News
Buddhist Meditation Workshop with Ajahn Vajiro
Enable Intuition, Revelation, and Realization
Saturday, 6 August, 1 p.m. – 3.30 p.m. CDT (7 p.m. – 9.30 p.m. Lisbon time)
Thought is a tool. Thinking can be used to direct creations from heaven to hell—and everything in between. By practicing Right Thought, one of the factors in the Buddha’s Eightfold Path, we learn to use thought in a way that brings blessings.
Through investigation and careful reflection, we prepare the foundation. For deep understanding, we must feel intimately comfortable with the silence from which thought preferred. What we may call intuition, revelation, or insight inferred from this silence and stillness of mind.
In this interactive workshop, Ajahn Vajiro will provide guidance and skillful means for practicing the Eightfold Path.
This workshop will include talks, guided meditation, and Q&A sessions reflecting on:
- The nature of mindfulness
- Meditation to cultivate serenity
- The nature of insight
- The experience of freedom
This Workshop is organised by the Theosophical Society in America
Registration includes on-demand access to a recording of the workshop, which can be considered for two weeks following the date it was presented.
Venerable Ajahn Vajiro was born in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia in 1953. He studied in England and attained a degree in economics in 1974. In 1979, he left for Thailand to join the monastic community of Venerable Ajahn Chah and was ordained as a Buddhist monk in 1980. Ajahn Vajiro opposed to England in 1984 and assisted in Amaravati Buddhist Monastery, then lived in monasteries in the UK for many years, followed by New Zealand and then Australia. He opposed to Amaravati in 2001. In 2010, Ajahn Vajiro was officially reported to Portugal to help establish a monastery of the Forest Tradition. Under his guidance, the Sumedhārāma Forest Monastery was established, and he has been the abbot since 2012.
Program Format
This is a live, interactive online program that will also be recorded for on-demand viewing. Our goal is to send recordings to you within two business days, often better. Recordings will be available for on-demand viewing for two weeks following the day the program was presented.
Software Platform
Zoom for Windows, Mac, or mobile device; minimum recommended network bandwidth 1.5 Mbps. Please download Zoom for free at zoom.us/download, and test your connection at zoom.us/test. New to Zoom? Check out www.theosophical.org/FAQ. Please email webinars@theosophical.org for further information.
Āsāيha Pūjā 2022 – Wednesday 13 July, from 7.30 p.m. to 0.00 a.m.
O Asalha Puja It celebrates the first structured speech the Buddha delivered after his enlightenment and is celebrated on the full moon of July (the full moon of the eighth lunar month of the Indian calendar). This discourse is called ‘Dhammacakkappavattana sutta’ and it was with it that ‘the wheel of the Dhamma was set in motion’ (here Dhamma means teaching). It contains the essence of the Buddha’s subsequent teaching, addressing the ‘Four Noble Truths’.
It was at the end of this discourse, after Venerable Kondanno had fully understood it, that the Buddhist monastic order began.
This day is also known as Dhamma Day and is an opportunity to deepen the Buddha's teachings. It also marks the beginning of vassal.
Thus, after the usual 7:30 p.m. meditation, there will be a Dhamma lecture by Ajahn Vajiro. After the lecture, everyone is also invited to join the Sangha and practice meditation until midnight.
Vesak celebration in Sumedharama – 15 May 2022
Next Sunday, May 15th, the celebrations will take place. Vesak in Sumedharama, thus commemorating the Birth, Enlightenment and Parinibbana of Buddha Gautama, with the following program:
10 a.m. – Taking of the Precepts, followed by Parittas (Songs of Protection)
10.30 a.m. – Rice ceremony (pindabat) and meal offer
11 a.m. – Lunch
12.30 p.m. – Ajahn Gavesako, invited monk, will give a Dhamma Lecture
All are invited to participate, being able to enjoy the commemorative and contemplative atmosphere of the occasion and space of the Monastery.
Well Hajam
Online meditation and Q&A with Ajahn Vajiro:
14 March 2022
11.30 – 13.00 (WET)
Dear friends,
A Little Bangkok Sangha organised an online Dhamma session with Ajahn Vajiro via the Zoom platform.
