Zen Meditation and Buddhist Practice
Turning Wheel Buddhist Temple is a Soto Zen temple in West Knighton, Leicester. Rev. Aiden Hall, a senior monk of the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives, is resident at the temple, and offers regular Buddhist teaching and guidance to anyone who who would like to meditate and practise Buddhism. Our tradition is based on the practice of zazen, also known as serene reflection meditation.
The temple provides a quiet place for meditation and Buddhist practice in Leicester, and is supported by a group of lay Buddhists throughout the East Midlands and beyond who follow the Soto Zen tradition.
Whether you are new to meditation, or would like to deepen and broaden your practice, you are welcome to come and visit. You can join in with our regular schedule of evening meetings, festivals and other activities, and individual guidance is also offered.
Practising Zazen in the Meditation Hall
Visiting the temple
You are very welcome to come along and learn to meditate, and find out about Buddhist practice. Please contact us to arrange an introduction to our practice, which includes detailed instruction and guidance on how to meditate.
You are also welcome to just come round for a visit to see the temple.
There are no fees for taking part in any activities which the temple offers. We invite donations to help continue the work of the temple, and any support you are able to offer is greatly appreciated.
Please contact us if you would like to find out more about the temple or arrange a visit.
Meditation and Zen Buddhism
Seated meditation (zazen) is the foundation of our practice. Through meditation we come to find a sense of stability and groundedness within all the thoughts, feelings and emotions that arise in response to the events of life.
This sense of stillness is not limited to formal periods of meditation, and gradually permeates all the different aspects of our life. We find that we become more aware of the ways in which we cause suffering, both for ourselves and for others, and this gradually leads us to act in more skilful ways.
As a result, we feel more connected with those around us, and are more able to express the heart of Buddha in our daily lives.
The Life of Practice
Zen Buddhism emphasises living an ethical life in harmony with the Buddhist Precepts and the heart of meditation. The foundation of this approach is the teaching that all beings are already Buddha, and that we have all we need to live a contented and fulfilled life; when we stop searching for something that we think is missing, we come to truly value that which we already have.
Relaxing in the garden at the Festival of the Buddha's Birth (Wesak)
An important aspect of living the life of Buddha is to awaken and express the heart of compassion, through which we come to recognise our interconnectedness with all of existence, and this is expressed in the Bodhisattva Vow to help all beings.
Resident monk
Rev. Aiden Hall, a senior monk of the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives, is resident at the temple. He is a disciple of Rev. Master Daishin Morgan, the former Abbot of Throssel Hole Buddhist Abbey, and is an authorised teacher of Zen Buddhism.
Rev. Aiden is responsible for the teaching of the temple, runs the calendar of events and regular weekly activities, and offers support and guidance to anyone who practises in this tradition or is interested in finding out about it. Read More