Friday, March 15, 2024

Clocks as portable thangkas of the Wheel of Samsara - Часы как переносные тханки Колеса Сансары (EN/RU)

Clocks are gentle companions who helps us remember impermanence. They are like miniature copies of the thangkas of the Wheel of Samsara with the top of the dial symbolizing the higher states of existence (humans, asuras and gods) and the lower part of the dial, reminding us of the lower realms (hungry spirits, animals and hell beings).

As the hands of the clock move constantly from hour 12 (the highest heaven of the gods) to 6 (the most terrible hell), life in samsara is never certain. Whatever we think we gain we'll lose in the next moment. Everything is momentary and our unenlightened minds are not reliable. This is why there is NO time for the so-called spiritual evolution. All we have is this fragile moment, this short break before death and another uncertain rebirth. In this moment we either accept Amida Buddha’s helping hand or refuse it and waste our human life so hard to obtain.

Understanding the two types of impermanence, of your body and your so-called "spiritual realizations", don't lose your time in vain, and entrust to Amida. Only by being born in His Pure Land after death you can safely get out of samsara and be able to benefit all sentient beings.

Members of Amidaji: from Voodoo to Jodo Shinshu Buddhism - the story of Koshin


This is the spiritual story of Koshin Jose Pomales, our new member from California, USA, as it was recorded in two meetings on zoom,

You can read about Amidaji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism here (click here)



Tuesday, March 5, 2024

Members of Amidaji: Hokai Sylvie Kirsch from the Cook Islands


My grandmother brought me up Catholic. My first husband was Protestant, we’d agreed to allow our children to grow up and make their own spiritual choices. It was when my 13-month-old daughter passed away and a catholic priest refused to bless her grave because she wasn’t baptised.  The implication that my daughter was abandoned in hell because she wasn’t baptised devastated me. How could this so-called “god of love”, one to whom I’d put my faith and devotion all my life, not gladly receive the soul of an innocent child in his arms? I went through a spiritual struggle over the next few years, shifting towards the Protestant Reformed Church and trying to make sense of the growing inconsistencies. Eventually, I lost my faith in Christianity. I then went on a spiritual journey to find the true manifestation of all-embracing compassion.
 
 Like many of my Amidaji kin, I began by grappling my way through various spiritualities and philosophies.  Studying in earnest, I would eventually peel off the veneer of salvation, to discover that each was riddled with inconsistencies, and all lacked any true, universal compassion. What seemed like a purposeful journey ended up being stuck going around in circles in a meaningless labyrinth, from which there was no escape.

Saturday, March 2, 2024

Selected Teachings from Honen Shonin with Commentary (free edition and printed edition for sale)

The role of a teacher is to make things simple and this is exactly what I’m trying to do through my books. I pick and choose that which is easy to understand from the many volumes of the sacred texts and organize and explain them in such a way so that both the idiot and the scholar can understand and receive faith (shinjin). 

I also try to make useful connections between various Masters and their teachings. For example, in this book I show that Honen and his disciple Shinran, spoke the same language of faith and essentially taught the same teaching although sometimes the words and context are different.

Among the many sayings of Honen, I chose a few in this book and my other books, that I consider to be very important and which can serve as a standard of reading and understanding him in our Amidaji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism. 

Click here if you wish to download the free online edition in pdf,


Click the donation box if you wish to make a DONATION to support me and Amidaji temple, and especially the recent project about water and sewage system (click here to read about it),

 


If you wish to order a printed copy from Amazon you can click on one of these links,

Monday, February 26, 2024

Plans for Amidaji in the year 2024 - water and sewage system


Until now in the village where Amidaji temple is located there has been no water and sewerage system, so the inhabitants (including Amidaji) need to use the public or private wells, and to build their own peasant style toilets in the backyard which mainly consists of a hole in the ground with a wooden cabin on top. Some wells had problems and dried up or became difficult to use, so the county and local officials finally decided to make a contract with a company and recently brought the main water pipes in the village and placed secondary ones in front of each property. However, from this main and secondary water pipes each owner has to pay for installing its own pipes and build its own water system through which to bring the water inside his property and house.

Amidaji has a few buildings on its property so I need lots of pipes and a few professional workers to bring the water in. The total costs for the first phase of work (pipes and other materials as well as the workers) are around 1000 euros. From this, around 600 euros is only to pay the workers and the rest is for various materials. If I successfully raise the amount needed, I will do the first phase and make a report with photos after which I will continue with the second step.
 
Any little help is welcomed and very much needed so, if you wish to DONATE, you can use the PayPal box and/or the Bank accounts mentioned at this link,
https://amida-ji-retreat-temple-romania.blogspot.com/p/donation.html
 
The names of donors as well as those in whose name a donation was made will be mentioned in a dedication list of my next book and at the end of the video teachings posted on my YouTube channel.
 
Amidaji temple courtyard. The water pipes must come from the 
house in the distance to the one in the top right (kitchen).
A bathroom with shower and toilet will be built between the 
house in the top left (library and guest room) and the house
in the distance. In the foreground is Amidado (Hall of Amida)

Thursday, February 22, 2024

A big nenju has been gifted to Amidaji temple

My Dharma friend Cheusa Wend (77) from USA donated this beautiful big nenju (mala/Buddhist rosary) of around one meter and a half to Amidaji temple Romania in the name of her late husband Koun Eb Whipple, and her parents Phyllis Latham Stoner and William Richard Stoner. May all their obstacles be removed and may they create indestructible connections with Amida Buddha, entrust to Him, say His Name and wish to be born in His Pure Land! 

The nenju now adorns the hands of the statue of Amida Buddha in the Amidado (Amida Hall) of Amidaji temple Romania until we decide where to keep it. We intend to use it in some ceremonies, perhaps in chanting the Nembutsu in a circle, and other liturgies to express faith in Amida Buddha and our gratitude for being saved as we are. 

As you might know, in our Amidaji branch of Jodo Shinshu Buddhism, the nenju represents faith in Amida Buddha and the Nembutsu of faith. It shows our devotion and connection with Him. 

Namo Amida Bu

 

Dharma talks on my youtube channel