“So I have shown you how the Dhamma is similar to a raft, being for the purpose of crossing over, not for the purpose of grasping”- From the ‘Simile of the Snake

In this Sangha Night series we’ve been looking at Buddhist wisdom by focussing on the Middle Way.   The Buddha is the source of all this.  He taught the Dharma ‘by the middle’, not veering towards the extreme views that either everything exists eternally or more...

‘Just Sitting’ or ‘Simply Being’ Meditation

This term we are exploring the ‘Just Sitting’ meditation practice. This mediation compliments the Mindfulness of Breathing and the Metta Bhavana but at the same time is its own standalone practice.

Much of our lives are taken up with doing. How can we simply be with our
experience?

The simply being practice is about resting in the flow of immediate
experience, more...

Our beginners classes are a great way to sample meditation for the first time or to get refreshing support and clarity to help you set up a regular practice.

Full instructions will be given including how to sit comfortably in a chair or on cushions on the floor. We’ll introduce our meditation practices, one each week – either the mindfulness of breathing which develops calm, focus and wholeheartedness, or a loving kindness (metta bhavana) meditation which develops emotional more...

10.30am – 11:30am – Thursdays

A mindful yoga practice focusing on the body and sensations (somatic awareness) with meditative, dynamic sequences and breath work. Suitable for all levels of experience.

About Jo:

Jo has been teaching yoga for 9 years.  She trained extensively with Sun Power Yoga and BodhiYoga, a form of practice developed by Triratna Order Members Sudaka and Sadhita  with a specialised focus on more...

Self-Discovery through Writing Practice

This month the Bristol Young Buddhists Team are inviting Satyalila as our guest teacher. As she is a creative, imaginative and inspiring person, we have asked her to lead us in one of her writing practices. From Satyalila:

We – and the world – are so much more than we are usually able to realise.  This is one way of understanding what the Buddha taught.  Yes, there is suffering in the world and our more...

Suffering and the End of Suffering

All Buddhist traditions, in one way or another come back to the Truth of suffering and the end of suffering. This was the starting point of Buddha’s teaching, pointing to the truth of suffering and the discovery that freedom and joy are possible in the face of the sufferings of human life.

What does that mean to us in our meditation practice?

Two months (Oct and Nov sessions) of practice to take our meditation deeper into more...

At a Death Cafe people, often strangers, gather to eat cake, drink tea and discuss death.

Our objective is ‘to increase awareness of death with a view to helping people make the most of their (finite) lives’.

A Death Cafe is a group directed discussion of death with no agenda, objectives or themes. It is a discussion group rather than a grief support or counselling session.

Facilitated by Sthiramitra and Elodie.

This event more...

Siṃhanāda discusses his experience of studying Classical Sanskrit (during lockdown) and its impacts upon his practice. Chatty and accessible, but unafraid of the profound, this talk will offer original perspectives on the meanings of The Heart Sutra, and a review of some big ideas in important recent scholarship. This talk is designed to fascinate anyone who takes The Heart Sutra seriously.

Suitable for those who have completed an introductory course with us more...

‘Just Sitting’ or ‘Simply Being’ Meditation

This term we are exploring the ‘Just Sitting’ meditation practice. This mediation compliments the Mindfulness of Breathing and the Metta Bhavana but at the same time is its own standalone practice.

Much of our lives are taken up with doing. How can we simply be with our
experience?

The simply being practice is about resting in the flow of immediate
experience, more...

Please note – no class next week due to the Rains Retreat.

Our beginners classes are a great way to sample meditation for the first time or to get refreshing support and clarity to help you set up a regular practice.

Full instructions will be given including how to sit comfortably in a chair or on cushions on the floor. We’ll introduce our meditation practices, one each week – either the mindfulness of breathing which develops calm, focus and more...

10.30am – 11:30am – Thursdays

Please note. No class next Thursday 20th due to the Rains Retreat.

A mindful yoga practice focusing on the body and sensations (somatic awareness) with meditative, dynamic sequences and breath work. Suitable for all levels of experience.

About Jo:

Jo has been teaching yoga for 9 years.  She trained extensively with Sun Power Yoga and BodhiYoga, a form of practice developed by more...

“Embodied Wisdom: Qigong & Somatic Meditation”

A morning of Qigong and somatic meditation to resource and to connect to our true nature.

