Dear Sangha Friends,

As we bid farewell to the lazy days of summer and welcome the crisp embrace of autumn, I find myself reflecting on the ever-changing nature of our experiences and the constancy of our practice.

Embracing Change

The transition from sun-drenched afternoons to cooler, misty mornings can be a challenge for many of us. Yet, isn’t this very shift a perfect opportunity to practice equanimity? As the external world transforms, we’re invited to observe our attachments and practice letting go – a core tenet of our Buddhist path.

The Magic of Retreat

Recently, one of our sangha members returned from her first retreat, bringing back with her a treasure trove of experiences. In her own words, she described:

> “…deepest feeling of blissful contentment, such a deep peacefulness, a sense of okay-ness with things” and “interconnectedness and a child-like wonder and appreciation of the world and all its People”.

These beautiful phrases capture the essence of what retreats can offer us – a chance to step back from our daily lives and touch something profound within ourselves and in our connection to the world around us. It’s a potent reminder of why we practice and the transformative power of dedicated time for spiritual growth.

Upcoming Opportunities for Practice

Weekend Retreats

I’m looking forward to my own series of weekend retreats in the coming months – one next weekend, another in October, and a third in November. These offer invaluable opportunities for deepening practice and connection. If you’re curious about what a retreat entails or what a good one would be for you, feel free to reach out to me or any experienced sangha member.

Urban Retreat – London Buddhist Centre

For those unable to get away, the London Buddhist Centre is offering their annual Urban Retreat – a chance to infuse your daily, working life with retreat-like qualities. This free, week-long event starts on Saturday, September 7th at 2:30 PM. They will send SMS and email reminders throughout the week to support your practice. While some sessions can be attended online, I highly recommend joining in person in East London for at least one session if possible. This blend of at-home and in-person practice can be a powerful way to integrate Buddhist teachings into your everyday life.

You can sign up at https://www.londonbuddhistcentre.com/events/urban-retreat-2024.

Cambridge Buddhist Centre Open Day

Also on September 7th, the Cambridge Buddhist Centre is hosting its Open Day. This is an excellent opportunity, especially for newcomers, to explore another vibrant Buddhist community. The event takes place in a historic Grade II listed festival theatre, and you can also visit a nearby 17th Century listed building that houses a Buddhist community. It’s a unique chance to see how Buddhism is practiced in different settings and to connect with a wider sangha circle.

More details can be found at https://www.cambridgebuddhistcentre.com/OpenDay2024 .

New Course: “Starting on the Buddhist Path”

Beginning September 10th, we’re excited to launch a new course based on Sagaraghosa’s book “Starting on the Buddhist Path: An Invitation”. This course embodies the Buddha’s teaching that true wisdom and freedom come not just from ideas, but from testing truths in our own experience.

The book, and by extension our course, offers:

– Practical ways to improve our lives and relationships

– Jargon-free explanations of Buddhist concepts

– Life-changing meditations, perspectives, and practices

– Engaging visuals including cartoons, diagrams, and photographs

You can purchase the book at a discounted price from Srigarbha before and during the course, or find it online at Windhorse Publications and other retailers. Even if you’ve been practising for a while, this course can offer fresh perspectives and a chance to revisit the fundamentals of our path.

In Closing

As we step into September, let’s carry with us the warmth of summer in our hearts and the coolness of autumn in our minds. May we approach each day with the “child-like wonder” our retreatant spoke of, finding interconnectedness in every interaction and contentment in each moment.

Whether you’re joining us for the new course or simply continuing your practice at home, remember that our sangha is here to support you. After all, the journey of discovery is all the more joyous when shared, and these simple connections can be profound practices in themselves.

Until we meet again, may your practice be steady, your heart be open, and your inner world be as vibrant as the turning autumn leaves.

With warmth and metta,

Keith

Dear Friends,

As we navigate the quirky waters of August – that curious month when half the world seems to vanish on vacation – I find myself pondering the refreshing depths of meaning and connection.

