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 Triratna Leeds is a registered charity no. 1132691 September 2010
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BE PART OF THIS
NEWSLETTER
email a contribution or
send info about an event to
Room to Let
Leeds Buddhist Centre is available for hire for workshops, events and exhibitions. A light, spacious room in the heart of the city.
More details here
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GIVE as you SEARCH
Raise funds for the Triratna Buddhist Community (Leeds)
when you search the web
It costs you nothing, but raises funds for us with every search. You can even sign up to see how much you raise!
just follow this link
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| Useful Links | |
(Triratna Buddhist Community's video website)
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GIVE as you SEARCH
Raise funds for the Triratna Buddhist Community (Leeds)
when you search the web
It costs you nothing, but raises funds for us with every search. You can even sign up to see how much you raise!
just follow this link
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| Sangha Snippets |
Women's Day Retreat on Sat 25th Sept 
Santasiddhi, from Sheffield Buddhist Centre, will be joining us in Leeds a week on Saturday. We'll be spending the day together, exploring the theme of 'Infinite Freedom' with imagery from Chapter 7 of the Dhammapada
"like swans that leave their lake and rise into the air"
The retreat is open to all women with experience of meditation. From 10.00 am to 5.00 pm. Please bring vegetarian lunch to share. Suggested donation: £30/£20/£10
Autumn Meditation Courses start soon
Our Monday evening meditation classes get underway again in a couple of weeks, and this autumn there is an additional weekend course for those who would prefer it.
If you know anyone who could be interested (or if you are interested yourself) then now is the time to book. As always it would also be a huge help if you could place some of our course leaflets in any shops, cafes or take-aways in your area.(there's a large stack of them at the Centre). The more we can spread the word about our courses, the better!
Courses are as follows:
Breathing into Awareness - Four Monday evenings from 27th Sept + day retreat on Saturday 23rd October £50/£25 concs
Breathing into Awareness Weekend Course - Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th October (also covers Sitting Meditation and an Introduction to Buddhism) £60/£30 concs
Opening to Kindly Awareness - Four Monday evenings from 25th Oct + day retreat on Sat 20th November £50/£25 concs
Introducing Buddhism - Four Monday evenings from 22nd November. £35/£18 concs
More details here You can book online here
September Sangha Walk
Exhausted walkers taking refreshment |
Thanks to John and Tony for organising and leading the delightful sangha walk from Aberford to Lotherton Hall and back last Sunday.
The weather was kind to us - sunny but not too warm - the walk was stimulating, the company was sociable,
and the stroll around thebird garden at Lotherton Hall was both  interesting and educational.
(The tea and cakes were pretty good as well!)
Full Moon Puja - Friday 24 th September
"All the devotional exercises, such as the offerings which take place within the puja, are forms of thinking about the Buddha. Through them we open ourselves to the ideal of Buddhahood, become more sensitive to it, and are inspired by it. And this paves the way for our eventually breaking through into the higher spiritual dimension which we refer to as the bodhicitta." Sangharakshita, from An Introduction to Ritual and Devotion
Full moon pujas are held at the Centre every month, on the Friday nearest to the full moon, which, this month, is 24th September. This is an opportunity for us to bring a different, more emotional dimension to our practice. Please arrive by 7.00pm for 7.10 start.
The evening begins with a short period of meditation followed by a silent tea break then a sevenfold puja. Please bring offerings for the shrine if you wish.
YSP is an extraordinary place that sets out to challenge, inspire, inform and delight. With four indoor galleries and 500 acres of 18th century parkland, it is an international centre for modern and contemporary art. You'll get a chance to explore this wonderland after enjoying a picnic lunch supplied by Kathy and Karen. And, to round off the afternoon, there will be hot drinks and cake!
Lifts will be arranged for 12 noon, immediately after morning meditation on 3rd October. Kathy and Karen can take six people but please indicate if you can offer a lift as well, and how many people you can take. The aim is to set off back between 5.00 and 6.00pm, dropping off at the Centre.
Kathy and Karen are asking for donations between £9 and £16 per person (please give as much as you can afford as all money raised after expenses will go to The Buddhafield Land Fund.
