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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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Fairly Traded
Meditation Cushions
 Available now fromLeeds Buddhist Centre £20 each
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| Sangha News | |
Lots of good things happening
at Leeds Buddhist Centre
in the coming weeks, including...
As a positive alternative to Kate & Wills the Centre will be running an Open Day on April 29th from 10.00 am to 4.00 pm
Everyone Welcome!
We are inviting the Sangha, our friends & family and people we don't know at all, to come down to Leeds Bridge House and enjoy a day with elements of activity, creativity, quiet & meditation
Children's (and grown-ups) Activity in the Morning
In the morning there will be an episode of creative construction when we will generate a dharma matrix or landscape in the shrine room. This will be suitable for children but not exclusive of the more elderly. Child friendly meditation exercises and storytelling will follow.
Myths & Heroes
Later in the day Ben will be leading another creative and investigative art experience around the theme of 'myths & heroes'.
Meditation Taster Sessions
Interspersed with these activities will be short adult meditation taster sessions - the basic Triratna practices. There will be coffee, tea and biscuits and possibly cake.
We need your help!
We need a people to help us run the Open Day, if you have a couple of hours to offer that would be wonderful. Maybe you could lead a short meditation or sit around as a friendly face to welcome people, put them at ease and possibly field a few dharma questions. We are aiming to create an atmosphere of relaxed sociability and warm enquiry such as we did for Light Night and the Heritage Open Day last year. Give us a ring or send an e-mail if you can lend a hand. Depending on numbers of helpers we may do extra publicity to attract more visitors.
With best wishes *********************************************
The only way out...
is down
Taking our practice deeper
in the Triratna system of meditation.
Led by Samanartha
Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th May
10.00 am to 4.00pm
A non-residential weekend exploring and going deeper within the Triratana system of meditation.
This is a two day event so please only book if you can attend both days. You will also need to have a basic familiarity with the Mindfulness of Breathing, Metta Bhavana and Just Sitting practices plus a regular meditation practice. Please ask me if you have any questions. Samanartha
Bring Vegetarian lunch to share.
Suggested donation. £60, £40, £20
TO BOOK: Please add your name to the list in the Centre or email enquiries@Leedsbuddhistcentre.org
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Big Fat Buddha Day
Leeds Buddhist Centre's Wesak Celebration
Saturday 21st May - 10.00am to 4.00pm
On the full-moon day of May, after six years of striving,
Sidhartha Gautama sat under the shade of a peepul tree, facing westwards towards the setting sun, and resolved to meditate until liberation was won. By the following morning the goal had been achieved. He was a Buddha!
On the 21st may we will be observing this momentous and joyous occasion - the most important festival in the Buddhist calendar - with a whole day celebrating spiritual abundance. Details will be announced later in the month - but for now please make a note of the date in your diary.
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Couldn't be nappier!
The Centre's first family friendly afternoon
was really enjoyable, says Phillippa
Several families came with children and also a couple of people who were eager to meet new babies! We laid out a playmat in the shrine room for the babies, and the toddlers enjoyed running around, playing with bubbles - and there was even talk of building a castle out of meditation cushions. Sadly two and a half hours had flown by with lots of chat, tea and too much cake, so that will be something for the next afternoon on Sunday May 22nd, 2.30-5pm.
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"Now shall I do the Metta Bhavana or Mindfulness of Breathing?" Prajnanatha's daughter, Elsie, at the family friendly afternoon
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The next
Family Friendly Afternoon
is on SUNDAY MAY 22nd
All Welcome!
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
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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 Sat 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.
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.
Introduction to Buddhism Course Monday 28th June - 7.00 to 9.15pm for 4 weeks
Who was the Buddha and how do his teachings relate to our busy 21st century lives? This course looks at the Buddha's life and his teachings and explores what they mean to us now, 2500 years later.
Full details here
Cost for the course: £35/£18 concs.
