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An Introduction to The Dilkusha Talks
It
was thanks to the persistence of the Venerable Pannavaddho Bhikkhu,
a much venerated monk then teaching at the Buddhist Society in
London in 1961, that Phiroz Mehta began to present his profound
knowledge and insight in Buddhist teaching to a small group that met
at his home. At that time, anticipating his own departure to
Thailand, the Venerable Pannavaddho felt that it would be helpful if
his work with his group meeting at the society, based on the Pali
cannon, could continue. Knowing the depth of Phiroz Mehta's
understanding of the Buddha's teaching, he asked him to teach the
study group after his departure, but he declined the request,
feeling unable to fulfil such a task, but later was asked
again. On being asked a third time, when the Venerable
Pannavaddho was on the point of departing, he felt unable to refuse,
and, on the understanding that he never considered himself a
teacher, preferring the term "fellow student", the
meetings at "Dilkusha", his home in south east London,
began and were to continue for 27 years. His talks not only
explored the insights of Buddhism but also of the Upaniẳads,
Christianity, the Qabalah as was as Zarathushtrianism. From
his earliest days he had a burning interest in discovering the
fundamental meaning of life expressed in the texts of these major
world religions. Having been brought up in a Parsee family
whose religion was Zarathushtrianism and having lived in a Hindu and
Buddhist community and attended a Christian school, he was provided
in his young life with many ethical questions to puzzle out.
Eventually he read Natural Sciences and History at Trinity College,
Cambridge, and then went on to write six authoritative books on
religion and living the religious life, not only from the academic
point of view but from the wisdom he had discovered in his sincere
everyday living of the religious life right up to his death on 2nd
May 1994. At the first meeting
in the afternoon of Saturday, 10th February 1962, seven students
attended, but their numbers steadily increased so much that meetings
were arranged for Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons as well, and
eventually over 90 students were attending over three
weekends. These intimate meetings allowed him to communicate
to the dedicated few in a less formal way.
From 1969 to 1989 he
tape-recorded his talks, and after each talk he would make notes, usually
copious, but sometimes quite short. His notes have in this
catalogue been summarized, and in a very few instances, where they
are not extant, reference has been made back to the tapes
themselves. Cassette tapes and CDs of all the talks listed are
available to purchase from the Trust (please contact us for details).
It was at the
meeting in January, 1989, nine months after the death of his wife
Sylvia, that he announced his retirement from giving talks, but in
fact he did give a number more, both at "Dilkusha" and at
the house in Barnes which since 1990 has been the home of the Phiroz
Mehta Trust. A few of these late talks were recorded, and are
included in the other catalogues on this website. The summaries in
the catalogue, it should be emphasized, are not intended as a work
of scholarship, nor do they give any idea of the profound wisdom of
the talks themselves. They are no more than useful guides that
it is hoped will lead the enquirer to seek out the rich treasure
within.  Browse
the Dilkusha Talks Catalogue
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