The London Buddhist Sept–Dec 2017
Contents The London Buddhist our magazine 3 Editorial 4 An Ever-Widening Circle Jyotismati & Mahamani on children and families 8 Hindrances to Meditation Illustrations by Matthew Daniel 9 Weaving Poem by Vishvantara 10 For Love or Money Amalavajra on abstract happiness 12 Paintings by Kusalasara 14 Diary Tim Exile on a silent meditation retreat
Programme: Autumn 2017 18 Getting Started 20 Going Further 24 Sub25 & Sub35 25 Festivals & Special Events 26 Calendar September-December 2017 30 Yoga and Chi-Kung for Meditation 31 poetryEast: writers and artists at the LBC
Contributors to the magazine Amalavajra teaches what he calls ‘Money Awakening’, and recently co-founded FutureDharma Fund, to support Buddhist projects all over the world. Barry Copping (proofreading), a mitra, retired from scientific and technical publishing in 2014. Jyotismati was ordained in 2005. A mother, administrator and sometimes painter, she teaches meditation in schools and is part of the Sunday School & Wednesday Daytime Dharma Class teams. Kusalasara works at a Buddhist-run arts centre in Bethnal Green. On her studio wall she has written ‘what you don’t know will redeem you’. Mahamani lives in community at the London Buddhist Centre and manages Jambala Bookshop. She has been ordained for three years. Matthew Daniel, if not practising or volunteering at the London Buddhist Centre, spends his time drawing silly pictures, playing tennis and fighting demons. Singhamanas has been ordained for five years and currently manages publicity for the London Buddhist Centre. Tim Exile is a musician-performer-technologistBuddhist. Vishvantara’s pamphlet Cursive is published by Happenstance and is available from the LBC bookshop. Charity number: 255420
The London Buddhist Sept–Dec 2017
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ne hundred years ago this autumn the world was catapulted into a new era. The Russian revolutionaries were inspired by Marx, who claimed “we make our own history, but not as we please: we make it under circumstances existing already given.” Like Marx, Sangharakshita also saw in history a conflict at work, but for Sangharakshita the essential challenge was not a material conflict between the ‘means and modes of production’, but rather the non-violent battle between the group and the spiritual community. He defined the spiritual community as being based, unlike the group, not on power but metta – lovingkindness. He saw such a community as the essential means to transform both ourselves and our world, through awareness, wisdom and love. This is the mission of the London Buddhist Centre. The circumstances we find ourselves in today can sometimes seem more challenging than ever. We need a vision of existence big enough to encompass the vast potential of human consciousness, and we also need to bring that vision into the particularities of our everyday life and moment-to-moment experience. In this latest issue of The London Buddhist we meet Buddhists facing the challenge of fully living out this vision of metta in the midst of our own particular circumstances.
Jyotismati reimagines motherhood in light of the ideals of Buddhism; how can we best bring up our children to face the shocks of the modern world? Matthew Daniel brings a touch of dark humour to the day-to-day practice of meditation, while a new poem from Vishvantara evokes the atmosphere of communal life. Amalavajra asks how on earth do we turn money - that great capitalist demon of abstract happiness into metta? Kusalasara’s paintings teach us how to appreciate the ordinary; beauty is always there if the heart is open – even in a simple night bus. While Tim Exile takes us on an inner journey through a silent meditation retreat and the rag and bone shop of the heart. Living a life based on metta in the midst of all the pressures of daily living is a huge challenge. From family to money to moods, we need all the help we can get. We hope that the latest programme of events will help you face the challenges of your life with more love. That’s what the world really needs. Viva la revolution! – Singhamanas
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The London Buddhist Sept–Dec 2017
‘An ever-widening circle’: Children and Families at the LBC From singing to chanting, story-telling to making Buddhas – even being Buddhas – Jyotismati delights in the Dharma of child’s play
The Buddhist Centre That place you feel part of Those friends you trust The ones your secrets are safe with Your Sangha You Laugh You live your smile. Ava (10 yrs)
Beginnings
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en years ago – my son Gowan then just three months old – I started meeting with other new mothers in the LBC library on a Wednesday morning. We would meditate and talk whilst our babies slept or rolled around on the floor together. Whether we were exploring metta, impermanence, the preciousness of human life or the simple need for more sleep it was a blessing and a relief to be with like-minded people in a positive environment. Elsewhere in the centre, the Wednesday morning Dharma class, established by Sraddhapuspa and Mallika in 2004, was happening. This class is still thriving, offering a
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crèche for parents and carers of young children alongside a programme of meditation and dharma talks for adults. Eventually our ‘mothers’ meetings’ evolved into a study group and when that ended I began attending the Wednesday class, later joining the team. With Gowan happy in the crèche with Ellen and her team of volunteers I was able to reap the benefits of practising with others - a much needed opportunity to recharge depleted energy supplies. As my good friend Sarah said, “It is an oasis in my week”, a feeling I know is
Parents & Children’s retreat at Vajrasana
The London Buddhist Sept–Dec 2017
shared by many other women and men. Suzanna, mother to India (3 yrs), said: “I soon felt at home in the class. Both the Dharma and the Sangha filled me with joy and a sense of purpose. It also helped me maintain a regular meditation practice. I felt my daughter benefitted too, not only because I was happier but also because she enjoyed being part of a kind and supportive community.”
