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Home » December 2019 Newsletter

December 2019 Newsletter

Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple, Leicester Posted on by May 4, 2020

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.

In the story of the enlightenment, the Buddha had spent many years following ascetic practices in his search for the truth. Close to death as a result of these hardships, he realised that this was not the way, and after eating a meal decided to sit in meditation as he had done naturally as a child. As he sat in meditation, many thoughts, feelings and memories arose which could have distracted him from his purpose, but the Buddha continued to sit. As the morning star arose he gained a deep insight into the nature of existence. This insight is central to the teaching and practice of Buddhism.

This year the festival will also be an opportunity to celebrate the temple’s fifth anniversary, as we first started renting a property for the temple at the beginning of December 2014.

We hope you will be able to join us as we celebrate this joyful highlight of the Buddhist calendar.

The Buddha sitting beneath the Bodhi Tree
The Buddha sitting beneath the Bodhi Tree

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 December, please see the events calendar.

Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple Logo

At the end of October it was lovely to welcome the resident monk at Leicester Buddhist Vihara, Ven. Dhammananda, to the temple. Leicester Buddhist Vihara is a temple in the Theravada tradition, which is supported by both a Sri Lankan and a western congregation. It was very nice to meet Ven. Dhammananda, who will be at the Vihara for some time as he has a two-year visa.

Ven Dhammananda and Rev Aiden
Ven. Dhammananda and Rev. Aiden by the main altar

Thank you to Paul and John who brought Ven. Dhammananda to the temple. We hope Ven. Dhammananda will visit again during his time in Leicester.

In early November we made a bit more space in our Meditation Hall by removing a false “chimney breast” which dominated the middle of the room. It had an electric fire mounted on it, and didn’t actually have a chimney. It was clear that the ceiling paint had been touched up around it, which suggested that it had been added since the room was last fully decorated.

MH chimney breast before and after
Before and after, with a bit more work still to do

The top part of the structure was timber and plasterboard, and as expected had a nicely decorated wall behind it. The lower part however, was made from bricks and blocks, and must have been constructed when the extension was built, as it just had bare blocks behind it.

This section was harder to remove, and created a lot of dust in the hall. All the carpets had been rolled up, and the furniture covered in dust sheets, but it still required a lot of cleaning up afterwards.

Max removing blocks
Max working on removing the blocks

Max kindly helped with the dismantling on one of our work mornings, and also carried all of the bricks and blocks out to the garage, which was a great help.

There is still a bit more work to do, as some plasterboard is needed to cover the bare blocks, and there are various holes that need to be filled and redecorated, but at least the space is now usable.

Autumn leaves
Autumn leaves on one of the lime trees by our fence
Autumn Garden
The garden on two very different Autumn days

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 all donations of vegetarian food are most welcome. In particular:

  • porridge oats
  • peanuts or other nuts
  • fresh fruit and vegetables (except garlic or peppers)
  • dried herbs
  • cheese, eggs and yoghurt

Any other suitable items would also be appreciated.

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.

All donations are received with gratitude

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