London Buddhist Centre London Buddhist Centre

Prajnamanas on the Myth of the Return Journey, from Dharma Night at the London Buddhist Centre. 

In Buddhist Puja we ritually evoke the many qualities of the Enlightened mind. We use our imagination to open up to a higher vision of reality. 

In this talk Jnanavaca argues that engaging with devotion, worship and beauty will help us open up to those moments where we experience something 'more'... more than self, more than our usual view of the world, more than the day to day mundane rhythm of daily life.  

Prajnamanas expertly navigates us around the twelve links of the wheel of life. Proving to us that this ancient Buddhist image of the wheel of life is still as relevant as ever. 

A life spent circling round and round the twelve links is indeed a life if agonising repetition. But what is there that we can do? How can we take a creative step and get off of the wheel?




To be a poet and not know the trade
To be a lover and repel all women
Twin ironies by which great saints are made
The agonising pincer-jaws of Heaven

-Patrick Kavanagh

"The Buddha's enlightenment is the most important moment in the history of the planet from the point of view of a Buddhist". 

Ratnaprabha describes, explores and evokes the moment where the Buddha overcame all craving and hatred and illumined the path to liberation for others.

Danayutta looks at the inevitability of suffering to the human condition. She makes the case that the more we turn towards suffering and take responsibility for the suffering we cause ourselves, the more we can engage positively with that fundamental aspect of human experience. 

Central to the Buddha's vision was the idea that we could get off the wheel of our repetitive behaviour, repetitive behaviour driven by craving and aversion. There is a gap, a doorway, off the wheel of reactivity and on to the spiral of more and more positive mental states. Vidyadaka talks on where we can find that doorway and how to open it.