If you would like to see Yorkshire Sculpture Park with a sangha twist please add your name to the sheet on the Centre noticeboard. Please sign up by 26th Sept so that there is plenty of time to organise everything.
If you have any questions, please ring Kathy on
01274 590864
Light Night Leeds
Preparations are well underway for our contribution to this years Light Night Leeds event on Friday October 8th when the city will come alive with all sorts of unique events.
We're planning something very special of our own at Leeds Buddhist Centre but we still need volunteers to help on the night - leading meditation, serving drinks, greeting our guests. If you would like to be a part of this unusual event then please contact David or Emmy as soon as possible.
More Dates for your diary (For a full list see Forthcoming Events below.)
Friday 8th to Sunday 10th October (near Sheffield)
Details to follow
NEW! Weekend Retreat for Regular Meditators
Samanartha is running a special weekend retreat at the end of October for those sangha members who have been meditating for at least six months. Full details here
 Lineham Farm Sangha Retreat
Friday 26th to Sunday 28th November
A sociable, friendly weekend of Sangha and Dharma in beautiful surroundings near Eccup, Leeds (details in the next issue)
Your newsletter contibution is eagerly awaited!
Please contribute to this newsletter if you can. We are eagerly awaiting poems, book reviews, favourite quotes, veggie recipes, accounts of a recent retreat, dharma articles, reminiscences about the FWBO... in fact anything that you think might be of interest. Please email to jenny@jennyroberts.net Come on... don't be shy!
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| Summer of Festivals... |
We've had a very successful presence at three local festivals this summer, raising money for the centre and, more importantly, raising the profile of the Leeds Buddhist Centre. I reported on Todstock in the last issue of the newsletter. Now it's the turn of Hyde Park Unity Day and Chapel Allerton Arts Festival
Zara's Banner. |
If we thought that Todstock was successful, then we were even more delighted by our reception at Unity Day. It began slowly (no one turned up for the first meditation session) but as the afternoon wore on Dave Blakemore was soon inundated with people who wanted to try meditation, so much so that we had to add a fourth session at the end. In all we had 15 new
Unity Day Crew | meditators who said how much they enjoyed the experience despite the musical hubbub outside the tent. The stall was ably managed by Ann and Zara who managed to sell more in one day than we did in two days at Todstock raising over £80 for the Centre - helped by the free cake provided by Zara's mother and the fabulous Triratna banner designed by her friend Corrina and painted so brilliantly by her sister Yazmin - a real family effort.
Flying Fish at Chapel Allerton. |
It was great that so many sangha members turned up to support us at one time or another (more than a dozen by my reckoning) and many many thanks to Diane, Mark, Colin, Talia and Chris (Zara's boyfriend) for their welcome help in packing up at the end.
Strange Sea Creatures in the Parade |
The Chapel Allerton Market day was an altogether more restrained affair - no meditation tent and only a few sangha members around, though the festival itself was as rumbustuous as both of the others. We had lots of people asking about the Buddhist Centre and our meditation courses and at the end of the day we had sold almost as much as at Unity Day, raising over £70 for the Centre.
Altogether the three festivals can be counted a great success raising a total of £247 for the Centre, publicising our courses and raising our profile considerably.
STOP PRESS *First Direct Bank asks LBC to attend 21st Birthday Event!
One of Britain's major banks, First Direct, who are based on Wakefield Road, Leeds, have asked us to join them at the Family Fun Day for their large workforce and their families. The event is on Saturday and Sunday 2nd and 3rd October. We'll be providing taster meditation sessions and selling Indian crafts. We'll have our own tent - aptly named by them as The Meditation Zone. This is another great opportunity to raise our profile.
 We'll need help both days please. Can we bank (groan!) on an hour or two from YOU? Email me at: j enny@jennyroberts.net if you can
Meanwhile thanks to everyone who has helped us make the festivals such a success, and special thanks to David Turner for organising the stock.
