This season we will explore the Just Sitting practice. This meditation corresponds to the aspect of receptivity within the Triratna system of practice.
We will be looking at opening to our experience ‘as it is’. What can be discovered about the nature of mind and awareness and what does it mean to ‘simply be with what is’? How can we learn to look beyond the aspects of mind that inhibit this simple seeing?
The series will explore the theme through short introductions, experiential exercises and led meditations. The class also offers an opportunity to share and reflect on our meditation experience through an open format ‘conversation’ after the meditation.
Open to those who have completed the intro courses and are familiar with Triratna’s basic meditation practices. Get in touch if you need to discuss.
More information and Zoom link available on our ‘events’ page.
Sangha Night is our regular get-together for members of the Bristol sangha. Each evening includes a mixture of meditation, teaching and discussion suitable for anyone who has completed an introductory course.
On Sangha Night, we cover various topics in the form of short courses or series.
COMING UP:
June 3
Mitra Evening on Gratitude
This week the Sangha Night Team Mitras Robin and Paula focus on the underappreciated quality of GRATITUDE. How can a focus on gratitude help us in our Buddhist practice and in our lives more generally? Come along to join in the discussion.
June 10
An Evening With Kulamitra
Kulamitra is an extremely experienced Order Member of nearly fifty years standing, having been ordained by Bhante Sangharakshita in 1977! He has lived locally for several years, is a regular attendee of Sangha Nights; and this week he will be leading his own evening. Join us to benefit from Kulamitra’s experience.
June 17
Solitude & Solitary Retreats: Continuing the Conversation
On Sangha Night on 20 May, we started a conversation about solitary retreats – and the benefits of solitude in general. Satyalila catalysed the conversation by evoking inspiration for solitary retreats going back hundreds of years, sharing some of her own experiences and poems, and offering some practical tips on how to get started or go deeper.
It was a lively evening and there was clearly more to be said! So Satyalila is returning to Sangha Night on Tuesday 17 June to offer a follow-up session. There will be a recap for anyone who missed the first session, further sharing of inspiration, and an opportunity to discuss and meditate on the theme.
Do join us – and feel free to bring whatever questions you may have.
June 24
Ashoka the Great
Ashoka the Great was a man of contrasts and of transformation. A mere human being, yet a colossus. Is it true that this brutal despot, whose wars of expansion killed hundreds of thousands, became the most important person after the Buddha in the development of Buddhism?
How do we cope when the flaws of our heroes and sources of inspiration are revealed?
Listen to this talk and decide for yourself.
July 1 – 22
The Taste of Freedom
Week 1 (July 1) – What Is Freedom? / The Dakini as a Symbol of Freedom
Week 2 (July 8) – The Spiral Path
Week 3 (July 15) – Breaking the Fetter of Habit
Week 4 (July 22) – Breaking the Fetters of Superficiality and Vagueness
A practical course in freeing ourselves from what binds us
The point of being a Buddhist is to free ourselves from whatever keeps us trapped in a mundane and repetitive cycle. But how do we do that, and what does real freedom mean?
In this course we explore a pivotal point in the Buddhist path where we have our first taste of real freedom. Traditionally this is called ‘stream entry’ – we enter the stream that leads to the ocean of Enlightenment.
At this point we break three fetters that prevent us from entering the stream, or we could say, from reaching our full potential. We take a good look at these and see how they play out in our lives, both individually and collectively, and we explore ways in which we can loosen, and eventually break them.
Listen Again:Tuesday April 1st: The Dharma is Like an Avocado! – The Buddhist Poetry of Gary Snyder
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________Material from the meditation course with Prajnamati
Handouts on the approaches covered can be downloaded below:
Listen to the third talk in the series by Kayamoksini 21st January
The year will also be peppered through with individual evenings on the theme of Living the Dharma Life. In our movement we live our Dharma lives in a wide variety of ways – in families, communities, work, study, the creative arts, activism, in solitude, in our Centres and organisations – to name only some. Through the year we will be inviting people to come and share with us these rich and varied experiences.
