Forthcoming Events:
Festival of the Buddha’s Renunciation
On Saturday the 14th of March we will be celebrating the Festival of the Buddha’s Renunciation. Renunciation, or letting go, lies at the heart of all Buddhist practice, and the story of the Buddha’s Renunciation is a way of conveying the importance of this aspect of training. This festival day will focus on renunciation and letting go, and how we express this within our daily life.
Forthcoming Events:
Festival of Avalokiteshwara Bodhisattva
On Saturday the 1st of February we will be celebrating the Festival of Avalokiteshwara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. The name Avalokiteshwara is Sanskrit (Japanese: Kanzeon, Chinese: Kwan Yin, Tibetan: Chenrezig), and means “The one who hears the cries of the world”.
Events on New Year's Eve
On New Year's Eve we will be holding the traditional New Year’s Eve Ceremony, starting with meditation at 7.30pm.
During the ceremony we recite the Scripture of Great Wisdom, and a ceremonial copy of the scripture arranged in a fanfold design is "revolved", symbolically showing it and offering it in all directions. After this we all drink a glass of celebratory New Year juice together, making a wish for the peace and prosperity of the temple and the Sangha during the coming year.
Continue reading →Season’s Greetings.
Wishing you all a very merry festive season and best wishes for 2020.
Thank you all for your support during this past year, which is very much appreciated.
Festival of the Buddha’s Enlightenment
and Fifth Anniversary Celebration
The understanding that the Buddha came to during his enlightenment is the basis for the whole of Buddhist practice, and on Saturday the 7th of December we will be celebrating the Festival of the Buddha’s Enlightenment to mark this important event in the life of the Buddha.
Forthcoming Events:
Festival of Founders Day
On Saturday the 2nd of November we will be celebrating the Festival of Founders Day. This festival is an opportunity to offer our gratitude for the life and practice of all those who have practised Buddhism, from the far distant past to the present day. In particular we celebrate those in our own lineage who have passed on the teaching from generation to generation for over 2500 years, and are the founders of this temple. These include Rev. Master Jiyu (the founder of our order), her master Koho Zenji, Great Master Dōgen(1200-1253) and Great Master Keizan (1268-1325).
Monastic Gathering at Throssel Hole Buddhist Abbey
As many of you know, Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple is part of a larger organisation, the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives (OBC), which is an umbrella organisation for monks and temples in the lineage of Rev. Master Jiyu Kennett. The order has temples in the US, Canada, Germany and the Netherlands, as well as here in the UK. With such a wide geographic spread it is important that we meet together regularly, and we currently have monastic gatherings every other year, with the venue alternating between the UK and the US.
Recent Trustees’ Meeting
On the 24th of August we had a meeting of the charity’s trustees, with Rev. Alicia from Sitting Buddha Hermitage joining local lay Sangha trustees and Rev. Aiden for the day.
Forthcoming Events:
Festival of Great Master Dōgen
On Saturday the 10th 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.
Forthcoming Events:
Festival of Achalanatha Bodhisattva
On Saturday the 13th of July we will be celebrating the Festival of Achalanatha Bodhisattva. Achalanatha, the "Immovable One", represents commitment and determination in Buddhist practice. Achalanatha is portrayed sitting in meditation amidst the flames of the passions, and is not driven away from the place of meditation by them, however much they seem to burn. Achalanatha holds the Sword of Wisdom to cut through delusion, and offers us the rope of the Buddhist Precepts. To begin with this may seem like it constricts us, but when we look more closely we see that it liberates us.