Sunday School
Sometime later Gowan and I started attending the newly established Sunday School led by Lilavati. Before long I was helping to run it, sometimes even leading the Otter meditation. Lying down comfortably, you imagine yourself as an otter floating in the calm, clean sea on a beautiful summer’s day. Wrapped in a seaweed anchor and watching the blue sky and clouds come and go, you breath in and then out to the gentle rhythm of the waves and gradually relax and settle. Sunday School was an immediate success and I’m grateful to Lilavati for having the enthusiasm to initiate it. Initially a weekly class we realised after three years we couldn’t sustain meeting weekly, bringing up our children, working full time and fulfilling other obligations. Nowadays we meet once a month. However, the Sunday School continues to thrive and grow. We have a dedicated and creative team, some of them parents, some not. Attendance averages about 50 people: a vibrant community of parents, grandparents, friends and children. While we might not always be quiet and meditative, the atmosphere is always heartfelt and positive. We meditate and chant the Refuges and Precepts together; the under twos love listening to the sound of the bell, which is the first meditation that we teach. Through it many children have been introduced to Buddhism, meditation and ethics. It is also lots of fun. Whether creating junk Buddhas, portable shrines, or children’s plays
Buddha Day Festival at the LBC
about the life of the Buddha, the emphasis is on learning through creativity and play. We are a rich Sangha family with many friendships developing between children and adults. Sanghajit, who used to live in one of the LBC communities and is father to two young boys, initially viewed the Sunday School as a way of maintaining connection with the Sangha. Several years on he is a committed member of the team. His boys loved it from the beginning: “They enjoy the big room, the shrine, the candles and the general atmosphere. They also see that it makes their dad feel happy and this influences them directly.” Similarly, Aryajit, another dad, said: “I love the Sunday School activities because without them my Buddhist life would be shrouded in mystery for my kids. They have a great time.” Sanghajit’s boys are enthusiastic about both the activities and the refreshments. Eden (3 yrs) said “We have biscuits and milk and all types of drinks” while his older brother, Robin (5 yrs) said, “It gives you biscuits and cakes sometimes, but before that you get to do craft with lots of things.” Ava (10 yrs), when asked what she liked 5
The London Buddhist Sept–Dec 2017
about Sunday School, talked about the sense of community and the warm welcome. The Sunday School also runs family sessions at festival days, recently celebrating a year of festivals with a family-friendly session, something Rebecca, mother to Alfie (6 yrs), feels “the whole Sangha can be proud of ” as they provide a wonderful opportunity for families to be fully involved in wider Sangha activities. For Rebecca, the Sunday School team lies at the heart of her practice. She notes that the children’s “thirst for understanding and creativity is what inspires me at the centre and on family retreats.” Alfie says: “I am a Buddhist because I believe in the Buddha. He was kind and loving and he taught meditation. The thing I like best about Sunday school is meditating. I also love the biscuits.” When Gowan was six he asked me, “when are we going on retreat again mum? It’s the best thing in my whole life!” And yes, I agree; families retreats, organised by the Sunday School, are unlike any retreat you are ever likely to go on. With singing, chanting, storytelling, crafting, playing and acting, making ritual implements, flags and Buddhas, (even being Buddhas!), they’re an integral part of our Sangha family, and a regular opportunity to have a break from our busy schedules and spend time with friends and family focusing on what really matters. Mary, back from the retreat at Vajrasana, expressed her gratitude for all it had to offer: “A caring and nourishing environment for kids and adults. A place to learn, think, build friendships and communicate meaningfully.” Mary returned feeling rested and inspired but also aware of the positive effects it had on her children: Thea (5 yrs) “has been more 6
aware of how her behaviour affects others.” While Jason stated: “I see retreats as an extension of Sunday school, not only allowing parents and children to explore aspects of Buddhism further within a community, but creating a rare window of opportunity to explore one’s personal development and practice.” For many parents the Sunday School, and its various activities, has been an essential part of their path to both becoming a Buddhist and sustaining their practice. Janine, mother to Ava and Fraser: “My family are what brought me to the Three Jewels. Without the experience of becoming a parent I would not now be a mitra on the Buddhist path. Family events give me a way of including my children in my spiritual life. My children have grown up in and around the Buddhist centre. They see it as a place where they feel secure, safe and happy, not to mention the unlimited supply of biscuits!”
Breathing Space in Schools
Two years ago an opportunity arose for me to teach meditation in Gowan’s school. Aware of the positive effects it had on the Sunday School kids, I jumped at the chance. It’s now a regular feature on the timetable throughout the school. This in turn led me to do the teaching training course with Breathing Space in Schools. This course, established and run by Srivati, is designed to take meditation into schools to help children and teachers cultivate mental and emotional resilience, calm and creativity. As Srivati
The London Buddhist Sept–Dec 2017
comments: “Mindfulness is both ordinary and extraordinary. I love introducing it to young people and helping them (and their adults) integrate it into their lives. By collaborating with individual schools, I like to think that Breathing Space in Schools is helping positive change in the world, breath by breath and starting young.” I loved the course – gained valuable new skills for my teaching, was affirmed in the work I was already doing and most significantly met other men and women passionate about helping children to sustain and develop calm and equanimity in a playful and creative way. Teaching children is a lot of fun – even the simplest of props like the glitter jar often fascinates children and adults alike – shaking up the contents, watching it spin and sparkle and then gently settle. As for Gowan, he is a thriving, energetic ten-year-old bundle of contradictions whose thirst for understanding and need for peace is no less present than anyone else’s. He’s not always sure if he’s a Buddhist, but he’s getting plenty of positive input from family and friends who are and in his own time he’ll decide for himself. That he has had the opportunity at a very young age to explore mindfulness, loving kindness and the Buddha’s teachings will I hope serve him well as he grows. I have certainly grown in the process of being a mother to him.
Sowing seeds
Sangha? Well we are all sowing seeds, trying to create positive habits whether within ourselves or our children and whilst ultimately, we’re aiming for no habits at all, we all do what we can with our limited resources. So yes, there is definitely a need for more family-focused activity and I’m glad to see that is starting to happen with some of our Sunday School team now planning study for parents for example. I’m appreciative of ongoing support from the Centre administration as well as those without children offering help and inspiration where they can. Of course, more energy, more input and more resources are always a bonus; an ever-widening circle the Sangha grows. In the meantime I will leave you with some words from Bhante Sangharakshita, words that come to mind when I reflect on the importance of what we offer to parents and children at the LBC: “All sorts of other agencies are very busy indeed indoctrinating your child... Your child is being indoctrinated at school, indoctrinated by peer groups, indoctrinated by TV, indoctrinated by film, indoctrinated by the general atmosphere of our society and culture all the time. So, don’t think that if you just refrain from teaching your child Buddhism, from indoctrinating your child with Buddhism, that the child will remain completely unaffected and in a completely free and independent way be able to make up his or her own mind about such things when they reach the age of discretion whenever that happens to be. So we have to be realistic. And therefore, I say, don’t be afraid to teach your children Buddhism.” (Sangharakshita, from 15 Points for Buddhist Parents) ■ Interviews conducted and edited by Mahamani.
