The word ‘Mitra’ means friend. To mark this step, people take part in a ceremony as a way to mark a deeper commitment to living a lift orientated towards Buddhist values – towards living a life based on compassion and wisdom and doing that within this spiritual community. Following the recent Mitra ceremonies, we asked Maisie, what this step meant to her and what she enjoys about the Birmingham Buddhist Centre.
I started meditating with the uni society (having had very little experience of doing so, or of Buddhism in general.) Fundamentally, I loved the sense of connection within the group, and when they said there would be more of that at the Birmingham Buddhist centre I started going along. It’s hard to summarise really what I’ve got from going to the centre – it’s given me so much. It’s a bit tongue and cheek but my life with Buddhism is just that little bit brighter, quite literally. The mundane starts to unravel itself a bit (slowly but noticeably), and things start making a lot of sense where they were once not so clear.
I’ve never had much sense of a higher purpose or goal, but the one of freedom is something that feels very grounded and therefore appealing to me. On top of all the dharmic intricacies, the community around the centre is so special. Each time I visit I feel fully embraced and welcomed and this is in no doubt because of the wonderful people the centre surrounds itself with – a community I felt honoured to join by becoming a mitra!
I wanted to make this commitment because I know I’m only a few steps into the path, and I already feel the difference in the way in which I relate to the world and the beings inhabiting it… one can only imagine what enlightenment would/will (?) feel like!!