A Tale of Return and Rediscovery
Recently, a heartwarming story unfolded in our midst. A dear friend, absent from our gatherings for years, suddenly reappeared. Life had tossed her a curveball of anxiety, and someone suggested she seek out a spiritual group. In that moment, she remembered us – her spiritual family – and the benefits our sangha had once brought her.

The beautiful part? It was as if she’d never left – it all came flooding back. In her own words, this return helped her “experience more meaning in her life” again.

Now, “experiencing more meaning” – an interesting phrase! I remember trying to answer the question “what is the meaning of life?”. It can’t really be answered with logic. I think it is more about getting in touch with some sort of bigger spiritual vision.

When life feels meaningless, even getting out of bed can feel like scaling Everest. But when we’re immersed in meaning? Oh, how life flows! Suddenly, our practices – meditation, classes, retreats, connections with spiritual friends – they all align like stars in a constellation, guiding us towards something profound.

What’s Next on Our Journey?
Speaking of meaning, we’ve just wrapped up our metta-filled “Unlimited Heart” course. I don’t know about you, but it’s certainly transformed my approach to metta bhavana, making it both more receptive and deeper. It’s left me pondering: how do we carry this unlimited heart into our daily lives?

For the next five weeks, we’ll be exploring various topics each week to keep our spiritual flames burning bright. Each session promises to be a unique opportunity for growth and connection – we’d be delighted to see you there as we navigate these enriching themes together.

Coming up we have:
06 Aug 2024 Padmajata
13 Aug 2024 Mangala
20 Aug 2024 Srigarbha
27 Aug 2024 To be confirmed
03 Sep 2024 Khemananda
10 Sep 2024 Course week 1

Starting September 10th, we’re embarking on a new adventure with Sagaraghosa’s course based on her excellent book “Starting on the Buddhist Path: An Invitation”. The Buddha said that you can’t develop wise perspective and freedom through ideas alone – you need to test the truth in your own experience. This book is aimed at people who are looking for a way to improve their lives and relationships. Without jargon, and illustrated with cartoons, diagrams, and photographs, it leads readers through potentially life-changing meditations, perspectives, reflections, and practices for everyday life.

The book will be available to buy at our class at a discount price from Srigarbha leading up to and during the course. Or you can also get it at https://www.windhorsepublications.com/product/starting-on-the-buddhist-path/ or any good bookshop.

In Conclusion
As we navigate these final weeks of summer, let’s remember that meaning isn’t something we find – it’s something we create, together, in moments of connection, reflection, and yes, even in the sweat of a hot August day.

So, whether you’re lounging by a pool, stuck in a stuffy office, or somewhere in between, know that your sangha family is here, ready to dive into the deep end of life with you. Why not share with a friend how our sangha has brought meaning to your life? The more, the merrier on this journey of discovery!

Until we meet again, may your days be meaningful, your nights be cool, and your heart be as unlimited as the summer sky.

With warmth (but not too much – it’s August, after all),

Keith

Hi everyone,

I have recently returned from a lovely week long solitary retreat in a cabin at Vajrasana (our retreat centre near Bury St. Edmunds). It was really lovely just to drink tea, gaze at the beautiful trees and shrubs out of my window, and listen to the birdsong that went on all day. I also read Nagabodhi’s excellent new biography of Bhante (our founder).

Our Unlimited Heart course is continuing in full swing. We are all finding it a very useful way of approaching the metta bhavana (loving kindness) meditation.

This is an extremely powerful and joyful practice, but some of us find it a bit challenging at times.

Our course emphasizes that the first step is to relax and be receptively aware of whatever is happening within us, without judgment. From this foundation of mindful awareness, we can then gently invite metta to arise naturally.

Yesterday we were invited to be particularly aware of our self critic that may decide what we “should” be feeling, and we were also encouraged to keep a gratitude diary as this can be a doorway to metta.

