projects. Here are a few highlights.
“Currently I am staying on the land of The 3 Jewels Center, where several hundred Tibetan monks and nuns are camped out, for The Dalai Lama's visit. Today the sangha team and I sat together meditating under The Bodhi Tree. Such an experience!
“I began my India visit in Delhi, visiting our sangha friends at The Dhammachakra Center, practicing together, meeting with Board members to discuss our projects, and spending lovely time in one another's company.
|”From Delhi I headed south for our first retreat with the Kerala sangha, where we practiced conversational English within the context of a Buddhist retreat; studying Buddhist Dhamma and meditation along with the teachings of Dr. Ambedkar. It was a small retreat, all men except for me! Our last activity was creating team-based 5-year plans, and we all left inspired and invigorated. The retreatants have since formed JAI BHIM KERALA, to continue meeting together for Dhamma study, to create community projects, and to plan for our next retreat December 2010. They have even set as their own goal for there to be 50% women in attendance.
“From Kerala I headed East to Chennai and up to The Sakya Hostel, with its 49 young students and its committed team of graduates from The Nagarjuna Training Institute in Nagpur. I practiced English with the children, as well as meditation and puja, and spent time with the wonderful team. When I asked one team member what most inspires him about their project, he replied, "This is not a project. It is our dream world." I felt very lucky to be part of their dream world; a place of love, creativity and possibility. I delighted as the children prepared for New Year's Eve, decorating the hostel, reflecting on their confessions from the past year, and their aspirations for the year ahead, writing them carefully down, and then offering them in the puja to the shrine.
“From Chennai I returned to Delhi and, by lucky coincidence, connected with Tempel Smith from San Francisco, on tour through Asia with a group of American Buddhist youth. Tempel and Maitriveer Nagarjuna had met in Thailand, and their two Sanghas spent time together in Delhi practicing meditation, socializing, and learning about Dr. Ambedkar's vision for a truly democratic society based on Liberty, Equality and Fraternity. Jai Bhim International!
“And finally, after a few days, I headed to Varanasi to visit the "Cry for Change" project, which works with the scavenging community, the most oppressed of the ex-Untouchable communities. The project offers after-school classes in computers and English to girls, and gives micro-loans to people in village communities so that they may leave their traditional, dangerous and degrading jobs.
“It has been an incredible trip, full of possibility, full of joy. I have posted a few albums of pictures on our facebook page - or check our website - www.jaibhiminternational.org
“I'd welcome your thoughts on our projects and invite you to join our community, the "caste-free generation".
“Jai Bhim!”
Ann Dennehy, San Francisco Buddhist Center
Ann Dennehy, Creative Director
Jai Bhim International -caste-free generation- 
News from Visible Mantra - and an appeal
Visible Mantra is a website dedicated to the calligraphy of Buddhist mantras and seed-syllables. It’s become very popular, with nearly half a million page views last year - and yet Jayarava, its creator has even bigger plans for it. He writes -
“Visible Mantra is part of a bigger plan to create resources for Buddhists who use mantra as part of their practice. My aim is that Visible Mantra will also become a publishing house and will attract manuscripts from authors from a range of traditions on the subject of Buddhist mantra. I also regularly help individuals who want inscriptions transcribed and identified, or calligraphy of mantras (though I seldom do tattoos).
“I hope to bring out the book of the website in 2010 - with high definition images of all the mantras on the site and a few more - and to eventually bring the website up to the same standard: e.g. to have all mantras and bījas in four scripts: Siddham, Devanāgarī, Tibetan (dbu-can) and Lantsa.
“I also have planned a Siddhaṃ primer and have made a start on a history of mantra in Buddhism".
What he needs now is a bit of money to enable him to put in the necessary hours. He says -
“This year I'm asking each person who visits the site for a one off donation of 50p (about US$0.80) to the website. This would provide me with enough income to work on the Visible Mantra project full-time.
“Over the years I've made a trickle of money from Amazon ads (about £50 a year). I'm still waiting to hit the threshold for a Google ads payout. But I've continued to put in as many hours as I could to create this resource and write my blog - sometimes to the detriment of my health”.
