Dear BAM-ers,

Have you registered for the Compassion in Action page on The Buddhist Centre Online? This is the all-year-round space for people interested in the kinds of things we focussed on in Buddhist Action Month. 

+Follow Compassion in Action.

VIDEO: “The Growth Fetish”; an exploration of the effects of growth on nature and the environment by Vaddhaka, author of The Buddha on Wall Street and Chairman of the Tallin Centre in Estonia gives a talk during BAM 2015.

One of the biggest difficulties one has to face into when one wants to change the world – whether this is helping to bring about world peace, tackling climate change, ending famine, overthrowing an unjust system – is the fact that it is impossible to do on your own.  Think of Avalokitesvara, prior to the intervention of Amitabha: he fell into despair at the realisation of how little a difference he could make as just one being on his own.

I feel lucky then, as a Buddhist, that the message at the very heart of the Dharma is that of pratitya-samutpada, conditioned co-production, which basically declares the reality that things arise, and cease, in dependence on conditions.   This is helpful when you are embarking on a project to help bring about change:  firstly, you can’t do it all – you can only ever be one condition amongst many; but secondly, and importantly (in case you were about to give up in defeat), you can be a condition that helps change things.  Even more than that, you can be a condition that joins up with other conditions (i.e. other people) to affect change.  BAM, for me, has been a triumph of conditioned co-production in (collective) action.

2015 was the first year that the Dublin Sangha got involved in BAM.  To say it was enthusiastically embraced at the Dublin Buddhist Centre would be no lie.  Pretty much all of June was ‘BAM’-ed… from the film night, to the Practice Morning to the Young Buddhist Group and to the June bank holiday retreat…nothing was immune from BAM’s influence!    From the Centre team, to the Sustainability team and to entire Sangha, a spirit of curiosity and willingness to engage arose.  This could be seen by the buzz after certain events – for example, after watching Cowspiracy, an energetic discussion about veganism occurred over cups of tea.  This spirit could also be seen in the generosity of people who led the events, giving of their time and expertise with gusto.  It was also obvious, as the month went on, on our ‘action board’ (see photo) where people continued to write up personal commitments that they were taking as part of BAM.  I am also personally grateful to our sustainability team – Clodagh, Adam and Donal – who gave of their time and energy to host events, introduce events, make announcements about BAM, and write up reports afterwards.

Our last BAM event was a practice morning, led by Maitrikaya, who ensured there was a number of appropriate readings and led a ‘transference of merits’ ritual at the end so we could dedicate all the merits from the month for the sake of all beings.  It felt like an appropriate way of bringing the 2015 BAM to a close.

But I don’t see it all ending there.  BAM has provided us an opportunity to start conversations about big issues such as climate change – there’s more work to be done, but best of all: a Sangha with which to do it!   

On Tuesday 30th June, the Cardiff sangha took part in an evening of talks, discussions and workshops on the theme "Change ourselves - change the world".  This event was held as part on Buddhist Action Month 2015.

The first workshop was on 'Vegetarianism and Veganism' and included watching and discussing the very inspirational clip from Matthieu Ricard on "Keeping a Vegan and Vegetarian Diet":

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7T7vZr0c6s

The second workshop was on calculating our personal carbon footprint.  This was about developing a greater awareness of how our choices and actions result in an increase in carbon emissions and how this accelerates the threat of global warming.

We used a paper version of the Guardian's Quick Carbon Calculator:

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/interactive/2009/oct/20/guardian-quick-carbon-calculator

As a result of this evening people collectively made a pledge to save almost 13 tonnes of Carbon Dioxide over the next year by changing their individual choices and actions.

Clodagh Gray reports on the "Earth Evening: Practicing for the Planet" Young Buddhist Group meeting which looked at some of the big challenges of our time and how we can respond together as a Sangha to these issues:-

On Friday the 26th of June, coming towards the close of BAM, the Young Buddhist Group congregated in the DBC for a very special theme 'Practicing  for the Planet.'  As usual the atmosphere in the Centre on the Friday evening was warm and full of Metta, however there was an extra special glow as we sat in candle light in an effort to conserve energy.

Kasey kicked off the evening and led a beautiful Metta Bhavana with a slight twist where we brought ourselves, our friend, the neutral person, the difficult and the rest of the world to mind in to the future tense. This slight alteration to the practice was really effective in forcing us to think past the here and now in terms of the environment and anticipating the future needs of all living beings and the planet’s ability to meet these needs.  It reminded us that, although we should be mindful and focus on the present moment, we also need to remember the teaching of Karma and that all our actions have consequences, both positive and negative.