All our classes are run on donations which means everyone, regardless of income, can learn about Buddhism and meditation. To keep this revolutionary approach going, please do give what you can!
If you’d like to catch up with what’s been happening at Sangha Night, subscribe to our YouTube channel for all the latest recordings, or our Listen Again pages for material from 2020 and before.
Community is often missing, or weak, within the dominant individualist culture of the UK. The lone wolf is seen as strong.
But among community is where we can grow stronger throughout our lives. With deep roots and lofty heights. We can only get so far on our own. Being in connection with others gives us opportunity to learn.
“When we practice in the spiritual community, there are more people to support us but also more opportunities for frustration and anger.
Loving speech and deep listening are key to community building” – Thich Nhat Hanh
A evening of lived experiences will be shared. And the deep potential of the community is waiting to be unveiled…
Join us!!! In person at the centre (in the warm!)
Keep updated through the What’sApp group about events and socials (come along and ask to be added)
Our centre runs on generosity, so there is no charge, but if you are able to donate to help keep us running, you can do that here.
First Friday of the month. You can join us any time from 7.15 pm onwards if you’d like to say ‘hello’. We’ll start at 7.30 and run until 9pm.
About these sessions: We run monthly meditation and Buddhism evenings for those between 18 and 35. We also do walks and meet ups too. The events are set up by the Bristol Young Buddhists team and supported by an experienced Buddhist pracitioner.There is a mix of meditation and talks, along with a chance to chat about yourself and your life.
This space is about making friends, growing our community, practicing meditation together and learning about Buddhism. The aim is to make Buddhism relevant to our everyday lives. So if there’s anything you want to hear about then do let us know!
The team comprises of Hannah and Esme, with Will helping on the socials. We would love to see you!
‘Sensitive to the whole body’ is one of the Buddha’s ‘pith instructions’. What might it mean to us? How can we become more sensitive to the life of our body and breath? In this class we explore this question.
Sundays 9:30-10:30am with Advayamati | Open to all | Hybrid (in person & online)
UPDATE! Starting from 3rd October
In person at the centre. Book your place by finding the event on our ‘events’ page and signing up!
Body-dharma yoga is a ‘still flowing’ form of Hatha yoga that incorporates Vinyasa flow, Scaravelli inspiration, somatic approach with a ‘practical’ mindfulness. These aid the integration of mind, body and spirit using the yoga of curiosity and letting go.
Trained yoga teacher Advayamati brings his experience of many years practice, leading workshops and retreats that combine shiatsu and energy work with teaching Buddhism and embodied mindfulness.
“… as one never quite knows a mountain, nor oneself in relation to it. Knowing another is endless … the thing to be known grows with knowing.”
Nan Shepherd (The Living Mountain)
In this group we will be exploring our connection with nature and how it can support us and our practice. We are invited to bring an item…a picture? a stone? a leaf perhaps?… which symbolises this connection to offer to the shrine.
In person at the centre – find on our events page and book yourself a space!
Sunday 10th October | 5:30 – 7pm
The Lotus that Blooms in the Fire: finding equanimity in a burning world ‘…The lotus that blooms from the midst of flames becomes all the more beautiful and fragrant the nearer the fire rages.’ (Zen Master Hakuin, from ‘The Life of Activity compared with the Life of Calm’) What greater challenge to our practice could there be but the climate emergency, this threat to all life on our planet? How can our practice become a gift to this burning world? In this session we’ll explore a number of different tools for cultivating equanimity: a state where the heart is both wide open to all that is arising, and at peace.
Future full moon pujas are in discussion! Watch this space…
Buddhism requires you to practice with the whole of yourself. Not just the mind in meditation. Your body and emotions are brought into play to really embody your practice and transform your world.
Traditionally rituals (pujas) are held on the full moon.
We welcome everyone to our classes. Some people of African, Asian, mixed heritage or other non-white identifications may find these particular classes at the London Buddhist Centre and The Buddhist Centre Online supportive alongside our Bristol classes:
