Fifth Precept Sangha

“Perhaps everything terrible in us is,
in its deepest being,
something helpless needing our help”

Source: Rainer Maria Rilke [quoted in the book ‘Feeding Your Demons: Ancient Wisdom for Resolving Inner Conflict’ by Tsultrim Allione].

MONDAY, APRIL 13, 2020

Meeting link – https://us04web.zoom.us/j/553721188 (see below for telephone options)

If you are asked for a password then please enter > 5ps

The topic is for contemplation, reflection and sharing at the online virtual ‘Sit-and-Share’ meditation meeting via Zoom from 7:30 pm ready for a prompt start at 8 pm (UK time). This meeting’s topic was chosen by Paul, who will be our ‘Sit-and-Share’ host.

PLEASE NOTE: The meeting is scheduled to start at 8 pm and close at 9 pm but the Zoom meeting room will be open 30-minutes before and after for conversation, connection and fellowship.

All welcome.

Please read ‘How to attend a Virtual Sit-and-Share meeting’ –

Closing dedication of Merit:

We dedicate the merits of this practice to all suffering beings.
May everyone be free of suffering, and the causes of suffering.
May everyone enjoy happiness, and the causes of happiness.
Keep sitting; and keep smiling.

“You must learn to let go.
Release the stress.
You were never in control anyway.”

Source: Steve Maraboli from the book ‘Life, the Truth, and Being Free’.

THURSDAY, APRIL 09, 2020

Meeting link – https://us04web.zoom.us/j/553721188 (see below for telephone options)

If you are asked for a password then please enter > 5ps

The topic is for contemplation, reflection and sharing at the online virtual ‘Sit-and-Share’ meditation meeting via Zoom from 7:30 pm ready for a prompt start at 8 pm (UK time). This meeting’s topic was chosen by Jason, who will be our ‘Sit-and-Share’ host.

PLEASE NOTE: The meeting is scheduled to start at 8 pm and close at 9 pm but the Zoom meeting room will be open 30-minutes before and after for conversation, connection and fellowship.

All welcome.

Please read ‘How to attend a Virtual Sit-and-Share meeting’ –

Closing dedication of Merit:

We dedicate the merits of this practice to all suffering beings.
May everyone be free of suffering, and the causes of suffering.
May everyone enjoy happiness, and the causes of happiness.
Keep sitting; and keep smiling.

“Know that you are safe;
nothing else is happening;
you are breathing and alive.”

Source: Adapted and used with the kind permission of Martine Batchelor from the book ‘Let Go: A Buddhist Guide to Breaking Free of Habits’.

MONDAY, APRIL 06, 2020

Meeting link – https://us04web.zoom.us/j/553721188 (see below for telephone options)

The topic is for contemplation, reflection and sharing at the online virtual ‘Sit-and-Share’ meditation meeting via Zoom from 7:30 pm ready for a prompt start at 8 pm (UK time). This meeting’s topic was chosen by Colin, who will be our ‘Sit-and-Share’ host.

PLEASE NOTE: The meeting is scheduled to start at 8 pm and close at 9 pm but the Zoom meeting room will be open 30-minutes before and after for conversation, connection and fellowship.

All welcome.

Please read ‘How to attend a Virtual Sit-and-Share meeting’ –

Closing dedication of Merit:

We dedicate the merits of this practice to all suffering beings.
May everyone be free of suffering, and the causes of suffering.
May everyone enjoy happiness, and the causes of happiness.
Keep sitting; and keep smiling.

“To make a vow is to set an aspiration.
It is to ground our life in certain values.
A vow states our intention and creates a current which we can flow towards and feed.
We can renew and extend our vow.
It is helpful if the vow is not too extraordinary but at the same time helps us to stretch ourselves.”

Source: Adapted and used with the kind permission of Martine Batchelor from the book ‘Let Go: A Buddhist Guide to Breaking Free of Habits’.

Meeting link – https://us04web.zoom.us/j/553721188 (see below for telephone options)

This meeting’s topic was chosen by Vince, who will be our ‘Sit-and-Share’. The topic is for contemplation, reflection and sharing at the online virtual ‘Sit-and-Share’ meditation meeting via Zoom from 7:30 pm ready for a prompt start at 8 pm (UK time).

PLEASE NOTE: The meeting is scheduled to start at 8 pm and close at 9 pm but the Zoom meeting room will be open 30-minutes before and after for conversation, connection and fellowship.

All welcome.

Please read ‘How to attend a Virtual Sit-and-Share meeting’ –

Closing dedication of Merit:

We dedicate the merits of this practice to all suffering beings.
May everyone be free of suffering, and the causes of suffering.
May everyone enjoy happiness, and the causes of happiness.
Keep sitting; and keep smiling.

“All of humanity’s problems stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.”

Source : Blaise Pascal ~ French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer and Catholic theologian (1623 – 1662)

Meeting link – https://us04web.zoom.us/j/553721188 (see below for telephone options)

This meeting’s topic was chosen by Jessica, who will be our ‘Sit-and-Share’. The topic is for contemplation, reflection and sharing at the online virtual ‘Sit-and-Share’ meditation meeting via Zoom from 7:45 pm ready for a prompt start at 8 pm (UK time).

