On this day in 1974, I joined the Triratna Buddhist Order, and received my new name, Vessantara. I can’t quite believe it. Things were so undeveloped back then that I don’t even have any photos of the event to prove to myself that it happened. But I do have some very vivid memories, and some years ago I wrote a piece about the events of that time and the emotional roller-coaster of my ordination. It’s available on Free Buddhist Audio. I called it Walking into the Forest.

I was ordained with my good friend Sona, with whom last year I moved into Jasmine Cottage, our community next door to Adhisthana. We were both given the Padmasambhava sadhana by Sangharakshita. In 2017 I gave a talk in Dublin about my connection with that meditation: Padmasambhava Practice – a Personal Unfolding.

I’m excited to see what the next 50 years have in store…