An evening of talks, discussion, meditation and ritual exploring the current Sangha night theme. Sangha night is open to those who have completed our Introductory Course (not suitable for newcomers).
“I come to you with four gifts.Dare you accept them?”50 years ago, Sangharakshita gave a series of key lectures called ‘Buddhism for Today and Tomorrow’ where he set out four gifts that Buddhism and Triratna offers to individuals. ‘Four things that correspond, we may say, to their deepest and their truest needs’.
We now move from the gift of a garden planted in the wilderness to the gift of a shepherds’ round-dance. A shepherd’s round-dance is a striking image for the spiritual community. It evokes a moving circle without spectators or separate actors – everyone dances. We will explore vital questions such as: Why does the world need spiritual community? What does the dance symbolise? And most importantly, do your feet know how to dance. (For the eagle-eyed, you will notice we have already looked at the final gift of the poem. We have purposefully saved the third gift to be our finale!)
Four Gifts
I come to you with four gifts.
The first gift is a lotus-flower.
Do you understand?
My second gift is a golden net.
Can you recognize it?
My third gift is a shepherds’ round-dance.
Do your feet know how to dance?
My fourth gift is a garden planted in a wilderness.
Could you work there?
I come to you with four gifts.
Dare you accept them?
6.15pm – 7.15pm Shared Meal 7.15pm – 7.55pm Dharma Talk 7.55pm – 8.30pm Discussion groups
8.30pm – 9.00pm Tea Break 9.00pm – 9.30pm Meditation
Connect Online with Sangha Night
If you are unable to attend in person, you can watch the talk as it is live streamed on our YouTube channel using the link provided below. The link will remain the same each week.
You can also enter an unled Zoom room after the talk for an informal discussion. You can access this room using the link or the the details below. Again, these details will remain the same each week.
Meeting ID: 487 910 136
Passcode: 220600
Going on retreat is a great thing to do. Here’s what’s coming up:
A list of our weekly Buddhist Centre events. No need to book, just turn up!
Click on the event banner for more information.
A series of interviews with Sheffield Order members hosted by Prajnasri, stepping into their lives and the music that has inspired them along the way.
View the full archive page with mp3 downloads by clicking here.
I first became interested in Buddhism as a teenager from a chance encounter with a book found in my school library. I was immediately struck by how Buddhism taught that I could change how I experience the world and that I could grow as a person. However, it wasn’t until many years later at the Sheffield Buddhist centre, that I began to commit myself fully to Buddhist practice as I saw that practicing Buddhist teachings was having a very positive impact on my life and on the lives of others.
I was delighted to join the Still Learning Team in November 2018. My previous work has been as a teacher and as an artist and I feel privileged to be able to bring those skills together with my passion for Buddhism in order to teach children and young people about Buddhism.
I first came into contact with Buddhism in my final year of university when I attended an introductory course at the Sheffield Buddhist Centre. I was instantly captivated by the revolutionary yet practical nature of the Dharma (teachings of the Buddha).
I began to meditate and apply Buddhism into my daily life and found that it actually worked! I had started to view the world differently and in a way that made me happier. I gained great confidence by this and became a committed Buddhist practitioner soon afterwards.
I enjoy sharing with others what I have learnt and how Buddhism has transformed me so I was delighted to join the Still Learning team in October 2013.
We have a range of exercises and activities, depending on ages and ability levels, exploring Buddhist ethics and their implications for how we might live as Buddhists.
How did the Buddha become the Buddha? Who was he before? What is enlightenment?
An understanding of the Buddha’s life story is an indispensable introduction to the religion. We draw out the key aspects using a beautiful painting that depicts the different events from the story.
We often theme our tours and visits around the Three Jewels of Buddhism, the Buddha, the Dhamra and the Sangha. Find out why the Three Jewels are common and central to all schools of Buddhism.