Click on the button to donate 50p to Visible Mantra
Jayarava has also made some videos of his work - see for instance him writing the Avalokitesvara Mantra on YouTube -
BODHI goes digital - in Sweden
Rounding off a very international week for FWBO News, Viryabodhi writes from Sweden to say -
"BODHI goes digital!"
Bodhi is the Newsletter published since the late 1990's by the Swedish FWBO (or VBV as we are and have been known in Sweden). They’ve recently decided to go digital and only publish it as a pdf (with both a high quality and a low quality edition) on their website - http://vbv.se/Bodhibladet/bodhi.html
Viryabodhi goes on to say - “Even if you don't understand Swedish you can enjoy the pictures and layout, and wonder at the reality that the FWBO flourishes in many countries and in languages that – well, what do you say? – are not easily understood, or sound like gobbledegook.
“Issue no. 21 of BODHI contains the beautiful story (in translation) of Srivati's experience of her attendance of the Order Convention in Bodh Gaya, India, and the pilgrimage that followed, with the stunning photos of Padmadhara. It also takes a look into the distant past of Dharmagiri Retreat center, when it was a school – with a lovely photo from the early 1900's. One added bonus of being on-line is that we can have active hyperlinks to websites, e-mail addresses etc.
“We hope to bring out BODHI a little more often, but it is certainly a test, so let us see. And we will send out a message that one can download it from our Swedish website. The photo you see is the cover, adapted from a template in Pages, an apple program.
“Here is also a direct link to the high def. of BODHI, no 21, January 2010: http://vbv.se/bodhibladet/BODHI_21_high.pdf
“With metta, Viryabodhi” 
A new stupa in Mexico
Following yesterday’s story from Australia, we zoom across the Pacific to the FWBO/AOBO Buddhist Sangha in Mexico, where they’re building a new stupa at Chintámani, their two-year-old retreat centre. Saddhajoti writes to say -
“Chintámani Retreat Centre, in Yautepec, Mexico, has now a new stupa. Two years after having been born, Chintámani is now up and running, housing retreats for our sangha (as well as for other groups) since October 2007.
“On the 9th of January, in the context of a women GFR retreat, Paramachitta, who is in charge of the women’s Ordination process in Mexico, conducted a moving ritual in which the stupa was dedicated to the Three Jewels.
“The symbolism behind the simple structure of a stupa is incredibly rich. Originally regarded as burial mounds, stupas became the first architectonic representations of the Buddha’s body sitting in the meditation. The base of the stupa represents the throne, his crossed legs the first step, his body the cubic structure in the middle, while his eyes are at the base of the cone over which rests the crown. A stupa also represents the correspondence between the five elements and the five spiritual qualities of the awakened mind. The cubic structure at the base represents the earth element, which symbolizes equanimity; the semi-sphere represents the element water which stands for the mirror-like wisdom; the cone represents the element fire which refers to compassion; above the cone lies a half moon representing the element air which symbolizes accomplished actions; and the little flame above the half moon is the element consciousness, which stands for the wisdom that sees Reality. In this way, the stupa is a tridimensional mandala.
“The inside of the stupa is still frequently used as “reliquary”. Its opening represents the Buddha’s heart, an open heart. Inside the Chintámani stupa we placed a beautiful Shakyamuni rupa, hand-made by our friend Juan Antonio. In addition, each of the women attending the retreat laid their offerings. During the dedication ceremony, we also placed a flower, a vajra, and a candle near the stupa’s door, to symbolize the surrounding lotuses, vajras and flames protecting mandalas referred to in our dedication ceremony. Paramachitta invoked the Buddhas in the four directions and ended the ritual chanting the traditional blessings.
“It is said that a stupa has the power to remove obstacles, promote peace and harmonize with the environment, which is why they were known as sacred mountains. From a Buddhist perspective, such sacred sites are not places to escape the world, but to enter it more deeply. The qualities they embody reveal the interconnectedness of all life and deepen awareness of hidden regions of mind and spirit. It was with this purpose in mind that the stupa at Chintámani was designed and constructed.
