April 2017 Newsletter
Forthcoming Events:
Day Retreat in Nottingham
Next Saturday, the 1st of April, we will be having a Day Retreat in Nottingham, from 10am to 4pm. Everyone is welcome to this, whether you are from Nottingham, Leicester, or anywhere else in the East Midlands or beyond.
The retreat will be held at the Tiger Boe Centre at 7 Clarendon Street, Nottingham, NG1 5HS.
As the kitchen at Tiger Boe is small, the 'bring to share' lunch will work best if people can bring food that doesn't need to be cooked.
There won't be any events at the temple on that day.
Visit to Sitting Buddha Hermitage
The following Saturday, the 8th of April, we have arranged a visit to Sitting Buddha Hermitage in Cromford. Last December, Rev. Alicia, who is resident there, invited Sangha members to come and visit for a day, and we decided to wait until the weather warmed up a bit in the Spring.
The plan is that we could do some sitting, have lunch, walk around Cromford and see Arkwright's Mill and the canal and maybe end up in the cafe at Scarthin's bookshop for tea?
We would be aiming to get there for about 10am, and Rev. Alicia suggests that we bring either a packed lunch or food to share.
For those going from Leicester we could meet at the temple, and we hope to be able to share lifts for anyone who would like to go. We would probably need to leave at about 8.45am.
Hopefully anyone going from Nottingham will be able to share lifts as well.
If you are planning to go, please could you let Rev. Aiden know so that we have an idea of numbers. If there are a lot of people who would like to go, or if you can't make this date, Rev. Alicia is also happy to arrange a second day.
For other events in April, please see the events calendar.
Invitation to Wesak:
The Festival of the Buddha's Birth
We will be celebrating Wesak at the temple on Saturday the 6th of May. Everyone is cordially invited to come and celebrate the Buddha’s birth with us on this festive day, and you are very welcome to bring family and friends along to see the temple and join in as well.
The day will start at 10am, with tea and biscuits available as people arrive. This will give an opportunity for people to meet, and for those visiting for the first time to have a look around the temple before the ceremony starts.
At 10.45am we will have a short ceremony rehearsal, and at 11am we will have the Festival Ceremony. This will be followed by a Dharma talk, and then a bring-and-share vegetarian feast. There won’t be any specific events scheduled in the afternoon; you are welcome to stay for as long as you would like, and this will be a good opportunity to socialise and meet other members of the Sangha. The day will end at 4pm, and you are welcome to come for any part of it.
We hope you will be able to join us for this joyful celebration.
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:
- 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)
- rice and pasta
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.