| Date |
Topic |
Link |
|
10th December
|
Mindless Meeting with Mince Pies |
A Mindless Meeting at Ora's house. Thank you Ora!
|
|
1st December
|
The Eightfold Path: Right View |
Here is an extract on Right View from this
excellent free book on the Eightfold Path.
|
|
17th November
|
The Mindfulness of the Body sutta |
The The Mindfulness of the Body sutta
up to the section on the 'Four Janas'.
|
|
3rd November
|
The Fourth Noble Truth |
Here is an extract from an excellent
free book on the Eightfold Path. The whole thing is here.
|
|
20th October
|
The Third Noble Truth
at Reynold's house |
Following the cause of Suffering at Reynold's house it's time for the end of suffering at my house.
Here is a collection from various suttas on the Third Noble truth..
|
|
6th October
|
The Second Noble Truth
at Reynold's house |
Following Suffering in the yurt we have the cause of Suffering at Reynold's house.
Here is a very short summary..
|
|
15th September
|
Metta in the yurt
(and "Goodbye yurt") |
Our last meeting in the yurt. Let's leave it with metta.
|
|
1st September
|
Suffering in the yurt
(follows on from "Death in the yurt") |
The First Noble: dukkha.
Bring any reading you like but here is a suggestion -
the
Dharmacakra Pravartana Sutra.
Also the Wikpedia definition of Dukkha is a good read.
|
|
18th August
|
The Seven Treasures |
The Buddha says that there are seven qualities or 'treasures' the possession of which makes the individual 'rich beyond material wealth'. These are: Confidence, morality, self-confidence, fear of wrongdoing, learning, generosity and wisdom. Please read:
In the yurt as usual.
We tried to do this on 7th July but talked about marriage instead.
|
|
4th August
|
Insight Meditation - what is it? what happens when we meditate?
what's it got to do with the Four Noble Truths?? |
Click here for a short edited extract from a book. |
|
21st July
|
Death in the yurt |
The chapter on death from Stephen Batchelor's book "Buddhism without beliefs".
|
|
7th July
|
The Seven Treasures
Meet at Reynold's house |
The Buddha says that there are seven qualities or 'treasures' the possession of which makes the individual 'rich beyond material wealth'. These are: Confidence, morality, self-confidence, fear of wrongdoing, learning, generosity and wisdom. Please read:
Note that the yurt is booked this evening, so we will be meeting at Reynold's house.
|
|
30th June
|
nothing |
That really is nothing, not even emptiness. Often on the fifth Wednesday of the month we organise
a mindless meeting, but this month I'm afraid I've been too mindless even to do that.
|
|
16th June
|
An enquiry session |
For this meeting we will do an enquiry exercise working in pairs.
(This probably isn't a good meeting to bring someone inexperienced
at meditation.)
|
|
2nd June
|
Friendship |
Our group has been going for two years now and so it's time to review how we are going
and a suitable theme for the meeting is friendship.
The Mitta Sutta is an extremely short summary of what makes a good friend.
For those with time to read an article I like
"The Art of Friendship".
|
|
|
Yurt |
From this date onwards, we are meeting in the yurt in Barracks Lane garden.
Here is a
hand drawn map and a
Google map.
|
|
19th May
|
Metta |
Metta practice. It's a practice - there's no reading.
|
|
5th May
|
Boredom |
Here is a reading called "The Gifts of Boredom" - a personal view.
|
|
21st April
|
The Divine Abidings |
Here is a snippet about the Divine Abidings (the Brahmavihara) from the
Visuddhimagga Chapter 9.
If, like me, you didn't know what the Visuddhimagga was, it may be worth
reading something like the Wikipedia entry.
|
|
7th April
|
Joy! |
How could we have missed this topic?
Here is a very short reading from Bhante Bodhidhamma.
|
|
31st March
|
Mindless meeting |
Meeting down the Rusty Bicycle with friends.
|
|
17th March
|
The three marks of existence |
My home computer broken down and I didn't have time to select a reading. Let's discuss
the three marks of existence;
dukkha,
anicca and
anatta.
|
|
3rd March
|
The life of the Buddha |
Let's discuss the man who started it all. Read any account of the life of Siddharta Gautama, such as this one.
|
|
17th February
|
The cycles of life |
Accepting the cycles of spiritual life by Jack Kornfield. Are you on a journey, going in circles, standing still or something different?
|
|
3rd February
|
Metta practice |
A short reading this time: the Metta sutta.
Please note that on this article there are links to other translations.
|
|
20th January
|
Desire |
The suggested reading is this essay by Bhante Bodhidhamma, who
regularly leads Gaia House weekend retreats.
|
|
6th January (2010)
|
Drawing and Bare Perception |
Together we will do a drawing exercise using bare perception. All materials will be supplied.
|
|
30th December
|
New Year nothin' |
Sitting together with no theme in particular. |
|
16th December
|
Anger and Mindfulness |
Extract from "Anger - Buddhist wisdom for cooling the flames" by Thich Nhat Hanh
|
|
2nd December
|
Bare Attention |
Extract from "The Heart of Buddhist Meditation" by Nyanaponika Thera.
Click here for PDF version (1.7Mb) or
Click here for Word version (1.2Mb) |
|
18th March
|
The Sigalovada Sutta |
The Buddha's detailed instructions to laypeople for living a happy life.
