Regular events

Saturday Morning Meditation

Drop-in meditation and a celebratory Buddha day Three fold Puja!

The Buddha's Enlightenment is the central event in Buddhism, and the celebration of that Enlightenment is an important event in the Buddhist year.

Enlightenment is also an ideal to which all Buddhists aspire and on this Saturday morning we will celebrate the life of the Buddha with a devotional three fold Puja during our usual 10am meditation sit.

Puja is about the cultivation and expansion of positive emotions including shraddha (faith-confidence). It is a practice which helps us crawl in behind the limited, habitual, fixed self and for a time experience ourselves as much more expanded and limitless.

Sangharakshita describes shraddha as a lifting up of the heart to something higher, touching something higher, experiencing, even if only for a moment, something higher. When we do this with one another it deepens the development of true community so that Sangha can indeed become a real and abiding refuge.

Our usual Saturday mornings provide an opportunity for experienced meditators to practice with others during both sessions. People starting to explore meditation are welcome to attend the second session where they will get the support of an experienced meditation teacher in a group context. Please arrive 5-10 minutes early since we try to start on time:

9am - for experienced meditators, no guidance provided

10am - suitable for those starting to explore a meditation practice

On this particular Saturday during the usual 10am sit we will also include a threefold Puja to celebrate the enlightenment of the Buddha. You are very welcome to join us in the reception room afterwards for tea and biscuits

If you are attending the 10am session and are unfamiliar with how to meditate, please let the person leading the meditation know so they can provide more guidance than usual. For first visits it is also recommended that people sit in a chair for comfort, although meditation cushions and benches are provided for use and you are welcome to try them.

These popular drop-in sessions rotate from week to week between two meditation practices: mindfulness of breathing and metta bhavana. The individual meditation sessions are about forty minutes long.

If you enjoy this session, we encourage beginners to consider attending one of our six week meditation courses or weekend retreats to learn the basics of how to meditate and get helpful tips on meditation posture. Please call the centre tel. (09) 378-1120 if you want to explore your options.

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