So what does this all mean for the LBC 7
The London Buddhist Sept–Dec 2017
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Poem Weaving The high-beamed, pine-clad, mitred roof of a spacious hall with whitewashed walls, terracotta floor, vast woodburning stove and trestles made of doors. Black ironwork hinges on entrance and cupboards seem fine as any north of the equator. Here simplicity, chaste frugality, hauteur of a rugged kind to match the environment architecturally grace our communal life, this evanescence under a high arch of wood-warmth. We’re weaving – from standing, kneeling, walking, and the dreaming of hands as they do and do in order to lie still at last – a sanctuary where we may find our attention at home. Vishvantara
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The London Buddhist Sept–Dec 2017
For Love or Money Money often substitutes for other things we want. But how to tell the difference? Amalavajra, a banker-turned-Buddhist fundraiser, leads us through the maze
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n May 1999, at the age of twenty-five, I was a bond dealer at JP Morgan, a major US investment bank just off Fleet Street. I had always wanted to be, yes, a ‘millionaire’, and was now well on the way. But why did I want that? At the time I couldn’t really have told you, but in retrospect I can see that in my somewhat limited imagination it was a kind of placeholder for life and love. Sounds pretty stupid, right? We all know that money is just a tool that human society created to help us exchange goods and services, and to store and accumulate value. It’s a means not an end. So what was I thinking? Of course I wasn’t thinking – I was wishing, which arguably is what all of us are doing in our lives most of the time. Money was a powerful symbol for all that I deeply wanted, a kind of totem. Being only a representation of value (‘I promise to pay the bearer…’), money is a blank canvas which we colour with our deepest hopes and desires: for respect, security, freedom – even love. Schopenhauer called it ‘abstract happiness’. For the Buddhist writer David Loy, it is ‘frozen desire’: one that can never be satisfied. According to Buddhism we all have a deep sense of lack, which springs from an intuition that we don’t really exist in any substantial or permanent sense. Yes, we have real experiences – sensuous, mental, emotional – in relation to ourselves, others and the world around us. However, they are constantly changing and never 10
quite what we want, or if they are, they aren’t for very long. Where in that constantly changing flow of experiences could we possibly find any core, stable ‘me’? Money, on the other hand, seems solid, permanent (at least in the absence of hyperinflation) and deeply satisfying: it is ours and we can buy almost anything we want with it. This props up our sense of identity, helps us to feel more real. It helps us feel we’re the kind of guy who uses Apple products, wears SuperDry, drinks flat whites and goes on kite surfing holidays. This may sound innocent enough – after all, there’s nothing wrong with the flat white in itself. But what if this yearning to secure our sense of self, and to pay for it, compels us to give the best of our life’s energy to meaningless or even harmful work? What if it destroys our relationships with close family or friends? What if it even causes us to commit crimes or acts of violence? One study found that 90% of all crimes in the USA are motivated by money. o it is worth looking at what money symbolises for us, and to reflect upon whether it is really likely to deliver. We can ask, is wealth really likely to make others love me? Well, it will certainly win me more attention from others, if often of the ingratiating kind, as well as a consistent gale of envy. And I
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The London Buddhist Sept–Dec 2017
would have to bear the stress and complexity of managing, investing and protecting it, and the possessions I buy with it. Instead, thanks to years of wise friendship and help in training my mind at the London Buddhist Centre, I did finally begin to find love. But guess what? I haven’t found it outside of me in money and what it can buy, but rather in developing my own heart’s capacity to experience and offer warmth and love to others. Yes, I have needed money to live while I do this, but not those millions I aimed for as a young man. Actually I have lived very happily on about £1,000 per month – just under the Minimum Wage – or less for the last eighteen years. How have I done this, and in London of all places?! The answer is that I have found simpler ways to meet my needs. True, I don’t visit restaurants, take taxis, wear designer clothes like I used to, but my life is happier, and – wait for it – richer. I don’t need those compensations for a hard week’s work because I am living the life I want to, with friends. To be clear, I am not advocating minimizing the presence of ‘filthy lucre’ in one’s life: that is just another self-identification. Like manure, money can smell a bit, but it is good wholesome stuff if used well. As Sir Francis Bacon said four centuries ago: ‘Money is like muck, no good except it be spread.’ To put it another way, money is an energy that’s not really mine or yours, which, if we choose to, we can use to reduce suffering in the world. fter leaving banking I became a fundraiser, and have become very interested in the spiritual practice of giving money. How can an act that we all agree is good, feel so instinctively wrong and complex at the decisive moment? Why is there so often an inner battle between the wish to help and the tightening sense that, no, I need that money? I think it is because when we give, we give away. Money given is money lost forever. We feel that we have given away a part of ourselves, that
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we have become less real, less potent, less free, lost some of whatever it is money symbolises for us. And yet, perversely, after giving we feel more alive, more connected to others, happier. As a fundraiser I have been struck that sometimes donors thank me after making their gift. So how to explain our strong and persistent ‘No’ to giving away our money? It comes back to that sense of self, of course. There is a constant tussle in all of our hearts and minds between what one might call the ‘small self ’ that worries, hoards, conceals and rationalizes those urges in a hundred and one unlovely ways, and a bigger self that wants to give. One way of looking at the spiritual, or truly human, life is as a gradual siding with this ever bigger self, until eventually the notion of a self falls away altogether. This is what the Buddha called Enlightenment or Awakening. When I first came along to the London Buddhist Centre I wasn’t a bad man, and I probably wasn’t on my way to becoming one (though I was selling the products that ‘evolved’ into those that caused the 2008 banking crisis!). However, had I simply continued accumulating money in the hope of somehow converting it into happiness later, I may have found myself a disappointed, and perhaps rather dull, older man. Instead, thanks to the LBC, I have exchanged those promissory notes for the real thing. ■ 11
The London Buddhist Sept–Dec 2017
Paintings by Kusalasara
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The London Buddhist Sept–Dec 2017
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The London Buddhist Sept–Dec 2017
Diary of a London Buddhist by Tim Exile ‘If you worship money and things – if they are where you tap real meaning in life – then you will never have enough. Never feel you have enough. It’s the truth. Worship your own body and beauty and sexual allure and you will always feel ugly, and when time and age start showing, you will die a million deaths before they finally plant you.’ – David Foster Wallace
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usic is a passion and a career for me. I started playing the violin aged five, DJ-ing at fourteen, released my first record at twenty and have recently moved into developing electronic music performance software. I starting coming to the London Buddhist Centre six years ago. Initially I thought I’d need to give up my career to be a serious Buddhist but in many ways it’s made my passion for music more focussed. Before I became a Buddhist I was strongly opposed to the idea of worshipping anything at all. I thought it was at best uncool and at worse recklessly dangerous. But a teacher of mine pointed out how I already worshipped so many things – my youth, my career, my creativity to name just three. None of these will outlast my life – at least one of them is fast going out the window! Constantly devoting myself to these fickle things has often been a source of hell in my life. Crisis and fortune blow on winds completely out of my control and even when they blow in my favour, the fear of change stops me savouring the sweetness fully. The only way I’ve found to work against getting blown around by these winds is to surrender to something bigger than me – something infinite and cosmic. The more wholeheartedly I can surrender to it, the deeper the healing. On retreat the myth of the Buddha takes on an indescribable symbolic reality. The 14
devotional rituals we do have been the biggest source of healing and growth for me. This has taken me utterly by surprise. Paradoxically I’ve learned that it’s surrender itself – the giving up of worldly things – that allows me to engage more effectively with all the mundane things that motivate me in my daily life. Awareness zooms in while big shifts happen deep in the psyche. The surrounding environment becomes intensely vivid. Here are a few small moments I scribbled down in my journal during the two-week-long, mostly silent retreat I went on last winter.
Lounge
We sit silently in the lounge between afternoon meditation and dinner, warming by the woodburning stove. My distraction has finally calmed and I wade into a blissful sea of bodily sensation. Tomorrow, I promise myself, I will savour every experience with the most delicate attention. Later that night my mind goes off like a firework factory. I get no sleep and spend the next day struggling to notice a single breath.
6:55 am
Before the morning meditation. High tides have flooded the fens and the nature reserve is closed. The eastern sky is gloaming. The crescent moon hangs where the sun is about to emerge, the dark side slightly illuminated by the reflected light from where earth’s day has already broken.
The London Buddhist Sept–Dec 2017
For a moment I can see the interdependence of the physical world at work, the cycle of days, months, tides, breath and lifetimes in harmonic motion.
Shanti-pants
The last word of the evening ritual is ‘shanti’ chanted once each for the complete cessation of greed, hatred and delusion. One evening on hatred’s ‘shanti’ I accidentally let out a small audible fart. Our stillness has so much momentum that no one flinches. Later, alone in another room, I replay the scene. The phrase ‘shanti-pants’ comes to mind out of nowhere. Four days of silence bursts its banks. I lose myself in uncontrollable laughter till I cry.
