Category Archives: Talks

Dwelling in the heart of Great Compassion

Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple, Leicester Posted on by November 13, 2022

Rev. Aiden Hall, Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple This talk was given at the Festival of Avalokiteshwara at Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple in February 2016. Compassion lies at the heart of the Universe. We see that others suffer as we do, and the name of the Bodhisattva of Compassion, Avalokiteshwara, means “The one who hears the cries of the world”. When we are willing to listen, we hear these cries – but how then should we respond? We may not know … Continue reading →

Dogen on thoughts about enlightenment

Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple, Leicester Posted on by November 13, 2022

Rev. Aiden Hall, Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple This talk was given at the Festival of the Buddha’s Enlightenment at Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple in December 2015. Following on from the first half of the Dharma talk after the festival, on Letting go of ideas about enlightenment, this is a short talk about a section of the chapter Yuibutsu Yobutsu (Only a Buddha together with a Buddha) from Dogen’s Shobogenzo. In this he says that “What you think one way or … Continue reading →

Letting go of ideas about enlightenment

Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple, Leicester Posted on by November 13, 2022

Rev. Aiden Hall, Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple This talk was given at the Festival of the Buddha’s Enlightenment at Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple in December 2015. Enlightenment isn’t just an idea or a concept. The Buddha said he was enlightened about the nature of reality, which he expressed in the Four Noble Truths and other central teachings. It’s no use us trying to reach our idea of what enlightenment is, as this idea is never reliable. We too must come … Continue reading →

Founders Day: Expressing gratitude by practising now

Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple, Leicester Posted on by November 13, 2022

Rev. Aiden Hall, Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple An important position is given to the founders of a temple, as without their dedication and practice, Buddhism would not be available to us here today. Who are the Founders? How do we view them, and how does this relate to our own practice here and now? How do we express our gratitude for being able to practise Buddhism today, to all those in the past who have passed on the teaching? This … Continue reading →

Bodhidharma’s Discourse: Comprehending ‘Real Mind’

Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple, Leicester Posted on by November 13, 2022

Rev. Aiden Hall, Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple This talk was given at the Festival of Great Master Bodhidharma at Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple in October 2015. Bodhidharma is an important figure within Zen, as he is credited with bringing the meditation school of Buddhism from India to China. His emphasis on “pure meditation”, and the need to spend time “just sitting” facing a wall, are still central to our tradition. After a brief introduction to Bodhidharma, this talk looks at … Continue reading →

Action and non-action in Dōgen’s teaching

Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple, Leicester Posted on by November 13, 2022

Rev. Aiden Hall, Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple This talk was given at the Festival of Great Master Dōgen at Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple in August 2015. Great Master Dōgen was a thirteenth century Japanese monk, and has a very important place in our tradition as he brought the Sōtō Zen school of Buddhism from China to Japan. This talk looks at two themes that run throughout Dōgen’s teaching. The first of these is his emphasis on “actualisation”; understanding what it … Continue reading →

Merit and Offering Merit

Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple, Leicester Posted on by November 13, 2022

Rev. Aiden Hall, Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple Offering merit is a traditional part of Buddhist practice, and many temples have a “Transfer of Merit” board on which people can put the names of those who are in difficult situations. Many visitors are perplexed by the idea of merit, as it may seem to imply a belief in some kind of “agency” that is beyond our direct experience, and Zen Buddhism is based on practice rather than on belief. What is … Continue reading →

The Heart of Offering

Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple, Leicester Posted on by November 13, 2022

Rev. Aiden Hall, Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple This talk was given at the Festival of Kshtigarbha Bodhisattva at Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple in July 2015. One of the aspects of practice which Kshtigarbha symbolises is the importance of offering. It is traditional to make offerings of stones to Kshtigarbha, and when we truly give ourselves to practice, we find that this “stone” we have offered, which we may have thought of as just an ordinary pebble, is actually a precious … Continue reading →

Wesak: “I alone am the World-honoured One”

Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple, Leicester Posted on by November 13, 2022

Rev. Aiden Hall, Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple In the story of the Buddha’s birth, the Baby Buddha takes seven steps and declares “Above the earth and below the heavens, I alone am the World-honoured One”. Rev. Aiden discusses the teaching that is within this story, and its relevance to our own life of practice. This talk was given at the Wesak Festival at Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple in May 2015.Duration: 17:37.

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Accepting Buddhahood

Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple, Leicester Posted on by November 13, 2022

Rev. Aiden Hall, Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple One way of describing the Buddha’s Enlightenment is as a deep understanding of the nature of things as they are right now. The true nature of things as they are right now is here already, and the acceptance of this that is here already is fundamental to our practice of zazen. What is the nature of this acceptance and how does it manifest in our daily practice?Duration: 24:39. This talk was given during … Continue reading →