“Chintámani is run by Saddhajoti and Gisela, who started the project more than six years ago. At first it seemed a remote idea, but little by little the project took form and, with the generous participation of many members of our sangha, it has become a dream come true.
“It was recently the setting for the private ordination of Padmabandhu, and has housed several GFR retreats and Order weekends. We hope that Chintámani will keep on growing while offering people a quiet, relatively secluded, and inspiring spot in which to deepen their meditation and Dharma practice, as well as functioning as a context for sangha building.
“Thus, we hope that the blessing and dedication of the new stupa will help all who visit it to awaken within themselves its qualities and energies, which ultimately lie within our minds, and to discover the inner realms within which our own deepest nature lies hidden.
“If you look closely at the photos you will see that the stupa is not finished yet. It still needs it´s crown or pinnacle. But it already looks like a proper stupa, doesn´t it?”
Chintámani Retreat Centre is online at www.retirosenmexico.com
Sadhu Chintámani! 
Sydney Buddhist Centre:wheelchairs are go!
Nalaka Nick Maddocks writes from the FWBO’s Sydney Buddhist Centre with a rare bit of news from the Sangha ‘down under’ - the first of a number of stories from them, we’re promised...
He says - “Let's roll! Wheelchairs are a go!
“Fabulous news! The Sydney Buddhist Centre (SBC) has received funding to upgrade its building as part of the New South Wales Government's Community Building Partnership. The SBC was one of 13 local community organisations to receive funding and has been awarded $10,000. Winning the grant was the result of a group effort by Order Members, Mitras and friends who completed the application forms and encouraged others to vote for the SBC's application in an online poll.
“The SBC plans to use the $10, 000 funding from the grant to upgrade the building so that it is more wheelchair accessible. The modifications required to make the SBC more wheelchair friendly include:
– Installation of wheelchair access ramps to permit wheelchair movement into and within the SBC
– Widening and replacing internal doorways
– The installation of disabled grab rails in one of the centre toilets
– Repairs and upgrade to damaged tiles on the steps leading to the front entrance
“So where do we go from here? Once the upgrade has been completed at the Sydney Buddhist Centre (SBC) we will begin to promote it as a wheelchair-accessible Buddhist centre. This means that all ongoing meditation courses and Sangha nights will be available to people in a wheelchair. The SBC already caters for about 160 people who attend regular weekly classes, and about 300 people who undertake beginners meditation or Buddhism courses for the first time every year. We are very pleased that our centre will become more accessible to a broader population of people after these renovations. There will also be the option in the near future, if the need arises, for meditation courses for people experiencing chronic pain, illness or a disability. This is very positive news for the SBC.
“To find out more about the SBC and to see our upcoming courses, please visit: www.sydneybuddhistcentre.org.au 
Health scare for Sangharakshita
Vidyaruci, Sangharakshita's secretary, writes with news of a recent health scare. He says -
"As Bhante was having lunch on Saturday 20th February he experienced a sudden, very painful attack of angina pectoris. In response to his emergency call Sagaramati came, administered two drops of the GTN spray to relieve the pain, dialled for an ambulance and after the paramedics had examined Bhante, accompanied him to the to the Selly Oak hospital. There Bhante underwent various tests and was kept in overnight for more tests.
"While in hospital he was visited by Subhuti, Mahamati, and Ashvajit. Bhante was discharged on Sunday morning and driven back to Madhyamaloka by Paramartha.
"He appears to have recovered, but will obviously now have to be even more careful what he does. Several interviews have already been cancelled, and Bhante may not be able to do much travelling this year, if any".
Vidyaruci 
Transforming Self and World — the New Society, 40 Years On
Dhammaloka writes from the FWBO’s Dharmapala College, based in Birmingham UK, with news of an important seminar they’re planning for early April. They’ll be exploring the theme of ‘Transforming Self and World — the New Society, 40 Years On’.
The FWBO was founded in the 1960s with the creation of a ‘New Society’ as one of its founding ideals. 40 years on, it’s an international, vibrant, and diverse community of practitioners - but it hasn’t been an easy ride! Hence the subtitle to the event - “The Vision — The Lessons — The Challenge”.
