Sunday Evenings from 20.00 - 21.00
2024 dates may change. NB Time is either GMT or BST/UTC
Jan. 21 : Feb 25 : March 24 : Apr 21 : May 19 Buddha Day!
June 23 : Jul 14 : Aug 18 : Sept 15 : Oct 06 : Oct 06 : Nov 03 : Dec 15
The Buddhist Calendar runs on the ancient Moon cycle and it has always been
customary to use the Full Moon days as a time to reflect upon the Dhamma
and renew our commitment to the Refuges and Precepts.
There will be a short talk on one of the subjects listed below. Then 30 min. sitting. We shall end with a short reflection on the Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha. Then people can take the Refuges and Precepts at whatever their level of commitment. We will finish with
prectising Metta and reading and chanting of the Metta Goodwill Sutta.
We shall celebrate the Full Moon on the nearest Sunday since this is one evening most people would be available. I've also got to fit them in with my teaching schedule.
A reminder will be sent a few days before, but do put the dates in your diary anyway.
Full Moons and Subject Matter
Refuges and Precepts with Metta
2024
Jan. 21 The importance of Tranquillity Passaddhi: How developing calmness has salutary affects on the body, our emotional and thought life. And it's importance in the BuddhaDhamma with its inclusion especially in the Seven Factors of Awakening. Video Stream/Download mp3
Feb. 25 The crucial role of Desire and Intention. The Buddha makes a distinction between desire and the intention which it is empowering. What then is the process by which we come to do, say or think. And what is the role of the self? Video Stream/Download mp3
Mar.24 Upali is converted to the Buddhadhamma MN56 The Jain, Upali, a householder goes to dispute with the Buddha as to whether actions of the body are more blameworthy than actions of the mind when commiting unwholesome actions. Video Stream/Download mp3
2023
Jan. 08 The Four Bases of Power : The Four Bases of Success belong within the 37 Factors that lead to Liberation (Bodhipakkhiyadhamma). Usually referenced for extrasensory powers, but also includes the necessary qualities to rid ourselves of defilements. They can also be used as reflections to achieve any goal we set ourselves. Video Stream/Download mp3
Feb 05 Bahiya of the Bark Cloth tells the story of how a mendicant beomes fully liberated on meetng the Buddha. The cryptic teaching was enough to release Bahiya from delusion. Video Stream/Download mp3
March 05 Following on from last month, a reading and explanation of the whole of the Discourse on Bahiya of the Bark Cloth. This also containcs the inspired verse of the Buddha relating to Nibbana. Video Stream/Download mp3
Apr 02 Joy We often hear about suffering and the end of suffering. We practice metta. But what about joy? How do we increase our joy? And what are the dangers? Video Stream/Download mp3
May 14 Celebration of the Buddha Was the Buddha an athiest? Does the idea of a God enter into the Buddha's teaching? Is there anything that transcends the materail and mental worlds? How might we define the Buddhadhamma as religion? Video Stream/Download mp3
June 11 Fear and Courage. How do we tackle fear and strengthen our courage? Six areas to investigate: physical, social, moral, emotional, intellectual and spiritual. Video Stream/Download mp3
Jul 02 Patient Forbearance. The Buddha sees this virtue as the highest austerity! Video Stream/Download mp3
Jul 30 Equanimity - The most important of virtues. It is a Factor of Awakening. It keeps all virtues from falling into their near enemy. It stops us falling into the error of the |Four Wordly Conditions. But it also has a subtle enemy! Video Stream/Download mp3
Aug 29 Full Moon on Sept. 03 Compassion and its Subtle Enemies. Since the whole of the Buddhadhamma is to undersyand Dukkhu, suffering and unsatisfactoriness, compassion has pride of place among the virtues.But it can be undermined by defilements we may not always be aware of.