To participate you can use the following link
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6871703208
e
Meeting ID: 687 170 3208
With best wishes,
the Sangha of Sumedhārāma
The Four Brahma Viharas – with Ajahn Vajiro – 2022-03-09
The Italian Association “Progetto PienEssere” organised an online Dhamma Talk with Ajahn Vajiro.
This will take place on Wednesday 9 March, from 18:30 to 20:00 and can be accessed through the Zoom platform with the link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84193388344?pwd=T0VIVUxRa2RFaXRkUkFvb3pLZ1dEZz09
or
Meeting ID: 841 9338 8344
Password: 230503
Everyone is welcome
The Triple Jewel: Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha - with Ajahn Vajiro - 2022-02-09
The Italian Association “Progetto PienEssere” organised an online Dhamma Talk with Ajahn Vajiro.
This will take place on Wednesday 9 February, from 18:30 to 20:00 and can be accessed through the Zoom platform with the link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89412456168?pwd=ZWc3ZU9kWDZIZFBOWnFJZmFTeWprUT09
or
Meeting ID: 894 1245 6168
Password: 520878
Everyone is welcome
Ajahn Vajiro:
Make Peace and Open Your Hand
Dear friends,
Saturday 11 December 2021, Ajahn Vajiro will give a Dhamma Lecture hosted by Bandar Utama Buddhist Society (Malaysia).
You can watch it through:
Zoom Link : www.bubs.my/zoom/tav
meeting ID : 864 7971 6663
Passcode : 211211
Order of events:
8.30 p.m. (Malaysia) / 12.30 p.m. (Portugal) – Small Guided Meditation
20:45 (Malaysia) / 12:45 (Portugal) - Dhamma Lecture: Make Peace and Open Your Hand
21.30 (Malaysia) / 13.30 (Portugal) - Questions and Answers
21.45 (Malaysia) / 13.45 (Portugal) – Merit Sharing and Closure
22h (Malaysia) / 14h (Portugal) – End
With best wishes,
the Sangha of Sumedhārāma
Meditation and Silence Retreat - 7-9 January 2022
This retreat will be guided by Ajahn Vajiro and will take place at the St. Ignatius Retreat House in Sintra.
The organization is in charge of Helena Gallis.
Registration is now closed as the maximum number of participants has been reached.
With best wishes from the Sumedhārāma Forest Sangha
Kathina 2021
Celebration of Kathina in Sumedharama
Sunday 24 October 2021
Everyone is welcome to participate in this occasion, celebrating the presence of the monastic community in Sumedharama:
Programme:
9.30 a.m. – Arrival at the Monastery (bring a meal to share)
10 a.m. – Request for the five precepts, followed by songs
10.30 a.m. – Rice supply (Pindapat)
11 a.m. – Dinner for monks and lunch for the lay community
12.30 p.m. – The community offers the traditional monastic habit
1 p.m. – Lecture by Ajahn Vajiro
From 14:00 – Informal conversation with the monks.
In the rainy season (Vassa), in Asia, (the period corresponding to summer in Europe) the monks undertake to stay in a certain place for three months.
The story goes that at the end of this period, the Buddha allowed the monks to look for fabric with which they could patch up their old habit or even make a new one. The fabrics that the monks collected consisted of rags that had been thrown away. Over time people, realising this need, began to hang fabric from the trees so that the monks could ‘find’ them. The custom then developed so that not only pieces of cloth were left on the trees, but also the habits already made. People saw here an opportunity to make offerings of other requirements to monks, as a gesture of support and appreciation of their practice. The ceremony was called Kathina, which is the name of the loom that monks use to sew their habits with the fabrics offered.
In this same ceremony the monks offer lectures on the Dhamma, and there is also a period where people have the opportunity to meet and talk to the monks more informally. In this event it becomes quite evident the interconnection of the lay community with the monastic community and how both benefit from this dynamic.
Outside and Inside - New Audiobook
With great joy, Sumedharama Monastery held its first Audiobook,
which we hope will be beneficial to all those who have the opportunity to listen to it.
This is the book ‘Outside and Inside’ by Ajahn Jayasaro.
It presents a series of “Questions and Answers that may be of interest to you.
To access the book please click here.
