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Leeds Buddhist Centre is available for hire for workshops, events and exhibitions. A light, spacious room in the heart of the city.
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| Sangha News | |
Study Day Retreat
This Saturday 26th March,
10.00 am to 4.00 pm
Led by Santasiddhi
Santasiddhi, from Sheffield Buddhist Centre, is joining us to lead a day telling stories of the lives of the Buddha's disciples, reflecting, meditating and discussing.
Open to everyone (men and women) with experience of meditation. Please bring vegetarian lunch to share. Suggested donation: £30/£20/£10
If you haven't booked, don't worry - just turn up on the day!
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Family Friendly Afternoon
at Leeds Buddhist Centre
THIS Sunday March 27th - 2.30 pm to 5.00 pm
A family-friendly afternoon for everyone. Bring children/ other members of your family, or just hang out with the wider sangha! Coffee, cake and chat, bring toys for your kids, and perhaps some short meditation sits if people would like to. There is no need to book but it would be helpful if you could let one of us know that you will be coming.
With metta!
Phillippa phillippajplock@yahoo.co.uk
Tim timbrownls26@hotmail.com
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Book Review
Meditation for the love of it by Sally Kempton
Reviewed by Mandy Sutter
 'Inner spaciousness is always there, with its clarity, its love, and its innate goodness,' says Sally Kempton in her new book. Our task is learn how to connect with it, and in Meditation for the Love of It, which has garnered rave reviews from such spiritual luminaries as Lama Surya Das, Kempton sets out to show us how love and enjoyment should be at the heart of our experience. Read Mandy's full review here
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The Art of Reflection
If you missed Ratnaguna's talk at the Centre last month, then you can hear him here giving a talk on the same subject at the book launch, at the London Buddhist Centre
(When the page appears, click on the little red arrow to begin)
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On the Shelf
 If you've looked into the Centre office lately you'll have noticed how much room there is - mostly due to the fact that we now have lots of shelves for all our files and paperwork. It's made the office considerably easier to work in! Many thanks to Ben and Jeff for putting the shelves up (plus all the other maintenance work they are doing around the Centre)
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Mindful Mornings
The Centre is open from 7.40 am on a Tuesday morning with a shared forty-minute meditation at 8.10. Breakfast items including cereals, porridge and toast are available.
The meditation is for those happy to practice without led instruction, though beginners are welcome to join us beforehand for a relaxing social breakfast.
Suggested donation £3/£2 Breakfast £1
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Summer Meditation Courses
 Living with Awareness from Tuesday 3rd May 7.00 - 9.15 pm for 4 weeks, followed by a day retreat on Saturday 28th May 10.00 am - 4.00 pm. This course explores the Mindfulness of Breathing, a simple and direct way of developing awareness and calm. Cost: £50/£25 concs, including the day retreat. Full details here
Living with Kindness
from Tuesday 31st May
7.00 - 9.15 pm for 4 weeks, followed by a day retreat on Saturday 25th June 10.00 am - 4.00 pm.
In this course, we explore 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.
Full details here
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National Census
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 Tick the Box for Buddhism!
The next UK census is this coming Sunday 27th March 2011 and includes a voluntary question about your religion. Now is your chance to show just how many people live by Buddhist values in this country.
Please help to give an accurate picture of religion in the UK.
If you support or live by the teachings of the Buddha, if you meditate, practise mindfulness, and agree with the Buddhist approach to life.
Please... Tick the Box for Buddhism
(It's question 20 - under 'What is your religion')
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Jumble Sale
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A Great Success!
You wouldn't have believed that most of us had never done a jumble sale before. About 15 of our Sangha members (plus three intrepid and generous non-Sangha people) descended on the Methodist Centre in Chapel Allerton from 8.00am the other Saturday and worked like billy-ho to set up the tables, carry a mountain of jumble in, unpack and sort it, then lay it out on the tables.
It was a big job and we finished just in time for the 11am opening when the hall soon filled with prospective buyers, sorting through the clothes, toys, electrical items, books and bric-a-brac - and negotiating prices.
It felt like a valuable community endeavour - for us of course - but also for the people of Chapel Allerton who really appreciated our being there and the bargains we brought with us. At the end, most of what was left got taken to charity shops - so they too benefited.
We raised a grand total of £729.70! (£20 more than first reported - Jenny can't count!)
Massive thanks to everyone who contributed jumble and, most of all, those hard working people who so generously gave their time, turning up on the day and working so hard and so long. It wouldn't have happened without you!
David and Jenny P.S. It was great fun as well! |
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Spring Weekend Retreat
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Last weekend 17 Sangha members attended the Lineham Farm Retreat, led by Uddyotani, and enjoyed good companionship, good food and an inspiring programme based around the theme of 'Finding Balance - Exploring the Buddha's Middle Way'.