Dhammaloka says -
“The Triratna Buddhist Community today wouldn’t exist in its richness, diversity and unity without the people who — from its very early days until now — have given themselves to the realization of Sangharakshita’s vision of a New Society. This vision of a society radically focused on spiritual growth and compassionate activity lies at the heart of our activities in the world. It is an incredibly challenging and inspiring project, working out in practice one of Bhante’s central teachings. In relation to it, people have found themselves full of hope and close to despair. We have much reason to celebrate our achievements and we must humbly acknowledge that all these are no more than a beginning.
“What is the vision — what were the lessons learnt — what are the challenges today? We invite you to find out with us. Through talks, discussion and questions & answer sessions, we will explore the vision and the challenges of transforming self and world in the 21st century.
“We hope to have Bhante with us for a morning or afternoon session”.
Here’s some more details -
April 1 (6pm) to 7 (2pm), Dharmapala College, Birmingham— open to all.
Speakers and themes:
o Subhuti: The Vision of the New Society and its Challenge Today
o Dhammarati: The Order — Individuals in Community
o Parami: The Nucleus — a Global Net of Friends
o Vajragupta: Messengers of the Dharma – the Gift of the Triratna Community
o Ratnaghosha: The Tantric Guru — Bhante’s Vision of Right Livelihood
o Keturaja: Work in Progress — the Windhorse Experience
o Subhadramati: Living in a Mandala — LBC and More
o Maitrisara: Meeting the Suffering of the World — Compassion in Action
Each speaker will be available for a separate question-and-answer session with participants of the seminar that is being offered in conjunction with the talks. There will be study and discussion groups to further explore the themes. The talks will be open to the public. The seminar, including the question and answer sessions will be for participants of the full event only.
All Dharmapala’s seminars are offered in the spirit of dana. They suggest a donation of £210 for this seminar — but add that if that is too much, please don’t hesitate to book. For accommodation however, they must separately charge £15/10 per night.
To book, send your details with a non-refundable deposit of £50 (cheques made out for Dharmapala College). To contact them, please send an email to connect@dharmapalacollege.org or phone +44 (0)121 4493700. Their website is www.dharmapalacollege.org
Inter-Buddhist Pilgrimage to Kashmir and Ladakh
Jayacitta, an Order Member from the London Buddhist Centre, writes with news of an inter-Buddhist pilgrimage she's organising this Autumn. In September 2010 the party will be visiting the Buddhist Holy Places in Kashmir and Ladakh. She says -
"Calling on Buddhists from all different traditions, this will be a journey to the magical area of Ladakh, in the Northwest of India, near the Tibetan border. Travelling through the beautiful scenery of Kashmir we will come to Ladakh, where Tibetan Buddhism is still preserved in a form that one cannot found anywhere else in the world.
"The journey will lead through magical open landscape, clear air and to mountain lakes. There will be the possibilitiy to visit monasteries and to take part in people's everyday life. It is organised by Jayachitta who is reaching out to Buddhists from different schools to meet together, to share their experience and practice.
"This trip will be an adventure in a breathtaking setting which we will be in the middle of, whether driving, trekking or meditating".
For more detail please visit her website www.jayachitta.wordpress.com. 
Windhorse: Evolution’s month-long Working Retreat - part II
Sugarbha writes from Windhorse: Evolution with news of their month-long Working Retreat. They’re making a video diary of the event - they plan to tell FWBO News readers and the wider Buddhist Sangha more about themselves and they see their work - and the business itself - as a really effective means of practicing Right Livelihood.
He says -
“Windhorse: Evolution is a successful business, trading ethically in giftware. It’s the largest team based right livelihood business in the Triratna Buddhist Community/FWBO.
“We employ approximately 250 people in total - about 100 people in Cambridge and a further 150 who work in the 18 Evolution shops around the UK and Ireland.
“Right now we’re running a month-long working retreat in the warehouse. Here in part two of our video diary of the event, Satyaketu (our Warehouse Manager) outlines the scale of the operation and explains why we are now in a position to focus more on exploring work as a spiritual practice.