It’s important to note that metta is primarily an intention or volition rather than just a feeling. We can cultivate metta even when we’re not feeling particularly happy or well. The practice is about developing a genuine wish for well-being, both for ourselves and others.

Each week of the course is self-contained and begins with a recap, so don’t worry if you’ve missed previous sessions or if it’s your first time joining us. I would encourage you to attend, as this is the first time we’re covering this material, and it may be a while before we offer it again. The course continues for the next four weeks until the end of July. On August 6th, Padmajata will be leading the class.

Another thing that is happening this month is Dharma Day. This is the anniversary of the Buddha giving his first teaching two months after his enlightenment. He walked 160 miles to seek out his five former companions to a deer park in Sarnath near Varanasi and communicate to them his enlightenment experience. This started a flow of teaching, wisdom, spiritual practice and friendship that continues to this day. There will be a festival at Cambridge Buddhist Centre to celebrate this on Sunday 21st July.

That is all for now. Have a great July!

warm wishes

Keith

Hi Everyone,

I hope that all is well.

I just wanted to share that I had a really amazing time last weekend. I was on retreat at the Great Gathering at Padmaloka. With near perfect conditions for meditation, many of us went a bit deeper into some beautiful meditative states. I am also going away for a week’s solitary retreat at Vajrasana next week which I am really looking forward to.

I also met some great people and had some really interesting chats at the weekend.

For example, I was sharing a room with someone who volunteered firstly on the lifeboats, and then he volunteered as a first responder. When someone local had a heart attack and called the ambulance, he would often turn up first with a defibrillator. He said he has saved 5 people’s lives, which I think is pretty amazing.

I also met Suryaprabha. He is a an independent documentary film producer who has made 15 full length films about Triratna. I have been a big fan of his work for many years. His films are on https://www.lightsinthesky.org/ and are very well produced old school documentaries, with narration, archive video footage, and lots of clips of people talking, and telling their stories. If you want to sample them, I think a good one to start with is Ordinary Magic which is all about friendship.

Anyway.
Coming up at the Hertford Buddhist Group.
Mangala is coming up on 11th June.
18th June not sure yet who is leading.

Then on Tuesday 25th June we have a six week course “Unlimited Heart” devoted to going deeper into the Mettabhavana (loving kindness) meditation.

Also we have a day retreat and also a puja on Saturday 22nd June. See below for more info.

Everything mentioned here is suitable for complete beginners as well as regulars.

Have a great June, and I hope to see you at some of these events.

warm wishes

Keith

p.s. Here is some more information about the day retreat we are running on Saturday 22nd June followed by an optional puja:


Calm Mind, Open Heart (booking required – see below)
A day exploring our main meditation practices
Saturday 22 June, 10am-4pm (by donation)
A venue in central Ware (location upon booking)
led by Kiranadhi and Samudraghosha

The mindfulness of breathing and mettabhavana (loving-kindness) meditations are powerful and deep practices that can take us anywhere from a place that is slightly more calm, aware and open-hearted all the way to Awakening.

In this day we’ll be becoming more familiar with these practices and seeing what we can do to take them a little further. We’ll have short periods of meditation, with teaching, discussion and exercises to explore the principles behind the practices. This is open to all, regardless of previous experience.

Everyone will be asked to contribute to a shared vegetarian/ vegan lunch.

We have an important health request. One of the team has a severe allergy to fragrances, so please avoiding using fragranced products (these include deodorants, lotions and hair products, as well as perfumes etc.)

The day will be shortly followed for those who wish to stay by a Full Moon Puja (see below). For those unfamiliar with Buddhist ritual, at 4:15pm Samudraghosha will be saying a bit about how we can relate to it as people in the modern West.

The meditation day is without charge (donations on the day very welcome) but strictly requires booking – please email hertsbuddhistmeditation@gmail.com (booking closes 12pm Friday 21 June, though booking sooner will aid our planning).