Through sitting, standing and mindful movements, we learn how to align the body to promote a relaxed alert state, regulate and calm the mind, meet and let go of blockages to presence and connect with emptiness.
When we reach a ‘Qi state’ we are fully present, connected and receptive to our spiritual potential. more...

“I am because we are” is a traditional saying from the African Ubuntu tradition invoking the truth of interconnectedness and the promise of beloved community.

We all yearn to find and engage with others in spaces of deep meaning and heart-felt belonging, where we are each doing our own work in authentic connection with one another.

This is the ideal of Beloved Community.

Our dharma practice provides a crucible where we hold the more...

“I am because we are” is a traditional saying from the African Ubuntu tradition invoking the truth of interconnectedness and the promise of beloved community.

We all yearn to find and engage with others in spaces of deep meaning and heart-felt belonging, where we are each doing our own work in authentic connection with one another.

This is the ideal of Beloved Community.

Our dharma practice provides a crucible where we hold the more...

“I am because we are” is a traditional saying from the African Ubuntu tradition invoking the truth of interconnectedness and the promise of beloved community.

We all yearn to find and engage with others in spaces of deep meaning and heart-felt belonging, where we are each doing our own work in authentic connection with one another.

This is the ideal of Beloved Community.

Our dharma practice provides a crucible where we hold the more...

“I am because we are” is a traditional saying from the African Ubuntu tradition invoking the truth of interconnectedness and the promise of beloved community.

We all yearn to find and engage with others in spaces of deep meaning and heart-felt belonging, where we are each doing our own work in authentic connection with one another.

This is the ideal of Beloved Community.

Our dharma practice provides a crucible where we hold the more...

“I am because we are” is a traditional saying from the African Ubuntu tradition invoking the truth of interconnectedness and the promise of beloved community.

We all yearn to find and engage with others in spaces of deep meaning and heart-felt belonging, where we are each doing our own work in authentic connection with one another.

This is the ideal of Beloved Community.

Our dharma practice provides a crucible where we hold the more...

“I am because we are” is a traditional saying from the African Ubuntu tradition invoking the truth of interconnectedness and the promise of beloved community.

We all yearn to find and engage with others in spaces of deep meaning and heart-felt belonging, where we are each doing our own work in authentic connection with one another.

This is the ideal of Beloved Community.

Our dharma practice provides a crucible where we hold the more...

There’s no class this week as we are holding the Rains Retreat at the Centre.

See you on the 26th!

“I am because we are” is a traditional saying from the African Ubuntu tradition invoking the truth of interconnectedness and the promise of beloved community.

We all yearn to find and engage with others in spaces of deep meaning and heart-felt belonging, where we are each doing our own work in authentic connection with one another.

This is the ideal of Beloved Community.

Our dharma practice provides a crucible where we hold the more...

There isn’t a yoga class this week as we are holding out Rains Retreat.

See you next week! Back on Thursday 27th.

As part of our current format on Sangha Nights, every six weeks we are having an special event where we do something more fun and out of the ordinary. The first of these is going to be…

‘Mantrayāna – The Way of the Mantras’

‘The chanting of mantras represents the real possibility for our energies to be radically transformed so that we can manifest the qualities of enlightenment which are buried deep within us.’ – (Bhante more...

‘Just Sitting’ or ‘Simply Being’ Meditation

This term we are exploring the ‘Just Sitting’ meditation practice. This mediation compliments the Mindfulness of Breathing and the Metta Bhavana but at the same time is its own standalone practice.

Much of our lives are taken up with doing. How can we simply be with our
experience?

The simply being practice is about resting in the flow of immediate
experience, more...

Our beginners classes are a great way to sample meditation for the first time or to get refreshing support and clarity to help you set up a regular practice.

Full instructions will be given including how to sit comfortably in a chair or on cushions on the floor. We’ll introduce our meditation practices, one each week – either the mindfulness of breathing which develops calm, focus and wholeheartedness, or a loving kindness (metta bhavana) meditation which develops emotional more...

10.30am – 11:30am – Thursdays

A mindful yoga practice focusing on the body and sensations (somatic awareness) with meditative, dynamic sequences and breath work. Suitable for all levels of experience.

About Jo:

Jo has been teaching yoga for 9 years.  She trained extensively with Sun Power Yoga and BodhiYoga, a form of practice developed by Triratna Order Members Sudaka and Sadhita  with a specialised focus on more...