Coogee Buddhist Group

The Conditions of our Lives

On Wed, 1 October, 2014 - 03:11
Dhammalata's picture
Dhammalata
‘Our time and our minds tend to be taken up by all kinds of activities and preoccupations that seem to never end.

That is why, in the beginning stage, we need to set up certain favourable conditions. Of course, the good effects of meditation can last and continue into our everyday life, especially through the the practice of mindfulness, but to begin with we need to train our mind in a protected environment.

You don’t learn the basics of navigation in the thick of a storm; you learn them in good weather on a calm sea. In the same way it is best in the beginning to meditate in a quiet place where there is space for the mind to develop clarity and stability. A comparison frequently given in the Buddhist texts is the flame of an oil lamp. If it is continually exposed to the wind, its light will be weak and in constant danger of being blown out. On the other hand, if the flame is protected from the wind by a glass cover, it will be stable and bright. The same sort of consideration applies to our minds.’

Matthieu Ricard ‘The Art of Meditation’

Setting up and establishing good conditions in every aspect of our lives is critical if we are to really ground ourselves and experience a happy, contented life. And yet we all know that this is quite a trick and especially so living in a big, hustling city like ours. The good thing is however that it’s a two way process; as we prioritise meditation (even just a little but regularly) we naturally start to become more creative and resourceful in assessing and managing the conditions of our lives and as we do this our meditation practice deepens and steadies. So it is an incredibly positive cycle; a friendly circle as opposed to a vicious circle!

Hope you can come and meditate with us:

Sunday 8 am – 8.50 am

Thursday 7 – 8.30 pm

Padmadakini and Dharmalata

PS: Please see an invitation to The Sydney Buddhist Centre Blitz Launch Saturday October 11th. A fabulous opportunity to come along and meditate in a wider context and get to know us better. You can follow the links to the day’s program and I’ll be there all day (Dharmalata)


Facebook

Twitter

Website
Use this area to offer a short preview of your email’s content.
View this email in your browser

Did you know the Sydney Buddhist Centre was once a morgue?
The Buddha Blitz is more than just a project to beautify the Sydney Buddhist Centre. It is an expression of our practice as Buddhists to transform ourselves into something increasingly clear and beautiful. It is the opportunity make individual and collective effort to transform society and break through to enlightenment and all this grew out of Kamalamayi’s enthusiasm about crowd funding!

Make sure you put October 11th in your diary! We’ll have guided tours of the Centre with stories about the history, details about the proposed renovations and premiere our Buddha Blitz video. There will also be a special surprise planned for lunch time. See the full program here.

The Launch

Date: October 11th

Time: 10am – 3pm (more details here)

Place: The Sydney Buddhist Centre, 24 Enmore Rd, Newtown

Aim: To raise $30,000 in 6 weeks

The team has gathered together many suggestions that you have made over preceding months and sorted them into a manageable list that we plan to execute during the Blitz week and beyond. Find out more about the renovations we have planned here! If you have feedback, please find a physical spaces team member and talk to them, reply to this email, or leave a comment on facebook or the blog!

Much Metta

Dharmalata

P.S. If you have not already, please like the Sydney Buddhist Centre on facebook - www.facebook.com/sydneybuddhistcentre
Sydney Buddhist Centre

24 Enmore Road Newtown NSW

p: 02 9519 0440

e: info [at] sydneybuddhistcentre.org.au

w: www.sydneybuddhistcentre.org.au


unsubscribe from this list

Share

Tweet

Forward

Log in or register to take part in this conversation