Maitrikaya first learnt to meditate over 30 years ago and first came along to the Dublin Buddhist Centre in 2004 to reconnect with his meditation practice and to explore something that was both Western and Buddhist. He was ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order in 2011.

He is a regular teacher in the Centre and also organises many of our retreats. Becoming Mitra Convenor for men in Autumn 2022, Maitrikaya is inspired by the friendship that welcomed and kept him coming back to the Dublin Buddhist Centre and ultimately resulted in him being ordained. His hope and vision is that he can inspire other men and set them off on the Buddhist Path.

‘I first learned to meditate in my late twenties, over thirty years ago now, and also had a sitting meditation practice as part of my martial T’ai Chi practice.

‘From my mid-teens I thought of myself as a scientific materialist but at the same time I had a yearning for something beyond mere materialism and meditation seemed to offer that. I first came along to the Dublin Centre in 2004 in a bid to reconnect with my meditation practice but also, having tried one or two traditional Buddhist groups, I wanted to explore something that was both Buddhist and Western.

‘Buddhism was initially meditation to me, and this is still an important part of it for me. Meditation, to borrow a phrase, has become an expression of who I am. It keeps me in touch with myself and my relationship with the world and those I share it with. From personal relationships to the issue of the effects of climate change, my Buddhist practice informs all aspects of my life.

‘Buddhism, particularly as it is expressed by Sangharakshita, has changed my life, made me a much happier individual and less blown about by the winds of life. The Buddha’s teaching on conditionality is probably why I am a Buddhist. When I first heard it I thought here are the answers to quite a few questions I have had. It continues to inspire my practice as I discover its depths!’