Lisa then gave a thought provoking talk around the importance of myth in Buddhism and the inspiration we can draw from myth when thinking about sustainability issues. We discussed how we tend to gloss over the mythical aspects of Buddhism especially in the West as we have a tendency to want to rationalize the world we live in. We might tend to gloss over certain part of suttas like the Dhammacakkappavattana sutta (where the Buddha sets the Wheel of the Dharma in motion) that don’t fit into our rational world view. However myth does have a crucial role to play in our practice as it inspires us to go beyond  ourselves, beyond the mind, beyond  the physical plane to the transcendental. This going beyond our current reality and experience is crucial if we are to creatively find new ways of sustaining our planet for the generations of all beings to come.

As always we had our tea break with lots of lovely chats and Metta and discussed how we were finding our personal action commitment for BAM.  What was really lovely to hear was, instead of hearing the effort people were putting in and the sacrifices they were making, everyone naturally discussed how much they had gained personally for leading a more altruistic life.  To remind ourselves to use only what we need we made sure to only boil as much water as we needed for the amount of people in the room.  Again this simple action, if carried out by more and more people on the planet, would have a resounding positive effect on our natural resources.

Kevin the closed off the evening with a group discussion on what would each of our ideal worlds look like. Again we were reminded here that the concept of the imagination is important when dealing with sustainability.  We must be able to imagine what our utopia will be before it can be. By focusing our minds on a positive picture of our planet’s future and taking steps collectively to make the change we can see the change required is in our hands and starts with ourselves, each and every one of us has the power and capability of helping to save our planet and it starts within our own being. How inspiring!

'What you think you become,

What you feel you attract

What you imagine you create'

~ The Buddha

Hi BAM-ers, congratulations on a great month! From the over 100 posts here on this BAM space on TBCO, it's clear Triratna has taken BAM to its heart, not just in the UK, the land of its origin, but in Ireland, Germany, France and America. Sadhu!

Have a look at the full closing report over on Triratna News. 

Thank you everyone, so much, for all your planning, enthusiasm and reporting. This is the great step forward we've made in 2015: not just doing stuff but telling others what you did, so we can all learn from each other.

And now, it's time to stop posting to this space, and join the year-round 'Compassion in Action' space!

Mokshini is the person to contact if you want any further information about the Compassion in Action page, or you have ideas to share. She would also like your feedback on BAM 2015.

With metta, Munisha
Triratna European Liaison and Communications Officer 

Here we are down in Dawlish, folks from Exeter Triratna group along with other Exeter Buddhist groups picking the beach clean at Dawlish Warren, and logging each piece of human-made flotsam and jetsam for Beach Care's survey of what's moving around with the ocean. Plastics mainly - not good for wildlife beings... Some of us meditated by the ocean too - such a good way to connect 

Report by Adam Dinan about the Sangha hike in Wicklow that was organised by Vajrashura as  part Buddhist Action Month as a way of reconnecting with nature and reminding us of why cherishing environmental sustainability is so important:-

On Saturday the 27th of June, a group of approximately 20 intrepid hikers from across Ireland gathered in the small hillside town of Laragh, Co. Wicklow for a much-anticipated Sangha Hike organised as part of Buddhist Action Month. The aim of the event was to allow those involved to connect more deeply with nature and with one another in scenic surroundings, and despite the onset of some early dark skies and mid-morning mist, the group was in very good spirits.

After a brief stop to re-fuel and (in some cases) re-caffeinate, the group set off up Mullaghcleevaun East, high in the Wicklow mountains. The route took the hikers up an ascent from the south side of the mountain which was rapid and steep, and certainly tested the fitness levels of those involved - including two very large and furry four-legged friends. Luckily, as the morning progressed, those ominous-looking grey skies passed over without much incident and even gave way to some brief glimpses of sunshine.

The quick ascent also meant some spectacular views and an extended recovery period, as the remainder of the hike was considerably less demanding. In fact, the day was calm enough to allow the group to stop for lunch atop the 2,700-foot peak, before continuing on across the valley to the much-vaunted 'Heart Shaped Lake' (officially known as Lough Ouler), which did not disappoint... not least because it could be enjoyed with the help of some sugary treats that a few members had the foresight to carry with them and the generosity to share.