Jenny
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| Breathworks - Living Well with Stress | |
An Eight Week Course at Leeds Buddhist Centre
Wednesday evenings from October 6th 2010 - 6.30pm to 9pm,
This is the sister course to the Breathworks pain management course. It offers a self-management mindfulness-based programme for anyone wanting to learn new strategies and skills to help manage stress in their lives. It provides a toolkit of resources that can be applied to the challenge of modern living. The central skill you will learn is mindfulness.
What does the course cost?
£200 (waged),£150 (low waged),£120 (unwaged)
What does the cost cover? - initial one-to-one discussion
- ongoing support during the course
- 8 x 2.5 hour weekly classes
- course handbook
- 3 CDs to use for guided home practice
We try to keep costs as low as possible but please contact us if you are experiencing difficulty with our charges. Bursary places may be available; please ask for details. We will ask you to cover the cost of the course materials of £35.00
How do I book a place?
Before you book a place you need to talk to us so we can help you decide if the course is suitable for you.
For more details:
Phone Helen or Uddyotani on 0113 2445256
Email: leedsbreathworksproject@yahoo.co.uk
or by post: Breathworks Leeds, Triratna(Leeds), 4th Floor, Leeds Bridge House, Leeds LS10 1JN
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| Pema Chodron Online Retreat - Friday 15th - Sunday 17th October |
 If you are one of the many people who enjoy Pema Chödrön's books you may be interested to know that she is leading a live online weekend retreat next month from California. It is entitled Smile at Fear: Finding a True Heart of Bravery.
There is a charge of $59.95 (about £39) but for that you get a full weekend retreat including meditation, video on demand for 60 days afterwards and an edited video download plus a other goodies.
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| Opening to Kindly Awareness, 21-22 August 2010 |
Mandy Sutter and Sarah Bedworth helped Samanartha with this meditation course, one of two summer weekend courses. This is their account of that weekend:
Mandy: Eight relative newcomers to meditation sat around the table in the Buddhist centre nervously eyeing their surroundings and each other. A few had visited before, but for most it was a new experience with a bunch of complete strangers.
Wariness was in the air. There were the other course participants to weigh up, plus the people running the show, who were perhaps Buddhists, even though their heads weren't shaved and they weren't wearing robes. One had a tattoo in funny writing though, and there was soya milk and cranky tea in the kitchen. (OK, I own up. These were MY thoughts eighteen months ago.)
 But as the course participants sat there with Samanartha, Sarah and I, sipping herbal brew and trying to look vaguely spiritual (oops, sorry, that's me again) something happened. We began to chat to the people on either side of us, and the sense of watchfulness dispelled. It was this transition - from coolness to warmth, from stranger-dom to acquaintance-hood - that Samanartha began the weekend's teaching by highlighting. How had it felt, when we first arrived in the room? How was it now, half an hour on? Where in our body could we feel these things?
The scene was set for a weekend where we'd stay rooted in body awareness as much as we could. We gently approached the Metta Bhavana practice with heart/belly awareness as our touchstone. We used it to help articulate our heart's wish for ourselves and others. In the closing session of day one, we brought a good friend to mind, and on day two, Samanartha guided us through the last three stages of the practice.The question and answer session at the end showed just how much the group had engaged with Samanartha's teaching; how much they wanted to understand the practice, its meaning, its potential effect in their lives.
I felt similar things. I'd viewed the weekend as a chance to 'help out' at the Centre. I thought I was familiar with the Metta Bhavana. But something new opened up before me. I'd never articulated my heart's wish before, nor considered how to stay in touch with it or what turns me away from it. It was hard to ignore the insights that followed. And being present while others discovered meditation for the first time was a tender, awe-inspiring experience. Almost like witnessing a birth.
This atmosphere seemed to affect everyone. A couple of participants were reluctant to leave at the end, as if wanting to prolong their experience. Samanartha felt something had 'clicked' for him in teaching the Metta Bhavana, a practice he'd sometimes struggled to convey before. It was an excellent weekend. The last word goes to one of the participants.
'This stuff works, doesn't it?' he said. None of us could agree more.
