Meditation in the Beacons
Today we held a day at Tiratanaloka offering meditation teaching to people who live in the local area. It was the first time we’ve done this at the retreat centre, although we did run a similar day in the village hall in July. It was fantastic to have 14 people turn up and to be able to introduce - or re-introduce - them to samatha practices. Although I had a cold and felt a bit under the weather, I enjoyed the day and really appreciated the positive atmosphere created by those who came along. Once again I found it really helpful looking through Jinananda’s little book on meditation (simply entitled Meditating) which I find contains a lovely mix of the very poetic and the really practical in introducing these practices. Here’s some information on the book: Windhorse Publications: Books on Buddhism, Dharma, meditation from an FWBO Right Livelihood business. It also felt good to let others enjoy the space of the retreat centre. On a personal level, one thing I’ve been aware of feeling since I moved here is a slight sense of loss at not being connected with the wider local community, and today also felt like a step towards making that connection.
