September 2018 Newsletter
Visit from Rev. Master Haryo,
the Head of the OBC
It was lovely to welcome Rev. Master Haryo to the temple over the August Bank Holiday weekend. Rev. Master Haryo is usually resident at Shasta Abbey in California, but is currently visiting the UK, and is spending several weeks visiting a number of temples both in the UK and in the Netherlands.
He was accompanied by Rev. Kanshin, from Throssel, who was driving him between the different temples, and both were able to stay in our guest rooms.
We had events with Rev. Master Haryo on both the Saturday and Sunday, with the Day Retreat on the Saturday being best attended. Twenty lay Sangha members from throughout the East Midlands came along for that, making it the largest gathering we have had at the new property, and Rev. Alicia joined us from Sitting Buddha Hermitage as well. Rev. Master Haryo kindly offered a Dharma talk in the morning, and the warm dry weather meant that we could sit outside for lunch.
We are very grateful to Rev. Master Haryo for his visit to the temple.
Trustees' Meeting
Earlier in August we had our first meeting of the charity’s trustees, with Rev. Alicia and Rev. Berwyn joining the four local lay Sangha trustees and Rev. Aiden for the day.
It was an opportunity to discuss where we are at present with the temple, including looking at the finances and reviewing some of our policies and procedures. We also discussed the possible modifications to the property that we would like to make, and it was useful to be able to walk around the property together and look at the areas that we were considering.
We had a shared lunch together sitting in the garden, and it was very nice to be able to spend the day together, quite apart from the business of the meeting. We are very grateful to all of the trustees for coming along to the meeting, and also for all the work that they put in to helping the temple run smoothly.
Rev. Berwyn had travelled down from Throssel the day before, and was the first overnight visitor at the new temple, and Rev. Lambert also stayed for a night following a visit to the Sheffield group. It was very nice to welcome them both to the temple.
Forthcoming Events:
Festival of Great Master Bodhidharma
On Saturday the 8th 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.
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 September, please see the events calendar.
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.