Apologies! I tried to cover too much ground. However tit will appear as a Tip on the Newsbyte. Video Stream/Download mp3
Oct 01 'Good Friendship, Companionship, Good Comradeship is the Whole of the Spiritual Life.' What does this actually entail? Does the South African Social Philosophy of Ubuntu help us to understand it more deeply? Video Stream/Download mp3
Oct 29 The Five Regular Contemplations. These are Sickness, Ageing, Death, Renunciation and Kamma. This a pdf with the Discourse and Contemplations. Video Stream/Download mp3
Nov 26 The Spiral Path How to dig ourselves out of misery and spiral towards freedom. Talk by Noirin Sheahan, read by Margaret Groome. Video Stream / Download audio
Dec 17 (actual Full Moon 25!) Looking at the Karaniya Metta Sutta which is the one we chant and is a regular in Theravada Countries. It means: What needs to be done in order cultivate Metta. There is a course by Andrew Olendski, former Director of the Barre Centre of Buddhist Studies where he develops the different virtues. Here's the link: Karaniya Metta Sutta Video Stream/Download audio
2021 & 2022
2022 Jan 16 Resolution and Joy
Unfortunately, the technology failed. It's a long story. However, the talk pointed to three qualities needed to realise a resolution. There has to be a real motivation, a longing, a strong desire. Or the obstacles that come up will simply undermine the resolve. These obstacles are to be seen as teachers and strengtheners. And finally, perseverence, patient endurance and perseverence. When an resolution is fuliflled and even on the fulfilling there is joy, rejoicing and celebration.
2022 Feb 20 Sympathy, Empathy and Compassion : in what way do they differ. Can sympathy be sincere? Video Stream/Download mp3
2022 Mar 20 Non-Violence v. Pacifism
2021 Gratitude, Generosity and Renunciation Video Stream/Download mp3
2022 Apr 17 Noliberalism and Mindfulness Video Stream/Download mp3
2021 Spiritual Faculties & Factors of Enlightenment, focusing on Confidence Video Stream/Download mp3
2022 May 15 The Buddha and War. – sharing with Pain Dei Ciliegi in Italy again. VideoStream/Download
2021 Buddha Day – sharing with Pain Dei Ciliegi in Italy again -the Nine Qualities of the Buddha. Video Stream/Download mp3
2022 Jun 19 Social Conditionng or Karma - Our social conditioning is a given, but even so we have to take responsibility for it and cleanse it any unwholesomeness. VideoStream/Download
2021 Four Noble Truths - The basic platform upon which all the teachings are based, centring on the meaning of Dukkha. Video Stream/Download mp3
2022 Jul 17 Need, Sufficiency and Greed - With coming downturn in the economy around the world, fear and anxiety are boud to arise. We are attached to what we own and to oiur lifestyle. By contemplateing what we actually need at physical level and then to consider what we need at a social and personal, emotional level, a lot of the fear and anxiety can be undermined. Contemplating the Four Requisites of a monastic help to ground us. Video Stream/Download
2021 Dukkha (Unsatisfactoriness and Sila (Morality and Ethics) - The Buddha, centring his teaching on Dukkha, lays out the moral and ethical rules we must follow to be liberated from that very same dukkha. Video Stream/Download
2022 Aug 14 Climate Emergency and the Role of the Dhamma Video Stream/Download
2021 Dependent Origination, the Role of desire and the only Choice. A quick revision of the teaching and looking at desire and where the escape from suffering is to be found. Video Stream/Download
2022 Sep 11 Rest for Autumn. This a good time to re-energise our practice in daily life. Video Stream/Download
2021 Kamma and Rebirth. What is personal karma? Is there such a thing as Social Karma? Where does Rebirth fit in. Video Stream/Download
2022 Oct 09 Identity and Not-Self. Our self-knowledge is limited and so we suffer when we identify with our roles, opinions, apprearance etc. Working with such suffering awakens joy in the Buddha's teaching of Not-Self. Talk by Noirin Sheahan, read by Margaret Groome Video Stream/Download
2021 Right Livelihood Can we broaden out the definition to include all we do in our lives so that what we do serves our purpose of becoming liberated from Dukkha? Video Stream/Download
2022 Nov 06 The Contemplation of Death. The Buddha says: Monks, mindfulness of death — when developed & pursued — is of great fruit & great benefit. It gains a footing in Nibbana, the Deathless, has Nibbana, the Deathless as its final end. Video Stream/Download
2021 Nov 10 Perfections. There are Ten Perfections and obviously too many to deal with in such a short period, so I have concentrated on Generosity, how Gratitude (not on the list) plays an important role and how we are thereby developing Renunciation. These three virtues offer us a path to liberation! (Strange acouistics - I was a friends flat.) Video Stream/Download
2022 Dec 11 To Love or To Be Loved. That is the question! How to deal with lonliness. Video Stream/Download
2021 Dec Love and Relationship. Love is a very big subject! So I've chosen a few qualities: care, kindness, forgiveness and the importance of good companionship. Video Stream/Download