We have added a new regular meeting to our schedule. Some of us will be gathering at the Mews on Wednesday evenings from 5pm to discuss the Five Mindfulness Trainings and share some soup and spiritual friendship. Further details from other Sangha members or at one of our other meetings.
Perfect for a winter evening!
I just came across this posting on Youtube of Thay’s full interview with Oprah and the Dharma Brothers film (though I think this may have been cut a little). Well worth a watch
My favourite quote (about 11 minutes in):
If you are fully present in the here and the now you need only to make a step or take a breath in order to enter the kingdom of God.
Enjoy!
Our neighbouring Community of Interbeing Sanghas in the North of Scotland invite you to a weekend winter retreat in Moray.
Friday 1st February to Sunday 3rd February 2013.
The Retreat will provide personal space and time to consider the retreat theme: ‘Letting Go, Letting In’
Letting go, in order to let in
Releasing, in order to receive
Nature’s coded messages become clearer
The less we try to see.Stewart Mercer
We meet in the tradition of Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, who now lives and practices in Plum Village Monastery in southern France.
We invite you to join us. The venue is Newbold House, Forres, Moray, a beautiful Victorian mansion in the north east of Scotland. The resident staff members come from different walks of life and share a common vision. They take pleasure in providing a loving and nurturing environment for their guests. For further details, see: http://www.newboldhouse.org/.
The retreat will run from 1700 hrs Friday to 1530 hrs Sunday. Further instructions – timetable, directions, preparation, etc – will follow nearer the time.
Please download the application form for costs. Note that we are pleased to offer a reduction of the Retreat costs for those on reduced income. Residential accommodation will be provided in Newbold House itself, or in nearby Parkmount House. All activities and meals will be in Newbold House. It will be possible for participants to be non-residential.
The retreat will give us the chance to practice together through a variety of formal and informal activities, drawing on the abundance of experience and wisdom within the group. If you have a particular practice, poem, song or any other ideas appropriate to the theme ‘Letting Go, Letting In‘, please let us know so that we might include them within the programme.
Suzanne Dance – a member of our Sangha and a facilitator of Thursday evenings – is appearing in a production entitled “Divided We Fall” in Edinburgh during November and December.
“Hillstone has always been a diverse community in terms of ethnic origin, age, class, ability and many other factors. But when Alice returns home after some time away she finds her community is in danger of fragmenting. Can she use the 500 year anniversary to enable the people of Hillstone to develop strong interconnections and build solidarity for a just future,
or will the difficult economic climate make her community fragment further?
Divided We Fall? explores the challenges and opportunities faced by diverse communities
such as Leith especially in the context of cuts to public services and the Welfare Reform Act.”
Performances:
All performances are free except Punjab’n De Rasoi which costs £5 and includes a buffet. Please book for this performance so we know how much food to provide!
The Leith Dockers Club performance is run in partnership with The Leith Festival and will include music and social time after the performance.
For more information or to book a place at any of the performances please contact Gavin on gavin@activeinquiry.co.uk or 0771 4321 629. For further details and information on extra performances please visit www.activeinquiry.co.uk
Download the flier: Divided We Fall Flyer
The fifth Dharma Training Programme run by the UK Community of Interbeing started in October 2011 and this note provides details of the retreats being provided in 2013. It is intended for anyone with some experience of the practice, as taught by Thich Nhat Hanh, who wishes to develop their understanding further and to share it with others.
The programme will allow us to deepen our understanding of the Buddha’s teachings, and the practice of mindfulness in the context of a series of retreats with a committed sangha.
Because we practice for each other, and ourselves, the solid base we build together will give us the stability, joy and confidence to go out and share the fruits of this understanding with the wider community. Participants are expected to be members of the UK Community of Interbeing or to join at the time of registration (see booking form).
More details in the booking form: DTP Booking Form 2013 30thOct
All members of the Sangha are invited to a revival of the annual Open Gathering of the Wild Geese at 2-4pm on Saturday 17th November at St Marks Unitarian Church.
The Wild Geese Sangha is run on a volunteer basis and the Gathering is an opportunity for everyone committed to practising with the Wild Geese to come together, look back at how the last year has gone and how the Sangha would like to move forward for another year.
The focus this year is intended to be mainly on practical matters e.g. Should we start earlier on Thursday evenings given the parking problems? Sangha support for future monastic retreats etc
If there is anything you would like the Gathering to consider drop Debbie an email and let her know. It can be anonymous if you wish and all input is most welcome even if you are unable to attend
Please send replies by Wednesday, 14th November if possible. We intend to circulate the agenda in advance to allow us time for reflection and hence constructive and positive dialogue. Matters raised on the day will be considered if time allows.
It would also be helpful to know if you are likely to attend so that I have an idea of numbers.
Although I have been sitting for some time, been on a number of retreats and occasionally facilitate on a Thursday evening this was the first Wild Geese retreat I had been on. This was also the first opportunity I have had to formally receive the Five Mindfulness Trainings and my Dharma name – Peaceful Breath of the Heart. Continue reading
Edinburgh Wild Geese Sangha 