“The link is to view the video is http://vimeo.com/user2981906/videos
“Enjoy!
“Sugarbha” 
Lama’s Pyjamas are go!
“The new charity shop for the London Buddhist Centre will be opened officially on Saturday 20th February at 2pm by Jnanavaca, the chairman of the London Buddhist Centre. There will be live music and a special window display of garments designed by Holly. We sell clothes and bric-a-brac and plan to have workshops for the local community teaching basic sewing skills and crafts. We have a mixture of affordable clothing and better quality garments at reasonable prices.
“Holly who is designing garments and doing our window display for the opening has just finished filming a programme for BBC2 , part of the ” Mastercraft” series about traditional British crafts which will be shown in February. She has just finished designing the launch collection for a new shop in the Brick Lane area called "123, Bethnal Green Road" which will be opening later in February. She is interested in sustainability. Her garments are made with care and attention to detail and made to be worn over and over again, known as slow fashion, as opposed to much of the cheaper mass produced fast fashion today which is made to be briefly used and then replaced.
“Please come and see us anytime we're open. Opening hours 12-6pm Monday-Friday and 10.30am-6pm Saturday. Please bring us donations of clothes and bric-a-brac during opening hours and help to keep the LBC providing Meditation and Buddhism teaching, MBCT courses, TBRL and communities which together create the "Buddhist village" of Bethnal Green.
“Lamas Pyjamas is at 83, Roman Road London E2. Tel: 020 8980 1843. Web site: www.lamaspyjamas.com
Thanks Padmalila 
Sangharakshita's Diary
Vidyaruci, Sangharakshita's secretary, writes with some of his latest news over the winter months. He says -
“Bhante has been continuing to eschew travel, but has nonetheless been kept busy by his daily meetings with visitors, as well as correspondence, which he has been giving more attention to, despite his finding dictating letters difficult.
“His only trip out of Birmingham in December was to Worcester, to meet sangha members at their new centre, where they had a discussion mainly on the topic of Team Based Right Livelihood. He has enjoyed meeting with two groups of men at Madhyamaloka, one from Croydon, and another all the way from Dublin. Conversation with the latter group centered largely around Bhante's article The Path of Regular and Irregular Steps, which they had come over to study with Dhammaloka and Abhaya. [available as an audio download from FreeBuddhistAudio]
“Bhante has continued to have me read to him. We finished Nagapriya's Visions of the Mahayana, which Bhante enjoyed, describing it as 'a well researched, sympathetic, but not uncritical account of the Mahayana in India and the Far East'. [available from Windhorse Publications] I also read him an article by Bernard Stevens, a mitra from Belgium, which explored the Japanese philosopher Nishida's thought in relation to the Abhidharma. Bhante enjoys hearing reportings- in from Shabda, and we get through as much as we can of each issue.
“The RNIB audio book service that Bhante has recently joined seems to be working out well, and he has particularly appreciated two of its offerings recently. Firstly The Last Days of the Raj by Trevor Royle, which describes the political and economic background of Bhante's early years in India. Of course he knew much of it already, but he also learned things that were new to him. The second audio book was Peter the Great, by Derek Wilson, which Bhante described as giving a 'thorough and interesting, if lurid light on Russia past and present'.
“Bhante's health has been stable, and has not been too badly affected by the transition to winter. On Wednesday 16th December he had another lucentis injection into his eye, which is the last planned for the time being. Other than this his health has been good, despite the wintry weather.
“January was even more quiet than the last. Vidyadevi has visited a few of times, in order to interview Bhante about some of his favourite poetry. Bhante has received visitors most days, though even this tailed off a bit over Christmas and New Year. For a week of this period I was away visiting family, so Dharmamati stepped back into his old role, for which thanks to him. Bhante's own Christmas celebrations extended no further than having a meal with the Madhyamaloka community, followed by a chat round the open log fire. The snowy weather, as well as disrupting the travel plans of some if his visitors, has precluded his daily walks for a number of weeks.
