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 30th April
Going Deeper in Meditation through Tonglen
There is so much suffering in the world and we can often wonder how we can respond and what difference we can make. Do we have the inner resources to change our responses which often come from a self grasping and self cherishing view of the world?
On Wednesday evening we will be learning more about an ancient meditation practice called Tonglen where we breathe in the suffering of others and breathe out compassion and healing. Tonglen is Tibetan for taking and sending and encourages us to feel compassion for others and to let go of our self centred view of ourselves. So do come along to find out more about it and to practice Tonglen.
With metta, Prajnasisya
Wednesday 7th May
No Sangha Meeting
Wednesday 14th May
Having Tea with Mara
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 21st May
An Evening of Dharma with Punyamati
Wednesday 28th May
Practice (Puja) Night
Wednesday 4th June
No Sangha Meeting
Wednesday 11th June
An Evening of Dharma with Punyamati
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
