Join us for a Mindful Peace Walk in the beautiful grounds of Lauriston Castle, including the Edinburgh-Kyoto Friendship garden, overlooking Cramond Island and the islands of the River Forth.

When: Sunday 18th June 2016 ~ 12 noon
Where: Lauriston Castle, 2 Cramond Road South, Edinburgh. EH4 6AD. Gather in front of Lauriston Castle for 12 noon. See map below.
Booking: Just turn up.
Cost: Free.
Bring: Appropriate clothing – sun cream or umbrella as required.
See Also: EICSP page for this event.
Questions: Please contact us through the form.

Twenty five of us had a wonderful weekend retreat at the Salisbury Centre with lead by  Dat Phan from the Blue Cedars retreat centre in France (associated with the Blue Cedars Sangha). The retreat was organised by the Wake Up Edinburgh group. We look forward to their next event!

Our friends in Fife are running a 6 week course in mindfulness as part of the CoI Be Calm, Be Happy programme starting on 22nd April 2017. This is a wonderful opportunity for anyone in the Dundee area. Please recommend it to your friends.

You can find out more from the Community of Interbeing website or from the Facebook event page.

I feel there has been an air of sadness in the Sangha about wider world events – Trump, Brexit, the refugee crisis, a looming indyref2 and the potential divisions and ill feeling that these represent. It feels like we should be doing something, resisting conflict – but also that we are powerless.

I was therefore comforted to find a passage from Thay that I vaguely remembered reading years ago. It is from The Raft is Not the Shore: Towards a world where spirituality and politics meet (1975). This was a dialogue between Thich Nhat Hanh and Daniel Berrigan in 1974 about the peace movements in the USA and Vietnam (just before the official end of the Vietnam War and at the height of the cold war.) Continue reading →

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 19th March 2017.
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.

Soon it will be Christmas and then 2016 will continue as 2017. To mark this many people will be taking time off from their regular routine and that includes us. Our regular meetings will pause as follows.

Mondays @ Santosa

Not meeting 26th December or 2nd January. Back to normal on 9th January

Tuesdays Mindfulness@Lunchtime at St Marks

Not meeting 27th December or 3rd January. Back to normal on 10th January

Thursdays @ St Marks

Not meeting on 29th December. Back to normal on 5th January

Fridays @ Albany Street

Not meeting 16th, 23rd or 30th December. Back to normal on 6th January.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to robins and all other sentient beings throughout time and space!

Our last mindfulness morning of the year is an opportunity to share our practice of mindfully sitting, walking, eating and talking together in the beautiful location of the Botanic Cottage, part of the Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh.

All are welcome so please come along – but read the instructions below.

The Botanic Cottage originally stood at the entrance to a long lost incarnation of the botanic gardens on Leith Walk – not far from Santosa where we sit on a Monday night. It was built in 1764-5, and designed by the renowned architects John Adam and James Craig. When it was threatened with demolition in the early 2000s it was decided to move it to a new location. The beautifully reconstructed building was opened this year for use by community groups like us. It has a wonderful atmosphere for meditation.

When: Saturday 3rd December 2016 – 9:30am to 1:30pm
Where: Botanic Cottage, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh – see access instructions below.
Booking: Just turn up. (Register on Facebook if you do Facebook)
Cost: The event is free but donations in the spirit of Dana will pay our running costs.
Bring: Small amount of vegetarian food to share at lunch. Some cushions, mats and chairs are supplied but please bring your favourite meditation cushion or stool and blanket if it would make you comfortable.

For more information please use the contact form.

Important: How to get in!!

Although this event takes place in the botanic gardens it starts before they open. To get access to the Botanic Cottage you therefore have to come to the entrance on Inverleith Place opposite number 40. This is so new there isn’t a proper gate yet – but there will be someone there to let you in. See the map and picture below. If you go to one of the other entrances to the garden they will not let you in! When we finish at 1:30 you will be able to exit through the gardens and enjoy the wonderful plants.

This is a very easy spot to access by buses on Inverleith Row (8,23,27) or via Inverleith Park. There is also ample parking along the street on a Saturday.