Our Meetings

Dharma day is on   

21st JULY

Join us on the 29th July to celebrate this event.

 

12.00 until 13.00 

 

Church House, Areley Kings, Stourport on Severn, DY13 0TB

 

Join us to celebrate Dharma Day. It falls on the 21st July so we will make the Dharma our theme on the 29th.

Dharma Day commemorates the Buddha's first sermon following his attainment of enlightenment.

Dharma Day is typically celebrated by paying homage to the Buddha and his teaching and by being grateful. 

 

Readings

Meditation

Mantras

Music

 

The event is FREE but there will be a DanaBox for you to donate towards the hire of the room, teas and coffees. Preferred donation £10

 

 

 

 

What to Expect if you visit us:

Here are some things that you might observe:

1. Our Traditions of Greeting One Another

Sometimes when we meet, we acknowledge each other by putting our hands together and bow before speaking. In this way we acknowledge each other with the greeting ‘Namaste’.

When we do this we are in fact recognising that we share the same Buddha nature and the possibility of a deep spiritual awareness of our one-ness. Don’t do it if it makes you feel uncomfortable.

For the same reason, we often give each other a hug.

2. The Sound of the Bell

One bell at regular intervals: to gather people together.

Three bells: a meditation starts.

Two bells: a meditation ends.

One bell at intervals during our practice: to bring our focus back to the object of our meditation in case our mind have been wandering unchecked..

3. Sitting Meditation Positions

First Choice

The accepted position is to sit cross-legged on a zafu (meditation cushion) and zabuton (meditation mat). A folded blanket and a firm cushion will do almost as well! Sit upright with a straight back. You have to be comfortable.

Second Choice

To kneel whilst sitting on a stool or raised zafu

The alternative

is to sit on a straight-backed chair. Sit upright with both feet firmly on the floor.

To remain grounded, remove your shoes.

 

4. Buddhist Teachings

We are a non-religious group but our mindful meditation tradition is a Buddhist one in the sense that we acknowledge Shakyamuni Buddha as the supreme teacher of mindfulness and meditation. As a secular group we follow the guidelines taught by Thich Naht Hanh who formed the Community of Interbeing and has established secular monasteries and communities all over the world. and Lama Surya Das the only Tibetan Lama who is an American, the Dalai llama and the author of ‘The Power of Now’: Eckhart Tolle.

To all intents and purposes we remain a secular, non-religious group.

 

5. Readings

We include a reading at each meditation that will help us to deepen our spiritual lives and help us to develop mindful living. Sometimes it might be a poem, sometimes an ancient sutra, sometimes an extract from a book written by notable writers on meditation and spiritual practices.

 

6. Mantras

We chant mantras sometimes. A mantra is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound which have spiritual powers that help us to focus our minds and deepen our awareness. Science teaches us that regardless of what the practitioner repeats, the word or phrase has nearly the same effects: relaxation and the ability to better cope with life’s unexpected stressors.

 

7. Songs

Songs are fun to sing. What other justification do we need to include them! The capacity of music to capture people’s attention, touch them deeply, and tug at their heartstrings makes it one of the most beautiful forms of human expression. Ancient and modern Buddhist and Christian music takes us deep into the realm of consciousness and enables transcendental realisation of the divine.