Most Wednesdays, 7-9PM, Sholden Village Hall, Deal, CT14 0AH - (please see below for individual event dates)
Our regular Sangha Evenings are held in-person in Deal on Wednesday evenings. (In Buddhism Sangha means ‘community’). We ask for a donation of £8 (or what you can afford) to help with venue hire. There is usually a card machine available to take payments.
Our Sangha Evenings are suitable for people aged 18+ who know the Mindfulness of Breathing and Metta Bhavana Meditations.
We usually have a lightly led meditation and a talk. Once a month we include a pūjā (ritual).
There is also a chance each week for a cuppa and a catch up at the break! Drinks and biscuits are provided.
We announce our weekly events along with our Zoom code (for occasional online weeks) in our regular mailings.
If you would like to receive our email contact: ekbuddhists@gmail.com
Please also consider following our Triratna East Kent Buddhist Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/148699268982875/
And our Instagram page: @mindmatters.eastkent
On the first Wednesday of the month there is no Sangha Evening at Sholden Village Hall - please email ekbuddhists@gmail.com if you wish to organise something, eg a walk (weather permitting), a short meditation on the beach, or a meeting in someone's house etc.
Dates for your diary:
Wednesday 11th June
An Evening of Dharma with Punyamati. This week we welcome back Punyamati who will be leading our practice evening. Punyamati used to live in the EKB men’s community with Danapriya and Manidhara before moving back to Croydon community at Aryatara. He has a profound wealth of knowledge about the dharma and is always interesting to listen to. So please join us as Punyamati brings us together to practice and reflect on the Buddha’s teachings. With metta, Prajnasisya.
Wednesday 18th June
BAM (Buddhist Action Month) Film Night hosted by Prajnasisya and Geoff*
Wednesday 25th June
Earth Puja hosted by Prajnasisya*
Wednesday 2nd July
No Sangha Meeting
Wednesday 9th July
Wednesday 16th July
Tea with Mara hosted by Vidyanadi - We first meet Mara on the night of the Buddha's Enlightenment. Since Mara is the personification of the forces of darkness it is not surprising that he would appear just as the light was about to be embodied on the earth. Mara tried to stop the Enlightenment happening by unleashing all his wiles and tricks. The age old story of light verses dark. My first question is: “Why doesn’t Mara want Gotama to realise his Enlightenment?” This is not the last time these two meet during the Buddha's life. Each time Mara re-appears the Buddha welcomes him as an old friend - even invites him to tea. So my second question is: “Why did he have tea with Mara?” And lastly and more importantly: " Why should we too have tea with Mara?"
As I have been thinking about Mara in preparation for this evening, I have started to see how similar Mara’s story is the the story of the Wizard of Oz!
From the character of the Wizard himself who hides behind the curtain, never wanting his tricks to be seen, to the main characters that think themselves stupid, or cowardly, useless or lost and homeless. So let’s walk the yellow brick road - the golden path - together, looking to the truth of our own stories. and unmasking the Wizard also known as Mara in our own lives. Looking forward to seeing you there.
Vidyanadi
Wednesday 23rd July
Practice (Puja) Night - Our next event at Sholden will be an evening of meditation and puja. Sangharakshita says: “Ritual is an integral part of Buddhism, as it is of all other religions, and an integral part of every school of Buddhism…we should try to understand ritual and see what it really is”. One definition of ritual is “shared action, expressive of common strivings, rooted in common values”. Sharing it with others can create a very powerful spiritual atmosphere. It is an expression of devotion and of the parts of us to which myth and symbol speak. Sangharakshita adds: “Even if we simply offer a few flowers, or light a candle and place it in front of an image or picture, all this has an effect upon the mind, and sometimes we are surprised to find how much effect it does have”. We look forward to seeing you there, from Prajnasisya and the team.
Wednesday 30th July
Tonight sees Prajnasisya stepping down as Chair of East Kent Buddhists after being in the role since the autumn of 2021. We are all so grateful for all of her hard work and dedication, so we hope you can come and join us as we rejoice in Prajnasisya and wish her well in her future endeavours.*
Wednesday 13th August
Wednesday 20th August
An Evening Hosted by Danaketu*
Wednesday 27th August
Tonight we will meet on Deal Beach for a Puja (Sangharakshita 108 Puja) - more details soon*
*Please note, we will soon add more details to each of these events. Thank you, and we hope to see you soon.
When meeting online, we use this Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/2432431990
For most modern web browsers, you do not need to download anything. For a better experience you can, before the start time, download the Zoom Desktop Client for Windows, Mac, or Linux. You do not need to create an account or sign in.
A few minutes before we're due to start, either:
Before the start time, download the Zoom Mobile App using one of the links below. You do not need to create an account or sign in.
A few minutes before we're due to start, click here to join or open the app and enter the meeting ID 243-243-1990.
The class is best suited for those who are familiar with the two meditation practices we teach (Mindfulness of Breathing and Mettā Bhāvanā) and are able to comfortably meditate for around 40 minutes with minimal instruction.
No, just turn up!
A pūjā is a traditional Buddhist ritual that includes chanting and making offerings.
If coming on a pūjā night and you have not done it before, please let the class leader know so they can give an introduction.
There is a suggested donation of £8 per person to help us cover our running costs.
The word Sangha means 'to bring together' into a group and is the general word for 'community' in both Pali and Sanskrit. In Buddhism it is primarily used to refer to the Buddhist community.
When meeting in person we meet at Sholden Village Hall. One Wednesday per month we meet on Zoom instead of in-person. If you would like to know more about this then please email: ekbuddhists@gmail.com
