The Festival of the Buddha’s Parinirvana

On Thursday the 13th of February we celebrated the Festival of the Buddha’s Parinirvana at the temple. This festival commemorates the death of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni, and this year for the first time we had a proper Parinirvana statue of the Buddha on the altar for the ceremony. This statue came from the recently-closed Reading Priory, and the photo below shows it on the front of the main altar, together with the three candles which represent the three refuges of Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. Behind it you can see the base of our usual main altar Buddha statue; the main altar statue is traditionally obscured behind a curtain during the Parinirvana ceremony.

During the ceremony we recite the Scripture of Great Wisdom, and as we do this all the lights in the meditation hall are extinguished, one by one, except for a single light in the Founders Shrine. As the scripture continues, we make the wish for the Light of Buddha to return to the world. A chaplain carrying a bowl processes in front of each participant, in order to ‘collect’ these wishes, and this bowl is shown in the photo above, after it has been placed on the altar.

The light is then brought back from the Founders Shrine into the rest of the hall, and we recite the Adoration of the Buddha’s Relics in celebration of the ongoing life of Buddha, and the way of ceaseless practice. The Light of Buddha is seen in the world whenever we give rise to the sincere wish to live in harmony with what is true, and to find the end of suffering for ourselves and for all beings.

Forthcoming Events:
The Festival of the Buddha’s Renunciation

On Saturday the 1st of March we will be celebrating the Festival of the Buddha’s Renunciation. Renunciation, or letting go, lies at the heart of all Buddhist practice, and the story of the Buddha’s Renunciation is a way of conveying the importance of this aspect of training. This festival day will focus on renunciation and letting go, and how we express this within our daily life.

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 have been sent out by email to Lay Sangha members.

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Remembering Rev. Saidō

Next Monday, the 3rd of March, will be the second anniversary of Rev. Master Saidō’s death, and on Tuesday we will be holding a memorial for Rev. Saidō at our evening meeting to mark the occasion.

Rev. Saido was a much loved and respected member of the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives, and Prior of Telford Buddhist Priory in Shropshire. He was a great friend to the temple, and his steady presence and wise council are greatly missed.

In October 2023 Rev. Saidō’s ashes were placed in a Stupa at Telford Buddhist Priory. The Stupa, which Rev. Saidō himself built, is shown in the picture below.

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Getting ready for Spring

After our fences were replaced last Autumn it has taken a while to get things ready for the next growing season. Now though, the trellises for climbing plants have been mounted on the new fence panels, and the wires for the berry bushes to grow along are in place too. The photo below shows the north border in the back garden, with a little bit of colour from some crocuses at this end. We also have quite a few crocuses coming through the lawn, which is helping to give a sense of the changing of the seasons.

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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