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Home » November 2026 Newsletter

November 2026 Newsletter

Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple, Leicester Posted on by October 31, 2026

In mid-October the Head of our Order, Rev. Master Koten Benson, visited the temple for a week, and kindly offered a Dharma Talk and answered questions from lay Sangha members on Saturday the 17th.

There were 15 of us there for the morning, plus Rev. Master Koten, with the majority of people staying on for lunch as well. Unfortunately a few people had to cancel due to having cold symptoms, including Rev. Alicia from Sitting Buddha Hermitage who had hoped to join us.

The photo below show Rev. Master Koten, on the left, in the Meditation Hall, together with Rev. Aiden and Rev. Roland, who was visiting from Throssel Hole Buddhist Abbey.

Rev. Master Koten, Rev. Aiden and Rev. Roland in the Meditation Hall
Rev. Master Koten, Rev. Aiden and Rev. Roland in the Meditation Hall

Rev. Master Koten had also joined us for the the evening meetings on the previous Tuesday and Thursday, and all of the events seemed to go very well. We are very grateful to Rev. Master Koten for taking the time to visit the temple.

Thank you also to Kevin, Doug, Ruth and Aidan who kindly took Rev. Master Koten for a day out in Leicester on the Thursday. The trip included visiting the cathedral, the Richard III visitor centre and the Guildhall, and Rev. Master Koten very much enjoyed the day, talking about it quite a bit during the remainder of his stay. Thank you to Aidan for the photo below:

Rev. Master Koten with Doug and Kevin by the fountain in Town Hall Square, Leicester
Rev. Master Koten with Doug and Kevin by the fountain in Town Hall Square, Leicester

Rev. Master Koten will be travelling back to Canada on November the 17th and we wish him a safe and straightforward journey. He is already thinking about where he will visit next time he comes to the UK!

Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple Logo

It has been a busy month for group visits, with Rev. Aiden travelling to Milton Keynes, Nottingham and London to lead retreats.

Milton Keynes Group
On Saturday the 3rd of October the group held a Day Retreat at the Bancroft Meeting Place in Milton Keynes, and Rev. Aiden travelled down to Milton Keynes to join the group for the day. Five members of the group came along for a day of meditation, ceremonial and Dharma talks and discussions, and we had a very nice shared lunch together as well. The day ran from 10am to 4pm and thank you to all those who helped to arrange it and make it run so smoothly. We hope to hold another Day Retreat in the Spring.

Nottingham Group
It was lovely to meet with members of the Nottingham group for a day of meditation and practice at the Day Retreat in Chilwell on Sunday the 11th of October. There were eight of us there altogether, and the building was nice and quiet as the library which shares the building with the community centre is closed on Sundays.

The main room at the community centre, which we use for meditation, is very large, and we also have a couple of other rooms and a small kitchen, giving us plenty of space to arrange things for the day.

The photo below shows the main room during one of the meditation periods.

Nottingham Day Retreat 2026
Practising meditation together in Nottingham

London Group
On Saturday the 24th of October, Rev. Aiden joined the London group for a half-day retreat. The group meet in a small flat operated by another Zen group, which is nicely set up as a Meditation Hall, and we had a quiet morning of meditation and ceremonial, followed by a Dharma talk and discussions. Thank you to all those who helped to arrange the meeting and make it run smoothly, and we hope to hold another Half-Day or Day Retreat early next year, perhaps in late February.

On Saturday the 7th 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 2,500 years, and are the founders of this temple. These include Rev. Master Jiyu (the founder of our order), her master Kōhō Zenji, Great Master Dōgen(1200-1253) and Great Master Keizan (1268-1325).

Dōgen and Keizan with Shakyamuni Buddha
Dōgen and Keizan with Shakyamuni Buddha

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 will be sent out by email to Lay Sangha members prior to the festival.

After a very dry and hot summer we have recently had a spell of very wet and stormy weather. By the end of October that had passed and we had a more settled period, with cooler nights and some misty mornings. The weather seems to have brought out the colour in many of the trees, and although those in the small park next to us are not as showy as some, the lime trees have turned a nice golden colour, as shown in the photo below.

Lime trees in the park next to the temple
Lime trees in the park next to the temple

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.

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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