Monday 20 November 2017

This week @ Beaches Sangha: Jampa discussing emotions



Hi all.

This week at Beaches, Jampa will facilitate a discussion on emotions: what are they, how are we to judge between those that are positive and those that are negative, and should we even make such judgements? 

Also, please let us know, either on Thursday night, or by using the Contact Form on the right, if you can come to our Sangha Party at our last meeting for the year on the 14th of December. If so, please tell us if you'll bring sweets or savouries to share.

Hope to see you on Thursday night.
Lenore

Wednesday 15 November 2017

This week @ Beaches - special guest Victor von der Heyde



Hi all.

This week we have the pleasure of Victor von der Heyde's company at Beaches. Victor is a regular, although not frequent, speaker at Beaches, (he lives between Brisbane and Sydney). Victor will be giving a talk about going on long retreats. For me, a week is the longest I've ever done, so I'm intrigued to hear about what it's like on longer ones.

I hope you can join us.
LL

Monday 6 November 2017

Sangha update & end of year party



Hi all. With the end of the year fast approaching, we've got a couple of things to update you on...

Sangha plans
Us SOGgies (Sangha Organising Group) met last week and came up with a format for next year's meetings. We're going to have a regular monthly schedule with a different focus each week of the month:

WEEK 1: sutta study
With a secular approach to the dharma it's important to understand the core teachings of the Buddha, from the most original source available - the Pali Canon. Next year we're going to have one session a month focused on this. We'll use the book by Glenn Wallis called 'The Basic Teachings of the Buddha' which walks through 12 suttas that the author sees as central to the dharma. If you'd like to take part, it'd be a good idea to get yourself a copy soon. (P.S. The first sutta in the book can seem rather a strange one....don't let that turn you off, we'll explain it, and the others are less weird.)

WEEK 2: speaker night
Talks by people from outside of our sangha.

WEEK3: open discussion
We've had lots of this during the colder months this year and the discussions have been thought provoking, connecting and in some cases very helpful for people. The idea is that we discuss issues that are alive in people's lives, and what the dharma can contribute to the way we see and deal with them.

WEEK4: wild card night
We've got a bunch of topics and activities that we'd like to do that have no particular theme. We'd also love to hear any ideas you have. Feel free to use the contact form on the right here - or better still, come and tell us on Thursday night!). Our ideas include podcasts, poetry night, trying different types of meditation, book reports, beginner's nights, a noble silence 'taster', and more.

We've also got some good ideas for a few activities outside of our regular meetings. More on that soon.


End of year party


Thursday 14th December will be our last meeting for the year. As is our long standing tradition, at our last meeting we have a shorter meditation (15 mins) and a celebration. We all bring some food and drink to share and we get to enjoy each other's company before we head off for the end of year break. Can you please let us know, either in person, or using the contact form to the right, whether you'll bring sweet or savoury food to share.

Sangha will resume on Thursday 11th January. 

This week @ Sangha
This week we'll be listening to a podcast by Stephen Batchelor and discussing it. I hope you can join us.