The day ended with a relaxed stroll down the gentle slopes of Tonelagee, set to the calming backdrop of water streaming down alongside. After much deliberations, and the convening of many committees and sub-committees, it was decided that chips (CHIPS!) loaded with salt and vinegar were in order, and the group duly rendezvoused at the Village Takeaway in Roundwood for the perfect ending to a hugely successful and enjoyable day.

For more photos check out Green Dharma Dublin's facebook page here

What was Bhante's vision of "A New Society"? Sangharakshita describes the events of his life that led him to found the Western Buddhist Order, and explains how an individual can join it. He then discusses its relation to the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (now known as Triratna) and introduces the idea of the nucleus of a new society. 1' 14"

Sthirajyoti kicks off Manchester's BAM season with this talk on what the New Society is and why we need it.

Here's a final update for BAM from Triratna's two Karuna Appeal teams .  For the whole month of June the eight of us have been out on the streets of Glasgow and Edinburgh knocking on people's doors inviting them to become regular contributors to Karuna's work with Dalit communities in India. Between us we've recruited over 100 new supporters and an amazing £1400 in new monthly contributions. Karuna's supporters tend to be very loyal, and that should therefore turn into £85,000 over the next five years - wow!  And there's still two weeks to go...

It's not just been a fundraising exercise either - Karuna appeals are much more like a retreat, with meditation daily, Dharma study, puja, community meetings, Tai Chi, shared meals - and a lot of personal transformation as we absorb all the lessons our meetings on the doors offer us every night. Karuna's motto is 'Compassion in Action' and the appeals exemplify that perfectly.

It's been great to be part of BAM and watch everything unfolding around the Buddhist community in the UK and beyond, let's make sure we keep the momentum going as June ends and we move 'Beyond BAM'...   On that note, Karuna runs around six appeals every year, if you’re interested to take part then check the Karuna Appeals Facebook page or contact the Karuna office direct.

If you  are feeling you wish you had been able to do a bit more for Buddhist Action Month and now realize June is nearly over - here is something effective you can still do, it takes fine minutes: switch to Green Energy. This means that all the money you pay for your bills will go to fund energy won from renewable resources. There are several Green Energy companies in the UK, but if you choose Good Energy,  they will pay the Triratna European Chairs Assembly £25 whenever anyone switches, provided that person quotes either “Triratna Chairs Assembly” or our code GE2190, or does it online via http://www.goodenergy.co.uk/affiliates/triratna-chairs-assembly.  If someone uses that link the necessary codes are automatically incorporated into their application.  You also get £25 off your first bill. 

And if you have already switched - how about suggesting to members of your family or a friend or two that they do it? 

Sharing with you Taraloka's action on Sustainable Energy: Written by Maitrisiddhi

Up till 2010, Taraloka was heated by oil – non-renewable fossil fuel pumped out of the ground thousands of miles away, with all the effects on the environment when burnt, and sea spillage risks en route.  Now, Taraloka is heated by biomass boilers, supplied from sustainable Welsh and English forestry. 

When I moved here, in 2009, plans were already afoot to try to improve Taraloka’s carbon footprint.  Care for the environment and trying to act ethically and for the welfare of all is central to Buddhist practice.  I think everyone wanted Taraloka to move towards sustainable energy – of course – but the decisions aren’t always easy. 

Could Taraloka afford it?  Wood pellet boilers cost 4 or 5 times what new oil-fired boilers would cost.   

Would we be able to source reliable pellets when so few wood pellet boilers were around?   At the time wood pellet boilers were relatively innovative in the UK.  Now, many schools, hospitals and private houses have them, but Taraloka’s was in the first wave.    This was a real problem, and was only surmounted because our boiler suppliers guaranteed that they would deliver pellets until the supply chain became established. 

Kulaprabha put a huge amount of energy into finding what grants were available, and she managed to get Taraloka a grant from the Government for half the 120k cost, and a further 18K grant from Scottish Power’s Green Fund.  This still left Taraloka paying a lot more for new boilers than if we’d gone with replacing with oil-fired ones.  But it was worth it.

So we replaced the old boilers with new wood pellet boilers.  I love them, myself.  They look like something out of Star Trek, but when you open the base, there’s just a little fire burning away in there.  And they’re 93% efficient (oil is more like 40% efficient).  And because our wood pellets are supplied from sustainable English and Welsh forestry, they don’t have far to come.

With the same grants, we also had hot water solar panels installed – four sets in all, two in the retreat centre, and two in the house.  They’re great – in summer they produce almost all of the hot water for the 8 or 10 of us living in the house.    In the retreat centre it’s trickier, because if 30 people want to shower in the morning (before the sun’s got hot) the solar needs back-up from the wood pellet boilers.

