Parinirvana Day Festival | Sunday 13th February 2022 from 10am
Suitable for Newcomers / Intermediates / Regulars.
Just turn up at any of the start times below, but we won't be able to let you in while a session is in progress. Please feel free to bring photos of those who have passed on for the shrine. The morning session and the 16:45 session will be on zoom as well as in person.
Special guest talk by Devamitra: From Kapilavastu to Kusinara
The Buddha left his privileged life in Kapilavastu behind as a young man, and 50 years later he died in Kusinara. Seeing beyond the hard facts of life, and transcending them, Devamitra will reflect on how the shock of aging, sickness and death impelled the Buddha's quest, and can be a positive motivation for us. Devamitra had life-threatening cancer not long ago, and will launch his new book,Entertaining Cancer: The Buddhist Way."Devamitra. draws on the deep well of his Buddhist practice to work with his mind and meet fear, uncertainty and frailty with resolve -- an entertaining read, full of humour, wit and fantastically funny dialogue." (More on the book here.)
Workshop with our president, Kulamitra, Attitudes to Death
Learning how we can approach bereavement through the story of the Buddha’s Parinirvana, using imaginative connection and one-to-one discussion to explore ways we can approach death and bereavement.
Programme for the day
10:00 Arrive at the Centre or log in to zoom
10:30 Dedication, readings and meditation with Lalitaraja
11:45 Devamitra, From Kapilavastu to Kusinara. At the centre, on zoom, or on our YouTube channel.
13:00 Bring vegetarian/vegan lunch to share, morning zoom session ends.
14:15 Workshop with Kulamitra “Attitudes to Death - learning how we can approach bereavement through the story of the Buddha’s Parinirvana”
15:30 Celebration of Life and Death Circle with Chrysi and Guhyasakhi
16:30 zoom session restarts.
16:45 Meditation and Puja with Lalitaraja and Guhyasakhi, zoom and in person.
18:00 Finish
Our wonderful teachers give their time for free to put on these events. Please join that spirit of generosity and help us to keep our Centre alive through this current crisis. Please donate if you can and use reference ‘Festival Day’. Suggested donation £20.