Under 35s Sunday High Tea

Online - exile in the cremation grounds

All really great people have been, in fact, a bit of a disgrace to us supposedly upright and sober citizens. - Padmavajra, from his talk "Exile in the cremation grounds"

Listen to this talk before coming along to the session.

Join us on Zoom at 3pm on Sunday afternoon.

Zoom link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89886273166?pwd=Q3cxbytjRlU4QWtnS2NBbkhGRzMrQT09
Or use:
Meeting ID 898 8627 3166
Passcode 092563

We enjoyed our first session on the myths of Padmasambhava, the second Buddha of Tibet, on the 22nd, so we thought we'd continue on with this theme and format for under 35s while we're in lockdown. (If you missed the first session, you can catch up by listening to this).

High Tea sounds a bit posh. Padmasambhava is not a bit posh. The myths and legends surrounding Padmasambhava are wonderfully weird. They start in the primordial past and move into the future. The stories are set amidst a great mythic struggle that's always going on between wisdom and compassion, and the demonic forces of tyranny, anarchy, chaos and destruction. The thing is, Padmasambhava doesn't destroy these demonic forces: he transforms them. He somehow turns all that energy into a positive and creative force. We, too, can do that in the midst of the chaos of this world.

I will not be fixed on the tracks you are laying down for me. I will live the life of transformation in the world of transformation.

A rough programme for the afternoon (some prep on your part is needed!):

Before the Zoom session, listen to Exile in the Cremation Grounds, a Dharma talk on Padmasambhava given by Padmavajra in 2009. You need to set aside about an hour to listen to it - fear not, Padmavajra is a passionate and engaging speaker! Note down any questions, thoughts or reflections.
Bring baked goods, or the afternoon tea of your choice (it is high tea, after all)

We'll do a short mindfulness practice, check in with each other, then discuss Exile in the Cremation Grounds. We might even meditate together. We'll see where Zoom (and potentially a lot of sugar) takes us...

This session is for people aged under 35 years and is an opportunity for younger people to come together and share and practice with their peers