How to Book
By phone: 0113 2445256 Or write: Leeds Buddhist Centre, 4th Floor, Leeds Bridge House, LS10 1JN
************************************************************************ Mindful Mornings  The Centre is open from 7.40 am on Tuesday mornings with a forty-minute meditation at 8.10. Breakfast items are available. The meditation is for those happy to practice without led instruction. Suggested donation £3/£2 Breakfast £1 **************************************************************************** |
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The Funny Side of Meditation
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© 2011 Sunship Productions www.sitillustrated.com
Reproduced (with permission) from 'Sit - Illustrated' a book of very funny cartoons on meditation - review to follow next month. |
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Poetry
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STOP LOOK LISTEN
Have you heard
Have you seen Have you heard Have you heard
Raindrops
The brothers and sisters in your heart
Your last heartbeat
The smell of life
Dinah Milsom
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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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Recipe
| Vegan Frittata (Spanish Omelette - without the egg!)
1 small yellow onion, chopped
olive oil, as needed
5 garlic cloves, minced
7 shiitake mushrooms (3 ounces), chopped small
2-3 medium cooked potatoes, chopped tiny (leftovers work great!)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper
1 pound extra firm tofu, pressed
1/2 cup plain nondairy milk (I use soy)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4-1/2 cup vegan cheese, shredded, divided (I use soy)
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F, and grease 9x9" casserole dish. Saute onion in some olive oil, and when sweating, add garlic. When both are fragrant, add mushrooms and a little moisture.
2. When mushrooms are soft, stir in potatoes, dry seasonings (not parsley), and crumble 1/2 the tofu block. Mix well in pan.
3. In a blender, puree the other 1/2 tofu, milk, parsley, and the cheese. Reserve some cheese to sprinkle on top if you like. Don't puree long; you don't want the parsley making the liquid green! Pour liquid into pan with the rest of the mix and heat through.
4. After tasting the mixture to make sure you have the flavor just right, pour it into the oiled dish and bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle reserved vegan cheese on top, and broil for 3 minutes more (Watch vigilantly!). Let it sit for 10 minutes before serving to let it set.
Play around with it, adding broccoli, zucchini, or asparagus. I wouldn't recommend tomatoes, they add too much moisture. Hope you like it!
Makes: dinner for 3, Preparation time: 5mins to start, Cooking time: 50mins start to finish
Recipe courtesy of http://vegweb.com/ supplied by FullObeans
Have you got a favourite Vegan or Veggie Recipe? |
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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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Fri 29th April - The Royal Wedding Alternative - Leeds Buddhist Centre OPEN DAY For details see article at top of this newsletter - Open to everyone, Sangha, friends, family and people we've never met before.
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
Wednesday 4th May - Breathworks Living with Stress course
Wednesday evenings 6.30 - 9.00 pm - Full details here
Friday 6th May - Breathworks Living Well with Pain and Illness course
Friday mornings 10.30 am to 1.00 pm - Full details here
Saturday 7th May and Sunday 8th May - The Only Way Out is Down - Weekend Retreat with Samanartha - see article above for details
Saturday 21st May - Big Fat Buddha Day - Leeds Buddhist Centre's Wesak (Buddha Day) Celebration - see article above for details and watch out for News Updates
Sunday 22nd May - Family Friendly Day - see article above for details
Saturday 28th May - Living with Awareness day retreat - 10.00 am - 4.00 pm
Exploring the Mindfulness of Breathing, a simple and direct way of developing awareness and calm. Open to all those who have previously attended a Mindfulness of Breathing course. Please donate whatever you can.
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 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)
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)
Saturday 25th June - Living with Kindness day retreat -10am - 4pm. Exploring the Metta Bhavana, a practice which allows us to cultivate emotional warmth, kindness and friendliness towards ourselves and others. Open to all those who have previously attended a Metta Bhavana course. Please donate whatever you can. Tuesday 28th June - Introduction to Buddhism course - 7.00pm - 9.15 pm for four 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 course aims to bring the Buddha's teaching alive in our daily life. Cost: £35/£18 concs.
Saturday 9th and Sunday 10th July - Kirkstall Festival
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.
Sunday 7th August - Leeds Gay Pride 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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