I was due to lead the class on Friday lunchtime at the Colchester Buddhist Centre, but around an hour earlier I could feel an attack of hay fever starting to develop, so, although I almost never resort to tablets, I took one hay fever tablet. 'Well' I thought 'it would never do to start sneezing through a class. It's difficult to sneak out without disturbing people if you are leading the class!'
By the time that I arrived at the centre I found that I was feeling very disconnected. I was sitting with the group before we started, but felt that I was watching everything through a very long telescope. I didn't feel that I was there at all. The effects of the tablet must have been very strong as I was unused to taking them.
Luckily my co-leader for this class was there as well and he was kind enough to lead the class for me at short notice.
Even with the sense of detachment that the tablet was causing me I was surprised at how bad my meditation was. It might be thought that it would be improved, but my finding was that I was continuously distracted and had very little chance to reach any depth of meditation at all.
Sunday, 29 June 2008
Wednesday, 25 June 2008
Tibetan Book of Living and Dying
During the Dalai Lama's recent teaching in Nottingham he made some references to Tibetan Lamas being overly interested in the exact performance of ceremonies without being mindful of their meaning and that really connected with me. My opinion of him went up even more that it had already been and I thought that I would make more of an effort to explore Tibetan Buddhism.
I've just started reading the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying (http://www.rigpa.org/Tibetan_Book_of_Living_and_Dying.html) , I'm only a few pages in but I can say that it's very good and well worth a read. Although I've been studying Buddhism for around ten years, I have never felt attracted to Tibetan Buddhism, I have always thought (without enough exploration I am sure) that Tibetan Buddhism was too tied up with mysticism and elaborate ceremonies, but I think that this opinion has blinded me to the very deep understanding of Buddhism that Tibetans have achieved.
I am also very pleased to find that I feel very comfortable with the explanations that the author, Sogyal Rinpoche, has used for some of the concepts. The more that I explore different traditions of Buddhism the more that I can see and am glad to see, the similarities.
I've just started reading the Tibetan Book of Living and Dying (http://www.rigpa.org/Tibetan_Book_of_Living_and_Dying.html) , I'm only a few pages in but I can say that it's very good and well worth a read. Although I've been studying Buddhism for around ten years, I have never felt attracted to Tibetan Buddhism, I have always thought (without enough exploration I am sure) that Tibetan Buddhism was too tied up with mysticism and elaborate ceremonies, but I think that this opinion has blinded me to the very deep understanding of Buddhism that Tibetans have achieved.
I am also very pleased to find that I feel very comfortable with the explanations that the author, Sogyal Rinpoche, has used for some of the concepts. The more that I explore different traditions of Buddhism the more that I can see and am glad to see, the similarities.
Monday, 23 June 2008
Clacton and the last of this year's classes at Essex Uni
On Friday I helped my partner Cathy with a course that she was leading in Clacton entitled 'Gaining Confidence through Yoga'. I went along with her and lead a small meditation section using Mindfullness of Breathing and Visualisation. I had a really great time, the participants were very receptive and enthusiastic.
Sunday evening, at the men's group at the Colchester Buddhist Centre, we studied the first few verses of the Dhammapada, the Pairs. The very first line can be said to sum up the whole of Buddhism. "Mind precedes its objects. They are mind-governed and mind-made.....". It's a very powerful set of verses.
Today was the last of the University classes of this academic year. The summer term finishes this Friday. It was great, seven of the regular group arrived. I wasn't sure whether we would have loads or none at all. I had promised the group something different so we had a mindfullness meditation but substituted ten minutes of a slow walking meditation for the third stage. This was new for most if not all of the group so it gave us an opportunity to discuss mindfullness as a concept and how it is possible to apply it to various other areas of our lives. It was great to hear some of the group discussing travelling into Colchester together to attend the Friday lunchtime class. It seems we started the year as strangers and have become a Group.
Sunday evening, at the men's group at the Colchester Buddhist Centre, we studied the first few verses of the Dhammapada, the Pairs. The very first line can be said to sum up the whole of Buddhism. "Mind precedes its objects. They are mind-governed and mind-made.....". It's a very powerful set of verses.
Today was the last of the University classes of this academic year. The summer term finishes this Friday. It was great, seven of the regular group arrived. I wasn't sure whether we would have loads or none at all. I had promised the group something different so we had a mindfullness meditation but substituted ten minutes of a slow walking meditation for the third stage. This was new for most if not all of the group so it gave us an opportunity to discuss mindfullness as a concept and how it is possible to apply it to various other areas of our lives. It was great to hear some of the group discussing travelling into Colchester together to attend the Friday lunchtime class. It seems we started the year as strangers and have become a Group.
Thursday, 19 June 2008
My practice
In theory I have a daily meditation practice, but this can get interrupted. I try to meditate from 12.30pm to 1pm each weekday and in the evening on a Saturday and at the Buddhist Centre on a Sunday (a very short one).