Full Moon Solstice Puja (booking required – see below)
Saturday 22 June, 4:30pm-5:30pm (by donation)
A venue in central Ware (location upon booking)
led by Kiranadhi and Samudraghosha

We will follow the tradition of marking the full moon (and also the solstice!) with a Puja. This is a collective Buddhist ritual taking the participants through a series of spiritual moods, each poetically evoked, and including mantra and readings. No previous experience is required. If you are unfamiliar with Buddhist ritual, there is the option of arriving early to attend an introduction that Samudraghosha will give at 4:15pm.

We have an important health request. One of the team has a severe allergy to fragrances, so please avoiding using fragranced products (these include deodorants, lotions and hair products, as well as perfumes etc.)

Please note that this event will be preceded by a meditation day (Calm Mind, Open Heart – see above).

The puja is without charge (donations on the day very welcome) but requires booking – please email hertsbuddhistmeditation@gmail.com (booking closes 12pm Friday 21 June, though booking sooner will aid our planning).

Hi everybody,

Spring has finally sprung. At least it was quite sunny the other day. A friend told me that he heard his first cuckoo of the year, and I saw my first brood of ducklings this morning. It feels really heartwarming to know we have our whole summer ahead of us.

Our “Steps to Enlightenment” course is going well (see photo), and we are getting close to 30 attendees most Tuesdays. We are exploring how many of us are very inconsistent in our spiritual lives. We just dabble, and do a bit of meditation now and again, read a book, watch a youtube video etc, and we may expose ourselves to a very wide range of ideas and practices, that can leave us a bit overwhelmed, and can make progress very slow.

We all start like that. But many of us have realised that if we want to really get the benefits of a spiritual life, it is very useful to choose one tradition, and one group and be more focussed and consistent in our approach. In this course we are particularly exploring the Buddha’s threefold path of meditation, ethics, and wisdom which looks at our actions while meditating and in our daily lives, and also looks at the degree that we are in touch with our direct experience rather than some conceptual fantasy.

Here are some dates for your diary:

Sunday 19th May – Buddha Day at the Cambridge Buddhist Centre.

Saturday 22 June, 10am-4pm Calm Mind, Open Heart – A day exploring our main meditation practices(no charge but by donation) in Ware led by Kiranadhi and Samudraghosha. The day will be followed for those who wish to stay by a Full Moon Summer Solstice Puja. These events require booking – please email hertsbuddhistmeditation@gmail.com as soon as possible if you intend to come to either or both events to help with our planning.

Tuesday 25th June. Our next course is entitled “Unlimited Heart” and is an exploration of the metta bhavana practice which focusses on loving kindness. This is a really beautiful practice, and this six week course is a fantastic opportunity to learn the course for the first time if you are a newcomer, and also to deepen our practice and plough through any obstacles if you already know this practice.

Also Vajragupta has made a special invitation to our Sangha. He said: “I would be very happy if anyone from the Hertford sangha joins me for the Wild Awake retreat at Rivendell (28th June to 5th July). I’ve run this retreat for several years now, using time in nature to open up our hearts and awareness, to bring down the barriers between self and world. It is a retreat that can allow your meditation to come alive in surprising ways and would be suitable for a first retreat, as well as for those with more experience.”

Link to YouTube video talking about the retreat and link to Rivendell info and booking for the retreat

Many of you will have come across Vajragupta as he is the author of several excellent books, and has visited our Sangha twice in person, and once by zoom. It is the first time he has made an invitation to our Sangha to join him, and it looks like a very special opportunity.

Anyway please just turn up any Tuesday evening to our drop in class. Newcomers and beginners are always very welcome. No charge, but you are able to leave a donation if you would like to.

That is all for now. I hope to see you at one or more of the above.

