The New Society idea was at the heart of Sangharakshita's founding vision for the Triratna Community in the 1960's and 70's. In recent years many of us have been asking what this means today. The level of interest in revitalising the vision of the New Society has been flagged up repeatedly at the meeting of Triratna's European Chairs' Assembly, but how to make that real remains work in progress. Taking a step forwards in the exploration, Guhyapati (from the ecodharma centre) talked recently with Parami (International Order Convenor), Mokshini (Brighton Buddhist Centre), and Amalaketu (Sustainable Centre Project).

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This summer the Sustainable Buddhist Centre Project was launched during the European Chairs' Assembly at Adhistana. In this short video Guhyapati interviews Amalaketu about the project.

This is a discussion with Sahajatara, Yogaratna, and Lindsay Alderton about their recent efforts to promote concern and action around climate change within the Triratna Community and the Dharma Action Network for Climate Engagement. The conversation took place mid summer 2014. it was arranged and hosted by the ecodharma centre (www.ecodharma.com).

A series of three talks given by Guhyapati at Buddhafield's Green Earth Awakening last weekend. The gathering brought 500 people together to explore the interface between contemporary Buddhism, ecology and social action. Guhyapati brings dharma perspectives to bear on how we can empower ourselves and our communities to meet the challenges of our times.

The Ecodharma Centre has established a new bursary fund to enable young people to take part in nature connection retreats. Awards are available from April this year to attend both the Ecodharma Wildcamp and the Meeting the Wild retreat.

The centre’s nature based practice series is a core strand of its work. “Ecodharma is all about connection,” explains Guhyapati, the centre director. “Living in times characterized by alienation, we see much of our work as about reconnection and supporting people to become more deeply integrated. We focus on three dimensions of connection underpinning healthy and creative human life: connecting people to people – the social dimension; connecting people to themselves – the inner dimension; and connecting people to nature.”
While the courses themselves are open to people of any age, the Nature Connection Bursary for Young People is aimed at those between 18 and 25. “These kinds of trainings can have a powerful impact on young people,” says Guhyapati. “They often incorporate rites of passage like phases, such as in Meeting the Wild, which culminates in a three day solo period out in the wilds. We have seen just how transforming these experiences can be.” While the courses are already very popular with younger people, the bursary aims to make it possible for a few young people who would otherwise be unable to attend for economic reasons.

The centre’s nature based programme has been successfully running for several years now. The key courses have been the longer retreats such as Meeting the Wild and the Wanderers Retreat both of which have a strong meditative dimension. This year sees the addition of the week long Ecodharma Wildcamp. “The Wildcamp is more of a training than a retreat,” explains Guhyapati. “We really want to equip people with a range of tools that will enable them to develop a life-long practice of deepening nature connection. We are focusing on teaching and training in the ‘core routines’ of nature connection, which include observation skills, tracking, and basic survival bushcraft.” Guhyapati will be joined by Caspar Brown from the Wildfire team, who brings bushcraft and primitive skills speciality, as well as Dharmacharini Subhachitta.

If you know anyone who could benefit from this opportunity, application details can be found on the ecodharma bursary page, or they should write to info@ecodharma.com to ask for more information. The deadline this year is April 30 2014 for courses starting in May 2014.

The image on the left here is the new spring/summer programme poster. for all the other details of our new programme you can take a look here.

23 - 31 May 2014

This is a new addition to our programme. It is a week long immersion experience in the wild with an emphasis on exploring nature connection practices. The course will also apply ecopsychology and Buddhist meditation to support an enriching and transformative relationship with the natural world and our own deeper nature.

The course takes us out into the mountains and woodlands in the remote Ecodharma valley, where we will set up and live in a wild camp. We will sleep beneath the stars or in simple bivouacs, living in intimate connection with the land, cooking together on campfires, and practicing together in close community.

The nature connection practices will help us to develop skills for observation and understanding of the non-human natural world. The ecopsychology dimension will help us to explore our truer identity as part of the evolving system of life and ecology of our world. Buddhist meditation will equip us with the mindful awareness and empathy to come into intimate relationship with the wild around us and within ourselves – connecting us to the mystery and wonder of life. It is a new addition to the Ecodharma Centre’s nature based practice series.

Living simply in the woods the emphasis of this training is the exploration of the “core routines” of nature connection (as developed in the sphere of ecopsychology, as well as the work of John Young and others of the Wilderness Awareness School). These include:
· Learning to broaden our sphere of awareness and minimise our sphere of disturbance, so that we can learn from our natural surroundings.
· Train in techniques for observation and understanding natural systems and the non-human inhabitants of the woods and mountains.
· Using stalking and tracking techniques to increase our knowledge and understanding of the secret lives of animals – discovering how to move and live in the woods in a way that enables us to come into closer contact with the other beings who live there.
· Discover the language of birds and how this can give us insights into the life of the woods and their inhabitants.
· Learn to live simply and sensitively in the wild, leaving a minimal trace and existing in intimate respect for the natural world.
· Explore how to read the landscape to understand its stories, short terma and deep-time processes which can re-connectus with the ancient past of our species.