With our best wishes
The Sangha of Sumedhārāma Forest
Buddhist Meditation Workshop with Ajahn Vajiro
Enable Intuition, Revelation, and Realization
Saturday, 6 August, 1 p.m. – 3.30 p.m. CDT (7 p.m. – 9.30 p.m. Lisbon time)
Thought is a tool. Thinking can be used to direct creations from heaven to hell—and everything in between. By practicing Right Thought, one of the factors in the Buddha’s Eightfold Path, we learn to use thought in a way that brings blessings.
Through investigation and careful reflection, we prepare the foundation. For deep understanding, we must feel intimately comfortable with the silence from which thought preferred. What we may call intuition, revelation, or insight inferred from this silence and stillness of mind.
In this interactive workshop, Ajahn Vajiro will provide guidance and skillful means for practicing the Eightfold Path.
This workshop will include talks, guided meditation, and Q&A sessions reflecting on:
- The nature of mindfulness
- Meditation to cultivate serenity
- The nature of insight
- The experience of freedom
This Workshop is organised by the Theosophical Society in America
Registration includes on-demand access to a recording of the workshop, which can be considered for two weeks following the date it was presented.
Venerable Ajahn Vajiro was born in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia in 1953. He studied in England and attained a degree in economics in 1974. In 1979, he left for Thailand to join the monastic community of Venerable Ajahn Chah and was ordained as a Buddhist monk in 1980. Ajahn Vajiro opposed to England in 1984 and assisted in Amaravati Buddhist Monastery, then lived in monasteries in the UK for many years, followed by New Zealand and then Australia. He opposed to Amaravati in 2001. In 2010, Ajahn Vajiro was officially reported to Portugal to help establish a monastery of the Forest Tradition. Under his guidance, the Sumedhārāma Forest Monastery was established, and he has been the abbot since 2012.
Program Format
This is a live, interactive online program that will also be recorded for on-demand viewing. Our goal is to send recordings to you within two business days, often better. Recordings will be available for on-demand viewing for two weeks following the day the program was presented.
Software Platform
Zoom for Windows, Mac, or mobile device; minimum recommended network bandwidth 1.5 Mbps. Please download Zoom for free at zoom.us/download, and test your connection at zoom.us/test. New to Zoom? Check out www.theosophical.org/FAQ. Please email webinars@theosophical.org for further information.
Āsāيha Pūjā 2022 – Wednesday 13 July, from 7.30 p.m. to 0.00 a.m.
O Asalha Puja It celebrates the first structured speech the Buddha delivered after his enlightenment and is celebrated on the full moon of July (the full moon of the eighth lunar month of the Indian calendar). This discourse is called ‘Dhammacakkappavattana sutta’ and it was with it that ‘the wheel of the Dhamma was set in motion’ (here Dhamma means teaching). It contains the essence of the Buddha’s subsequent teaching, addressing the ‘Four Noble Truths’.
It was at the end of this discourse, after Venerable Kondanno had fully understood it, that the Buddhist monastic order began.
This day is also known as Dhamma Day and is an opportunity to deepen the Buddha's teachings. It also marks the beginning of vassal.
Thus, after the usual 7:30 p.m. meditation, there will be a Dhamma lecture by Ajahn Vajiro. After the lecture, everyone is also invited to join the Sangha and practice meditation until midnight.
Vesak celebration in Sumedharama – 15 May 2022
Next Sunday, May 15th, the celebrations will take place. Vesak in Sumedharama, thus commemorating the Birth, Enlightenment and Parinibbana of Buddha Gautama, with the following program:
10 a.m. – Taking of the Precepts, followed by Parittas (Songs of Protection)
10.30 a.m. – Rice ceremony (pindabat) and meal offer
11 a.m. – Lunch
12.30 p.m. – Ajahn Gavesako, invited monk, will give a Dhamma Lecture
All are invited to participate, being able to enjoy the commemorative and contemplative atmosphere of the occasion and space of the Monastery.
Well Hajam
Online meditation and Q&A with Ajahn Vajiro:
14 March 2022
11.30 – 13.00 (WET)
Dear friends,
A Little Bangkok Sangha organised an online Dhamma session with Ajahn Vajiro via the Zoom platform.
