Invitation to Wesak:
The Festival of the Buddha’s Birth

We will be celebrating Wesak at the temple on Saturday the 17th of May. Everyone is cordially invited to come and celebrate the Buddha’s birth with us on this festive day, and you are very welcome to bring family and friends along to see the temple and join in as well.

The day will start at 10am, with tea and biscuits available as people arrive. This will give an opportunity for people to meet, and for those visiting for the first time to have a look around the temple before the ceremony starts.

At 10.45am we will have a short ceremony rehearsal, and at 11am we will have the Festival Ceremony. This will be followed by a Dharma talk, and then a bring-and-share vegetarian feast. There won’t be any specific events scheduled in the afternoon; you are welcome to stay for as long as you would like, and this will be a good opportunity to socialise and meet other members of the Sangha. The day will end at 4pm, and you are welcome to come for any part of it.

We hope you will be able to join us for this joyful celebration.

Memorial for Rev. Saidō

Rev. Saido was a much loved and respected member of the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives, and Prior of Telford Buddhist Priory in Shropshire. He died on Friday 3rd March 2023, not long after having been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Rev. Saidō was a great friend to the temple, and his steady presence and wise council are greatly missed.

Monday the 3rd of March was the second anniversary of Rev. Master Saidō’s death, and on the following day we held a memorial for him at our Tuesday evening meeting to mark the occasion.

After the memorial ceremony we watched together a video of Rev. Saidō’s excellent Dharma Talk on the Four Noble Truths, which can be found on the Telford Buddhist Priory website.

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Forthcoming Events:
The Festival of Manjusri Bodhisattva

On Saturday the 5th of April we will be celebrating the Festival of Manjusri Bodhisattva. Manjusri is the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, usually portrayed holding the Sword of Wisdom that cuts through delusion, and riding “the Beast of Self which never sleeps”. Are we Manjusri or are we the beast? It may seem like we are divided between a good side and a bad side, between clarity and confusion, but we gradually come to see that Manjusri and the beast are not two different things.

When we come to understand the true nature of “self”, we see that the “beast” is what carries and supports Manjusri – and us. The wisdom which Manjusri embodies is not intellectual or conceptual wisdom, but the ability to see ourselves and the whole of existence with clarity. When we see clearly, we understand that we must act in the world in a way that is rooted in compassion for all beings.

In addition to welcoming visitors to the temple for the festival (please book in advance), we will also be holding the festival over zoom so that Lay Sangha members can join in from where they are. This festival day will run from 10am to 12.30pm, and full details of the festival will be sent out by email to Lay Sangha members prior to the festival.

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Signs of Spring

The recent warm and bright weather has really helped the plants in the temple garden to get going, with daffodils, tulips and hyacinths all in flower. The trees and shrubs are beginning to come into leaf as well.

Below are a couple of photos taken at the end of March.

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Alms Bowl Requests

Donations of Food
Offering food is a traditional way to support a monk, and all donations of vegetarian food are most welcome. In particular:

• porridge oats
• peanuts or other nuts
• peanut butter
• fresh fruit and vegetables (except garlic or peppers)
• dried herbs
• cheese, eggs and yoghurt

Any other suitable items would also be appreciated.

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Donations

The temple is dependent on donations for its continued existence, and any financial support you are able to offer is greatly appreciated. Details of how to offer support can be found on the Donations page of the website.

All donations are received with gratitude