Warm wishes

Keith

Hi everybody,

Easter has come and gone, and now we are turning our thoughts towards various events coming up:

1) Our next course starting on Tuesday 9th April. Best to turn up between 7pm and 7.20pm. It is free of charge, although you can leave a small donation if you would like. There is also no need to commit to all the sessions. Just come to the first one, and see what you think.

It is an introduction to meditation and Buddhism. Total beginners are very welcome. You do not need to know anything about meditation or Buddhism.

The course is entitled “Steps to Enlightenment” , and this is the first time we have covered this material at Hertford.

How to walk the Buddhist path to Enlightenment

Reading books, occasional meditation, flitting between teachers and piecemeal teachings can all give some sense of Buddhism, but leads only to spiritual stagnation. A path of more regular steps towards spiritual growth is required…

This movement from an irregular spiritual practice to one with momentum and consistency is central in making actual progress on the path.

On this six-week course we’ll explore what it means to walk the path of Buddhist practice in a regular and systematic way, such that we experience an ever-deepening flavour of Enlightenment in our lives.

2) What is a mitra morning at Cambridge Buddhist Centre on Saturday 13th April 10am to 1pm. If you have been coming for 6 months or more, and are interested in finding more about becoming a mitra. Please book at https://www.cambridgebuddhistcentre.com/whatisamitra

3) There is a new 4 week Yoga course starting on Tuesday April 16th at the Quaker Meeting Rooms 50 Railway St, Hertford SG14 1EH. It is from 6pm to 7pm before our meditation class, so you can come to both. Please bring your own yoga mat and book at https://www.chakraproject.co.uk/product-page/sangha-yoga-with-amber

4) Calm Mind, Open Heart

A day exploring our main meditation practices

Saturday 22 June, 10am-4pm (by donation) A venue in central Ware (location upon booking) led by Kiranadhi and Samudraghosha

The mindfulness of breathing and metta bhavana (loving-kindness) meditations are powerful and deep practices that can take us anywhere from a place that is slightly more calm, aware and open-hearted all the way to Awakening.

In this day we’ll be becoming more familiar with these practices and seeing what we can do to take them a little further. We’ll have short periods of meditation, with teaching, discussion and exercises to explore the principles behind the practices. This is open to all, regardless of previous experience.

Everyone will be asked to contribute to a shared vegetarian/ vegan lunch.

We have an important health request. One of the team has a severe allergy to fragrances,

so please avoiding using fragranced products (these include deodorants, lotions and hair products, as well as perfumes etc.)

The day will be shortly followed for those who wish to stay by a Full Moon Puja (see below).

For those unfamiliar with Buddhist ritual, at 4:15pm Samudraghosha will be saying a bit about how we can relate to it as people in the modern West.

The meditation day is without charge (donations on the day very welcome) but strictly requires booking – please email hertsbuddhistmeditation@gmail.com (booking closes 12pm Friday 21 June).

5) Full Moon Solstice Puja

Saturday 22 June, 4:30pm-5:30pm (by donation) A venue in central Ware (location upon booking) led by Kiranadhi and Samudraghosha

We will follow the tradition of marking the full moon (and also the solstice!) with a Sevenfold Puja. This is a collective Buddhist ritual taking the participants through a series of spiritual moods, each poetically evoked, and including mantra and readings. No previous experience is required. If you are unfamiliar with Buddhist ritual, there is the option of arriving early to attend an introduction that Samudraghosha will give at 4:15pm.

We have an important health request. One of the team has a severe allergy to fragrances,

so please avoiding using fragranced products (these include deodorants, lotions and hair products, as well as perfumes etc.)

Please note that this event will be preceded by a meditation day (Calm Mind, Open Heart – see above). The puja is without charge (donations on the day very welcome) but requires booking – please email hertsbuddhistmeditation@gmail.com (booking closes 12pm Friday 21 June).

That is all for now. I hope to see you at one or more of the above.

I hope that you have a fantastic April

warm wishes

Keith

Hi everyone,

I hope that all is well.