“Bhante has had a number of friends read to him from various books. Paramartha read him Porphory's The Cave of the Nymphs, a neo-Platonic allegory of the soul's descent into the world of space and time. Devamitra read him extracts from A God Who Hates, in which Wafa Sultan describes the effect of Islam on her early life in Syria. I have read him the beginning of Francis Brassard's The Concept of Bodhicitta in Santideva's Bodhicaryavatara, the new introduction to The Religion of Art, by Dhivan, and we have recently started The Book of Kadam, a new translation of an important text from Tibetan Buddhism.
"Bhante has also listened to a few interesting audio books. These include To The Navel of the World by Peter Somerville-Large, the navel in question being the region around Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarova in Western Tibet; A Nation of Trees by Rosemary Millington, an account of the author's two and a half years in the Australian outback, and Isambard Kingdom Brunel by Adrian Vaughan, a biography of the famous nineteenth century engineer”.
Vidyaruci
Madhyamaloka, Birmingham, UK
FWBO News can also add that in October Sangharakshita wrote to all Order Members asking them to cease using the terms ‘untouchable’ and ‘ex-untouchable’. His letter is copied below as it is of course applicable to all members of the Sangha.
22/10/09
Dear Dharmacharis and Dharmacharinis,
I have recently received a letter signed by 11 Indian Order members and mitras, all of whom are at present living in Cambridge. They have asked me to request Western Order members not to use the expression ‘ex-untouchable’ as they do not feel comfortable with it. They rightly say they are Buddhists, not untouchables, having left the caste system behind them. I very much sympathise with their feelings, and I am therefore happy to second their request and to urge all Western Order members who are still using the terms ‘untouchable’ and ‘ex-untouchable’, whether in speech or writing, to cease doing so forthwith.
Urgyen Sangharakshita
Sangharakshita's website, www.sangharakshita.org, continues to host many of his books in a free downloadable pdf format, as well as his recent 'Conversations' and a collection of his poetry. 
second FWBO International Retreat - update
fwbo international retreat 2010 ‘Turning Arrows into Flowers’ Friday 28th May to Tuesday 1st June 2010 www. internationalretreat. fwbo.org
Vajragupta writes with an update for FWBO News readers on the second FWBO International Retreat - a big family-friendly event run by the FWBO Chairs Assembly in conjunction with Buddhafield and Taraloka.
He says -
"It's shaping up to be another huge opportunity for a very imaginative collective celebration of Buddha Day (Wesak) - the festival of the Buddha's Enlightenment.
"It'll also be a great way to experience the depth and breadth of our international Sangha, and to get a taste of just how satisfying it can be to live together for a short time immersed in a Buddhist context - practicing together, working together in teams, and so on.
"Here's some of what we've arranged so far -
Story-telling, chanting and ritual: to create an atmosphere of magic and beauty, re-enacting the story of the Buddha’s Enlightenment. Meditation: teaching and time to practice how can we see-through negativity and free our own hearts and minds. Talks and discussion: looking at the society we live in and what helps and what hinders our attempts to move towards Enlightenment. How can we help turn “arrows into flowers”? Sangha: an experience of the breadth and depth of the FWBO with hundreds of us from all over Europe living, practising, and creating sangha together over a long weekend. Family Friendly: facilities and activities for children and teenagers.
"Places are limited so book soon!
"The event commences on the Friday evening and goes through to Tuesday lunchtime. There will be a full programme of talks, meditations, storytelling, and rituals, plus free time for meeting up with friends or going for a walk. Some of the FWBO’s most experienced teachers will be there, including Jnanavaca, Maitreyabandhu, Padmavajra, Saddhanandi, Sona, Tejananda, Vajradarshini, Vidyamala, with more to be confirmed…
"There will be two childcare sessions each day when those with children can bring them along to be looked after,allowing them to go to the talks, meditations and so on. Also, in the evening we'll have storytelling that they can come to, sometimes join in with, and sometimes stay for part of the ritual/puja that follows on from it... Children aged 3 or under can come for free, and 4 to 16 year olds half price".