Sarah: I felt motivated by Samanartha's question to us 'What's your heart's deepest wish for yourself and others?' My answers to that, which change often, can guide me towards coming up with phrases or images for my Metta practice that work (i.e. feel relevant and therefore are more likely to hold my interest). I found myself wishing for fearlessness and inner strength (some physical strength wouldn't go amiss either!). A sense of the stem of a water lily (just the right structure and strength to support its flower) arose, and an awareness of the stemlike nature of my spine, together with a feeling that I'm strong or complete enough.
Samanartha also asked us to look at the link between our heart's deepest wish and what had brought us to the retreat that day. One of my main reasons for attending meditation retreats is about looking for re-inspiration to practice meditation.
Samanartha led us seamlessly through from how we felt at the start of the retreat to a deeper, more kindly awareness of ourselves and others, as described so well by Mandy above. Thank you Samanartha for reminding me about the necessity of contacting what's going on inside in my body, heart and guts before starting to investigate what's my heart's deepest desire for myself and others.
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| Poetry Corner |
 THE MORNING
It is the morning....... I am so tired
The sun is shining...... my body hurts
The Sky is crystal blue...... my head spins
The air is cool...... I cannot breath
The breeze caresses...... my skin is warm
The flowers are so beautiful...... the pain is not so bad
My garden breathes for me....... I feel so alive
The spinning will not last...... the birds are singing
Beauty surrounds me...... I will sleep later
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| Triratna Buddhist Community, Leeds - Finances |
This important article appeared in the first newsletter back in May. At the time we had less than half of the subscribers we now have, so here it is again.
 Centre Finances
The Triratna Buddhist Community (FWBO) has centres all over the world, but each Centre is an independent charity and needs to be financially self-sufficient. This means we must raise all of our income ourselves. Some comes from fees from meditation and Breathworks courses, but most of our income is from donations from yourselves - the local sangha.
An overview of the current financial situation after 18 months in the new Centre, shows that our income in the first year was £36,000 from three main sources: donations 48%, interest 21%, earned income 31%. Donations include standing orders, one-off donations, fundraising and 'dana' (via donations bowl at the Centre). Interest is from money invested following the sale of the old community house at Heddon Place. Earned income is from beginners course fees, Breathworks courses, room rental and bookshop.
Our costs for the same period ran to £42,000. Of this 42% went to pay a full time worker and partial support for one Order member, 42% went on the rent and service charge for the Centre at Leeds Bridge House, and 16% on running costs for Centre activities.
When taking on premises for the new Centre we anticipated that we would run at a loss initially, but aimed to break even within three years. Our loss of £6000 in this first year was expected. We benefited from high interest rates of a few years ago and the maturing of a long term savings account. The financial situation is now very different and we will get less interest in the future.
The way forward
To build a sustainable Buddhist Centre we need to increase the amount of money coming in to the Centre. We would like to do this by having more people come in to the Centre and participating in different activities, making donations, paying for courses and renting the space. We are confident that this is achievable but it needs everyone's efforts to make it happen.
The money gained from the community house sale has been invested with the Charities Aid Foundation, and in the longer term we want to put this towards buying our own premises for a Buddhist Centre. With this long term goal in mind we need to maintain our capital, and to add to it if we can.
How can you help? The best way you can help is to set up a Standing Order, making a regular payment to the Buddhist Centre. You could do this as well as making donations to the dana bowl, or instead of single donations - its up to you. For the Centre, it means we have a more regular income, and we can claim Gift Aid on your donation if you pay UK tax. Download a standing order form here.
You can make donations to the dana bowl at the Buddhist Centre. Again, if you pay tax we can claim gift aid on any donations you tell us about.
You can give us your time and energy, offering regular help with running and maintaining the Buddhist Centre.
You can help by letting people know about us and our activities; meditation and Dharma teaching, Breathworks courses for pain management, and room rental for away days, courses and other events. We depend on publicity to bring new people to the Centre. Practical help you can give is to let people know by word of mouth, email networks, putting up posters, distributing leaflets. Let us know where you can place posters and leaflets and we will provide them. We would like to build a network across the whole region, so even if you only know one or two places this is a help.