Recently I came across a talk by Dhivan on the excellent Freebuddhistaudio podcast called “In The Cool Shade of the Tree: Planting the Seed of Joy In Your Meditation Practice”. If you google “Dhivan cool shade” you will find the audio and video versions. It is a fantastic talk about a fantastic topic. Buddhism sometimes gets a bit of a bad press, but another way of looking at it is that it is opening up to deeper levels of joy.

The blurb on youtube says: “It’s said that the Buddha’s breakthrough came when he remembered a natural experience of enjoyment, which arose when he was a young boy sitting under a rose-apple tree: an experience that later became the seed of his Awakening. In this talk, Dhivan guides us through the significance of that famous image in the Buddha’s life, drawing on rich sources of inspiration including Greek philosophy and poetry, as well as core Dharma teachings such as The Middle Way and the Four Noble Truths. Dhivan then moves into a thorough exploration of joy, in both its mundane and grander manifestations. As he does so, he recalls the Buddha’s realization that joy and happiness arise when our life coalesces around our deepest values, often connected with relaxing in meditation. This is what may lead to Awakening for any and all of us… This talk was given in the Dharma Parlour tent, at Buddhafield 2022.”

Last Tuesday we explored this topic from our own experience, and found it very interesting. Many people settle for a joyless existence, and have given up the belief that deep joy is even possible for them, or are chasing after it in the wrong places. This is a great pity.

If you want to look at the nine questions we explored, you can find them inside our Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/hertfordbuddhist . Please join us there.

Anyway.

Coming up in the next four weeks we have:

05 Mar 2024 Samudraghosha
12 Mar 2024 Amber
19 Mar 2024 Keturaja
26 Mar 2024 Srigarbha

Beginners and newcomers are always very welcome

And then our next 6 week course starts after Easter on 9th April.

So will hopefully see you on some or all of these.

Have a great March!

Warm wishes

Keith

Hi everyone,

I hope that all is well.

1) This is a photo we took a few weeks ago after our class. Please come along and join us any Tuesday evening. You don’t have to “be a Buddhist”, or know how to meditate.

2) Also, for all you curry lovers, I wanted to mention you can join the Hertford Sangha for a home cooked Gujarati Vegetarian lunch.

Date and time 12.30 – 2.30pm 18th February at The Millbridge Rooms in Hertford.

If you want to come it is essential to book in advance – Please email Bodhivandana1@gmail.com by Tuesday 13th Feb to book one or more places.

The cost is a donation of £15 (or more if you are able) per person

All profits will be donated to the fund for Tiratnaloka Retreat Centre
Please bring your friends and family. All are welcome.

The photo is of a similar meal cooked by Bodhivandana for the London Buddhist Centre. It looks very yummy!

3) Also of note is a festival on Sunday 11th Feb at Cambridge.

Parinirvana Day marks the passing of the Buddha, following his Enlightenment and long life sharing the Dharma with his many disciples. The last few weeks of the Buddha’s life and the Parinirvana itself, offer us the Buddha’s last direct teachings. They reveal both how to live and die well – for oneself and for the benefit of others. On Parinirvana Day we will be drawing out and reflecting on these lessons and their significance for all of us.

This year we are fortunate to have author and senior Order Member Devamitra, join us to give a keynote talk. Devamitra has written a very engaging book – ‘Entertaining Cancer’ – about his experience of receiving an aggressive cancer diagnosis, going through the indignities of treatment, and facing death. In his talk, he will be calling on his personal experience of this challenging time and drawing out the significance of the Buddhas’ Parinirvana.

The Day will end with a special Parinirvana Day puja. As well as being dedicated to the Buddha, it will offer the opportunity to bring to mind Sangha members, friends and family who have died over the last few years. Please feel free to bring photographs of loved ones, which can be placed on the shrine.

