Meditation and Buddhism classes
See Higher Evolution Centre home page for more activities, workshops etc.
Meditation and Buddhism classes
See Higher Evolution Centre home page for more activities, workshops etc.
This is a weekly evening meeting for those who, perhaps after completing the formal meditation courses, want to develop their involvement with Buddhism at the Ipswich Buddhist Centre. There is a varied programme of activities including meditation and meditation topics, long-term study themes, devotional practice and ritual, occasional guest speakers etc. One of the highlights of Friends' Evening is the 'Mitra Ceremony', which is an opportunity to affirm publicly that you consider yourself a Buddhist, you are going to try to lead an ethical life, and you intend to pursue your Buddhist practice in the context of the FWBO. These are invariably very joyful occasions. ('Mitra' is Sanskrit for 'friend'.)
Friends' Evening takes place every Thursday 7.30pm - 10.00pm. Attendance is by mutual agreement.
The programme for the current series of Friends' Evenings is available here.
The Buddhist calendar includes a number of festivals that are celebrated throughout the Buddhist world - these are:
The FWBO also celebrates the following festivals:
Festivals at the Ipswich Buddhist Centre consist of up to a day of meditation sessions, study and formal talks or lectures relevant to the theme of the day, devotional practice, and of course tea/meal breaks! FWBO Day is an exception - this is normally celebrated at a national gathering at a large venue somewhere in the UK.
Festival days are held on the Sunday nearest to the actual day of commemoration.
Women's and Men's groups provide an alternative context for pursuing Buddhist practice in a supportive and informal atmosphere. The Women's group meets monthly and has arranged a lively and varied programme of activities. The Men's group meets on Sunday evenings. Membership of these groups is by mutual agreement.
'Going on retreat' means going away somewhere to spend a period of time primarily on spiritual practice. Retreats can be solitary, single-sex or mixed; can have various themes (mindfulness, study, yoga, hill-walking etc. etc.); and can last anything from a day to years! Retreats can give a big boost to one's spiritual practice, and many people report a profound deepening of their spiritual experience while on retreat.
The Ipswich Buddhist Centre runs mainly weekend retreats (Friday evening to Sunday afternoon) at various times in the year, including the annual 'In-Tents Retreat' during the summer. You also can go on longer retreats at the various FWBO retreat centres throughout the UK. Click here for more information about retreats.
The Ipswich Buddhist Centre newsletter is produced on an irregular basis by Sangha members. It contains articles on Dharma, Centre activities and plans, poems, personal reflections etc. Past issues can be seen here.
The Centre maintains a library of books, video tapes, audio tapes and CDs on topics related to Buddhism and the FWBO. Of particular note is the collection of lectures on audio tape by Sangharakshita, the founder of the FWBO. Items may be borrowed for a nominal charge.
The Centre bookshop has available for purchase a wide selection of books on Buddhism by various authors including Sangharakshita, the founder of the FWBO. Also on sale are Buddhist magazines and 'guided meditation' audio and video tapes and DVDs.
