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)

The group of monastics visiting us for An Evening for The Miracle of Mindfulness: Nourishing Happiness will be lead by Sister Dedication.

They are currently involved in running a large retreat in Stourbridge (near Birmingham) but looking forward to an evening with us in Edinburgh on Wednesday.

They hope to be able to share satsuma eating meditation with us as part of the evening. This is a wonderful way to transform an everyday activity into a source of joy.

Our Thursday evening and Tuesday Mindfulness@Lunchtime meetings are hosted by St Mark’s Unitarian Church on Castle Terrace.

It may seem unusual but St. Mark’s is not a Christian community – not a cross in sight – and members of our Sangha are regular attenders.

On 10th of September the Wild Geese will take the reins and lead the service. Why not come along and see how we get on?

Services are at 11 am in the church, with coffee and conversation in the upper hall afterwards. Children sit with their parents for the opening part of the service, and then follow their own programme.

Pete has shared two videos of Thay that will be of interest to those who came along to our mindfulness morning on Sunday.

The second video is in French for those who can follow along as Thay talks slowly but profoundly. The relevant part is from 35 minutes in.