With the practices of Buddhist meditation (which are offered in a way that doesn’t require a specific religious commitment) we will:
· Apply techniques which lead to a clear and brighter awareness, enriching both our sensory experience and our self-awareness.
· Find ways to help the mind to settle into quiet open receptivity.
· Open up to our capacity for empathy and heartfelt respect, which underlies intimate connection with nature and other beings.

The course will be guided by a team of experienced facilitators with skills in wilderness living, bushcraft, and the contemplative arts of the Buddhist tradition. We will also support you to inegrate the skills you learn within the rest of your life, leading to an ongoing practice of self-inquiry and deepening nature connection. These practices can help you to find the nourishment and inspiration for living a life affirming existence.

Participants can join this course as a stand alone week or it can be used as a primer for the Meeting the Wild course which follows on directly in the Ecodharma events program. We will supply a basic gear list to participants. Arrival is for the Friday evening and departure on the Saturday morning.

Bookings and contributions: Suggested contribution - €200 to €600.
The team:
Subhachitta is an experienced nature connection facilitator and meditation teacher. She has several decades of experience growing out of her somatic-body based trainings, and a natural gift for supporting others to share in her passionate and sensitive respect for the non-human dimensions of nature. Her much appreciated no-nonsense character bring an authentic and grounding quality to her teaching.
Caspar Brown teaches bushcraft ,nature awareness ,permaculture and mentoring in the UK and other parts of Europe. He has trained with various Wilderness schools including Trackways .Woodsmoke and Jon Young's “The art of mentoring” program. He is a keen observationists and very interested in learning and teaching more about the relationship that humans have with their land base and see this as key in becoming an effective Permaculturist. He co-runs "Open Earth Ecology" where Radical permaculture techniques are encouraged and employed. He is also a talented musician and storyteller.
Guhyapati is the founder and director of the Ecodharma Centre. He has worked as a wilderness and mountain guide for many years, facilitating nature connection, meditation retreats and radical ecological trainings. He is a talented holistic educator applying a wide range of approaches. He also facilitates Meeting the Wild and the Wanderers’ Retreat at the centre.

19th to 26th April 2014

In whatever way we envisage contributing to the wellbeing of our world, for most of us it is going to mean working with others. It is going to mean collaborating. Effective collaboration not only benefits the world, it can provide the vital context for our growth as individuals, offer a crucial means to share and live out our deepest values, and it can bring forth emergent and creative qualities that alone we could barely imagine.
But working in groups is not always easy. It can feel frustrating, draining and unproductive. Meetings drag, personalities clash, power conflicts arise, chaos reigns and all this gets in the way of achieving what the group or organization set out to do at the beginning.
This Effective Holistic Collaboration training will help you to learn how to collaborate, communicate and make decisions effectively. It will help you to draw out the best in yourself and others, to stay in healthy relationship, build teams based on shared values - and get things done! This course and related resources provides you with the tools and know how to make your group effective, fun, brilliant, and inspiring.
Effective collaboration requires an understanding of how groups work, it involves learning the skills for organizing and structuring our work together, it also requires deepening self-awareness, the honing of our ethical sensibility and the means to transcend our limiting habits in order to bring forth more helpful and creative capabilities. So this course integrates practical skills and approaches to group and organsational development with reflective and group practices that make the personal-interpersonal interface a truly creative place to be.
This training is for anyone working in a community or organisation, in a social change project, social enterprise or business and who wants to work creatively, dynamically and effectively with others.
You will learn how to:
· Develop shared purpose and vision
· Communicate more collaboratively
· Manage conflict creatively
· Create a structure where tasks and roles are clear and empowering
· Learn effective decision making skills to meet a wide range of contexts
· Run effective and enjoyable meetings
· Sustain motivation and involvement
· Create the conditions that bring out the best in yourself and your team/group
· Apply key facilitation skills
· Understand the inner life of group dynamics and cycles
· Keep the challenges of working with others a creative edge
· Support the harnessing of collective wisdom and individual autonomy at the same time
The team:
Nick Osborne is passionate about getting groups to work well. He is a highly respected trainer for the international transitions network. His trainings come from integrating 20 years experience of working with leadership models in social change projects, intentional communities and Eco-villages, and conventional and cutting edge organizations. He brings his insight and experience in a relaxed and participatory style.
Guhyapati is the founder of the ecodharma centre and project. He facilitates participatory and holistic learning in a way that is informed by nearly 30 years of Dharma practice, decades of social activism and an astute sense of group dynamics.

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