News from the American Order Convention

The FWBO's San Francisco Buddhist Center hosted the North American Order Convention this year in July, at Jikoji, a retreat center in the Santa Cruz Mountains, a short distance south of San Francisco. Suvarnaprabha, the SFBC's Director, has sent FWBO News this report -

"We began with a ceremony marking the entry of three new Order Members, Saricitta ("Heart/Mind Like a Waterfall"), Vihanasari ("Thrush at Dawn"), and Danakamala ("Lotus of Generosity") into the Western Buddhist Order. The ceremony was beautifully and jointly led by public preceptors Dhammarati and Dayanandi.

"The Convention was attended by about 25 or so Order Members, who traveled from the far flung corners of the contintent: from Washington State, Vancouver (Canada), Montana, Maine, New Hampshire, Boston, and New York City, plus two from the UK, and the delightful Saddhajoti from Mexico. For 5 days we met, caught up with each other, and focused on meditation, especially practices specific to the Order, such as the Mula Yogas (including the Bodhicitta practice). Khajit also got some of us to give our kesas a much needed wash!

"And at the cultural evening on the last night, we outdid ourselves! We witnessed Karunadakini tranform into a diner waitress falling in love with a logger, and with our own eyes we saw Vajramati and Naganatika's heads on a plates in a fit of hilarious Beckett-esque high drama in the dining room. Not to mention poems and stories, an acapella song, Argentinian guitar, an original blues song, and a cello solo.

"It was beautiful and I felt such a strong connection to the Order, such a strong sense of sangha. Many thanks to Sangharakshita for making that connection possible. May he and his Order thrive for many years to come".

Suvarnaprabha