Sumana
Sumana is a kindly practitioner who’s been doing it for longer than I’ve been alive. He wears his long hair in two pigtails tied by neon scrunchies, one pink one yellow. I meet him just long enough to exchange names before ten days of silence. We sit next to each other in the shrine room over the days of meditation, building a friendship silently. New Year’s Eve is a big confessional ritual, the apex of the retreat. We walk round the stupa chanting mantras and burning our handwritten confessions. I pass him. He looks up with bright eyes and presses a small wrapped boiled sweet into my hand. It feels like a teaching.
Hell
I’ve descended to the putrid landfill of anxiety accrued from years of relentless striving to be someone. As I process the toxic sludge, all I feel is hatred and doubt. I skip meditation, heading down muddy tracks to a storm in the fens. Rain seeps through my black rainwear. The mud on the flood defences is thick and unwilling for progress. It’s New Year’s Day but the Norfolk Broads are void of those who nurse hangovers and dislike the wet. At the furthest point I yearn
to undo thirty-eight years of grasping. I turn back. Later that afternoon I remember the walk. Wet reeds half submerged, ducks cowering in the lea, cracked paint on old buildings. But the tide has turned in the River Yare. There’s something soft and new in the brine.
Owls
Offerings and mantras and too much energy to sleep. I put on my thick coat and over-trousers and pace out in the cold through trees to the stars. Heads of dark cows track my progress from the shadows. Three owls triangulate spells over the furrowed fields. An unseen bird calls to warn of a dangerous presence. I’m a guest in this life.
Gran
We’re doing a meditation to strengthen our compassion. I’ve been taking a jackhammer to what seems like a brick-wall indifference to suffering. My shoulders are tense. Taking a moment to feel the pain my effort goes slack for a moment. Into the gap pours an image of my gran. She sits in her armchair at the Woodlands care home where I last left her in a hurry to catch my train. Her thin rumpled hands are in mine as she pleads to go back home. For a breath I feel her pain and all that made it in infinite resolution. I well up. It’s a glimpse of the inevitable suffering of all that lives.
Return
Charlie drives us back. None of us want to turn our phones on to use Google maps. Viryanaga relents. The first drop of the world lands with a ‘silent’ buzz. This time last year, Viryanaga was Glenn. He was ordained in the summer and given a new name. We keep forgetting and calling him Glenn. The skyline ebbs from bare fractal trees to geometric concrete. We pull up outside the London Buddhist Centre and go our separate ways after fond farewells, turning over the almost impossible riddle of how to share the benefits of the work we’ve done. ■ 15
Programme Sept–Dec 2017
Programme Sept–Dec 2017
Getting started For anyone interested in getting a taste of Buddhist meditation and those new to the Mindfulness of Breathing and Metta Bhavana meditation practices
The Winter Retreat
Led by Maitreyabandhu and Danayutta Our life is becoming a screen-life, dominated by technology and mass media. The battle for the ownership of our attention is on. Do we own our attention or does it belong to the marketplace? If we don’t own our attention, and if we don’t choose to do something worthwhile with it, there are plenty of others trying to grab our attention and manipulate it. So this Christmas and New Year, why not avoid the whole thing? Why not disappear from Facebook and Twitter? Why not turn the phone off, park the iPad, ditch the Oyster Card, spare the turkey? Why not challenge yourself to live a deeper, more truly human life? Why not go on retreat? Suitable for newcomers to meditation and those who have been meditating for up to two years. 22 Dec–1 Jan (10 nights) at Adhisthana. £520/£410. 22 Dec–27 Dec or 27 Dec–1 Jan (5 nights) at Adhisthana. £310/£260.
The Urban Retreat Enlightenment in Action
Led by Subhadramati, Singhamanas, Dayanatha, Danayutta and Amitajyoti Turn a week of your life into a retreat. The Urban Retreat is an opportunity to experience the value of being on retreat in the midst of daily life. We’ll support you with intensive meditation mornings, a silent day-long retreat, weekday morning meditations, evening classes, Dharma talks, yoga, daily text messages and emails. The retreat is suitable for all levels of experience, though if you need to learn meditation from scratch, do come on the first morning. Sat 23–Sat 30 Sep. Full programme to follow. Free. Booking essential.
Life with Full Attention
Led by Maitreyabandhu and Danayutta Mindfulness is about living fully and vividly, without rumination or distraction. This course is a systematic approach to mindfulness and authentic happiness, starting with applying mindfulness in everyday life and culminating in mindfulness of the nature of reality. The book ‘Life with Full Attention’ will be our guide to daily practice. Co-led by the author. 8 weeks from Wed 11 Oct. 7.15-9.45pm. £140/£110 (includes book). Booking essential.
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Programme Sept–Dec 2017
Regular classes Lunchtime Meditation Taster
Monday to Saturday Drop in and learn the principles of meditating on kindness and awareness in these lunch-hour taster sessions. 1-2pm. All welcome. By donation.
Evening Meditation Tuesday and Wednesday
Meditation is a way of creating a fit and healthy mind and a positive and creative world. Drop in to learn two fundamental practices that cultivate clear awareness, peace of mind and emotional positivity. 7.15-9.45pm. Free. Suggested donation £11/£6.
Daytime Class
Wednesday Morning Exploring some of the historical and archetypal figures on the Triratna movement’s Refuge Tree - a Buddhist map or family tree which includes those in our spiritual lineage whose lives and teachings we draw inspiration from. The first class of every month is a ‘practice morning’, devoted to meditation and ritual practices. 10.35am-12.30pm. Crèche facilities for children 6 mths-5 yrs, supported by experienced staff. By donation.
Yoga, Chi-Kung & Meditation Thursday Evenings
A meditative evening starting with yoga or Chi-Kung, followed by sitting meditation, to bring harmony to the mind and body. Suitable for beginners. Wear warm, comfortable clothing. 7.15-9.30pm. Cost £11/£6.
Weekday Lunchtime and Early Evening Yoga Drop-in sessions of yoga for meditation, encouraging
flexibility, strength and awareness of bodily sensations. Suitable for all levels. Weekday lunchtimes, 12-12.45pm. Free. Suggested donation £6. Mon/Tue/Wed/Fri evenings, 5.456.45pm. £8. No need to book.
openness, clarity and courage. Sun 10 Sep, 22 Oct, 19 Nov & 10 Dec. 10am-5pm. Lunch provided. £40/£30. Booking essential.
Saturday Morning Yoga
On this day we will explore the Threefold Puja, a Buddhist ritual often practised within the Triratna Community. We will use discussion, reflection, meditation and chanting in an attempt to unravel the relationship between revering and offering. Suitable for people new to Buddhist ritual and for those with experience. Led by Svadhi. Sun 3 Dec. 10am-5pm. Free. Suggested donation £30. Bring a vegetarian/vegan lunch to share. No need to book.
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First session: 10-11.15am. (This class finishes with some sitting meditation.) • Second session: 11.30am12.30pm. £10 per class. No need to book, just drop in.
Courses
Introduction to Buddhism & Meditation
An overview of Buddhist principles and an introduction to two meditation practices that offer a means to selfawareness, change and spiritual insight. 6 weeks from Mon 2 Oct & 13 Nov. 7.15-9.45pm. £100/£80. Booking Essential.
