Triratna’s International Council has set a theme for 2026 across Triratna for the first time. This is Bhante Sangharakshita’s poem the Four Gifts. The gifts are a Lotus Flower – representing a method of personal development, a Golden Net representing the Buddhist vision of reality, a Shepherd’s Round dance representing the life and dynamics of a spiritual community, and a garden planted in the wilderness representing his vision of a new society.

Four Gifts

I come to you with four gifts.

The first gift is a lotus-flower.

Do you understand?

My second gift is a golden net.

Can you recognize it?

My third gift is a shepherds’ round-dance.

Do your feet know how to dance?

My fourth gift is a garden planted in a wilderness.

Could you work there?

I come to you with four gifts.

Dare you accept them?

We have been examining each of the gifts in our sangha night sessions. One of our members C., made this beautiful drawing whilst reflecting on the poem. The lotus, golden net and the garden are visible and to paraphrase C the ‘Shepherd’s dance was in the movement of the pen.’