Dublin's football triumph

The FWBO’s Dublin Buddhist Centre have produced a special version of their Newsletter, celebrating their team’s recent victory on the football field. FWBO News has obtained a sneak preview and is happy to leak it here. They say -

“It was third time lucky for the boys in green who ran out winners in the FWBO’s annual football World Cup, organized by Jayaraja.

“The Irish Team comprised Osadha, Vajrashura, Ahimsaka, the cultured left foot of Frank Balfe, John Greaney and Javier (a late call-up who apparently qualified for the Republic after correctly locating Ireland on a map!) In the closest-fought competition of recent years, the Irish faced tough games against London and Cambridge before the final showdown with Brighton – at which point the winners would lift the trophy, a draw would hand victory to Buddhafield.

“With 30 seconds remaining and the game still scoreless, Osadha broke free with a man to beat and buried the ball in the bottom left-hand corner securing a win for Ireland”.

Click here to read on…

Who said you couldn't have fun AND lead a spiritual life?!

Dublin Buddhist Centre's proud new premises...

The FWBO's Dublin Buddhist Centre has moved - to some great new premises!

Vajrashura has sent us a copy of a letter that's gone out to the Dublin Sangha on behalf of the Centre Team, we reproduce it here to give you a glimpse of what's going on over there... He says -

Dear Friends,

I hope you’re well and happy. Much has happened in the past few months in the Dublin Buddhist Centre and there has been lots of change!

The main event, of which I’m sure you’re already aware, is that we are now in our new home of Liberty Corner on James Joyce Street. Our courses kicked off on Monday 31st March with Pavara leading the first yoga class and two days later I handed back the keys of our old centre on Leeson Street to the landlords there. I felt sad at leaving it one last time - it’s been a place of much growth for me personally and for the Sangha generally, and I’m sure we all have fond memories of it. But at the same time I’m quite excitied about the new place, it’s a really lovely Centre and I feel it will provide us with much more potential and scope for our community to grow and develop.

If you haven’t seen the new place, do feel free to call in at any time to check it out. And just to say thanks to all of you who helped out in whatever way with the new Centre project, whether it was in the fundraise, the move itself or just your general support. It is much appreciated.

I’d also like to say to say a particular thank you to Dayananda, Aksobhin, Karunadaka and Prajnagita. Dayananda was our architect, and as well as running his own full-time architectural business, he designed and guided the building work free of charge. Without him, this whole project and the way it happened would not have been possible. He was very ably aided by Aksobhin, whose contribution to the project has also been immense. Prajnagita organised the fundraise, doing a great job to make the funds available to purchase the centre and helped in many other ways too. The ways in which Karunadaka has contributed are too numerous to mention... But suffice it to say that it was his vision which has led the new Centre project from the beginning, and he continues to play a valuable part in where the centre is going. And on Friday 9th May we’ll be having a special rejoicing in merits for Karunadaka, celebrating all the work he’s done in the Centre over the past ten years, in particular his work as Chairman.

So what’s next for the Centre? We’re now entering what feels like a ‘phase 2’, where the more immediate concerns of finance and building work are over, and it’s more a case of tweaking both how we run things and finalising smaller things like signage, furniture, etc. Courses are underway, and generally they seem to be going well. Our meditation courses are full and while the yoga has taken small dip (which is to be expected when you move premises), there’s much potential for yoga classes in the area. We’re still getting to know the area, which is certainly more colourful than Leeson Street! But I feel there’s a liveliness here that wasn’t present there, and that's definitely a positive thing.

In terms of what we’ve planned for the near future: on Friday 6th June we’ll be having the official Sangha opening for the new Centre - a night where we’ll be both looking back over the history of the DBC, as well as throwing an eye to the future and where we’re headed. As well as this evening, we’ll be in contact with local community groups, introducing ourselves and building links with the local community. And we’ll be looking at how best to utilise our new Centre, exploring what new courses we can run, and in particular how to use having a second shrine room to the best effect.