Here are some comments on the weekend:
"This weekend was my first retreat with the Sanga. I had a brilliant experience with really special people who were both welcoming and genuine, the setting and environment complemented the content. The facilitators - Uddyotani, Ben, and Rosemary - planned a very special and full itinerary that to gave ways to gain balance in ones life. Ben's Tai Chi group was brilliant and the puja ceremony was something to add to the memory box. A very very special time with very!!! very special people in a fantastic magical place." Joy
"I think everyone should try a retreat if only to experience turning off their mobile, eating vegan food, abstaining from alcohol, meeting new friends and freeing up your mind with meditation. You will go away, like I did, with the knowledge of what it is like to tip the scales and find a sublime equilibrium." Sue
"Uddyotani led the retreat with care, love and sensitivity and restoring balance was just what I needed. The retreat restored my physical and mental middle way of compassion, health and calm delight. Thank you to all. Much gratitude." Milan
Sunday morning included a workshop on 'Acrostic' - words related in some way to 'balance' were taken and short poems composed using each letter as the beginning of a line. There were loads of contributions, just a few of which are reprinted below.
 Thanks to Uddyotani for leading the retreat and to Ben and Rosemary for supporting. (and extra thanks to Ben for leading an hour's-worth of great Tai Chi!) Also thanks to Margaret who, as usual, did a great job of organising the event and sourcing the menus.
The next Weekend Retreat is in November.
Acrostic Poems from the Spring Retreat 2011
Poise
Perched
On an iceberg
In the warm
Sea of
Enlightenment.
Compromise
Caring for your comfort,
Open to your feelings,
My heart follows your beat,
Pacing and pausing with your steps,
Responding to your light and shade.
Our harmony.
My cause.
I give and take and give again,
Seeing the golden patterns that we make,
Ever in wonder at the tapestry we weave together.
Still Point
Sublime
Tension
In
Living and
Loving
Poise.
On the
Inevitable
Never-ending
Tight-rope.
Tipping Point
Then
In that second, the
Peril of falling and the deceptive
Peace of the moment are fleetingly
In equilibrium.
Now here, now
Gone.
Presently
One gains a sense of self and
Insight emerges like
New Wings, ready in case you
Trip.
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Breathworks for pain, illness and stress
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There are two new courses beginning in May:
Friday mornings from May 6th 2011 - 10.30 am to 1.00 pm
Living Well with Pain and Illness
 We are running a Breathworks Living Well with Pain and Illness course on Friday mornings from 6th May at Leeds Buddhist Centre, aimed primarily at people living with chronic pain and other long term health conditions.
On the course we will introduce you to a wide range of mindfulness skills to ease the suffering associated with persistent pain, fatigue and ill health, and the stress that often arises as a result. Each week on this eight week course you will learn new strategies and approaches within a warm and friendly group setting.
Read more here
Wednesday evenings from May 4th 2011 - 6.30pm to 9pm 
Living Well with Stress
This is the sister course to the 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. Read more here | |
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About Mantras
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How does mantra meditation work?
by Bodhipaksa  Mantras are rather mysterious. They are said to be "sound symbols" - sounds that in some way correspond to and evoke the spiritual forces that can be represented in visual form as Tara,Avalokiteshvara, etc.
We can easily see how an image of a particular figure can have symbolic value, but quite how a sound does this it is not possible to explain rationally. Mantra: "instrument of thought ", speech , sacred text or speech, a prayer or song of praise; a sacred formula addressed to any individual deity; a mystical verse or magical formula (sometimes personified), incantation , charm, spell Perhaps it's best to think of mantras as being a cross between poetry and magical incantations. Many mantras don't make any real, rational, sense.... Read the whole article here |
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Buddhafield north - Camping Retreats in the North of England
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Most of us live our lives in a highly artificial way; the demands and addictions of the modern world control what we do and even what we dream of doing. Buddhafield North is the beginning of an escape from this cycle, an attempt to live out the teachings of the Buddha in a way more akin to life the Buddha led.
 Buddhafield North offers a small programme of retreats where activities are held outdoors or under canvas. They are for a weekend or longer; some are meditation retreats, some are for families; all have the common thread of the outdoors, a return to nature and the teachings of the Buddha - presented in way suitable for the modern world. Retreats vary from silent meditation to tantric rituals. Some include children and they are usually open to beginners.
Women's Weekend, 24 - 26 June 2011
Theme: Meditation - Keeping it Real!
Led by Padmadarshini, Tejapushpa, Taravandana and Khemasuri.
For women who are familiar with meditation and puja.
What would it be like to make the least effort possible?
What am I trying to do when I meditate?
What actually works for me?
What do I really know?
What would it be like to trust in openness?
Come and explore meditation in the presence of the Dakinis.