Day events Open Day Open House
On these stimulating and lively days you’ll get a taste of what goes on at the London Buddhist Centre. Find out about Buddhism, learn to meditate and try a taster session in Breathing Space, our project offering mindfulness for well-being. The LBC is also part of the Open House weekend, so there will be some special tours. Sun 17 Sep, 10am-5pm. Refreshments provided & all events free. No need to book.
Introduction to Meditation
Spend a whole day learning how to keep both your mind and heart in steady focus, with meditation practices that help cultivate
Introduction to Buddhist Ritual
Retreats
Intro to Buddhism & Meditation Weekends An ideal way to encounter meditation and the Buddhist vision for the first time. Join us to learn two fundamental, farreaching meditation practices, while living communally with diverse but like-minded people. 22-24 Sep, 27-29 Oct & 24-26 Nov. At Vajrasana. £180/£140.
Outreach: Courses in central London Buddhist Meditation Foundation Courses
An ideal way to learn meditation – four-week introductory courses supported by handouts, home practice and simple, straightforward teaching. Saturday mornings (10am12.30pm) starting 2 Sep, 30 Sep, 28 Oct & 25 Nov. £90/£70. Booking essential. At 52 St Martin’s Lane, London WC2N 4EA Weekly drop-in classes and courses are also happening in Hornchurch and in Mid-Essex. See hornchurchbuddhistgroup.org. uk and mid-essex-buddhistcentre.org.uk for details.
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Programme Sept–Dec 2017
Going Further If you know both meditation practices or are a Mitra or Order member, all these events are for you
Saturday Morning Meditation Exploring reality through meditation
These drop-in, intensive meditation courses are aimed at developing our understanding of meditation. How can we move beyond ordinary, divided consciousness into Samadhi and Wisdom? For those who know both meditations. 9am-12.30pm. (Doors open at 8.45am and close at 9.15am – no entry after this time.) Free. Suggested donation £15/£8. 2, 9 & 16 Sep. Led by Vidyadaka 11, 18 & 25 Nov. Led by Vandanajyoti
Winter Mandala Retreat
Led by Jnanavaca & Subhadramati Buddhist meditation is not merely a technique for refining desires and managing stress. It is a vision of life born of a consciousness that transcends all limitation. Once liberated, this consciousness manifests in selfless activity, guided by wisdom and compassion. An intensive meditation retreat exploring the nature of existence. For Order members, Mitras and others committed to deepening their practice.22 Dec–1 Jan at Vajrasana. £520/£410.
Weekend Retreats The Mind Unleashed
Led by Jnanavaca and Kusalasara Inherent in consciousness is a yearning for freedom. Our minds want to expand, but usually we are trapped within self-created limitations. On this retreat we will explore ways to transcend these limitations and move towards freedom. For people thinking about thinking about asking for Ordination. 15-17 Sept at Vajrasana. £180/£140. Booking essential.
Satipatthana: direct path to realisation
Led by Paramabandhu and Abhayanandi The health of our mind governs the health of our life. On this retreat we will explore mindfulness in meditation on and off the cushion as a means to transform the mind. For those who know both meditations. 17-19 Nov at Vajrasana. £180/£140. Booking essential.
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Programme Sept–Dec 2017
Regular Classes Lunchtime Meditation Taster
Monday to Saturday Drop in and take your practice of kindness and awareness deeper in these meditation taster sessions. 1-2pm. All welcome. By donation.
Lunchtime Course/ Meditation Toolkit
‘Strive on with Mindfulness’. What did the Buddha mean when he said this before he died? We will unpack the Buddha’s words by exploring his teaching on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. Drop into any one of the classes or come to all six. Led by Jayaka. Mon 27 Nov–Sat 2 Dec, 1-2pm. By donation. As part of the lunchtime drop-in meditation class.
Dharma Night
Monday Evenings Explore Buddhism through lively seminars, talks, meditation and puja. Whether you have done one of our introductory courses and want to learn more, or you have learned to meditate with us and are wondering what being a Buddhist is all about, you can drop in and participate any Monday evening. 7.15-9.45pm. Free. Suggested donation £7.
Evening Meditation Tuesday and Wednesday
Meditation is more than just a technique. After learning two fundamental practices, explore how to work with your mind more deeply and thoroughly. With led meditation, further teaching and guidance. 7.15-9.45pm. Free. Suggested donation £11/£6.
Daytime Class
Wednesday Morning This term we will be exploring some of the historical and
archetypal figures on the Triratna movements Refuge Tree - a Buddhist map or family tree which includes those in our spiritual lineage whose lives and teachings we draw inspiration from. The first class of every month is a ‘practice morning’, devoted to meditation and ritual practices – a wonderful way to start the month! 10.35am-12.30pm. Creche facilities for children 6 mths-5 yrs, supported by experienced staff. By donation.
the Dharma to transform both ourselves and our communities. Hosted by the Transforming Self and World team, with talks from Order members. 10am-1pm. Free (suggested donation £7). 30 Sep with Shraddhasiddhi; 28 October with Vajraghanta; 25 November TBC. More detailed information nearer the time. No need to book.
Yoga, Chi-Kung & Meditation
A meditation and Buddhism class for women who know the Mindfulness of Breathing and Metta Bhavana meditations. Led by Mahamani, Sudurjaya and friends. 3-5.30pm. Third Saturday of every month: 16 Sep, 21 Oct, 18 Nov & 16 Dec. Free. Suggested donation £8/£5.
Thursday Evenings
A meditative evening starting with yoga or chi-kung, followed by sitting meditation, to bring harmony to the mind and body. Wear warm, comfortable clothing. All welcome. 7.15-9.30pm. Cost £11/£6.
Friday Evenings
Bring the week to a contemplative close with meditation and ritual. Devotional practice helps us to engage with the Sangha and strengthen confidence in the Dharma. Also in this session, special pujas dedicated to Five Female Buddhas. • Fri 1 Sep: Locana. Water & Mirror-Like Wisdom. Led by Svadhi • Fri 6 Oct: Mamaki Earth & The Wisdom of Equality. Led by Nandaraja • Fri 27 Oct: Pandaravasini. Fire & Discriminating Wisdom. Led by Sujhayini • Fri 17 Nov: Green Tara. Air & All-Accomplishing Wisdom. Led by Sujhayini. • Fri 15 Dec: Akasadhatesvari. Space & The Dharmadhatu Wisdom. Led by Svadhi 7-9.45pm. Free. Suggested donation £7.
Transforming Self & World
Mornings exploring Buddhism’s relevance to the social issues of the day and how we can apply
Women’s Class
Monthly Saturdays
Mornings, Afternoons, Days & Evenings Full Moon Pujas
These monthly rituals give a regular point of devotional focus and the chance to explore Buddhist ritual. In coming together on the full moon of each month, we are joining Buddhists across the world in a tradition that goes back to the Buddha himself. Wed 6 Sep, Thu 5 Oct, Sat 4 Nov & Sun 3 Dec. Times to be announced. By donation.
Buddhist Sunday School
Encouraging and developing our children’s mindfulness and kindness through Buddhist practice and storytelling. Includes meditation, chanting and craft activities. For 3-12 year olds, parents/carers welcome. Led by Jyotismati and team. Last Sunday of every month: 24 Sep, 29 Oct, 26 Nov & 31 Dec. 10.30am-12.30pm. By Donation.
