Autumn is now upon us, giving a hint of the winter weather to come. I always find this time of year beautiful. The trees putting on a show of autumn colour can sometimes stop me in my tracks, making me realise how beautiful the world around me can be. It… Read More »See the Beauty
From lockdown to enlightenment Since early on in the history of Buddhism there has been a notion that you need a certain set of good conditions to achieve Nirvana or Enlightenment. In some of the Asian Buddhist countries, such as China, Korea and Japan, this was taken to the extreme.… Read More »From lockdown to enlightenment
Many years ago, when we where a very agrarian society, it was the Spring that signalled the start of new things. In our modern society it seems to be that September and the end of Summer is the time when we think about starting new training or taking up new… Read More »The start of new things
We have just held our first online retreat. It was a great success for those for whom it was their first retreat and for those that have been to many Sangha retreats. Obviously, some elements of a physical retreat are missing. But the online retreat gave many advantages as you… Read More »Lockdown doesn’t stop us!
I was looking forward to the Centre opening its doors at the beginning of July. The government had said with the continued reduction in the infection rate, then places of worship can open. However, with the 2-metre distancing in place, we can only allow 8 people into the Centre. With… Read More »Go beyond the waiting
As I am sure you are aware, the UK has been in ‘lock-down’ for 10 weeks now. For some of us that means not being able to go to work, not going out, staying in one place, maybe spending far more time on your own or with only a few… Read More »‘Retreat’ in lockdown
It doesn’t appear that the Buddha had to deal with a pandemic of the kind we are currently experiencing. 2,500 years ago the world was a much smaller place with a much smaller world population of around 30 million, half the current population of the UK. So I would imagine… Read More »The Buddha, illness and practice
Following yesterday’s briefing by the Prime Minister, we have decided to close the Ipswich Buddhist Centre to the public, with immediate effect, until at least end of April. We will of course update you as more government advice is given. If you are currently booked on a course which falls during this initial closure… Read More »Coronavirus Buddhism Ipswich
Recently we celebrated Parinirvana day at the Centre. It is one of our main festivals and many people attended filling the Centre with life and energy. It seems strange to celebrate the death of the founder of your religion but, as we learned over the course of the day, we… Read More »Chairman’s Message – March
I have just returned from the European Chairs’ convention at Adhisthana. This is a twice yearly event where over 50 chairs of Centres around Europe come together to share ideas and discuss Centre related matters. This meeting was special in that we set the priorities for the next 3 to… Read More »Contexts for Intensity
