Sadly the 2020 Peace Walk has been postponed due to the current situation with the Covid-19 virus. We will walk together again when the situation improves.

‘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.

For the 16th successive year we are happy to be able to facilitate a mindful peace walk at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in collaboration with the Edinburgh International Centre for Spirituality and Peace EICSP.

Venue: Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, John Hope Gateway, Arboretum Place, Edinburgh, EH3 5NZ.
Date: Sunday 22 March 2020
Time: 10am for 10.15am ends by 11.15am. Meet at West Gate entrance to the John Hope Gateway, Arboretum Place. Introduction to mindful walking at 10.00am. Walk begins at 10.15am.
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 – in 2018 it was snowy!

More walks?

This is the first of three walks organised with the EICSP. There will be two more; one at Lauriston Castle on 14th June and one at Saughton Park on 11th October. We hope you can join us.

“True love… is an infinite force of light and of love that speaks
of our interconnectedness with all things.”

Love’s Garden: A Guide to Mindful Relationships by Peggy Rowe Ward and Larry Ward

Together we will investigate the third of Thich Nhat Hanh’s five mindfulness trainings (precepts), “True Love,” which begins: “Aware of the suffering caused by sexual misconduct, I am committed to cultivating sexual responsibility and learning ways to protect the safety and integrity of individuals, couples, families, and society.”We will look deeply at the creative and destructive power of sexual energy, and see how spiritual practice can enliven and enhance our most intimate relationships.

Jane Ellen Combelic is a storyteller, writer, and artist who teaches mindfulness and embodied spirituality. She is a senior student of Vietnamese Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh and former editor of The Mindfulness Bell. After being ordained into the Order of Interbeing in 2006, she founded Lotus Blossom Sangha in her hometown in Colorado. Since her move to Scotland in 2010 she has been an active member of Northern Lights Sangha at Findhorn, where she frequently leads days of mindfulness. For the last three years she has also been a student of Living Tantra, a deeply spiritual practice integrating body and mind. Jane is the author of a memoir, No Coming, No Going, about the year she spent at Plum Village and in Vietnam with Thay, and she’s at work on a sequel—about finding true love.

When: Saturday 30th November 2019 – 9:15am to 4:00pm (please try to arrive a little earlier so that we can start at 09:30; stay for the whole day or just the morning)
Where: St. Marks Unitarian Church, Castle Terrace
Booking: Just turn up.
Bring: Small amount of vegetarian food to share if that is easy.
Cost: By donation – to cover the cost of hiring the venue etc. Suggested: £10 (£5).

Breathing: Our Way to Freedom – Breathing Exercise 14: The Fading of Desire

This session will continue our exploration together of the Sutra on the Full Awareness of Breathing. Having contemplated impermanence in the 13^th breathing exercise, any desire we may have had for fame, power, wealth and sensory overindulgence is likely to have waned, having seen how transient they are. In fact, seeing from afar the hazards of a celebrity lifestyle, we may not feel the slightest desire to be rich, famous and powerful!

But what kind of power are we talking about and to what use do we wish to put it? Thay has spoken of the power of understanding, love and letting go. He has also spoken of the power of stillness.

If we change the language slightly and speak instead of recognition, influence, security and intimacy, then we encounter powerful volitions that affect us all in one way or another.

We will explore our own experiences of seeking recognition, influence, security and intimacy using guided meditation, readings and sharing in small groups. We will also investigate the causes and conditions of contentment.

We will share a mindful lunch so please bring a little vegetarian or vegan food to share.

Tea will be provided. Cushions, mats and blankets are available at the venue, but you are welcome to bring your own if you prefer.

The session will be facilitated by Pete and Gustaf and will run from 09:15 for a 9:30 start until 1:00 pm at St. Marks Unitarian Church.

When: Saturday 2nd November 2019 – 9:15am to 1:00pm (Please try to arrive a little earlier so that we can start at 09:30)
Where: St. Marks Unitarian Church, Castle Terrace
Booking: Just turn up.
Bring: Small amount of vegetarian food to share if that is easy.
Cost: By donation – to cover the cost of hiring the venue etc. Suggested: £10 (£5).