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Programme Sept–Dec 2017
Going Further Continued
Film Nights
An ongoing exploration of how narrative, symbol and imagination can lead us deeper into life and uncover hidden meanings and higher values. All the films will be preceded by a short talk. Hosted by Vidyasakhi. • Sat 21 Oct. ‘Chimes at Midnight’ - Orson Welles.‘How can it be that there remains an Orson Wells masterpiece that remains unseen?’ - Roger Ebert. Funny, moving and shot with great energy and invention, this is part of our occasional series of Shakespeare on film. • Sat 18 Nov. ‘Tangerines’ - Zaza Urushadze. Set against a beautiful landscape defiled by war, this poetic film makes an eloquent statement against war. • Sat 9 Dec. ‘Mirror’ - Andrey Tarkovsky. The Russian director’s film is a sculpture in time. Astounding and dreamy, it is both autobiographical and an evocative reflection of 20th Century European history. 7.15-9.45pm. Free. Suggested donation £7 per evening. No need to book.
Creativity & Mindfulness
A series of meditation and creativity events, exploring how meditation and mindful textile work (using simple hand sewing techniques) can help us to unlock our creative potential, contributing to a sense of well-being. Led by Mahamani and Heather. Sat 9 Sep. 2.30-6pm. £15 Sat 7 Oct. 2.30-6pm. £15 Sat 11 Nov. 2.30-6pm. £15 Sun 10 Dec. 10am-6pm. £30. Booking essential.
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Total Immersion Day
Intensify your meditation and plunge into the depths of the mind on this silent meditation day. For meditators who know both practices. Led by the Urban Retreat Team. Sun 24 Sep. 10am-5pm. Bring vegetarian/vegan lunch to share. Free. Suggested donation £30.
Drawing & the art of mindfulness
An opportunity to explore the beauty and simplicity of the ancient practice of mindfulness in the context of drawing. Explore how the two disciplines complement each other, leading to greater clarity of perception, aliveness and appreciation. During the day we will draw from a variety of sources of inspiration including interesting/enriching objects from the natural world and the human figure. Suitable for beginners as well as those with experience in drawing and/ or mindfulness meditation. Led by Amitajyoti, an artist and tutor who has been exploring both art and mindfulness for over 24 years. Bring veg/vegan lunch to share. Sat 7 Oct, 11-4pm. Venue: London Buddhist Arts Centre. E2 0PT. £35/£25. Booking essential.
Heart of Mantra
Chanting & Meditation Mantras are sound symbols that can point towards the mystery and beauty of Enlightenment. The day will be an exploration of this mystery, and will include chanting, discussion and meditation. Suitable for those who know both meditations. Led by Dayabhadra. Sun 8 Oct, 10am-5pm. Bring veg/ vegan lunch to share. Free. Suggested donation £30. No need to book.
Compassionate Communication With truthful communication, I purify my Speech
Many of us have the aspiration to practice the third precept, but is it possible to be both truthful and compassionate at the same time? On this day we will explore how, in the heart, truthful communication and compassion are one and the same. Led by Vajraghanta. Sun 15 Oct, 10am-5pm. Bring veg/vegan lunch to share. £40/30. Booking essential.
Deep Ecology Day
“This is what is the matter with us. We are bleeding at the roots, because we are cut off from the earth and sun and stars, and love is a grinning mockery, because poor blossom, we plucked it from its stem on the tree of Life.” D.H. Lawrence. A day exploring our relationship as Buddhists with the natural world through ritual, music, poetry, meditation, talks, discussion and sound meditation. Led by Sanghasiha and friends. Sun 22 Oct, 10am-5pm. Bring vegetarian/vegan lunch to share. Free. Suggested donation £30. No need to book.
Buddhism & 12-Step Recovery
These days are for people who are in 12-Step Recovery Groups and are also interested in Buddhism and meditation. Come and join us for a day of Sangha, fellowship and practice. For those familiar with the Mindfulness of Breathing and Metta Bhavana. Led by Sanghasiha and friends. Sun 5 Nov, 10am-5pm. Bring vegetarian/vegan lunch to share. Free. Suggested donation £30. No need to book.
Programme Sept–Dec 2017
Explore Buddhist Ritual
On this day we will explore the Three Fold Puja, a Buddhist ritual often practised within the Triratna Community. We will use discussion, reflection, meditation and chanting in an attempt to unravel the relationship between revering and offering. Suitable for people new to Buddhist ritual and for those with experience too. Led by Svadhi. Sun 3 Dec. 10am-5pm. Free. Suggested donation £30. Bring a vegetarian/vegan lunch to share. No need to book.
Courses
•
7.30pm-12.30am: Meditation, poetry, reflection and chanting. • 12.30-1.30am: Light refreshment. Bring nonalcoholic drinks, fruit and snacks to share. • 1.30-6am: Falling Awake all through the Night. Mindfulness in all activities of body, speech and mind. For people who know the Mindfulness of Breathing and the Metta Bhavana. Entry and exit every hour until 10pm, then 12.30am, 1.30am, 3.30 and for a puja at 5am Led by Atula and Ambaranta. Sat 31 Dec. 7.30-6am. By donation.
Not About Being Good Retreats Working Retreat
Buddhist ethics are not about conforming to a set of conventions. Instead, they are about coming into greater harmony with all that lives. This course takes a systematic approach to cultivating love, clarity and contentment. Using the book ‘Not About Being Good’ as our guide to daily practice. Suitable for newcomers and regular meditators. Led by Maitreyaraja and Mahamani. 6 weeks from Tue 14 Nov. 7.159.45pm. £110/£90 (price inc. book).
This is a low-cost mid-week retreat with the emphasis on living and working together at Vajrasana in the beautiful Suffolk Countryside. The retreat will include study, meditation, Buddhist ritual and free-time. We will spend about three hours each day working together to help keep Vajrasana beautiful. Led by Priyavajra and Jnanaruchi. 24-29 Sep. £100/75. Booking essential.
Men’s Weekend at Padmaloka
Xmas & New Year Great Gathering 3 Day Retreats
Over the Christmas and New Year period, there will be several day retreats to spend in meditation and reflection, for those who know both practices. Mon 25 Dec, Tue 26 Dec, Mon 1 Jan, 10am-5pm. Suggested donation £30. Bring veg/vegan lunch to share. No need to book.
New Year’s Eve & All Night Meditation Meditation and mindfulness through the night. See the New Year in with others in an atmosphere of contemplation, turning towards what is most meaningful and vital.
Inviting the Enlightened Mind
If you were inviting the person you respect most in all the world into your living space, how would you beautify it to make them welcome? If we are inviting the Enlightened Mind into our mental living space, how can we prepare our heart to make it a fit place? Over this weekend we will explore how cultivating a sense of beauty and reverence can beautify our minds, and open us up to higher dimensions of being. Led by Vadyana and team. 6-8 Oct. Book at padmaloka.org.uk
Women’s Mitra Weekend
Turning the Mind to the Dharma On this retreat we will be focusing our minds on the opportunities for spiritual practice through the Four Mind-Turning Reflections. Through reflecting on impermanence, the effects of karma and seeing through the illusion of samsara we deepen our going for refuge to the Three Jewels. Led by Mahamani and Sudurjaya. 13-15 Oct. £180/£140. Booking essential.