Programme:
9.30 – Doors open
10am – Introduction to the day and Meditation
11am – Tea Break
11.30 – Talk by Devamitra
1pm – Lunch (please bring food to share)
2 – 3pm – Parinirvana Day Puja – with an opportunity to bring photographs of friends and relatives who have recently died

Led By: Keturaja and Amarachandra
Suitable For: RegularSangha
Location: Cambridge Buddhist Centre

More info at https://www.cambridgebuddhistcentre.com/parinirvana

Several of us will be going up from Hertford for the day, these festivals in Cambridge are always very powerful and heartwarming. Also many of us will have very fond memories of Devamitra visiting us in Hertford about a year ago to talk about the themes in his book. Good to see that he is still well enough to do a talk like this.

That’s all for now. I will hopefully see you at one or more of the above.

Best wishes

Keith

I hope that all is well with you and that you had a lovely Christmas break. It is always a really weird time of year with very heightened emotions. For many it can be a very pleasant and joyful time to get together with loved ones. For others it can be stressful, expensive, and/or lonely, not helped by hangovers from alcohol and too much rich food.

Anyway. That is now behind us for another year, and we can start again with a shiny blank slate for 2024. The world is our oyster, and it is a great time to stand back a bit from life and just reassess things. Are we happy? Are we living the life that we want to live? Will we look back on this time in the future and think this was a joyful time full of personal growth and fulfillment? etc etc

We can do this at any time of year of course, but New Year just seems a great time to do it. I am not particularly thinking of New Year’s resolutions, as they are often a bit too ambitious.

I am just thinking of just taking a bit of time to think about what really gives us meaning, joy and fulfillment in our lives. For many of us the answer is deepening our own meditation practice, and also spending more time with others on a similar path.

Of course, we can try and meditate on our own using apps etc, but in my opinion, there is no real substitute for regularly going along in person to a meeting such as the Hertford Buddhist Group Tuesday Night Class.

Maybe you have not visited us before, or maybe you have and stopped coming for some reason. Whatever the case, why not come along for our brand new 6 week meditation and Buddhism course starting on Tuesday 9th Jan. Best to get there between 7pm and 7.15pm. You can just come to the first one if you like, and drop in or out as you choose. But why not come to all six of them. Then after that you can decide if it might be helpful to just make it part of your routine to come every week.

The first half of each class will be focused on meditation. Then after the tea break we will explore the content of the course which is titled “The Individual and the Spiritual Community”. The evening is suitable for everyone including total beginners. The idea we are exploring is that the Spiritual Community (or sangha) supports our growth as true individuals so that we can develop true freedom as opposed to just conforming, and fitting in with what “society” tells us to do.

Anyway. Just turn up on Tuesday 9th and the following 5 Tuesdays, and we can meditate and explore this topic together.

Also you are very welcome to come along tomorrow on Tuesday 2nd Jan when Padmajata will be leading the class and kicking off 2024 for us.

All the best and Happy New Year!

Keith

So if you would like to give some kind of performance or presentation, then just let Keith know at least a week beforehand (i.e. by 12th Dec or earlier). In the past we have had poetry, singing, musical performances, and also belly dancing!

If you want to present a youtube video or something on a laptop, that will also be possible. eg in the past people have presented a snippet from an opera, a John Lennon song, a Disney song, a slideshow of their photography and artistic creations and have said a few words about it beforehand.

Our tech support guy (Dave) will bring a laptop, projector, mic, amp and speaker. So we will need the file or URL at least a week beforehand.

Also if you want to bring party food, eg cakes, crisps, non alcoholic drinks etc then please feel free 🙂

This is also a great evening if you have not been for a while and just want to enjoy a pleasant social night with us. There is no need to do any performance if you don’t want to. You can just relax and enjoy 🙂

Also coming up is:

21/11 Samudraghosha
28/11 Mangala
5/12 Khemananda

There is no class for following week (26th Dec), but we will be back on 2nd Jan, and a 6 week course will be starting on 9th Jan.