Buddhafield Dharma: Practising Buddhism on the Land

Buddhafield is a unique phenomenon in the history of Western Buddhism: a joyous, hard-working, idealistic, experimental, Dharma-practicing community of men, women and children who take delight in Dharma practice out-of-doors, in the woods and fields of England. Drawing inspiration from the classic Buddhist Mahayana text the Vimalakirti Nirdesa, Buddhafield aspires to be first and foremost a "field of living beings" - but also, of "high resolve, virtuous application, generosity, tolerance, meditation, wisdom", and much more. Buddhafielders are equally at home on a month-long silent meditation retreat in a remote Devon valley or teaching meditation in the depths of the 200,000-person Glastonbury music festival - or serving up veggie burgers 18 hours a day in the Buddhafield Café. This book sets out to document the many facets of the Buddhafield project, and to explore something of its unique approach to Dharma practice - centred as it is on a love of the elements and community, with a deep appreciation of inter-connectedness and the need for a comprehensive approach to environmental and ecological ethics. At its core is a collection of ten Dharma talks by members of the Triratna Buddhist Order, of which Buddhafield is a part. There's also a full introduction to the many facets of the project, a brief history, a fine collection of photographs, and a series of practical instructions ranging from how to build a geodesic dome to how to make a hot tub to how to make a vegan 'shepherdess pie' for 200 people - all as used in Buddhafield. The book has been produced as Buddhafield prepares to celebrate the 20th Buddhafield Festival, a much-loved annual gathering of some 3,000 people, with a unique 'no-drink-no-drugs' approach to alternative festival-going, asking people to cultivate instead an atmosphere of 'clear and radiant awareness'.