August 2017 Newsletter
Building Fund Update
We have continued to make good progress towards finding a long-term home for the temple, and in early July the Triodos Bank approved our mortgage (of up to £200,000). During June the Building Fund received donations totalling £27,937.50 (including the grant from the Inlight Trust), and at the moment we have sufficient resources (including personal loans that have been offered) to manage a purchase price of about £285,000.
In the meantime, the property on Kingsmead Road is "sold subject to contract". The sale isn't definite until contracts have been exchanged, but if the offer is anywhere near the asking price of £300,000 then we don't think that would be very good value for us anyway, given the amount of work that is needed on the property.
There have been a few other properties that look like they have potential, and hopefully there will be more coming on the market.
We would still be grateful for any further support for the Building Fund. The more resources that we have, the more likely we are to be able to afford a property that would work well as a temple, and also be in a location with good transport links, that Sangha members can get to easily.
We may just need to bide our time until the right opportunity comes along. House prices continue to fall slightly, and the market is fairly weak, so from that point of view we don't need to feel hurried to find somewhere. Although of course it would also be nice to find somewhere suitable before too long.
How you can help
If you feel able to offer any financial assistance to help us purchase a property for the temple, that would be greatly appreciated. There are a number of ways in which you could help, such as through a donation or by offering a long-term loan to the temple. Full details are on the Building Fund page. We are very grateful for all your support.
Temple Closed 31st July - 7th August
The temple will be closed from Monday the 31st of July until Monday the 7th of August inclusive, as Rev. Aiden will be visiting his parents for a week. During this time there won't be any events at the temple. The temple will be open again for our usual weekly events from Tuesday the 8th of August.
Forthcoming Events:
Festival of Great Master Dōgen
On Saturday the 12th of August we will be celebrating the Festival of Great Master Dōgen. Dōgen was a thirteenth century Japanese monk, and he has a very important place in our tradition, as he brought the Sōtō Zen school of Buddhism from China to Japan. This festival is an opportunity to celebrate his life and teaching.
The day will start at 10am with a meditation period, followed by the ceremony. After the ceremony there will be a Dharma talk, and at about 1pm there will be a bring-and-share vegetarian lunch. In the afternoon there will be two periods of meditation from 2pm, followed by a Dharma discussion and tea. You are welcome to come for any part of the day.
For other events in August, please see the events calendar.
Alms Bowl Requests
Thank you to all those who have donated items to the temple. We are very grateful for donations of any household or other items that the temple might be able to use. Please contact Rev. Aiden if you have an item to offer but are not sure whether it would be useful.
Donations of Food
Offering food is a traditional way to support a monk, and any donations of vegetarian food are most welcome. In particular:
- brown rice and pasta
- fresh fruit and vegetables (except garlic or peppers)
- porridge oats
- yoghurt and eggs
- peanuts or other nuts
- nut or seed spreads (e.g. peanut butter, tahini)
Any other suitable items would also be appreciated.
Donations
The temple is dependent on donations for its continued existence, and any financial support you are able to offer is greatly appreciated. Details of how to offer support can be found on the Donations page of the website.