The Move to Uddiyana
I am loving the air of excitement and appreciation around the move to Uddiyana - our new centre at 2 Woodside Crescent. Last Tuesday evening, as our Mandala night class, we processed round from Berkeley street to Uddiyana. We took the scenic route so it took longer than the 6 or so minutes it would normally take. We started in the empty space at Berkeley St where I had laid out the rupas and other sacred objects that we were going to carry round. I said a few words and we chanted a mantra then made our way downstairs to form the procession in the street. We were led by Gunasiddhi and Vajracetana both wearing the blue robes that Order members wear at ordination. Some Order members also like to wear them for ceremonial occasions and this was definitely an occasion worthy of ceremony. They carried a banner saying The Glasgow Buddhist Centre.
Immediately behind them we had a trio of musicians: a piper, drum and guitar. This was fantastic to see and hear and really added to the experience. The three young musicians had only been along once before and very generously offered their services when they heard of the procession. Behind them came various sangha members (around 30 I think)
carrying different objects. I found it incredibly moving.
Once in Uddiyana, around 40 of us sat in our basement shrine room and dedicated the place. It already feels like home to me and, according to the many conversations I have had with Sangha members, it feels like home to many of us. I am sure that is, at least in part, because so many folk have helped in lots of different ways. Many have donated money, done sponsored swims (a whole team of folk), head shaving (Bear), a marathon coming up (Moksadhi) and a host of other ways to help us smash our fundraising target! Sadhu to everyone. Also folk have packed, unpacked, cleaned and painted and volunteered in lots of ways. Some of us have been able to do more physically than others but that doesn’t matter. Everyone has done what they can and turned up when possible. That means it feels like Uddiyana belongs to all of us which is fantastic.
On Sunday past we had a day retreat with an embedded pilgrimage walk round the places that Triratna has had a Centre or, at least, a place used by Triratna over the more than 50 years of our presence in the Dear Green Place. Around 30 of us started the day together in Uddiyana and from there a good number went off with tour guide Viryadevi complete with a shamanic stick. They visited, in order, Kingsborough Gardens where the first classes of the nascent group were held in the house of one of our earliest Order members, Mallika. This was in the early 70s. Glasgow was one of the very first places that the FWBO / Triratna was established. They then went to Bath St, Grey St, Kelvinside Terrace South (Heruka where I personally became involved), Sauchihall st (where we had the Centre for over 40 years and where many of our current sangha met Triratna), St Stephens church in Bath St (where some classes were held and where much of the vision work that has led to our current situation was done), Berkeley St (our temporary home for the last 3 or so years) and finally arriving back in Uddiyana in time for a final ritual. The rest of us stayed in Uddiyana for the days retreat dedicated to Padmasambhava. This was the launch of our Urban Padmasambhava retreat. Both on the pilgrimage and on the day retreat a lot of gratitude was expressed to those who came before us and kept the flame alive through all those years and all those iterations.
The Urban retreat continues. On Monday night, we had an Order meditation session. Yesterday afternoon, today and tomorrow afternoon (5-6) there is a session of reading from the Life and Liberation of Padmasambhava, mantra chanting and meditation. Then last night at Mandala night class we explored Creating Uddiyana through listening to some extracts from a talk by Bhante called Building the Buddha Land, some of my reflections of the talk and the chance to discuss in small groups. I am so inspired to think of Uddiyana as a Buddha land, a Buddha field, a Pure land in the heart of Glasgow. It is a place to create a radical, transformative community that can then be an influence for good in Glasgow and beyond. At the end of the class various people expressed how much they love Uddiyana already. The room felt filled with love, gratitude, appreciation and inspiration.
I am looking forward to this evening when Moksadhi will host the evening on ‘The Lotus and the Vajra’ and tomorrow evening when Amayaraja will host ‘The Building of Samya and meeting the Demons’. And Friday we have our meditation ‘marathon’ from 8am till 8pm. Doors open at 10 to each hour for a 50 minute session of readings, mantras and meditation. Everyone is welcome. And, then the week culminates in THE BIG DAY - the Padmasambhava festival. As I said, I am loving the air of excitement and appreciation. May Glasgow Flourish
Meanwhile, as always
May all beings be well, may all beings find true happiness and its causes and may all beings be free from suffering.
Where the Bodhichitta has not yet arisen
May it arise
Where it has arisen
May it flourish
Where it flourishes
May it never die
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