For the latest updates - and to book - please check the retreat website
www.internationalretreat.fwbo.org 
A Death in the Order
Akasasuri writes from Holland with news of the death of Vajrayogini, one of the Order's oldest members. She says -
"Dear friends,
"Vajrayogini died on the morning of Monday February 8th, at home very peacefully, without illness or pain, with two nurses present. At the age of nearly 94, her life came naturally to an end. The last two days she had difficulties recognizing people. The funeral was on Friday 12 February at 2pm in Rotterdam, Holland.
"She was ready to die. Last Thursday when I asked her whether there was anything she still wanted, she said to me: 'It's been enough. Life is very tiring these days. I'm going to the Buddha'. When I asked her whether she thought we would meet again (we've known each other closely for 24 years) she said: 'Of course'! She said it in English, despite not having spoken English for years!
"Vajrayogini came into contact with the Order and movement through Vajradaka, whom she met in the context of a psychosynthesis weekend in the UK in the early seventies. She started the first FWBO retreats in Holland around that time supported by various Order members from the UK and Sangharakshita.
"Vajrayogini was ordained 35 years ago and at her ordination she received the Gate Gate mantra from Bhante.
Her main meditation practice all those years has been the mettabhavana. Over the last ten years or so the Abhaya mudra of Amoghasiddhi had also become a 'constant' companion for her, giving her faith and trust that in the end 'all will be well'.
"She had a long and eventful life, with strong dakini-like qualities (not surprisingly with a name like hers!) which she used very skillfully in her work as a Gestalt and Psychosynthesis therapist. She stopped working and leading a yearly retreat at the age of 84! Even then she carried on with a meditation group at her home.
"She had great faith and trust in Bhante Sangharakshita. And I've been moved several times by their connection and friendship. Though she wasn't involved in the institutions and life of the Order and movement very much, she showed her loyalty and commitment in other ways. She was extremely generous to 3 retreat centre projects (Guyhaloka, Akashavana, Metta Vihara), donating large sums of money to them. She also gave financial support to quite a few Order members so that they could spend their time spreading the Dharma.
"May she be well and happy.
"Akasasuri 
introducing Karunamati and the Green Tara Trust
Today’s ‘FWBO People’ profile is of Karunamati, a UK Order Member and medical doctor, who’s worked for many years in Nepal, as founder and director of the Green Tara Trust.
Here’s what she says about her work -
“I have been working in Nepal for 15 years now and it is my second home. Nepal is a vibrant country where the people are very welcoming. The terrain is very tough, with poor communication routes due to the Himalayas; most people to the north of Kathmandu are nowhere near a motorable road so access is on foot.
“There has been a civil war in Nepal for a few years now; although there is now an “elected” government (the Maoists) the law and order is still poor. As a tourist it is fine to visit but for us on the ground, our work is hard due to fuel strikes and road blocks. This can hold us up considerably but we work around this, sometimes by working at night! The war has also seen huge internal migration, with a ten- fold increase in sexually transmitted infections, an increase in sexual violence towards women and the destruction of health facilities.
“Our charity works in the field trying to improve lives of the poorest people through direct action. However, in order to be more effective we also work at national level with the Government. For example, we are assisting them in re-writing the national curriculum for all Nepali health staff in preventative health measures and health communication as they currently have none. Our techniques and experience in the field inform this process. In this way we are able to improve many more lives through the health system.
OUR PROGRAMMES
1. Preventing maternal and child deaths through health promotion. Specifically we:
* Work in groups to ENCOURAGE POSITIVE BEHAVIOURS: particularly with husbands and mother in laws who control women’s access to good nutrition and medical care.
* BUILD CAPACITY in the community, particularly women’s ability to save money for their delivery, make choices and help them have a voice in society.
* IMPROVE THE MEDICAL CARE THAT IS ALREADY AVAILABLE so Government workers can deliver a World Health Organisation standard antenatal appointment.
We are into the second year of the programme now; we have many active groups and over 50 project volunteers.
2. National Lesbian Society- Mitini Nepal
We work with Mitini to provide education, counselling, support and direct legal action where human right violations have occurred as a result of discrimination. The photos shows Mitini supporters at a peaceful demonstration in Kathmandu.
“The Green Tara Trust has a new website at http://www.greentaratrust.com. 
