Little Bangkok Sangha : Meditation group

 
 
 

The Little Bangkok Sangha is happy to announce the second meeting of the Dharma Circle, a series of in-person meetings at Baan Aree, the beautiful location so generously made available to us by the Baan Aree foundation. The meeting will be held on Monday 5 June 2023 from 06:10 - 8.00 PM Bangkok time.

Understanding how important good friends are in supporting the noble path, Buddha's disciple Ananda declared "This is half of the holy life: admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie." To which the Buddha replied: "Don't say that Ananda. Don't say that. Admirable friendship, admirable companionship, admirable camaraderie is actually the whole of the holy life."

The Dharma Circle is an open space to come together for an evening of reading, discussion, and meditation. The purpose of the Dharma Circle is to study and reflect on Buddha Dharma together. The idea is to maintain a community of friends to support our practice and application. Everyone is welcome, from beginners to scholars. Please note that the Dharma Circle is not a taught course but simply a reading group. It is not necessary to have attended previous sessions and you may drop in on individual sessions.

We will be reading from the classic book 'What the Buddha Taught' by Ven. Rahula Walpola. Ven. Walpola Rahula (1907–1997) was a Buddhist monk, scholar, writer and one of Sri Lanka's most eminent intellectuals. In 1964, he became the Professor of History and Religions at Northwestern University, thus becoming the first bhikkhu to hold a professorial chair in the Western world.

'What the Buddha Taught' was first published in 1959 and is still one of the most popular introductions to Buddhism in the West. Using translations directly from the Pali canon, Ven. Walpola presents the basic tenets of Buddhism from the Four Noble Truths to Anatta (The Doctrine of No-soul) in a relatively direct and unflinching manner. We will start reading from Chapter 2: The First Noble Truth: Dukkha: the Five Aggregates (page 20-26).

There is no need to have done the reading in advance as we will read the text together. However, if you are interested in reading the book in advance, it is easily purchased online or at local English language bookstores in Bangkok.

Baan Aree is a Thai Buddhist Center, please wear something that is comfortable to sit in, and avoid tight-fitting clothes, shorts, sleeveless tops, and short skirts. There may not be sufficient drinking water on site, therefore you may bring your own water in a closed container. No other food/drinks are allowed in the main room.

There is no charge for this event, however, the Little Bangkok Sangha follows the Buddhist custom of Dana (generosity). The venue is offered as an act of generosity, and if participants wish, they may reciprocate by making donations towards the venue's costs. A box for Dana will be provided.

The Dharma Circle will be facilitated by experienced practitioners.

Programme

• 6:00 pm Baan Aree opens
• 6:10 pm Opening meditation
• 6:25 pm Reading and Discussion
• 7:25 pm Closing meditation
• 7:45 pm Session ends
• 8:00 pm Baan Aree closes

Baan Aree Foundation : https://goo.gl/maps/1FuCuvCtNdPMAL4F9

 
 
 

The Little Bangkok Sangha is inviting you to a Zoom meeting on Monday 12 June 2023 from 8:00 – 09:00 PM Bangkok time.
Please note that we start one and a half hour later than we normally do.

We are very pleased that Ajahn Succito accepted our invitation to give a Dhamma talk. The topic of the night will be: Who is it that can know desire?

Our lives are so full of "this" and "that". In its best formulation "this" can be a wonderful presence which seems only possible during formal meditation. Off the cushion we are overwhelmed with "that".

Ajahn Succito is a Buddhist monk (bhikkhu). He entered monastic life in 1975 in Thailand, but since 1978 he has been based in Britain. He spent fourteen years training under Ajahn Sumedho, the senior Western disciple of Ajahn Chah. He is based at Cittaviveka Monastery in Chithurst, West Sussex, near Petersfield in southern England.

7:50 PM: Zoom room opens
8:00 PM: Dhamma talk followed by Q&A
9:00 PM: Close

Here is the Zoom link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/3141894720?pwd=cXg5ZkIrMGxNelpLTFhMK2graWpnZz09
Meeting ID:[masked]