Taraloka’s shift towards more sustainable energy is continuing.  Up till 2013, the Old Granary (that’s the shrine room and lofts bedrooms) was heated by electricity, including ancient storage heaters from the 1980’s.  Our electricity was from a standard provider, so the power would have been largely produced by fossil fuel-fired power stations.   In 2013, we had big trenches dug and pipes laid to link the Old Granary in to the biomass boilers – so now all our site except the office is heated by wood pellets instead of electricity.  That was a further investment of 20k to have that work done.

So now we’re looking at electricity.  The last time I negotiated our electricity contract was in 2013, and Taraloka’s annual electricity bill was eight thousand pounds.  When I investigated green electricity suppliers, the estimated annual bill would have been eleven thousand pounds – three thousand pounds more a year.   Looking at our finances at that time, we decided to stay with a standard provider.  Now I’m looking at our next electricity contract, and hoping that this time we’ll be able to choose a green electricity supplier.

It is interesting, this whole area around money, because it so often does come down to that.  At Taraloka we run a dana system, as I’m sure you’ll all know – where retreatants are charged a booking fee, but after that are asked if they would like to donate towards keeping Taraloka running.  One of our big values here is accessibility – that women can come to Taraloka even if they don’t have much money.  But it also means that Taraloka can’t ‘put up the prices’ if we decide to choose more expensive greener options.    So do consider that when you’re here on retreat – it is only the generosity of people like you which means that Taraloka is able to make these green changes and express our collective values of compassion for this whole world.

What does it mean to live 'a simple life' in the 21st century?

Do we even discuss this frequently, or at all, with our Buddhist friends? As we come to the end of Buddhist Action Month, but hopefully only to the beginning of further engagement with the issues raised over the month, this might be an interesting and fruitful question to discuss. How much do we make conscious the fact that we have all grown up and been conditioned by the ethos of materialism and by living in a consumer society? We are surrounded on a daily basis by messages that tell us "If you buy this, is will make you happy." In fact, the message we receive goes further "I should have this  - I deserve this!  If I want it, I should be able to have it." The Buddha, by contrast, was quite clear, that material things cannot possibly be the source of happiness - in fact, he emphasized that attachment to material things is the source of fear, anxiety and need, and the origin of our discomfort and suffering in the world. 

Here are a few quotes from one of the books I have enjoyed reading over the last month, Vaddhaka's 'The Buddha on Wall Street'; available from Windhorse Publications.  He argues in this book that "at the heart of neoliberal capitalism are values that are incompatible with Buddhist values, epitomized by the promotion of greed and selfishness in neoliberal capitalism contrasted with generosity and altruism in Buddhism". (p6)  This makes understanding the implications of neo-liberal capitalism an ethical issue for us all.  

"Economic Growth depends, ultimately, on more and more people, wanting more and more, of more and more things."   Charles Handy, an influential business guru 

"It's a story about us, people, being persuaded to spend money we don't have, on things we don't need, to create inpressions that don't last, on people that we don't care about."    Tim Jackson, Professor of Sustainable Development at Surrey University

Neo-liberal capitalism is incompatible with the strengthening of community: "It is the importance of the ties of necessity that puts community at odds with the foundational assumptions of economics. Markets, based on voluntary, instrumental, opportunistic relationships, are diametrically opposed to the long-term commitments and obligations that characterize community. By promoting market relationships, economics undermines reciprocity, altruism and mutual obligation, and therewith the necessity of community. The very foundations of economics, by justifying the expansion of markets, lead inexorably to the weakening of community."  Stephen Marglin 

"Anyone who believes in indefinite growth of anything physical on a physically finite planet is either mad or is an economist." Kenneth Boulding, environmental advisor to John F, Kennedy in 1962

"We are in the grip of a growth fetish that is causing serious damage to the environment and to nature, with little hope of help on the required funadamental changes from mainstream economics or business. Buddhsim offers the basis of an alternative approach with a dual emphasis on eradicating pollution within and without by tackling the root poisons of greed, hatred and delusion." Vaddhaka, in The Buddha on Wall Street, p 94

Here is some more info is from the book called ‘How Bad are Bananas?‘ by Mike Berners-Lee. This book compares the relative amount of the carbon impact of a wide range of daily products and activities and gives an estimate of the actual carbon produced from each to help us make more informed choices. The carbon footprint figures for each product are estimates  (Co2e) - but the book makes it very obvious and easy to see where we can make choices that would significantly add up to reduce our carbon footprint. 

