Regular events

Sangha night

What's this about Buddhist deities?

Shakyamuni - Visualising the Buddha
Although Buddhism is a non-theistic religion (in that there is no transcendent creator and ruler of the universe), it doesn't mean that Buddhists don't make use of imaginal or archetypal figures that might represent different elements of spiritual development, characteristics of awakening, and even unconscious processes.

This is the third evening in a series in which we look at some Buddhist "deities" often used to further develop positive qualities in practitioners, including through the use of visualisation practices.

Tonight, Buddhanusarin talks about his relationship with Shakyamuni, another name for the historical Buddha but also an imaginal figure based on what he represents to us. While the Buddha was a real person (not a deity), we are able to invoke an image or feeling of him at an archetypal level to inspire and guide us. Buddhanusarin's name literally means "follower of the Buddha", and he will describe this evening how he works with Shakyamuni to further develop his own spiritual practice.

Wednesday nights are a place for people who have attended our foundation courses to come together and celebrate community as well as an opportunity to deepen their knowledge of the Buddha's teaching, and their understanding of how to practice it. They generally include a talk and discussion, followed by a cup of tea and then a meditation. Note that we are temporarily meeting at the Ponsonby Community Centre while we find a new permanent home for the centre.

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