Sangha night

Stories of the Buddha from the Pali Canon

Come along for Sangha Night, an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the Dharma, how it relates to our own lives, and practice together.

Almost anything can happen on Sangha Night, but mostly we meditate together, have a 20-30 minute presentation from someone in the community, and then have 20 minutes for small group discussion on the evening's theme.

Tonight: The story of Meghiya, and learning how the spiritual life is more than just meditating

This evening we continue our series on stories from the "Pali Canon". This is the collection of stories and teachings written down over time as Buddhism changed from a purely oral tradition, to one that was also recorded in writing. (Pali was a local language of the time in India).

This evening Claire will look into the story of how Meghiya's attempt to meditate, in what he thought were ideal conditions, turned out to be an unexpected teaching. The Buddha turns his experience into a lesson on how difficult it is to develop spiritually on ones own, and the importance of sangha and spiritual friendship in the bigger picture. One might say this is an example of the interconnection of all things, and that the spiritual life is more than just sitting on the cushion.

Sangha nights are a place for people to come together and celebrate community, deepen their knowledge of Buddhism, and their understanding of how to practice it. They are designed for those who have been coming to the centre for a little while. If you have had minimal contact with us, you are best to attend our Intro course first, even if you have practiced within other traditions.