1. A weekend 'quality' newspaper with loads of colour supplements, sent to landfill averages around 4.1kg Co2e. Compare this to e.g. the Guardian Weekly, recycled: 300g Co2e. 

2. Flying... there is no getting around the fact that flying has a major Co2 impact; and as Mike B-L says, "the impact is worse still because high-altitude emissions are known to have a considerably greater impact than low - altitude eqivalents". A return flight London - Hong Kong averages at 4.6 tonnes Co2e . 

Options? Flying less often and use alternatives -  is it possible to get there by train? Flying to closer destinations; and making a special effort not to buy air-freighted food and clothing. 

3. Cut flowers, bought our of season! How many armloads of flowers have been bought for our shrines over the years?! One red rose grown in a heated greenhouse in the Netherlands = 2.1kg Co2e. Compare that to a red rose picked fron your garden, using only orgainic fertilizer = 0 Co2. 

4. Leaving the lights on: old style 100 Watt light bulb for 1 year = 500 kg Co2e. A low energy lightbulb for the same period = 90kg Co2e. Better still, let's remember to turn them off!

5. And lastly - mobile phones - and this hadn't even ever occurred to me: "using a mobile phone an hour a day for a year is equivalent to flying from London to New York" - wow!

On the other hand, just insulating our loft could save 3.5 years' worth of our 10 tonne a year Co2 'allowance' - this 10 tonne annual 'allowance' is the conservative aim for Western countries; this is in the context of average emissions around the world - 

0.1 tonne Co2e per year for the average inhabitant of Mali
15 tonne per year for the average inhabitant of the UK
30 tonne per year for the average inhabitant of Australia 

Here's Part 1 of this 10 Tips post!

Here are some vegan recipes from the recent vegan cookery demonstration in Dublin with Pat Timlin.  They were chosen for their simplicity as well as their deliciousness - enjoy!

Vegan Cookery Demonstration Menu

Fennel, Radish & Broad Bean Salad
Quinoa Tabbouleh with Pomegranate and Fresh Mint

Vegetable Chilli,
with fresh Guacamole
Potato & Cauliflower Curry,
with Pilau Rice
and Paratha Breads

Banana Bread
Carrot Cake
Chocolate Mousse

Report by Clodagh Gray about the vegan cookery demonstration that happened in the women's residential community in Dublin as part of Buddhist Action Month:-

Following on from last week’s screening of Cowspiracy and building on the link between sustainability and adopting a more vegan friendly lifestyle, our very own resident chef (although he is too humble to accept this!) Pat Timlin led a vegan cooking demonstration in the Women’s Buddhist Community as part of BAM on Sunday the 21st of June.

Over 21 people – vegetarians/vegans/meat-eaters (pre-vegans?!) – gathered in the women's community at approximately 1pm with rumbling bellies to sample Pat's culinary and cruelty-free delights. Having made the leap to veganism just over ten months ago I opened up the event saying a few words on what inspired me to swap my knife for a fork!  Pretty soon after I came to the Dublin Buddhist Centre I became vegetarian.  A month or so later I went to visit my sister in Liverpool who had become vegan independent of me (coincidence?!) around the same time that I became vegetarian. She raved about a book The World Peace Diet: Eating for Spiritual Health and Social Harmony by Dr Will Tuttle, a vegan activist and Zen Buddhist monk, and insisted I read it.  Always taking my wiser big sister’s advice I did just that.  Once I had read the book there was no turning back for me. As well as the issue of sustainability he clearly articulated the connection between Metta, Compassion and Karma and adopting a vegan lifestyle.  By looking and altering something so simple but profound as our ritual daily meals we each have the opportunity to have a positive effect on the planetary crisis as well as our own spiritual health.  And we can start as soon as lunch - how amazing is that!!

So Pat donned his apron and explained to us that by preparing and eating  vegan meals we did not have to sacrifice or give up anything and in fact would be gaining a whole lot more!  If you don't believe me just look at the marvellous menu below.  Can you really tell me that you will miss your cheese, cream and chicken with such delights below like colourful curry, gorgeous guacamole, fantastic fennel and vivacious veg chilli. You don’t have to skimp on side dishes either with perfect Paratha bread to mop up that leftover curry.  And for those of you with a sweet tooth don't fear - Pat and his death-by-chocolate mousse and banana bread are here!  Words CANNOT describe.  And, just in case I haven't sold this enough, you don't need to be Gordon Ramsay in the kitchen to put these dishes together - all quick and easy and with the whole three course coming in under €10 per person it certainly won’t break the bank.  With lots of lovely chat, Metta and positive emotion we all left the Women’s Community inspired and with full and happy bellies on Sunday evening.

