Last night we had a wonderful evening celebrating Ian becoming a Mitra.
Mitra is a sanskrit (Indian) word meaning friend. In this context Ian was becoming a friend of the Triratna Buddhist Order.
The room was full almost to capacity and had a great atmosphere.
We did a 3 Fold Puja (worship/ ritual) and witnessed Ian chanting the 3 Refuges and 5 training precepts marking his formally becoming a Buddhist and a Mitra. Ian also made the traditional offering of a candle (Buddha), flower (Dharma) and incense (Sangha).
A number of people rejoiced in Ian’s numerous merits and we enjoyed some snacks and drinks while Ian received cards and presents.