A Wisdom as Vast as the Ocean: Embodying Interdependence
The third annual Triratna Earth Sangha conference, climate café and puja
Friday 17 – Sunday 19 November 2023
We presented a weekend of talks, workshops and practice exploring how we as Buddhists can respond to the climate and ecological emergency.
Global heating is in the news, while some governments and fossil-fuel multinationals are actually reducing their carbon reduction targets. It seems as if we are back to 'business as usual', until the next extreme weather event or species extinction. How do we respond as Buddhists to the claims of 'climate justice'? How does the Dharma inspire us to respond creatively to the climate and ecological emergency?
At the heart of this year's conference was a climate café and a mass-participation event on Saturday. The conference included papers, workshops, guided meditations, puja, music, poetry and the visual arts. We presented perspectives of particularly affected communities and showed what Buddhists can do in this current time of multiple crises.
Who are we?
A group of Triratna Order members, Mitras and Friends worldwide who are deeply concerned about the climate and ecological crises we face and see it as part of their practice to do something about them. We are all too painfully aware of the Buddha’s core teaching that actions have consequences. The accelerating destruction of ecosystems in the natural world caused by greed, hatred and ignorance is causing untold suffering to beings of many kinds, and we feel that it is our duty as Buddhists to do what we can to raise awareness of the plight of the planet, demonstrate an alternative way of life based on stillness, simplicity and contentment and act to relieve suffering where we can. Facebook group, Slack channel.
Videos from the Conference
Videos from the Conference
with German translation
Programme
(for speaker bios see below)
The speakers
Akuppa, Newcastle, UK
Akuppa was ordained in 2000 and has been part of the team at Newcastle Buddhist Centre since then. He has had a long interest in Buddhism and the natural world and contributed a module to Triratna's Dharma Training Course for Mitras, entitled 'The Twenty First Century Bodhisattva.'
Amarasingha, Mexico City
Amarasingha was ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order one year ago. Her name Amarasingha means "She who is a lioness of the deathless state", a name by her preceptor Paramachitta. She is also a wildlife veterinarian with a PhD in Bioethics.
Amalaketu, Colchester, UK
Amalaketu (Pure Comet) was ordained in 2006 and is currently mitra convenor at the Colchester Buddhist Centre and past-chairman.
He is a Chartered Environmentalist and Chartered Energy Engineer and has won a number of awards for his work in sustainability sector for the built environment.
Buddhasevaka, Manchester, UK
Buddhasevaka was ordained in 2022 after having spent the previous 12 years coming to terms with his diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis. He has found the Dharma invaluable in helping him with this task and has developed a series of meditations to help him live with his health condition. He leads the local convenors group for the Triratna Earth Sangha and spends much of his time reading, reflecting and meditating upon the climate crisis.
Jenni Ramos, Cambridge, UK
Jenni is a mitra at the Cambridge Buddhist Centre and a member of the Cambridge TES.
While speaking today in her personal capacity, in her professional life Jenni works to create sustainable change within the corporate and finance worlds. As a corporate/finance and biodiversity lawyer for a non profit Jenni focuses on the legal interpretation of directors' and investors' duties in relation to biodiversity loss and ecosystem risk. She previously worked supporting lawyers to use contractual clauses to tackle climate change, a career path adopted as her personal response to the climate and nature crises.
Gunaketu, Oslo, Norway
Gunaketu completed an MSc in business ethics in 1993 and went onto help build the Manchester Buddhist Centre (a small piece of the New Society promoted by Sangharakshita). He was ordained in Triratna in 1996, and moved back to Oslo to start the Oslo Buddhistsenter in 2000. In 2008 he completed training as a Gestalt psychotherapist, and in 2013 completed training as a supervisor to psychotherapists. In addition to chairing the Oslo Buddhist Centre until 2022, running his private practice, help starting a business consultancy and teaching at the OsloMet University, he has engaged in activism in various ways. He is now employed part-time by the Buddhist Federation of Norway to promote sustainability amongst Buddhists in Norway and encourage young adults to apply Buddhist practice in their daily lives. He lives with his daughter, partner, her daughter and her friend in Oslo.
Lokabandhu, Glastonbury, UK
Ordained in 1990, Lokabandhu was a founder member of Buddhafield and is currently a Green Town Councillor and deputy Mayor in Glastonbury, Somerset.
Ratnadevi, Glasgow, UK
Ratnadevi has been ordained since 1982, a qualified coach, mindfulness teacher/trainer and author. She leads Work that Reconnects (and other) retreats and workshops and supports activists through online mindfulness sessions. She is also an allotment keeper and visual artist. www.livingmindfulness.net https://playspacepublications.com/bringing-mindfulness-to-life/
Shantigarbha, Bristol, UK
Shantigarbha is a Buddhist activist, mediator, and lover of life. He's author of The Burning House: A Buddhist Response to the Climate and Ecological Emergency from Windhorse Publications. He is a co-founder of the Triratna Earth Sangha. He is also member of the Triratna Restorative Coordinating Group, a Nonviolent Communication (NVC) trainer and partner to Gesine. Further info.
River Wolton, Sheffield, UK
River Wolton completed Dharma Teacher Training with Bodhi College, and teaches at Gaia House, Devon, and throughout the UK. A longtime peace and LGBTQ+ activist, she is a former Derbyshire Poet Laureate, and co-founded Sheffield Insight Meditation.
Ethan Hanna, Cornwall, UK
Ethan received a wake up call at the Green Earth Awakening in September 2022. Since then he has been elected to Bude and Stratton town council as a Green Party councillor and started a Climate Conversations Café.