Volunteering Volunteering can be a satisfying way of giving to the centre. See the section of our website labelled ‘Support Us’ for more information.
Volunteer sessions
After the lunchtime class, join in with the work period, cleaning the centre and looking after the shrines. Every Monday & Thursday, 2.30pm. If you would like more information or would like to chat with someone about this, please contact Vajrabandhu on vajrabandhu@lbc.org.uk or drop in at one of these times.
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Programme Sept–Dec 2017
Sub25 & Sub35 groups
Sub25
Sub35
Third Friday: Sub25 Class
Final Friday of the Month
A monthly chance for those aged 16-25 to come together to explore Buddhism and make friends through meditation and discussion. This autumn we’ll be looking at the Sangharavastus – the four means of creating and strengthening a spiritual community. Led by a group of young people, with an experienced Buddhist teacher joining us each month: 15 Sept Satyadasa on Generosity 20 Oct Abhayanandi on Kindly Speech 17 Nov Jayaka on Beneficial Activity 15 Dec Suryagupta on Exemplification 7.15-9.45pm (Tea bar till 10.30pm). All welcome. By donation.
Sub25 Retreat: Sheltering from the Worldly Winds Using the Buddha’s teaching as our guide we’ll explore how to sail through the ups and downs - big and small - of everyday life. A weekend of meditation, periods of silence, discussion groups and ritual – all with like-minded people aged 16-25 at our beautiful countryside retreat centre. Led by Alex Green and Charlotte Lawes. 8-10 Sept at Vajrasana. £50. Booking essential.
Sub25 Day Retreat
Busy World. Simple Life.
Spend a Sunday gathered with like-minded people under 25 exploring what it might mean to live a simple life in the metropolis of modern London. Expect meditation, discussion and tea. Sunday 5th Nov. 11am – 5pm. All welcome. By donation. Bring a vegetarian lunch to share.
Sub25 Breakfast Seminar with Maitreyabandhu
Join us for croissants, orange juice and a seminar from Maitreyabandhu on Padmasambhava’s Advice to the Three Fortunate Women. A fascinating text littered with short, practical teachings from the life of 8th century Tibet’s great guru Padmasambhava. Sat 9th Dec. 10am-1pm. £4. Booking essential.
To join the Sub25 mailing list or for if you have any questions, email alex@lbc.org.uk
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Young Women’s Night Join us to explore meditation and Buddhism in a friendly, relaxed and intimate environment. An opportunity to make friends with other young women at the centre and support each other’s spiritual practice. With meditation, discussion and tea. Experience of both meditation practices required. 7.15-9.45pm. Free. Suggested donation £7.
Sub35 retreat: Stillness, Simplicity & Contentment
Modern life can feel pressured, busy and even scary. On this weekend we will be experimenting with ways of living a richer, more satisfying life. We will be practicing meditation, living as a community and exploring the life of the Buddha. Everyone under 35 welcome. Suitable for newcomers. Led by Sargarasila and Tara Allitt. 1-3 Dec. £180/£140. Booking essential.
Programme Sept–Dec 2017
Festivals and Special Events Celebrating the arts in the life of the Sangha
Calling all art practitioners, art lovers, people confused by art, people who aren’t sure where it fits into a Buddhist life and everyone else! Come and experience what the arts mean to people in the Sangha as they share their work. The evening will include dance, visual arts, poetry and the launch of the second Triratna Arts Book with over 100 pages of 100 Triratna artists from around the world. Hosted by Maitreyaraja, Amitajyoti and friends. Sat 16 Sep. 7-9.30pm. Free. Suggested donation £7. No need to book.
Padmasambhava Day Festival
It’s truly the end of summer. The nights have become longer than the days. Now’s the time to call upon Padmasambhava, the archetypal Warrior, Lover, Guru, who inspires us to turn towards the darkness with faith, creativity and devotion. Join us for a day of meditation, stories, reflection and puja, including mitra ceremonies. Led by Vidyasakhi and Satyadasa. Sun 1 Oct. 10am-10pm. Bring a vegetarian/vegan lunch to share. Full programme to be announced nearer the time. No need to book. By donation.
Parenting as Practice
Many of us in the sangha are parents or may be thinking about having children. What are some of the challenges we may face in practising the Dharma in the context of bringing up children? And how can we expand our metta and compassion beyond the needs of our immediate family? This is an opportunity to hear from experienced Buddhists who are parents. With talks and discussion. With Sudurjaya, Suryagupta, Sanghajit and friends. There may be a crèche for this event. Check the LBC website nearer the time. Sat 11 Nov. 2.30-5.30pm. By donation.
Sangha Day Festival
Our relationships with others can create our strongest experiences. We have the capacity to feel deeply connected and loving, but also separate and isolated. On this day we will explore how spiritual friendship can help us transcend our limitations and become insightful, creative and generous human beings. We will discover how the Sangha (spiritual community) is the living context in which we can realise our ideals and practice the Dharma. Led by Mahamani and Dayanatha. Sun 12 Nov, 10am-10pm. Full programme to be announced nearer the time. No need to book. By donation.
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Monday
Tuesday
4
Wednesday
Thursday
26
19
12
3
25
18
11 Life with Full Attention (p18)
2
10
17
24
31
course starts
5 Full Moon Puja (p21)
9
16
23
30 poetryEast (p31)
Oct
Friday
6 Men’s Weekend
starts
(p23)
13 Women’s Mitra Weekend (p23) starts
20 Sub25 Class (p24)
(p22)
7 Creativity & Mindfulness(p22) Drawing & Mindfulness
Saturday
8 Heart of Mantra (p22) Yoga & Meditation Day (p30)
Sunday
29 Chi-Kung retreat starts (p30) Sunday School (p21)
22 Intro to Meditation (p19) Deep Ecology Day (p22)
15 Compassionate Communication
(p22)
(p22)
14 Yoga & Meditation Workshop(p30)
21 Women’s class (p21) Film Night
27 28 Intro Weekend Transforming retreat starts (p19) Self & World Sub35 Young (p21) Women’s night (p24)
Special events calendar
Our daily, weekly, daytime and evening classes can be found in the Getting Started and Going Further sections, near the start of this programme. Retreats are also listed there.
Monday
Tuesday
Special events calendar
Wednesday
Thursday
Sept
13
21
14
7
12
20
5
19
6 Full Moon Puja (p21)
Our daily, weekly, daytime and evening classes can be found in the Getting Started and Going Further sections, near the start of this programme. Retreats are also listed there.
