Leeds Regional Day Retreat

On Saturday the 6th of June the Leeds meditation group hosted a Regional Day Retreat at the Jamyang Buddhist Centre in Leeds. It was very nice to practise with monks and lay trainees from many different areas, and the following description of the day is by Tony and Jill from the Huddersfield Meditation Group:

***

It was a very good day at the regional day retreat at the Jamyang centre in Leeds. There were about 25 people attending, with lay sangha from various regions including Leicester, Nottingham, Leeds, Huddersfield, Manchester and Lancaster. Rev. Master Berwyn and Rev. Kojo came from Throssel Hole Buddhist Abbey, Rev. Master Mugo from Telford Buddhist Priory, Rev. Master Alicia from Sitting Buddha Hermitage, and Rev. Master Aiden from Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple. It was lovely to be able to catch up with lots of old friends and familiar faces, some we have known for many years now.

We mainly used the upstairs space at the Jamyang Buddhist centre which is a lovely large, light and airy Tibetan meditation centre in a converted warehouse. It felt very welcoming and comfortable. We started at 10am with a meditation period, followed by a Dedication of Merit Ceremony, during which we recited scriptures, circumambulated the hall and offered incense, offering the merit of our practice to all beings. The ceremony was followed by Rev. Master Berwyn’s Dharma talk. There had been a request to the groups to come up with ideas for the talk and the one that was selected was – ‘Can I let go of views and opinions’. Rev. Master Berwyn didn’t give a ‘how to do it’ type of talk but pointed skilfully to the uncertainty of this moment and the need for faith. This reminded me (Tony) of Rev. Master Daishin talking of finding sufficiency in the moment (or the sufficiency of ‘just this’).

At lunch time the Jamyang Centre’s vegetarian cafe, The Happy Yak, did a very good job of providing lunch for everyone, and we sat around tables downstairs and were able to enjoy varied exchanges with one another. Amongst other conversations, we chatted with Rev. Master Mugo and Rev. Master Berwyn about Air Source Heat pumps! After lunch, we had some time to have a rest, take a walk or enjoy a bit of social time. I (Jill) went for a little walk with a few others and we discovered the wonderful mural on an outside wall of the Jamyang Centre entitled ‘Cosmic Rhapsody’. It’s imaginal and cosmic imagery seemed to echo something of the teaching in Rev. Master Berwyn’s talk.

Later in the afternoon, there was a meditation period followed by an opportunity to ask questions and discuss any of the issues that had been raised during the Dharma Talk, whilst enjoying a cup of tea together. Rev. Master Mugo pointed to micro moments in our lives where stillness can be noticed like the moment just before a bell or gong is struck. The day finished at 4pm with a group photo (see above), which was taken after Rev. Master Alicia had left.

Finally, we would like to thank Tony, Treasa and all the Leeds group for their generosity and hard work they put into organising the day and making it possible.

Tony and Jill (Huddersfield group)

Forthcoming Events:
The Festival of Great Master Dōgen

On Saturday the 4th of July 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.

The festival day will start with two periods of meditation at 10am. These will be followed by the Festival Ceremony and a Dharma Talk and discussion, ending at 12.30pm.

In addition to welcoming visitors to the temple for the festival (please book in advance), we will also be holding the festival over zoom so that Lay Sangha members can join in from where they are. Full details of the festival have been sent out by email to Lay Sangha members.

---

Recent photos

Although we had a very hot spell towards the end of June, the early part of the month was quite wet, with some very heavy rain and thunderstorms. These were quite localised, and on the 3rd of June we had a spectacular double rainbow as the rain moved away and the sun came out. As is often the case with natural phenomena like this, the photo below really doesn’t do it justice.

Many of our plants seem to have liked the recent heatwave. It has been quite a bit of work to keep them all watered, but the results are definitely worth it. A couple of photos are included below.

---

Alms Bowl Requests

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
• peanut butter
• fresh fruit and vegetables (except garlic or peppers)
• dried herbs
• cheese, eggs and yoghurt

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.

All donations are received with gratitude