This page has the temple's most recent newsletters.
Please see the full list for older issues.
March 2021 Newsletter
Progress with the Building Work
The building work has continued to progress rapidly during February, and most of the work downstairs is now complete. Below is a photo showing the front of the property before and after the porch was constructed, and you can see that we now have the new front door, with a ramp in front of it to give easy access. The upstairs windows have also been replaced.
The entrance area inside the porch is now complete, and the photo below shows the view from where the old front door used to be. It is a far larger area than we had before, and will hopefully make it much easier for people to put their coats and shoes on at the end of events.
The two white doors you can see in the photo are the WCs, and next to them is a cupboard which has the boiler in. Beyond that is the door through to the converted garage area, which has two rooms in it, plus a shower room and utility room. All of that area is pretty much complete as well, and the shower room was in use just in time for work on the upstairs bathroom to start.
The new stairs have also been installed, and are shown in the photo below.
The new stairs are in the same stairwell as the previous stairs, but go in the opposite direction. This means that they go up from the entrance area, rather than from the back of the meditation hall. This is a big improvement for the meditation hall which now only has one entrance, as the doors to the kitchen have been closed off as well. We will now only be going into the meditation hall for meditation and ceremonies etc., rather than needing to go through it to get to other parts of the property, which will give the hall a much more settled feel.
Work in the common room is almost complete as well. The area where the chimney breast was removed has been plastered, and a new radiator has been installed on the end wall. This will give much needed extra heating capacity to the room, as the existing radiator struggled to heat the room adequately.
The focus of the work has now switched to the upstairs bathroom, which is being divided into two shower rooms. The existing fittings have all been removed, and during the coming week the plumbers are hoping to install the pipework for the new arrangements. After that the room will need some re-tiling before the new showers, basins and toilets are fitted, but hopefully the work will be completed in the next few weeks.
Forthcoming Events:
Festival of the Buddha's Renunciation
On Saturday the 6th of March we will be celebrating the Festival of the Buddha's Renunciation. Renunciation, or letting go, lies at the heart of all Buddhist practice, and the story of the Buddha’s Renunciation is a way of conveying the importance of this aspect of training. This festival day will focus on renunciation and letting go, and how we express this within our daily life.
The call to let go of our attachments can be as deeply challenging as this.
I hope you will be able to join us, and full details will be sent out by email to Lay Sangha members prior to the festival.
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
February 2021 Newsletter
Progress with the Building Work
There has been a lot of progress on the building work in the last month, with the builders returning in early January and finishing off the roof of the porch. The new windows were installed on the 14th, and the photo below shows the porch in late January.
January 2021 Newsletter
Events on New Year’s Eve
On New Year’s Eve we will be holding the traditional New Year’s Eve Festival, starting with meditation at 7.30pm. Unfortunately we won’t be able to meet in person for the ceremony this year, but we will be holding it via zoom.
Season’s Greetings
Season’s Greetings.
Wishing you all a very merry festive season and best wishes for 2021.
Thank you all for your support during this past year, which is very much appreciated.
December 2020 Newsletter
Forthcoming Events:
Festival of the Buddha's Enlightenment
The understanding that the Buddha came to during his enlightenment is the basis for the whole of Buddhist practice, and on Saturday the 5th of December we will be celebrating the Festival of the Buddha's Enlightenment to mark this important event in the life of the Buddha.
November 2020 Newsletter
Update on the Temple’s Building Project
Those of you who are in regular contact with the temple, or who have been following its progress in the newsletter, will know that we have been planning for some time to carry out some building work on the temple building. At a meeting of the temple charity’s trustees in early October, we decided on a firm of builders to carry out the work, and they hope to be able to start before the end of November.
October 2020 Newsletter
Forthcoming Events: Festival of Kshtigarbha Bodhisattva
On Saturday the 3rd of October 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 joining the ceremony is invited to have a small stone with them to offer during the ceremony.
September 2020 Newsletter
Forthcoming Events: Festival of Great Master Bodhidharma
On Saturday the 5th of September we will be celebrating the Festival of Great Master Bodhidharma. 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. This festival is an opportunity to celebrate the life of Bodhidharma and to focus on some of his important teachings.
