Kathina Celebration – Sunday, the 5th of November
Everyone is invited to attend this event, celebrating the presence of the monastic community in Sumedhārāma. This year we will have Ajahn Vinīta as our special guest. Ajahn Vinīta is originally from Sri Lanka, and lives now in Amaravati Buddhist Monastery, in England.
Programme:
9h30 – arrival to the monastery (bring a dish to share for the meal)
10h00 – Requesting the Five Precepts, followed by chanting
10h30 – Offering of rice (Pindapat)
11h00 – Meal offering to the monks; A meal for the lay community
12h30 – Procession and Offering of the new Buddha Rupa (Buddha image)
12h45 – The community offers the traditional monastic cloth
13h15 – A Dhamma talk by Ajahn Vajiro
14h15 – Informal Period with the Sangha
In the rains season (Vassa) in Asia (a period which correlates to summer in Europe), the monks undertake the determination to remain in one place for three months.
According to the scriptures, at the end of this period, The Buddha allowed the monks to ask for cloth with which they could amend their cloths or even make new clothes.
The cloth the monks collected consisted of rags that had been discarded. As time went by, people, realizing this need, began hanging fabric from trees, so that the monks could ‘find’ them.
The custom then developed in such a way that not only pieces of fabric were left on the trees, but also ready made clothes.
People spotted the opportunity to make offers of other requisites to the monks, as a gesture of support and appreciation for their practice.
Hence a ceremony called ‘Kathina’ was created, ‘Katina’ being the name of the loom that the monks use to sew their clothes using the cloth offered. During this ceremony, the monks offer Dhamma talks and there is also a time for people to meet and talk with the monks in a more informal way. In this event, the connection between the lay community and the monastic community becomes evident, as well as their benefit from this dynamic.
‘The Buddha Smiles’ – Dhamma Study Sessions, led by Ajahn Gavesako – Saturdays, 23rd and 30th of September, and 7th of October)
These Dhamma Study Sessions, led by Ajahn Gavesako, are intended for those who wish to further their Buddhist knowledge by studying the Suttas together, with some guidance. We will be following this study guide: The Buddha Smiles.
These sessions will take place from 4pm to 5.30pm and are open to everyone, with no need to book in advance. They will be lectured in English.
On-line Dhamma Session with Ajahn Vajiro – Sunday, 17th of September, 14h – 16h
Ajahn Vajiro will offer an on-line Dhamma Session organised by the Theravada Buddhist association called Vivekarama.
The Dhamma session will be in English and translated into French.
You can participate using: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/6290605702
or: Meeting ID: 629 060 5702
Meditation and the Luminous Mind
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 Buddha described the mind as fundamentally luminous and pure, merely visited by afflictive moods, thoughts, and emotions. This famous passage affirms that the mind (heart, psyche) is not identical with afflictions, confusions, and neuroses. Rather, the nature of the mind is beautiful. Buddha compared the mind to lustrous gold freed of dross and impurities by skillful work. This teaching sheds fresh light on how and why we meditate; it is a central part of our inner work. Through reflection, meditation, and contemplation we come to recognize the mind’s beautiful potential and stop identifying with the afflictive stories, voices, and habits. Meditation cultivates skillful habits of heart and mind that elevate our lives. Registration includes on-demand access to a recording of the workshop, which can be viewed for two weeks following the date it was presented. |
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Register here |
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Ajahn Candasiri in Sumedharama
Ajahn Candasiri, one of the first four nuns to ordain in our tradition, will lead a Dhamma Session in Sumedharama, this Sunday, the 20th of August, from 4pm to 7pm.
There will be space for Questions and Answers a Guided Meditation.
There is no need to book in advance.
Meditation Retreat – 17th to 20th of August
The retreat will be led by Ajahn Candasiri and will take place in Biovilla, in Serra da Arrábida.
This event is organised by Ana Cristina Farto.
For more informations and bookings please click here.
With best wishes from the Forest Sangha at Sumedhārāma
Vesak Celebration, Ajahn Vajiro’s birthday and Stupa Inauguration – 3rd and 4th of June
Ajahn Vajiro’s Birthday
Saturday, 3rd of June
On this very auspicious occasion we will be celebrating Ajahn Vajiro 70th birthday and also the 43rd anniversary of his life as a bhikkhu.
To commemorate this date we will have the inauguration of our new stupa and a Dhamma talk by Ajahn Vajiro and by Ajahn Jayasaro, who will be visiting Sumedharama over this precious weekend.
13h30 – Dhamma Talk by Ajahn Vajiro and Ajahn Jayasaro
15h – Stupa Inauguration
19h30 – Evening Puja until midnight
20h20 – Stupa Circumambulation
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Vesak Celebration
Sunday, 4th of June
The Vesak Celebrations will take place in Sumedharama, thus commemorating the Birth, Enlightenment and Parinibbana of Gautama Buddha.
