Sangha - The Three Jewels
About the people at King's Lynn Triratna
The Three Jewels
The symbol of the Three Jewels, with its glittering colours of yellow, blue and red respectively, lies at the heart of Buddhist traditions, and represents the three most precious things in the lives of those committed to following the Buddha’s Way.
The golden yellow Buddha jewel represents the achievement of Enlightenment by the historical Buddha Shakyamuni, and the potential for Enlightenment/ Buddhahood that lies within each human being.
The blue Dharma jewel represents the teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni., as well the later unfoldings of his teachings as they entered new cultures, and new conditions., making explicit what previously rested implicitly within the core of the Buddha’s Dharma.
The red Sangha jewel represents the transcendental unity and fellowship of all those who have attained Enlightenment. following the Buddha’s teaching. It also nods to all the wider fellowship of committed practitioners known as the Maha Sangha.
About us
The ‘King’s Lynn Sangha’ consists of 20 or so people who come from all walks of life and find they can lead those lives with greater fulfilment and meaning as Buddhists.
Here are some snapshots of a few of those people:-
VIPRASANNA lives on a narrowboat in West Norfolk. He is a musician and a yoga teacher and leads retreats at a yoga centre in Southern Spain. He has spent some time in New Zealand, living working at a remote retreat centre on the Coromandel Peninsula.
He was ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order in 1993 and given the name VIPRASANNA which challenges him to exemplify the qualities contained in the name of calmness and imperturbability.
MICHELLE THOMAS joined the Triratna Buddhist Community in 2017 and in 2022 asked for ordination into the Order.
Michelle loves walking, spending time in nature and practicing yoga and is a qualified yoga teacher.
BOB BARRETT works at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in King’s Lynn in the Estates department, ensuring that patients are warm and have a safe environment.
He first joined the Triratna Community in 2016 and in 2019 became a Mitra. He describes his ‘Mitra Ceremony’ as a “very special occasion”.
TONY CRISP is a family man who works in the construction industry.
Feeling the benefits of meditation, Tony began reading about Buddhism and soon felt the urge to practice and study with a Sangha .
February of 2019 was when he joined The Triratna Community.
6 months later, he asked to become a mitra and was very fortunate to share his mitra ceremony with Bob Barrett.
DIANA MUTIMER
Hello! I have been a member of King’s Lynn sangha since late 2020 after moving back to the area. I first became involved with Triratna in 2001-2, going on my first retreat to Taraloka and belonging to Ayr sangha in Scotland where I lived at the time. The Ayr sangha disbanded in 2003 and so I was sangha-less for many years. I love King’s Lynn sangha. I became a mitra in 2021. I have made many close friends and the sangha has really expanded and enhanced my understanding of the Buddhist path.
SINHADEVI
LISA ROBINS
VIRYASHALIN