So if you are thinking about living a more vegan lifestyle what more inspiration can we give you? Don't forget it is not about being a 'perfect vegan', it is about making a more conscious effort to think about our interconnectedness with the earth we live on and all the beings we share it with.

Vegan Cookery Demonstration Menu

Fennel, Radish & Broad Bean Salad
Quinoa Tabbouleh with Pomegranate and Fresh Mint

Vegetable Chilli,
with fresh Guacamole
Potato & Cauliflower Curry,
with Pilau Rice
and Paratha Breads

Banana Bread
Carrot Cake
Chocolate Mousse

Amalavajra finishes his series of posts with some books to get you thinking even further about your relationship with money.

Small is Beautiful: Study of Economics as If People Mattered, by E F Schumacher. 
The classic text on progressive economics from a former colleague of J.M. Keynes, including a chapter called 'Buddhist Economics'.

The Buddha on Wall Street: What’s Wrong with Capitalism and What We Can Do about It, by Triratna Order member Vaddhaka
After his Enlightenment the Buddha set out to help liberate the individual, and create a society free from suffering. The economic resources now exist to offer a realistic possibility of providing everyone with decent food, shelter, work and leisure, to allow each of us to fulfil our potential as human beings, whilst protecting the environment. What is it in the nature of modern capitalism which prevents that happening? Can Buddhism help us build something better than our current economic system, to reduce suffering and help the individual to freedom?

It’s not about the Money, by Brent Kessel
The book’s first section explores the Buddhist concept of the “wanting mind”, showing how our minds create irrational links between money and fulfilment; the second explains eight financial archetypes and how to break ingrained habits; the last offers straightforward strategies for saving, investing and philanthropy.

What money can’t buy, by Michael Sandel
Is it ethical to pay people to donate organs? Selling citizenship? Sandel argues that in recent decades, market values have impinged on almost every aspect of life - medicine, education, government, law, even family life. We have drifted from having a market economy to being a market society. In What money can't buy Sandel asks, Isn't there something wrong with a world in which everything is for sale? And how do we protect the things that really matter?

Money, Sex, War Karma, by David Loy
Contains a chapter with the most interesting take on money that I have found by a modern Buddhist writer, especially on what money symbolizes for us and how we see it as the ultimate solution for our sense of what Loy calls ‘lack’. This excellent short article by Loy summarises his argument.

The life you can save, by Peter Singer
Would you walk past a drowning child? This book changes the way you think about giving (and fundraising). It shows what you can do, as an individual, about the fact that more than a billion people are living in extreme poverty today.

Stay in touch with Money awakening: join Amalavajra's email list.

Amalavajra, Triratna's European fundraiser lists some sources of inspiration for refreshing your relationship with money. First, some talks:

Vaddhaka’s barnstorming talk on Going Beyond Capitalism - A Buddhist Perspective (61 minutes). On video or audio.

Sangharakshita on Buddhist Economics (Audio, 76 minutes) 
This lecture lays down the principles underlying the creation and use of wealth, and explores the principles of generosity and right livelihood as signified by the Goddess Sri's promise to give everything needed for spiritual life.

Me, Amalavajra, a former City bond salesman, on money and meaning!     
-    Your Money or Your Life (53 minutes)
-    Let’s talk about money (12 minutes)

Join Amalavajra's Money awakening email list to stay in touch.

More ideas from Amalavajra, Triratna's European fundraiser, for reviewing your relationship with money.

"The second Buddhist precept is 'With open-handed generosity I purify my body.'

• Recognise the abundance you enjoy by writing down at the end of each day five things you have been given. (Even a bus ride counts!)
• 'Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.' (Howard Thurman) Take seriously that dreamwork (for example) that you’ve always wished you could afford to do. If you lived more simply then perhaps you could… If not now, when?
• Go against any non-giving policy you have, at least once, e.g. “I never give to homeless people.”
• Tithe this month. Other faiths such as Judaism and Christianity recommend giving away 10% of your income. So for June how about doing the same? Consider giving at least some of your 10% to Dharma projects, including your local Buddhist Centre, helping many more people to transform their minds and, thus, the world.