Working together, we can all build a sustainable Centre over the next year.
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| Trains of Thought |
David Turner writes: A metaphor for just sitting practise occurred to me the other day,
spurred by the phrase 'a train of thought'.
 In meditation practice, especially just sitting, it is inevitable that trains of thought cross our mind.
So imagine we are sitting by a railway track and a train of thought approaches. It would be mad to jump down onto the track, wave our hands about and
expect to stop that train of thought coming through. Trains are big
things with lots of energy. The train is going to come through.
Instead we can notice all sorts of things about the train, it's
colour, shapes, sounds, sizes, smells and the way it makes us feel.
We are wise, so we have a pretty good idea where that train has come
from, and where it is going to.
But at this moment we don't get on board. We just sit where we
are. Let the train of thoughts pull out of our consciousness without
us. Leave us sitting by the tracks with all those things that are
here in our experience now but not so loud and exciting as trains.
More than likely there is another train of thoughts coming. Maybe,
if we persist in not getting on board, the train controllers will
send them less often. Maybe the economy of our thoughts is demand led!
David
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| Free Buddhist Audio Needs Supporting Friends |
Free Buddhist Audio is a valuable resource for us in Leeds. Our Thursday night sessions are based on the Mitra Foundation Course which is downloadable from their website and is used by many in our sangha. There is also a wealth of valuable dharma talks and text which can also be downloaded for free. It would be good to support them if you are able. 
The team at Free Buddhist Audioare mid-stream in their 2010-11 Fundraising Campaign and need the support of the greater sangha in order to continue their valuable work providing free, easy access to our Triratna Archive of Buddhist audio and text.
The archives are growing every day with talks from all over the world! And there are lots of different ways to help, including becoming a Supporting Friend by donating and/or helping us to promote this valuable resource.
Become a Supporting Friend of FBA: Donate Today! We need 500 new friends giving £10 per month. Receiving regular donations amount each month we can have confidence that the sangha is behind us in our work and that our operating costs will be met, keeping this project alive and well for many years to come.
Talk to your friends and sangha members about us! Help us to promote this valuable online resource! All it takes is familiarity with the project and a willingness to share what you love about it. We have a number of practical resources to get you started...
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A Month in the Country by Uddyotani | |
This summer I took some time off from the Centre and went on a month long solitary retreat in Wales. I wanted to give a different quality of attention to my practice, to be in a space away from roles and the threads of responsibility that we all hold.
 "There is something different about... letting go of the shape I become for other people."
In our everyday lives we can have many calls on our attention - in my case as a mum, a partner, friend, as a meditation teacher and Order member at the Centre. These are all connections that I care about, and want to give my energy to. But there is something different about being on one's own, letting go of the shape I become for other people, and recollecting - reclaiming - my own 'shape', my motivation, and a relationship to practice that isn't just based on habit.
"I'm careful on retreat not to bring much with me
and to let the space evolve - it's good not to be busy."
I've never taken time for a long retreat before. Often people get the chance when they get ordained to go on a long retreat but with family or other commitments this isn't easy. So I was a little uncertain how it would be, to be alone and without structure for four weeks. I went to a small caravan on a hill near Corwen (a few miles from Vajraloka retreat Centre). Very simple, with a deck in front, a shower built on and a beautiful wide view of the valley below. I had just a few books - one novel, some dharma books and a volume of Rumi's poetry. I had my sketch pad and some music on my ipod, I had a few ideas of things I wanted to explore. But I'm careful on retreat not to bring much with me and to let the space evolve - it's good not to be busy.
So what arises in that space? First, an unravelling, as all those threads and pulls from the outside world loosen. Letting the quiet in. Being in the body - in the wind and the weather, a little yoga, a walk up the hill. Memories, thoughts, arising and passing away. Not pushing meditation, but allowing the wish to sit to arise of its own accord. Just sitting with the Buddha, a stick of incense, a candle flame.
"Taking each day gently, lightly,
without grasping, trusting the practice."