Of course we’ll also be running all our usual courses, retreats and events. Just to draw particular attention to a couple of these - the Summer Retreat will run in early July and will be lead by Sinhaketu and myself, and should be well worth coming on. Also, I’d like to mention the International FWBO Retreat which will take place over a long weekend in May - this will be a great opportunity to have an experience of the wider FWBO mandala and there will be a few of heading over to it if you’d like to travel with us.

Much metta, Vajrashura (on behalf of the Centre team)

Dublin Buddhist Centre (FWBO)
Liberty Corner, 5 James Joyce Street, Dublin 1

Big changes for two Dakas

Vajradaka may well hold the record for the longest resident in any FWBO Centre or retreat centre. But now all that has changed...

After twenty one years living and leading retreats at Vajraloka retreat centre in Wales Vajradaka had a years 'sabbatical' to have unstructured time and do some writing.

While staying in southern Italy for six months he decided to leave the retreat centre. He is now living in London and offering workshops to help people communicate the essential spirit and principles of meditation.

Information about these is available on his new website Communicating Meditation.


Big changes also for Karunadaka, until recently the Chair of the FWBO’s Dublin Buddhist Centre and a big part of their ongoing new Centre project. He has been offered and has accepted the post of Fund-raising Coordinator for Oxfam in Ireland.

He writes –

“It’s a kind of dream job for me. I will be in charge of the Fund-raising team of six here in Dublin; I feel incredibly fortunate to have found a job like this.

“I'll be handing the Buddhist centre over to a team of three, the centre is in good shape and is run pretty collectively, so it all feels very smooth. Despite the new job I’ll be carrying on the building project with Dayananda, and hope to hand over the keys to a fab place to a new team in the Spring. I feel I have learned so much from working together. I only wish we had more money and I could have moved on to an FWBO position in Ireland. Maybe one day in the future…

“In the meantime, if you'd like to log on to http://www.oxfam.ie/ you'll be able to make a real difference in halting the global arms trade, ensuring primary education for all, and helping sustainable long-term development for some of the most marginalised of our global citizens: just click to donate to the campaign of your choice.....! Go an ya good thing! ;-)”

Liberty Corner - a new FWBO Centre in Dublin, Ireland

The FWBO Dublin Centre is delighted to announce that they have purchased a new premises for the Dublin Buddhist Centre. They told FWBO News -

“Our new address is The Dublin Buddhist Centre, 5 James Joyce Street, Dublin 1 - in the very heart of Dublin!

“Number 5 is a ground floor unit in a modern award-winning building currently comprised of apartments, offices, performance & exhibition space) and Dance Ireland. There will also be a crèche housed in the building. The building is located at Liberty Corner, a sure sign that our new home is in the right place.

“Since 1990, the Dublin Buddhist Centre (DBC) has been offering yoga, meditation and Buddhism classes to the public. Over that time we have also taught meditation in the private and public sectors, plus primary and secondary schools and regular university classes. In recent years we have started to reach out to more vulnerable populations, teaching mindfulness-based stress reduction techniques to individuals through our 'Blue Sky' programme, working with Multiple Sclerosis Ireland and with 'Fresh Start', a government scheme designed to facilitate re-entry into the workforce by people recovering from depression.

“Besides our work, over the last seventeen years, a thriving Buddhist community has grown up around the centre – there are now have 17 Order Members in Ireland, 16 of which are living in Dublin.

“To secure the existing work and to expand the future work of the DBC, we decided to purchase our own premises – we’ve been renting facilities ever since 1990. We will also be accessible to more people than ever before because the new premises is located very centrally on the north side of the city centre. It is an area that historically has been severely disadvantaged but which has been regenerated substantially over the last five years.

“The new premises is currently a concrete shell which needs complete refurbishment. Could you help us develop it into a peaceful and beautiful urban space to be enjoyed by everyone attending the centre?

"Please click here for more information and ways in which you can help. They have an appeal blog with details of upcoming fundraising events - or just donate right now!"