August 2020 Newsletter
Sad news of the death of Rev. Master Myfanwy
In early July we received the sad news that one of the senior monks of our order, Rev. Master Myfanwy, had died. Rev. Master Myfanwy was ordained at Throssel Hole by Rev. Master Daishin in 1983, and in 2002 moved down to the South West of England to start a temple there, which she named Dragon Bell Temple.
July 2020 Newsletter
Following the government’s recent announcement about the relaxation of the lockdown rules, it will be possible for people to visit the temple individually again from the 4th of July.
Places of worship can reopen for services from then, but the temple is not legally considered to be a Place of Worship, so the guidelines that apply to us will be those for a residential household. The guidelines are that from the 4th of July, people from any two households can meet indoors at one time, and up to six people from different households can meet outdoors.
June 2020 Newsletter
The Festival of the Buddha’s Birth
It was lovely to have so many people join our online celebration of Wesak, the Festival of the Buddha’s Birth, on Saturday the 9th of May. There were 20 of us altogether and we started the morning with two meditation periods, with walking meditation in between. For the festival itself, Rev. Aiden performed the role of celebrant in the temple’s meditation hall in the usual way, and we had a “backing track” which was played so that everyone could join in from where they were.
May 2020 Newsletter
Wishing you all a very happy Wesak
At this time of year we would normally be welcoming people to the temple to celebrate Wesak, the Festival of the Buddha’s Birth. Unfortunately, we will not be able to meet in person this year, due to the coronavirus restrictions, but on Saturday the 9th of May we will be holding the festival over zoom so that Lay Sangha members can join in from where they are. Details will be sent out by email during the coming week.
April 2020 Newsletter
Temple Closed
These are difficult and challenging times for all of us, and we hope that this newsletter finds you well.
As many of you already know, the temple has been closed since mid-March, due to the coronavirus restrictions, and we will be staying closed to all visitors until further notice. Scheduled events have been cancelled, and we are also closed to people coming individually to the temple.
Continue reading →March 2020 Newsletter
Forthcoming Events:
Festival of the Buddha’s Renunciation
On Saturday the 14th of March we will be celebrating the Festival of the Buddha’s Renunciation. Renunciation, or letting go, lies at the heart of all Buddhist practice, and the story of the Buddha’s Renunciation is a way of conveying the importance of this aspect of training. This festival day will focus on renunciation and letting go, and how we express this within our daily life.
February 2020 Newsletter
Forthcoming Events:
Festival of Avalokiteshwara Bodhisattva
On Saturday the 1st of February we will be celebrating the Festival of Avalokiteshwara, the Bodhisattva of Compassion. The name Avalokiteshwara is Sanskrit (Japanese: Kanzeon, Chinese: Kwan Yin, Tibetan: Chenrezig), and means “The one who hears the cries of the world”.
January 2020 Newsletter
Events on New Year's Eve
On New Year's Eve we will be holding the traditional New Year’s Eve Ceremony, starting with meditation at 7.30pm.
During the ceremony we recite the Scripture of Great Wisdom, and a ceremonial copy of the scripture arranged in a fanfold design is "revolved", symbolically showing it and offering it in all directions. After this we all drink a glass of celebratory New Year juice together, making a wish for the peace and prosperity of the temple and the Sangha during the coming year.
Continue reading →Season’s Greetings
Season’s Greetings.
Wishing you all a very merry festive season and best wishes for 2020.
Thank you all for your support during this past year, which is very much appreciated.
December 2019 Newsletter
Festival of the Buddha’s Enlightenment
and Fifth Anniversary Celebration
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.
November 2019 Newsletter
Forthcoming Events:
Festival of Founders Day
On Saturday the 2nd of November we will be celebrating the Festival of Founders Day. This festival is an opportunity to offer our gratitude for the life and practice of all those who have practised Buddhism, from the far distant past to the present day. In particular we celebrate those in our own lineage who have passed on the teaching from generation to generation for over 2500 years, and are the founders of this temple. These include Rev. Master Jiyu (the founder of our order), her master Koho Zenji, Great Master Dōgen(1200-1253) and Great Master Keizan (1268-1325).