On this very auspicious occasion, we will also have the following program:
10h00 – Taking the Precepts, followed by Parittas (Protection Chants)
10h30 – Rice ceremony (pindabat) and meal offer
11h00 – Lunch
12h00 – Ajahn Jayasaro and Ajahn Vajiro will offer a Dhamma Talk
13h30 – Stupa Celebration
All are invited to participate and to enjoy the commemorative and contemplative atmosphere of the occasion and space of the Monastery.
Thai New Year – Songkran
This Sunday, the 16th of April, we will be celebrating the Thai New Year – Songkran – at Sumedharama.
As in Western New Year celebrations, in Songkran there is also the intention of reflecting, leaving the past behind, renewing energies and asserting determinations for the new year.
The festivities will begin at 9 a.m.
At 9:30 am, the monastic community will perform the traditional Chants of Protection – Paritta. The visitors can ask for the Five Precepts at this time.
Then, at 10 am, the Rice Offering Ceremony and the main meal of the day will take place. (you can bring a dish to share)
After the meal, around 12:00, the traditional Water Pouring Ceremony will take place.
From 4 pm to 6 pm we will have our usual Sunday Meditation Workshop.
All are welcome.
Meditation and Silence Retreat – led by Ajahn Vajiro – 24-26th March
Registration is closed
Online Dhamma Talk on ‘Samma Sati’ with Ajahn Vajiro
This Dhamma Talk is organised by the Italian Association ‘Progetto PienEssere’.
Wednesday, 8th of March, from 18:30 to 20:00 (WET)
You can participate through the Zoom link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84193388344?pwd=T0VIVUxRa2RFaXRkUkFvb3pLZ1dEZz09
or
Meeting ID: 841 9338 8344
Passcode: 230503
New Year’s Vigil – 31st of December 2022
The celebrations will start with our usual puja/meditation at 7:30 pm, after which there will be a Dhamma Talk and time for questions and answers.
Those who wish can stay on and join the community in meditation until midnight.
At midnight we will chant a Sutta, celebrating the entry into the New Year of 2023 peacefully.
There is no need to book, everyone is welcome to celebrate this transition with an introspective and collected attitude.
The celebration will end shortly after midnight.
Kathina Celebration – Sunday, the 5th of November
Everyone is invited to attend this event, celebrating the presence of the monastic community in Sumedhārāma. This year we will have Ajahn Vinīta as our special guest. Ajahn Vinīta is originally from Sri Lanka, and lives now in Amaravati Buddhist Monastery, in England.
Programme:
9h30 – arrival to the monastery (bring a dish to share for the meal)
10h00 – Requesting the Five Precepts, followed by chanting
10h30 – Offering of rice (Pindapat)
11h00 – Meal offering to the monks; A meal for the lay community
12h30 – Procession and Offering of the new Buddha Rupa (Buddha image)
12h45 – The community offers the traditional monastic cloth
13h15 – A Dhamma talk by Ajahn Vajiro
14h15 – Informal Period with the Sangha
In the rains season (Vassa) in Asia (a period which correlates to summer in Europe), the monks undertake the determination to remain in one place for three months.
According to the scriptures, at the end of this period, The Buddha allowed the monks to ask for cloth with which they could amend their cloths or even make new clothes.
The cloth the monks collected consisted of rags that had been discarded. As time went by, people, realizing this need, began hanging fabric from trees, so that the monks could ‘find’ them.
The custom then developed in such a way that not only pieces of fabric were left on the trees, but also ready made clothes.
People spotted the opportunity to make offers of other requisites to the monks, as a gesture of support and appreciation for their practice.
Hence a ceremony called ‘Kathina’ was created, ‘Katina’ being the name of the loom that the monks use to sew their clothes using the cloth offered. During this ceremony, the monks offer Dhamma talks and there is also a time for people to meet and talk with the monks in a more informal way. In this event, the connection between the lay community and the monastic community becomes evident, as well as their benefit from this dynamic.
‘The Buddha Smiles’ – Dhamma Study Sessions, led by Ajahn Gavesako – Saturdays, 23rd and 30th of September, and 7th of October)
These Dhamma Study Sessions, led by Ajahn Gavesako, are intended for those who wish to further their Buddhist knowledge by studying the Suttas together, with some guidance. We will be following this study guide: The Buddha Smiles.
These sessions will take place from 4pm to 5.30pm and are open to everyone, with no need to book in advance. They will be lectured in English.
On-line Dhamma Session with Ajahn Vajiro – Sunday, 17th of September, 14h – 16h
Ajahn Vajiro will offer an on-line Dhamma Session organised by the Theravada Buddhist association called Vivekarama.
