For the first international online Sangha Day: the Festival of light, the Buddhist Centre organised a round-the-clock programme for Triratna worldwide.
Adhisthana community participated by hosting a session from within various points of the Adhisthana mandala.
We began with stories of Bhante and quotes from him about the founding of the Order from Bhante’s sitting room, with Saddhanandi and Yashodeva. Yashodeva then ritually carried the flame of the sangha (symbolised by a red candle), to the Library.
In the Library, Lokeshvara, standing in front of the beautiful painting of the Refuge Tree done by Chintamani, spoke about the Bodhicitta – the force which through Bhante, founded the Order and Movement. He then ritually carried the candle to the shrine room, where Saddhanandi continued to expand upon the theme of Sangha and Sangharakshita.
Then the community all processed out of the shrine room to the burial mound, where we circumambulated, and finally handed over the light to the next session on International Sangha Day, which was taking place in Ireland.
The video of the procession can be seen below. Thank you to Sangharuchi for filming this beautiful footage. The handover to Ireland is embodied in the final shot – the camera pans up to the west, towards Ireland, as the sun sets in the distance.