June 2019 Newsletter
Forthcoming Events:
The Festival of Kshtigarbha Bodhisattva
On Saturday the 8th of June we will be celebrating the Festival of Kshtigarbha Bodhisattva. Kshtigarbha is usually depicted as a monk, carrying a staff and a “wish-fulfilling jewel”, and symbolises gentleness and the importance of offering.
It is traditional to make offerings of stones to Kshtigarbha; when we truly give ourselves to practice we find that this “ordinary pebble” we have offered, is in fact a precious stone. Anyone who is coming is invited to bring a small stone with them to offer during the ceremony.
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 June, please see the events calendar.
Festival of the Buddha's Birth
It was lovely to welcome so many people for Wesak, the Festival of the Buddha's Birth, in early May. We had a full Meditation Hall, with people coming from Nottingham, Loughborough, Melton Mowbray and Leamington Spa, as well as from Leicester. We were also joined by Rev. Alicia from Sitting Buddha Hermitage in Cromford, Derbyshire.
Below is a photo of those who came for the day.
The weather for our Wesak Festival was rather cool and damp, and we weren't able to sit outside in the garden, but following the Ceremony and the Dharma Talk we enjoyed a shared vegetarian feast in the Common Room. During the afternoon we had a meditation period together, and finished off with tea and cake.
Below is a photo of the Wesak Altar, as well as a close-up of the statue of the Baby Buddha.
First Cherry Blossoms
At the beginning of April we planted a small Japanese flowering cherry tree at the end of the flower bed which runs along the side of our parking area at the front of the temple. By Wesak it already had its first cherry blossoms, and the picture below shows these first few blooms.
It should be quite spectacular in future years when it has grown a bit larger.
Quite a few other plants have been added to this flower bed as well, which was full of concrete and gravel when we moved here. More photos to come in future newsletters.
Alms Bowl Requests
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
- peanut butter
- peanuts or other nuts
- fresh fruit and vegetables (except garlic or peppers)
- dried herbs
- yoghurt and eggs
- brown rice and pasta
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.