Dharma Day Festival: Communicating Enlightenment
On Dharma Day we celebrate the teaching of the Buddha by marking his first communication of the way to Enlightenment in the deer park of Sarnath over 2500 years ago.
Marking key events in the Buddhist calendar - Festival days a great opportunity for everyone to come together to celebrate, reflect, practice & connect.
The morning will focus on meditation and reflection. In the afternoon we’ll hear more about the moment the Buddha first communicated his enlightenment experience to a human being, setting in motion a chain of teaching that reaches all the way to us. The day concludes with welcoming back Prasadasara from their ordination retreat before a celebratory puja with mitra ceremonies.
Dhamra Day Programme:
Gathering for Mitras & Order Members at 10.15am (doors open 10am), bring a favourite (short) dharma reading to share aloud.
Doors then open at 11.15am.
11.30am Reflective morning with stories from the life of the Buddha and meditation.
1pm Shared Buffet Lunch (all welcome, bring a vegetarian dish/item to share)
2pm ‘Caught Not Taught’ - Keynote talk from Devamitra (all welcome).
Devamitra was ordained in 1974 and has spent his life studying, practising and teaching Buddhism. He was principally responsible for establishing the Norwich Buddhist Centre and for twenty years held a major responsibility in the Triratna Buddhist Community.
3.15pm Welcome Back Ceremony for Prasadasara.
Celebratory moment to mark the return of Prasadasara (ex-Alana) from their three-month ordination retreat.
Doors open again during a tea break at around 3.50pm
4pm Special Ritual, within which Jennie Ward, Vic Blunt and Xav Fontenville will have their Mitra ceremonies (all welcome).
A significant step, usually after attending courses, retreats and making connections with others, is to ask to become a Mitra (meaning ‘friend’). A Mitra is someone who considers themselves a Buddhist and wants to practise in the context of the Triratna Buddhist Community.
5.30pm (latest) Depart.
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