Note: Snow is forecast! Although we officially gather from 9:30am we might not get into the building till 10am so rather than stand in the cold you may wish to time it to arrive near 10am – when we will start promptly.

We look forward to walking mindfully again as part of Edinburgh International Centre for Spirituality and Peace, EICSP. Please come along and join us.

Venue: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, John Hope Gateway, Arboretum Place, Edinburgh, EH3 5NZ.
Date: Sunday 18th March 2018.
Time: 9.30am-11am, meet at West Gate entrance to the John Hope Gateway, Arboretum Place, at 9.30am. (Introduction to mindful walking at 9.45am and walk begins at 10am). No access from East Gate.
Cost: Admission Free. Just come along on the day.

This silent walking meditation is an open event. It will be led by the lay members of the Edinburgh Sangha of the Community of Interbeing, who follow the practice and teachings of Zen Buddhist Master, Thich Nhat Hanh. The walk begins at the John Hope Gateway of the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Before the walk begins there will be a brief introduction to mindful walking as meditation practice. This is not a protest or a campaigning event, so please do not use any banners. Children are welcome when accompanied by adults. Please remember to wrap up warmly.

‘We walk just for walking. We walk with freedom and solidity, no longer in a hurry. Let us enjoy every step we make.’

Thich Nhat Hanh.

Because of the snow and travel restrictions people are facing we have decided we won’t sit at St Marks this evening – Thursday 1st March 2018. Please enjoy the beautiful snow whilst it is here but staying warm and safe. We will be meeting as usual at Santosa on Monday.

You are warmly invited to join us with the Border Collie Sangha at their summer retreat from Thursday 7th to Sunday 10th June 2018, guided by Brother Phap Vu in the Zen Buddhist tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh. We will gather as a Sangha of all ages to support our practice of Mindfulness. Together we will be seeking positive ways of living and working with the difficulties and challenges that manifest in our lives.

We will look deeply at our lives, and the world we live in and will practice “Active Hope” which is waking up to the beauty of life on whose behalf we can act.

Wiston Lodge with its extensive grounds and natural environment, merging upwards to Tinto Hill, gives us the opportunity to deepen our awareness of Interbeing with Nature and with one another. The doors are wide open for all our friends and we hope that everyone young and old will feel nourished and enriched through the explorations of the practice.

For more information contact:

Meg Beresford on meg.beresford@gn.apc.org or 07835 362 774
Bill Crook on warmray@hotmail.co.uk  or 0131 667 2896
Paul Dear info@tintomusicandarts.org

Download the Booking Form:

• Phap Vu at Wiston Lodge – Booking Form

Roger mentioned a Podcast from ABC (Australia) on Thursday night about Craving that has some nice overlaps with Thay’s teaching. If you would like to hear the podcast click here.

The movie we have all been waiting for, Walk With Me, has arrived in Edinburgh and will be showing at the Filmhouse on Monday 8th and Tuesday 9th January 2018. You can book tickets here. Looking forward to seeing you at a showing.

Update: Also now showing at the Cameo. You can book tickets here.

2017 is drawing to a close which gives many of us time to slow down and connect with our families and friends around the table or on country walks – or perhaps in front of the TV! Below is a list of where and when our regular Sangha meetings will be held.

Santosa

• Monday 18th December 2017 – last meeting of 2017
• Monday 25th December 2017 – no meeting
• Monday 1st January 2018 – no meeting
• Monday 8th January 2018 – first meeting of the New Year

St Marks

• Thursday 21st December – last meeting of 2017 (Christmas themed?)
• Thursday 28th December – no meeting
• Thursday 4th January 2018- first meeting of the New Year

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Coming in the New Year

The film about Thích Nhất Hạnh and the monastics on tour in the USA is coming to the Filmhouse January. We hope to arrange trips to see it or some other events around its release. Watch this space.

We are holding a Morning of Mindfulness at St Marks Unitarian Church on Saturday 25th November and would love to share the energy of silence and compassionate speech with you. Any questions please contact us.

When: Saturday 25th November 2017 – 9:30am to 1:30pm
Where: St Marks Unitarian Church
Booking: Just turn up.
Cost: The event is free but donations in the spirit of Dana are welcome to help pay for the venue hire (suggested £5 – £10)
Bring: Small amount of vegetarian food to share at lunch. Cushions, mats and chairs are supplied but if you have a meditation cushion or stool you like to use please  bring it with you.

For those who missed it or who would like to here it again here is Pete’s talk from the service with the Unitarian’s held at St Marks on 10th September 2017.

Pete adds:

If you are wondering why I used the term Dharma Title rather than Dharma name see the document below – which I got off the PV website – it explains the difference between lineage name, Dharma name and Dharma title – which I hadn’t known before.

TNH-Tradition-Lineage

If you couldn’t make it on the night, or would like another opportunity to hear it, this is a recording of Sister Hien Nghiem’s (a.k.a. Sister True Dedication) Dharma talk from last nights

The Recording

A Poem From the Talk

THE GUIDING LIGHT OF ETERNITY

O God, who broughtst me from the rest of last night

Unto the joyous light of this day,

Be Thou bringing me from the new light of this day

Unto the guiding light of eternity.

Oh ! from the new light of this day

Unto the guiding light of eternity.

SOLUS-IUIL NA SIORRUIDHEACHD

HE, thug mis a fois na h-oidhch an raoir

Chon solus aoibh an la an diugh,

Bi da mo thoir bho sholus ur an la an diugh,

Chon solus iul na siorruidheachd,

O ! bho sholus ur an la an diugh,

Gu solus iul na siorruidheachd.

(Taken from “Carmina Gadelica” (1928), edited by Alexander Carmichael)