The Dhamma session will be in English and translated into French.
You can participate using: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/6290605702
or: Meeting ID: 629 060 5702
Meditation and the Luminous Mind
|
||
|
Buddha described the mind as fundamentally luminous and pure, merely visited by afflictive moods, thoughts, and emotions. This famous passage affirms that the mind (heart, psyche) is not identical with afflictions, confusions, and neuroses. Rather, the nature of the mind is beautiful. Buddha compared the mind to lustrous gold freed of dross and impurities by skillful work. This teaching sheds fresh light on how and why we meditate; it is a central part of our inner work. Through reflection, meditation, and contemplation we come to recognize the mind’s beautiful potential and stop identifying with the afflictive stories, voices, and habits. Meditation cultivates skillful habits of heart and mind that elevate our lives. Registration includes on-demand access to a recording of the workshop, which can be viewed for two weeks following the date it was presented. |
||
|
|
||
|
||
Register here |
||
|
||
|
|
Ajahn Candasiri in Sumedharama
Ajahn Candasiri, one of the first four nuns to ordain in our tradition, will lead a Dhamma Session in Sumedharama, this Sunday, the 20th of August, from 4pm to 7pm.
There will be space for Questions and Answers a Guided Meditation.
There is no need to book in advance.
Meditation Retreat – 17th to 20th of August
The retreat will be led by Ajahn Candasiri and will take place in Biovilla, in Serra da Arrábida.
This event is organised by Ana Cristina Farto.
For more informations and bookings please click here.
With best wishes from the Forest Sangha at Sumedhārāma
Vesak Celebration, Ajahn Vajiro’s birthday and Stupa Inauguration – 3rd and 4th of June
Ajahn Vajiro’s Birthday
Saturday, 3rd of June
On this very auspicious occasion we will be celebrating Ajahn Vajiro 70th birthday and also the 43rd anniversary of his life as a bhikkhu.
To commemorate this date we will have the inauguration of our new stupa and a Dhamma talk by Ajahn Vajiro and by Ajahn Jayasaro, who will be visiting Sumedharama over this precious weekend.
13h30 – Dhamma Talk by Ajahn Vajiro and Ajahn Jayasaro
15h – Stupa Inauguration
19h30 – Evening Puja until midnight
20h20 – Stupa Circumambulation
——————————————————————————————————
Vesak Celebration
Sunday, 4th of June
The Vesak Celebrations will take place in Sumedharama, thus commemorating the Birth, Enlightenment and Parinibbana of Gautama Buddha.
On this very auspicious occasion, we will also have the following program:
10h00 – Taking the Precepts, followed by Parittas (Protection Chants)
10h30 – Rice ceremony (pindabat) and meal offer
11h00 – Lunch
12h00 – Ajahn Jayasaro and Ajahn Vajiro will offer a Dhamma Talk
13h30 – Stupa Celebration
All are invited to participate and to enjoy the commemorative and contemplative atmosphere of the occasion and space of the Monastery.
Thai New Year – Songkran
This Sunday, the 16th of April, we will be celebrating the Thai New Year – Songkran – at Sumedharama.
As in Western New Year celebrations, in Songkran there is also the intention of reflecting, leaving the past behind, renewing energies and asserting determinations for the new year.
The festivities will begin at 9 a.m.
At 9:30 am, the monastic community will perform the traditional Chants of Protection – Paritta. The visitors can ask for the Five Precepts at this time.
Then, at 10 am, the Rice Offering Ceremony and the main meal of the day will take place. (you can bring a dish to share)
After the meal, around 12:00, the traditional Water Pouring Ceremony will take place.
From 4 pm to 6 pm we will have our usual Sunday Meditation Workshop.
All are welcome.
Meditation and Silence Retreat – led by Ajahn Vajiro – 24-26th March
Registration is closed
Online Dhamma Talk on ‘Samma Sati’ with Ajahn Vajiro
This Dhamma Talk is organised by the Italian Association ‘Progetto PienEssere’.
Wednesday, 8th of March, from 18:30 to 20:00 (WET)
You can participate through the Zoom link:
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84193388344?pwd=T0VIVUxRa2RFaXRkUkFvb3pLZ1dEZz09
or
Meeting ID: 841 9338 8344
Passcode: 230503
New Year’s Vigil – 31st of December 2022
The celebrations will start with our usual puja/meditation at 7:30 pm, after which there will be a Dhamma Talk and time for questions and answers.
Those who wish can stay on and join the community in meditation until midnight.
At midnight we will chant a Sutta, celebrating the entry into the New Year of 2023 peacefully.
There is no need to book, everyone is welcome to celebrate this transition with an introspective and collected attitude.
The celebration will end shortly after midnight.