With the unravelling comes a sensitivity. What is happening in this moment? What can I do in this moment to open the heart, to rest the mind in a stable place, to explore more deeply? Taking each day gently, lightly, without grasping, trusting the practice.
Whenever I go on solitary retreat I'm aware I'm taking a risk. Away from the support of the Buddhist Centre, with no-one to see if I meditate, if I even get up in the morning - will I bother? Will I one day find I no longer believe in what I'm doing, and that, like the people in the story of The Emperors New Clothes, I've been caught in fantasy I haven't dared to question? To come away and be alone means, for me, to allow these questions to arise and be real possibilities. An unquestioned faith would be meaningless.
And each time - so far - something in me responds. The stillness and the quiet are what attracted me to Buddhism many years ago. The questioning and all the possibilities too are what drew me in. And the sense of openness and freedom that come when I trust in the practice is enough to still my restlessness. A solitary retreat is a place of doubt - and faith, as I rediscover my reasons for being there.
Uddyotani
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| Entering the Crucible Weekend Retreat - 30th/31st October |
This is a non residential weekend using the framework of Sangharakshita's system of meditation to deepen our own spiritual practice. We will be exploring this mainly experientially through workshops and meditation but there will be some theory and discussion.
I would like people to have been meditating for a minimum of 6 months, have some familiarity with the mindfulness of breathing, metta and just sitting practices and have a regular sitting practice at home.
This is a two-day event so I'm afraid attending one of the days is not an option on this occasion.
Thanks
Samanartha
Details: Saturday October 30 and Sunday October 31st 10.00 a.m. - 4.30 p.m.
Suggested donation £60/30 please bring vegetarian lunch to share.
Please sign up at the Centre to reserve a place
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| Regular Weekly Events at Leeds Buddhist Centre | |
Every Tuesday: Practice Evening - Unled 'sesshin' meditation from 6.30pm (prompt) until 7.15pm and again from 7.30pm to 8.10pm (with 15 mins silent break in between). One or both sessions may be attended but please do not ring the bell during meditation. Suggested Donation £4/£2 (unwaged)
Wednesdays (Monthly): Young(er) People's Evening - Held once each month, 6.30pm to 9.00pm. Suggested Donation £6/£3 (unwaged)
Every Thursday: Friends' Night Regular Practice Evening. Friends nights are our main Sangha night and in many ways the heart of practice at Leeds Buddhist Centre. It is a drop-in session exploring different themes around meditation and Buddhism. The evenings are based in part on the Free Buddhist Audio Foundation Course (Details Here) From 7.00pm until 9.30pm. (Meditation begins at 7.10pm prompt) Suggested Donation £6/£3 (unwaged)
Fridays (Monthly): Full Moon Puja - Held on the Friday nearest to the full moon each month. Forthcoming dates are: 20th August, 24th September, 22nd October, 19th November and 17th December. All are welcome. Arrive at 7.00pm for 7.10pm. start. There will be a short period of meditation followed by a silent tea break then a Seven fold Puja. Bring offerings for the shrine if you wish. Suggested donation £6/£3
Every Sunday Morning: Sesshin (meditation practice) for people with some experience of meditation who are happy to meditate without guidance or instruction. Three 30 minute unled sits, with breaks between sits. First sit: 10:00am to 10:30am, Second sit: 10:45am to 11:15am, Third sit: 11:30am to 12:00 noon. You may attend one or more but please do not ring the bell during meditation. Suggested Donation £4/£2 (unwaged)
Sunday Afternoons (Monthly): Men's Study Afternoon. Held on one Sunday each month from 1.00pm to 3.00pm. An afternoon of Buddhist study Each month a text or subject is selected for discussion. To receive notification of future monthly study afternoons for men at Leeds Buddhist Centre, please email gfrstudy@hotmail.co.uk Suggested donation £6/£3
***Please remember to leave your dana in the bowl***
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| Forthcoming Events | Leeds Events
NEW! Friday 24th September - Full Moon Puja. 7.00pm for 7.10 start. A short period of meditation followed by a silent tea break then a sevenfold puja. Bring offerings for the shrine if you wish. Suggested donation £6/£3
Saturday 25th September - Women's Day Retreat - led by Santasiddhi from Sheffield Buddhist Centre, exploring the theme of 'Infinite Freedom' with imagery from Chapter 7 of the Dhammapada
"like swans that leave their lake and rise into the air"
Open to all women with experience of meditation. From 10.00 am to 5.00 pm. Please bring vegetarian lunch to share. Suggested donation: £30/£20/£10 TO BOOK: Please add your name to the list on the Centre noticeboard or email enquiries@leedsbuddhistcentre.org Monday 27th September - Breathing into Awareness Meditation Course. 7.00pm to 9.15pm for 4 weeks, followed by a day retreat on Saturday 23rd October 10.00 - 4pm. An introduction to the Mindfulness of Breathing - a meditation practice which is centred on the body and the breath
NEW! Sunday 3rd October - Exploring Yorkshire Sculpture Park with Kathy and Karen - For details please see article above
Friday 8th October to Sunday 10th October - Young People's Retreat (near Sheffield) Details to follow.