For more info or to see if the weekend is suitable for you, contact Tejapushpa on 01978 862944
Cost:£80 (fully waged), £65 (low waged) and £50 (unwaged)
 Men's Weekend, 10 - 12 June 2011
Led by the Northern Mitra Convenors
The very moment that the Buddha became the Buddha, he reached out to touch the earth with the fingertips of his right hand. It is a gesture that speaks of the power of awareness, recollection and groundedness. We will be exploring the mystery of that moment through meditation, reflections and being with the earth ourselves.
Cost:£80 (fully waged), £65 (low waged) and £50 (unwaged)
2011 Open Retreat, 25 - 30 August 
(Families and children welcome)
Theme: Vajra Body, Vajra Speech, Vajra Mind: Ethics as the Path to Freedom
This retreat is open to all!Here we will be enjoying our annual experiment in communal living whilst reflecting on the dharma, meditating, doing puja, bodywork and just generally hanging out in a supportive environment. The retreat will provide an opportunity to deepen our experience. There will also be optional training sessions in woodland crafts and we will provide periods of activities for children. Cost: £160 (fully waged), £130 (low waged) and £100 (unwaged). Children under 1 years: free. 1 - 16 years: 50% of the adult rate
 Working Retreat
We are looking for ten people to join the Buddhafield North team in the take down after the Big Summer Open Camping Retreat. We will be exploring maintaining awareness in body, speech and mind during this period of intense activity. Further details are available on request
DOWNLOAD A BOOKING FORM HERE Buddhafield North grew out of Buddhafield, a group of people from the Triratna Community (then Friends of the Western Buddhist Order). Buddhafield runs a season of retreats and a festival in the south of England. Details here.
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Regular Weekly Events at Leeds Buddhist Centre
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Tuesday: Mindful Mornings - The Centre is open from 7:40 on a Tuesday morning with a shared forty minute meditation at 8:10. Breakfast items, including cereals, porridge and toast are available. The meditation is for those happy to practice without led instruction, though beginners are welcome to join us beforehand for a relaxing social breakfast. Suggested donation £3/£2 (unwaged), Breakfast £1 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)
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)
***The Leeds Buddhist Centre relies on your dana to keep going - please donate what you can when you attend events *** |
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Special Events
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Tuesday 3rd May - Living with Awareness Meditation Course
7.00 - 9.15 pm for 4 weeks, followed by a day retreat on Saturday 28th May
10.00 am - 4.00 pm. This course explores a practice called the Mindfulness of Breathing, a simple and direct way of developing awareness and calm.
Cost: £50/£25 concs, including the day retreat. Full details here
Tuesday 31st May - Living with Kindness Meditation Course
7.00 - 9.15 pm for 4 weeks, followed by a day retreat on Saturday 25th June 10.00 - 4.00 pm. In this course, we explore the Metta Bhavana, a practice which allows us to cultivate emotional warmth, kindness and friendliness towards ourselves and others.
Cost for the course:
£50/£25 concs, including the day retreat. Full details here
Friday 24th to Sunday 26th June - Buddhafield North Women's Weekend
Theme: Meditation - keeping it real! Led by Padmadarshini, Tejapushpa, Taravandana and Khemasuri. For women who are familiar with meditation and puja.
For more info or to see if the weekend would be suitable for you,
contact Tejapushpa on 01978 862944 or click here
Cost:£80 (fully waged), £65 (low waged) and £50 (unwaged)
Friday 10th to Sunday 12th June - Buddhafield North Men's Weekend
Theme: Touching the Earth. Led by the Northern Mitra Convenors
The very moment that the Buddha became the Buddha, he reached out to touch the earth with the fingertips of his right hand. We will be exploring the mystery of that moment through meditation, reflections and being with the earth ourselves. More details here
Cost:£80 (fully waged), £65 (low waged) and £50 (unwaged)
Wednesday 13th to Sunday 17th July - Buddhafield Festival
The Buddhafield Festival is held on a beautiful site in the Blackdown Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), about 7 miles South of Taunton, at Culmhead.
Thursday 25th to Tuesday 30th August - Buddhafield North Open Retreat
Theme: Vajra Body, Vajra Speech, Vajra Mind: Ethics as the Path to Freedom
This retreat is open to all (families and children welcome)! We will be enjoying our annual experiment in communal living whilst reflecting on the Dharma, meditating, doing puja, bodywork and just generally hanging out in a supportive environment.
Cost: £160 (fully waged), £130 (low waged) and £100 (unwaged). Children under 1 years: free. 1 - 16 years: 50% of the adult rate. More details here
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Please note that the views expressed in this newsletter are the opinions of individual authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Leeds Buddhist Centre, theTriratna Buddhist Community (Leeds) or The Triratna Buddhist Order
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