To participate you can use the following link
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/6871703208
e
Meeting ID: 687 170 3208
With best wishes,
the Sangha of Sumedhārāma
The Four Brahma Viharas – with Ajahn Vajiro – 2022-03-09
The Italian Association “Progetto PienEssere” organised an online Dhamma Talk with Ajahn Vajiro.
This will take place on Wednesday 9 March, from 18:30 to 20:00 and can be accessed through the Zoom platform with the link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84193388344?pwd=T0VIVUxRa2RFaXRkUkFvb3pLZ1dEZz09
or
Meeting ID: 841 9338 8344
Password: 230503
Everyone is welcome
The Triple Jewel: Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha - with Ajahn Vajiro - 2022-02-09
The Italian Association “Progetto PienEssere” organised an online Dhamma Talk with Ajahn Vajiro.
This will take place on Wednesday 9 February, from 18:30 to 20:00 and can be accessed through the Zoom platform with the link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89412456168?pwd=ZWc3ZU9kWDZIZFBOWnFJZmFTeWprUT09
or
Meeting ID: 894 1245 6168
Password: 520878
Everyone is welcome
Ajahn Vajiro:
Make Peace and Open Your Hand
Dear friends,
Saturday 11 December 2021, Ajahn Vajiro will give a Dhamma Lecture hosted by Bandar Utama Buddhist Society (Malaysia).
You can watch it through:
Zoom Link : www.bubs.my/zoom/tav
meeting ID : 864 7971 6663
Passcode : 211211
Order of events:
8.30 p.m. (Malaysia) / 12.30 p.m. (Portugal) – Small Guided Meditation
20:45 (Malaysia) / 12:45 (Portugal) - Dhamma Lecture: Make Peace and Open Your Hand
21.30 (Malaysia) / 13.30 (Portugal) - Questions and Answers
21.45 (Malaysia) / 13.45 (Portugal) – Merit Sharing and Closure
22h (Malaysia) / 14h (Portugal) – End
With best wishes,
the Sangha of Sumedhārāma
Meditation and Silence Retreat - 7-9 January 2022
This retreat will be guided by Ajahn Vajiro and will take place at the St. Ignatius Retreat House in Sintra.
The organization is in charge of Helena Gallis.
Registration is now closed as the maximum number of participants has been reached.
With best wishes from the Sumedhārāma Forest Sangha
Kathina 2021
Celebration of Kathina in Sumedharama
Sunday 24 October 2021
Everyone is welcome to participate in this occasion, celebrating the presence of the monastic community in Sumedharama:
Programme:
9.30 a.m. – Arrival at the Monastery (bring a meal to share)
10 a.m. – Request for the five precepts, followed by songs
10.30 a.m. – Rice supply (Pindapat)
11 a.m. – Dinner for monks and lunch for the lay community
12.30 p.m. – The community offers the traditional monastic habit
1 p.m. – Lecture by Ajahn Vajiro
From 14:00 – Informal conversation with the monks.
In the rainy season (Vassa), in Asia, (the period corresponding to summer in Europe) the monks undertake to stay in a certain place for three months.
The story goes that at the end of this period, the Buddha allowed the monks to look for fabric with which they could patch up their old habit or even make a new one. The fabrics that the monks collected consisted of rags that had been thrown away. Over time people, realising this need, began to hang fabric from the trees so that the monks could ‘find’ them. The custom then developed so that not only pieces of cloth were left on the trees, but also the habits already made. People saw here an opportunity to make offerings of other requirements to monks, as a gesture of support and appreciation of their practice. The ceremony was called Kathina, which is the name of the loom that monks use to sew their habits with the fabrics offered.
In this same ceremony the monks offer lectures on the Dhamma, and there is also a period where people have the opportunity to meet and talk to the monks more informally. In this event it becomes quite evident the interconnection of the lay community with the monastic community and how both benefit from this dynamic.
Outside and Inside - New Audiobook
With great joy, Sumedharama Monastery held its first Audiobook,
which we hope will be beneficial to all those who have the opportunity to listen to it.
This is the book ‘Outside and Inside’ by Ajahn Jayasaro.
It presents a series of “Questions and Answers that may be of interest to you.
To access the book please click here.
With our best wishes
The Sangha of Sumedhārāma Forest
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