Friday 8th October - Light Night Leeds at the centre (see article above for details)
Saturday 16th and Sunday 17th October - Breathing into Awareness Weekend Course - Also covers Sitting Meditation and an Introduction to Buddhism £60/£30 concs
Friday 22nd October - Full Moon Puja. 7.00pm for 7.10 start. A short period of meditation followed by a silent tea break then a sevenfold puja. Bring offerings for the shrine if you wish. Suggested donation £6/£3
Saturday 23rd October - Day retreat for the Breathing into Awareness Course. All welcome. You don't have to be on the course to attend the day retreat. 10.00 to 4.00pm
Monday 25th October - Opening to Kindly Awareness Meditation Course. 7.00pm to 9.15pm for 4 weeks, followed by a day retreat on Saturday 20th November 10.00 - 4pm. An introduction to the Metta Bhavana, a practice which allows us to cultivate emotional warmth, kindness and friendliness towards ourselves and others. Cost: £50/£25 concs, including the day retreat. More details here.
NEW! Saturday October 30th and Sunday October 31st - Entering the Crucible - a non residential weekend with Samanartha, using the framework of Sangharakshita's system of meditation to deepen our own spiritual practice. We will be exploring this mainly experientially through workshops and meditation but there will be some theory and discussion. There is a requirement that you have been meditating for at least six months, have some familiarity with the mindfulness of breathing, metta and just sitting practices and have a regular sitting practice at home. This is a two-day event, so attending for just one of the days is not an option on this occasion. 10.00 a.m. - 4.30 p.m each day. Suggested donation £60/30. Please bring vegetarian lunch to share.
Friday 19th November - Full Moon Puja. 7.00pm for 7.10 start. A short period of meditation followed by a silent tea break then a sevenfold puja. Bring offerings for the shrine if you wish. Suggested donation £6/£3
Saturday 20th November - Day retreat for the Opening to Kindly Awareness Course. All welcome. You don't have to be on the course to attend the day retreat. 10.00 to 4.00pm
Sunday 21st November - Sangha Day. Details tbc
Monday 22nd November - Introduction to Buddhism. 7.00pm to 9.15pm for 4 weeks. This course introduces some of the basic principles of Buddhism and the Buddha's threefold path of ethics, meditation and wisdom. Drawing on traditional sources and on our own everyday experience the module aims to explore the teachings and their relevance to our lives today. Cost: £35/£18 concs. More details here.
Friday 26th to Sun 28th November - Sangha Retreat at Lineham Farm. A lovely, sociable and friendly weekend of Sangha and Dharma in beautiful surroundings near Eccup, Leeds (details to follow later in the year)
Saturday 11th December and Sunday 12th December - Weekend Day Retreat - led by Paramananda. Details tbc.
Friday 17th December - Full Moon Puja. 7.00pm for 7.10 start. A short period of meditation followed by a silent tea break then a sevenfold puja. Bring offerings for the shrine if you wish. Suggested donation £6/£3p
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Exploring Yorkshire Sculpture Park
Kathy and Karen are organising a picnic and a fun afternoon out at 