Use any translation you like. It is available online here. |
|
4th November
|
Faith |
Click here for some extracts from Sharon Salzberg's book "Faith" |
| |
Meetings move to Reynold's house after October |
|
21st October
|
Metta |
Click here for an extract from Sharon Salzberg's book "Lovingkindness". |
7th October
|
Eating |
An exercise in mindful eating. Food will be provided (but not in great quantity!) |
|
30th September
|
Mindless Meeting |
A sangha social at Amy's |
|
16th September
|
Enlightenment(!) |
Click here for very short musings about Awakening, Enlightenment or Nirvana. |
|
2nd September
|
The Eightfold path: Step 8: Right Concentration. |
An extract from The Noble Eightfold Path
by Bhikkhu Bodhi. You can download all 70 pages here. |
|
19th August
|
The Eightfold path: Step 7: Right Mindfulness. |
An extract from The Noble Eightfold Path
by Bhikkhu Bodhi. You can download all 70 pages here. |
|
5th August
|
The Ten Perfections |
Have a look at:
http://www.bstonedesigns.com/buddhist_lists/ten_perfections.html
Or for a complete Study Guide:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/study/perfections.html.
|
|
15th July
|
The Eightfold path: Step 6: Right Effort. |
An extract from The Noble Eightfold Path
by Bhikkhu Bodhi. If you're feeling strong you can download all 70 pages here. |
|
1st July
|
The Eightfold path: Step 5: Skillful Livelihood. |
An extract on Skillful Thinking
from "Eight Mindful
Steps to Happiness" by Bhante Gunaratana. |
|
17th June
|
Midsummer Metta practice |
This group is now a year old, so this is a good chance to review how it's gone and what we want for the future.
It is also nearly midsummer, and we will meet in a yurt. |
|
3rd June
|
The Eightfold path: Step 4: Right Action. |
An extract from The Noble Eightfold Path
by Bhikkhu Bodhi. If you're feeling strong you can download all 70 pages here. |
|
20th May
|
The Eightfold path: Step 3: Skillful Speech. |
An extract on Skillful Speech
from "Eight Mindful
Steps to Happiness" by Bhante Gunaratana. |
|
6th May
|
Metta practice |
Guided meditation |
|
15th April
|
The Eightfold path: Step 2: Skillful Thinking. |
An extract on Skillful Thinking
from "Eight Mindful
Steps to Happiness" by Bhante Gunaratana. |
|
1st April
|
The Eightfold path: Step 1: Skillful Understanding. |
An extract on Skillful Understanding
from "Eight Mindful
Steps to Happiness" by Bhante Gunaratana. |
|
18th March
|
The Eightfold path |
Any tranlsation of the Magga-vibhanga Sutta. One is available here.
Also recommended is the very brief Avijja Sutta
This will be followed by looking at each step on the Eightfold Path using the book
Eight Mindful
Steps to Happiness by Bhante Gunaratana.
|
|
4th March
|
The Sigalovada Sutta |
The Buddha's detailed instructions to laypeople for living a happy life.
Use any translation you like. It is available online here. |
|
18th February
|
Awakening |
Awakening: the first chapter of Stephen Batchelor's book Buddhism without beliefs. |
|
4th February
|
Self-denial and Self-acceptance |
The paradox of self-denial: an essay by Alan Watts |
|
21st January
|
A guided meditation on metta (Loving-kindness) by Mark |
- What is metta and where does it come from?
- What is the point in cultivating it?
- Why do we start with ourselves?
- How does metta relate to the other 3 Brahma Viharas of compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity?
- How can we cultivate metta in our daily lives, not just during meditation?
There is an article here.
|
|
7th January
|
Goenka and the body |
Click here for a book extract |
|
17th December
|
Bring & share social
starting at the usual time |
including mulled wine and mince pies!
Thank you for all the meetings in 2008 |
|
3rd December
|
Chapter 5 of "A Path with Heart" by Jack Kornfield
"Training the puppy." |
Click here for a copy. |
|
19th November
|
A guided meditation on Uppekha (Equanimity) |
There is a short description here. |
|
5th November
|
Working with sound |
Guy Fawkes Night - it's going to be noisy! |
|
22nd October
|
The Eightfold Path: Meditation |
Right Effort
Right Mindfulness
Right Concentration
For a lighter reading than previously try this page from Bigview.
If you want more, try this article on Right Concentration. (Thank you Mina)
|
|
15th October
|
Postponed by one week! |
Reynold will be away. |
|
1st October
|
The Eightfold Path: Ethics |
Right Speech
Right Action
Right Livelihood
Read chapter 4 of
this book.
I have turned the book into a 70 page Word document here
|
|
17th September
|
The Eightfold Path: Wisdom |
Right View
Right Intention
Stretch ourselves a bit: Read chapters 2 & 3 of
this book.
I have turned the book into a 70 page Word document here
|
|
3rd September
|
Humour |
Click here and weep! |
|
20th August
|
Metta - A guided meditation |
|
|
6th August
|
The Brahma Virahas - do they really describe our nature?
what's it got to do with the Four Noble Truths?? |
Click here for a short article. |
|
16th July
|
Insight Meditation - what is it? what happens when we meditate?
what's it got to do with the Four Noble Truths?? |
Click here for a short edited extract from a book. |
|
2nd July
|
The Fourth Noble Truth - The Eightfold Path. |
To read the talk
click here.
To listen to the talk
click here.
Both are from
this BBC web page. |