4
11 Intro to Buddhism & Meditation course starts (p19)
18
1
Friday
Saturday
3 Yoga & Meditation Workshop (p30)
Sunday
(p19)
10 Intro to Meditation
2 Meditation Morning (p20)
8 9 Sub25 Retreat Meditation (p24) Morning (p20) Creativity & Mindfulness
(p22)
15 16 17 Regulars Meditation Open Day, Weekend Morning (p20) Open House retreat starts (p20) Women’s (p19) Sub25 Class class (p21) (p24) Arts event (p25) 23 24 22 Intro Weekend Urban Retreat Total Immersion retreat (p19) starts (p18) poetryEast(p31) Day (p22) Sunday School(p21)
30 26 27 29 25 28 1 Oct Urban Retreat Urban Retreat Urban Retreat Urban Retreat Urban Retreat Urban Retreat Padmasambhava (p18) (p18) (p18) (p18) (p18) Day Festival Chi-Kung Workshop (p30) (p25) Transforming Self & World (p21) Sub35 Young Women’s night (p24)
Monday
Tuesday
12
5
Dec 4
11
Wednesday
Thursday
Special events calendar
26 Day Retreat
27
20
13
6
28
21
14
7
Our daily, weekly, daytime and evening classes can be found in the Getting Started and Going Further sections, near the start of this programme. Retreats are also listed there.
(p23)
19
25 Day Retreat
18
(p23)
Sunday
Saturday
Friday
(p31)
2 1 Sub35 Retreat poetryEast
9 Film Night (p22) Sub25 Breakfast Seminar (p24)
(p24) starts
8
16 Women’s Class (p21)
31 Sunday School (p21) NYE: All Night Sit Meditation
24
17
(p22)
10 Intro to Meditation (p19) Creativity & Mindfulness
3 Buddhist Ritual Day (p23) Full Moon Puja (p21) Yoga Day (p30)
15 Sub25 Class (p24)
30
22 23 Winter Retreat starts(p18)
Winter Mandala Retreat starts(p20) 29 Sub35 Young Women’s night (p24)
(p23)
Monday
Tuesday
14 Not About Being Good
28
21
(p23) course starts
7
Nov 6
13
20
27 Meditation
toolkit (p21) six lunchtimes until 2nd Dec
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Wednesday
3
5 12-Step Recovery (p22) Sub25 Day Retreat (p24)
2
10
19 Intro to Meditation(p19) Yoga Day (p30)
12 Sangha Day Festival (p25)
11 Med. Morning (p20) Creativity & Mindfulness (p22) Parenting as Practice (p25) 18 Med. Morning (p20) Women’s Class (p21) Film Night (p22) 17 Regulars Weekend retreat (p20) starts Sub25 Class
(p21)
Special events calendar
24 Intro Weekend retreat (p19) starts Sub35 Young Women’s night (p24)
(p24)
1
9
16
23
30
25 26 Med. Morning (p20) Sunday Transforming School (p21) Self & World
4 Yoga & Meditation Workshop (p30) Full Moon Puja (p21)
8
15
22
29
Our daily, weekly, daytime and evening classes can be found in the Getting Started and Going Further sections, near the start of this programme. Retreats are also listed there.
Programme Sept–Dec 2017
Yoga & Chi-Kung for Meditation
Our Hatha yoga classes encourage flexibility, strength and awareness of physical sensations – a great way into sitting meditation. Chi-Kung, meanwhile, is a Chinese practice whose name means ‘the way of energy’. It uses gentle warm-ups and standing postures to encourage awareness of what we call subtle energy – a precious ingredient in our meditation practice.
Regular classes Weekday Lunchtime & Early Evening Yoga
Drop-in sessions of yoga for meditation. All levels. Weekday lunchtimes 12-12.45pm. Free. Suggested donation £6. No need to book. Mon/Tues/Wed/Fri evenings 5.456.45pm. £8. No need to book.
Yoga, Chi-Kung & Meditation Thursday Evenings
A meditative evening starting with yoga or Chi-Kung, followed by sitting meditation, to bring harmony to the mind and body. Suitable for beginners. Wear warm, comfortable clothing. 7.15-9.30pm. £11/£6. No need to book, just drop in.
Saturday Morning Yoga •
•
First session: 10-11.15am. (This class finishes with some sitting meditation.)
Second session: 11.30am12.30pm. £10 per class. No need to book, just drop in.
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Days, courses & retreats Yoga & Meditation Days
Meditation teaching will be suitable for both newcomers and regulars, and the yoga will be a mixture of restorative and energising sequences suitable for all levels. Led by Danayutta and Holly. Sun 8 Oct, 19 Nov & 3 Dec. 10am-5pm. Bring vegetarian/vegan lunch to share. £40/£30. Booking essential.
Yoga & Meditation Workshops for Regulars
To keep our practice fresh, we need to both develop strength and subtlety, mastery and relaxation. These workshops will focus on unblocking, raising and refining energy through yoga and meditation. Led by Danayutta and Holly. Sun 3 Sep 10am-12.30pm. Sat 14 Oct and Sat 4 Nov 2.30pm-5pm. £20/25. Booking essential.
Chi-Kung & Meditation Workshop Learning some basic movements and positions in Chi-Kung, then bringing the energy they generate into meditation, for inner harmony and tranquility. Suitable for all levels of experience. Led by Jayaka Sat 30 Sep, 2.30-5pm. £15. Booking essential.
Chi-Kung & Meditation Retreat
A retreat with special guest Sifu Lam Tin Yu, son of Master Lam Kam Chuan, leading the ancient art of Zhan Zhuang which is a form of Chi-Kung. This will be the focus of the retreat on which we will be working with energy, leading to tranquillity. With Mediation and ritual. Newcomers welcome. Led by Jayaka. 29-31 Oct. £180/£140. Booking essential.
Programme Sept–Dec 2017
poetryEast is an ongoing series of cultural events at the LBC, exploring the meaning and value of the arts. Previous guests have included Michael Frayn, Wendy Cope. Michael Longley and Marina Warner. This autumn we’ll be hosting events on biography, sculpture and poetry.
Hermione Lee on Penelope Fitzgerald
Once dismissed as ‘a minor lady writer’ Penelope Fitzgerald is now recognized as one of the finest British novelists of the last century. Hermione Lee will be discussing her biography of Fitzgerald, which won the 2014 James Tait Black Prize for Biography and was one of the New York Times best ten books. ‘Lee was a perfect choice as Fitzgerald’s biographer’ – Philip Hensher, The Guardian. Hermione Lee was appointed a Dame for services to literary scholarship. Sat 23 Sept. 7.30pm, £10. Booking essential.
Anthony Gormley
Antony Gormley is one of Britain’s most successful sculptors, perhaps best known for the ‘Angel of the North’ that stands outside Gateshead. Solo exhibitions of his work have been held since 1981; in 1994 he won the Turner Prize. He was knighted in 2014 for services to the arts. He is a Royal Academician and a Trustee of the British museum. Mon 30 Oct. 7.30pm, £10. Booking essential.
Bernard O’Donoghue
Bernard O’Donoghue returns to poetryEast to talk about his new collection ‘The Seasons of Cullen Church’, shortlisted for the T.S. Eliot Prize. O’Donoghue has published seven collections of poetry, including ‘Gunpowder’, which won the Whitbread Prize for Poetry. He is an Emeritus Fellow of Wadham College, Oxford and is currently translating Piers Plowman for Faber. ‘One of the most lyrical, amused, tragic and serious poets currently writing in English.’ PN Review. Sat 2 Dec. 7.30pm, £10. Booking essential.
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Winter retreat led by maitreyabandhu & danayutta
22 dec - 1 jan