December 2021 Newsletter - Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple; Zen Meditation in Leicester

We were very sad to hear in early November that Rev. Master Alexander had died. He was a member of the monastic community at Throssel Hole Buddhist Abbey, and died peacefully on November 5th.

Rev. Alexander at Throssel 2012 — Rev. Alexander in the Throssel library in 2012

Rev. Alexander was ordained at Throssel in November 1988 by Rev. Master Daishin, and amongst his many roles at Throssel he spent time working in the guest department and running the bookshop.

At the beginning of 1997 he moved to the West Midlands to establish Telford Buddhist Priory, where he was resident from February 1997 until the end of 1999. During his time there he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease; he continued to act as the Telford prior for over two years following his diagnosis, and then rejoined the monastic Sangha at Throssel. He was named a Master of the Order by Rev. Master Daishin in 2001.

For many years he served as the librarian at Throssel (see photo above), but by 2019 he needed full-time nursing care and moved to a local care home, where he became a popular and valued member of the community.

Rev. Alexander’s funeral was held at Throssel on November the 25th, with many members of the lay Sangha in attendance, as well as the resident monastic community. Many more people were able to join via Zoom.

Rev. Berwyn, who was one of Rev. Alexander’s main carers and assistants from the time he was at Telford onwards, has written a very nice article entitled Reverend Master Alexander – learning from a friend which is available on the articles page of the Throssel website.

Here at the temple we also had a memorial for Rev. Alexander at our evening meeting on the 25th, with several people here in person and quite a few joining via Zoom as well.

Rev. Alexander Wesak 2010 — Rev. Alexander at Throssel during the Wesak weekend in May 2010

The understanding that the Buddha came to during his enlightenment is the basis for the whole of Buddhist practice, and on Saturday the 4th 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.

The Buddha sitting beneath the Bodhi Tree

In addition to welcoming a small number of visitors to the temple for the festival, we will also be holding the festival over zoom so that Lay Sangha members can join in from where they are. We hope you will be able to join us, and full details will be sent out by email prior to the festival.

An early fall of snow at the end of November left the trees and buildings covered for a day. It quickly melted as the temperature rose again, but was very pretty whilst it lasted.

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

Remembering Rev. Master Alexander

Forthcoming Events: Festival of the Buddha’s Enlightenment

Early snow

Donations