New Dharma Books
Through our books, Triratna continues to contribute scholarly and accessible teaching of Sangharakshita’s presentation of the Dharma. Like all major Dharma publishers working in the unfavourable economics of contemporary publishing, Windhorse Publications require some subsidy. We are very proud to be able to help make it possible for them to publish books that strengthen our theory and practice of meditation and communicate our meditation system to the wider Buddhist community. Your gifts to FutureDharma Fund go directly to support their work and help them provide us with the high-quality books we all trust and love. Triratna authors often work full time in addition to supporting their local sangha. By offering authors a modest subsidy in advance, Windhorse enables their authors to dedicate some of their time to writing.
During the COVID-19 worldwide lockdown, Dharma books provide vital Dharma teaching and wisdom. Windhorse has launched Free the Dharma – giving away free Dharma e-Books. We love the fact that when their profits are down by 92% Windhorse chooses to respond with an act of generosity.
We’re really wanting to be as open as possible … I mean the point literally is to free the Dharma … to respond out of a place of mutuality and generosity and solidarity.
“Thank you so much for offering your texts in this special time. I read the eBook version of Solitude and Loneliness with so much interest, relief and joy.”
“Thank you so much for the free eBook. I live on a very fixed income and these weekly acts of generosity on the part of Windhorse will not go unnoticed. Thanks for making it so easy to donate also.”
Windhorse Dharma books can transform lives. Vimalasara, co-author of Eight Step Recovery: Using the Buddha’s teachings to Overcome Addiction, talked to us about writing and her Buddhist practice:
Loving- kindness saved my life. Loving-kindness can save yours.
What I have to offer is my recovery. I was an extreme bulimic anorexic. And was a recreational drug user. I cleaned up in the meditation rooms – I had to learn to sit with the sensations of discomfort, sadness and my thoughts. Every time I moved away from the sensations I relapsed or lapsed. I got my sobriety from meditation, learning to be with my direct experience. That’s why I can be here today and say the strongest pill I take is arnica. The Dharma has made new pathways in the brain.
The teaching in the book I wrote with Paramabandhu – they’re not my teachings. The buddhist path is about a way out of suffering. Anybody who has addictions has suffering. Buddhism is a clear path to recovery, to abstinence and sobriety of mind.
I didn’t even want to write about addiction and recovery. It chose me. Writing about my addictions I outed myself. It was not something I personally identified with.
Paramabandhu and I wanted Triratna to offer something to the world. That working relationship with Paramabandhu was so beautiful – it was so egoless – we were communicating the Dharma. It’s part of the Bodhisattva’s Vow – impacting people’s lives – giving them an alternative – wanting others to recovery from addiction along with me. The book isn’t ours anymore. There are now 8-Step meetings in the UK, USA, Canada and Mexico.