I manage quite well to meditate whilst leading the class at the University, which surprises me. But, I don't demand too much from it so there are no high expectations.
Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays I have no problems finding the time. We have a quiet room at home where I keep my mat, cushion and Buddha rupa, and I use this. After many years of incense the whole room has taken on a soft scent of patchouli oil and vanilla. At 12.30pm I trot off upstairs, light the incence and candles and settle down on the cushion.
Fridays I tend to be at the Buddhist Centre and whether leading the class or attending I can look forward to quite a deep meditation. I generally make it back on a Friday evening as well and after a Sevenfold Puja, I meditate again for another half an hour.
Saturdays can be a bit tricky, but mostly I find some time in the evening.
What I don't do, though, is 'beat myself up' if I cannot stick to this loose schedule. It is just an outline and if circumstances get in the way I can't see the purpose of suffering to be able to meditate!
I now alternate the Mindfullness of Breathing and the Metta Bhavana meditations, for some time I had difficulty with the Metta Bhavana, not because it didn't suit me, but it felt like hard work. I had to gently coax myself to it from the more attractive Mindfullness.
I manage quite well to meditate whilst leading the class at the University, which surprises me. But, I don't demand too much from it so there are no high expectations.
Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays I have no problems finding the time. We have a quiet room at home where I keep my mat, cushion and Buddha rupa, and I use this. After many years of incense the whole room has taken on a soft scent of patchouli oil and vanilla. At 12.30pm I trot off upstairs, light the incence and candles and settle down on the cushion.
Fridays I tend to be at the Buddhist Centre and whether leading the class or attending I can look forward to quite a deep meditation. I generally make it back on a Friday evening as well and after a Sevenfold Puja, I meditate again for another half an hour.
Saturdays can be a bit tricky, but mostly I find some time in the evening.
What I don't do, though, is 'beat myself up' if I cannot stick to this loose schedule. It is just an outline and if circumstances get in the way I can't see the purpose of suffering to be able to meditate!
I now alternate the Mindfullness of Breathing and the Metta Bhavana meditations, for some time I had difficulty with the Metta Bhavana, not because it didn't suit me, but it felt like hard work. I had to gently coax myself to it from the more attractive Mindfullness.
Getting up to date
My first post on my new blog and I should use it to get up to date on where I am now.
I am currently teaching two meditation classes. One at Essex University on a Monday from 12 noon to 1pm and one at the Colchester Buddhist Centre from 1pm to 2pm. The one at the Buddhist Centre I share with Dave and we roughly lead half of them each.
I have been involved with both of these classes since around October 2007.
I have now been confirmed, as of a couple of weeks ago, as the new Buddhist Chaplin at Essex University, which currently involves just running this one class, and also being available to University students, both Buddhist and non-Buddhist to help them with Buddhist related matters. I am also on the committee of the Multi-Faith Chaplaincy Centre at the University, where I hold the class. The Committee meets three times a year, once each term, and administers the MFCC.
I hope to expand the work that I do at the University and have this week booked another time slot at the Chaplaincy Centre for a Friday from 7pm to 9pm, starting in the new academic year. I plan to hold a second meditation class for those that cannot get to the Monday lunchtime one and also to perform a Buddhist Sevenfold Puja. I hope that this will encourage the Buddhist students to come together and help me to identify who it is that I am representing at the University.
The Friday lunchtime classes at the Buddhist Centre are a delight. There is always a very special atmosphere in the shrine room at the Centre and I always leave glowing and smiling from cheek to cheek.
I am currently teaching two meditation classes. One at Essex University on a Monday from 12 noon to 1pm and one at the Colchester Buddhist Centre from 1pm to 2pm. The one at the Buddhist Centre I share with Dave and we roughly lead half of them each.
I have been involved with both of these classes since around October 2007.
I have now been confirmed, as of a couple of weeks ago, as the new Buddhist Chaplin at Essex University, which currently involves just running this one class, and also being available to University students, both Buddhist and non-Buddhist to help them with Buddhist related matters. I am also on the committee of the Multi-Faith Chaplaincy Centre at the University, where I hold the class. The Committee meets three times a year, once each term, and administers the MFCC.
I hope to expand the work that I do at the University and have this week booked another time slot at the Chaplaincy Centre for a Friday from 7pm to 9pm, starting in the new academic year. I plan to hold a second meditation class for those that cannot get to the Monday lunchtime one and also to perform a Buddhist Sevenfold Puja. I hope that this will encourage the Buddhist students to come together and help me to identify who it is that I am representing at the University.
The Friday lunchtime classes at the Buddhist Centre are a delight. There is always a very special atmosphere in the shrine room at the Centre and I always leave glowing and smiling from cheek to cheek.
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