Dear friends,
I hope that you are keeping as well and in good heart as possible under the present turbulent and uncertain circumstance. At present we are unable to offer any face-to-face Exeter Sangha activities due to the current coronavirus status, so we plan to sustain our Sangha here in Exeter and South Devon in alternative ways.
Practising mindfulness and loving-kindness during times of crisis is ultimately what supports us all to stay emotionally positive and to grow. We therefore want to keep alive our connection as friends in the Sangha and our shared Dharma practice, supporting each other as much as possible.
Continuing our Sangha evenings online.
We are planning to keep our Sangha evenings going on Thursday evenings using zoom. You can follow a link, which I will email shortly before the session (you can also sign up for an account at zoom.us ). You will need to email me in advance to let me know that you wish to participate.
The free zoom platform allows meeting of up to 40 minutes (for up to 100 participants!) so we will start at 7 pm with a welcome and at least a guided meditation along with, perhaps, some chanting a chance to hear a little from everyone. We will then have a ‘tea break’ (and allow for those who want to join in the Clap for our Carers) and then recommence the meeting for up to a further 40 minutes with a chance to explore some aspect of the Dharma (perhaps focusing on what is particularly helpful in these troubling times). This will of course be a bit of an experiment which we will adapt and refine as we go along but I do hope that as many of us as possible will be able to join in.
Other online gatherings
Our priority will be to sustain our Thursday Sangha evenings but if this proves successful and if there is an interest, we may organise other online gatherings such as a led morning meditation session. You can also access additional online sesions in the wider Triratna Sangha – see ‘Other Resources’ below.
Keeping in touch
We will be using our online platforms to keep in touch and to provide information and resources. These are:
Triratna Exeter page on The Buddhist Centre Online (you may need to create an account and ‘follow’, but both are pretty simple) and our Facebook group Exeter Triratna meditation and Buddhism group. Both allow for comment and participation.
We may also send out further newsletters from time to time.
Other resources
Triratna has developed several resources to support people in their Dharma practice and keep alive an experience of Sangha and connection.
The buddhistcentre.com has developed a Dharma Toolkit for Uncertain Times (again, you may need to create an account and ‘follow’).
A number of Buddhist Centres are providing a range of online resources and teaching which you can also find at the Buddhist Centre Online: Triratna Online
Finally, if you have any questions or suggestions please do not hesitate to contact me. I wish you as much solace and ease as possible.
With love,
Nandavajra