The meeting is scheduled to start at 8 pm and close at 9 pm but the Zoom meeting room will be open 30-minutes before and after for conversation, connection and fellowship.

All welcome.

Please read ‘How to attend a Virtual Sit-and-Share meeting’ –

Closing dedication of Merit:

We dedicate the merits of this practice to all suffering beings.
May everyone be free of suffering, and the causes of suffering.
May everyone enjoy happiness, and the causes of happiness.
Keep sitting; and keep smiling.

“I yearn to be free of pain, but rush straight into it;
I long for happiness, but foolishly crush it like an enemy.”

Source : Shantideva (8th Century Indian Buddhist) as quoted in ‘Living with the Devil – A meditation on Good and Evil’ (p16) by Stephen Batchelor.

Meeting link – https://us04web.zoom.us/j/553721188 (see below for telephone options)

This meeting’s topic was chosen by Vince, who will be our ‘Sit-and-Share’. The topic is for contemplation, reflection and sharing at the online virtual ‘Sit-and-Share’ meditation meeting via Zoom from 7:45 pm ready for a prompt start at 8 pm (UK time).

All welcome.

Please read ‘How to attend a Virtual Sit-and-Share meeting’ –

Closing dedication of Merit:

We dedicate the merits of this practice to all suffering beings.
May everyone be free of suffering, and the causes of suffering.
May everyone enjoy happiness, and the causes of happiness.
Keep sitting; and keep smiling.

“We should not be afraid of suffering.
We should be afraid of only one thing,
and that is not knowing how to deal with our suffering.”

~ Thich Nhat Hanh

This week’s topic was chosen by Vince, who will be our ‘Sit-and-Share’ host on Monday. The topic is for contemplation, reflection and sharing at the online virtual ‘Sit-and-Share’ meditation meeting via Skype from 7:45 pm ready for a prompt start at 8 pm (UK time).

All welcome.

Please read ‘How to attend a Virtual Sit-and-Share meeting’ –

Closing dedication of Merit:

We dedicate the merits of this practice to all suffering beings.
May everyone be free of suffering, and the causes of suffering.
May everyone enjoy happiness, and the causes of happiness.
Keep sitting; and keep smiling.

“Three ways to discover one’s own faults:
Ask a friend,
Ask an enemy,
Identify the faults you find in others.”

~ Origin unknown

This week’s topic was chosen by Paul, who will be our ‘Sit-and-Share’ host on Monday. The topic is for contemplation, reflection and sharing at the online virtual ‘Sit-and-Share’ meditation meeting via Skype from 7:45 pm ready for a prompt start at 8 pm (UK time).

All welcome.

Please read ‘How to attend a Virtual Sit-and-Share meeting’ –

Closing dedication of Merit:

We dedicate the merits of this practice to all suffering beings.
May everyone be free of suffering, and the causes of suffering.
May everyone enjoy happiness, and the causes of happiness.
Keep sitting; and keep smiling.

“We tend to stick to our habits, even the ones that cause us to suffer.

Workaholism is one example. In the past, our ancestors may have had to work nearly all the time to put food on the table. But today, our way of working is rather compulsive and prevents us from having real contact with life. We think about our work all the time and don’t even have time to breathe. We need to find moments to contemplate the cherry blossoms and drink our tea in mindfulness. Our way of acting depends on our way of thinking, and our way of thinking depends on our habit energies. When we recognise this, we only need to say, ‘’Hello, habit energy,’’ and make good friends with our habitual patterns of thinking and acting. When we can accept these ingrained thoughts and not feel guilty about them, they will lose much of their power over us. Right Thinking leads to Right Action. “

~ The Heart of the Buddha’s teaching – Thich Nhat Hanh

This week’s topic was chosen by Jessica, who will be our ‘Sit-and-Share’ host on Monday. The topic is for contemplation, reflection and sharing at the online virtual ‘Sit-and-Share’ meditation meeting via Skype from 7:45 pm ready for a prompt start at 8 pm (UK time).

All welcome.

Please read ‘How to attend a Virtual Sit-and-Share meeting’ –

Closing dedication of Merit:

We dedicate the merits of this practice to all suffering beings.
May everyone be free of suffering, and the causes of suffering.
May everyone enjoy happiness, and the causes of happiness.
Keep sitting; and keep smiling.

“…the eight worldly conditions revolve around the world, and the world revolves around the eight worldly conditions.
What eight?
Gain and loss, fame and disgrace, praise and blame, pleasure and pain.
These eight worldly conditions revolve around the world, and the world revolves around these eight worldly conditions.”

~ Buddha (numbered discourses #8.5 Worldly Conditions ~ Paṭhamalokadhamma Sutta)

This week’s topic was chosen by Eileen, who will be our ‘Sit-and-Share’ host on Monday. The topic is for contemplation, reflection and sharing at the online virtual ‘Sit-and-Share’ meditation meeting via Skype from 7:45 pm ready for a prompt start at 8 pm (UK time).

All welcome.

Please read ‘How to attend a Virtual Sit-and-Share meeting’ –

Closing dedication of Merit:

We dedicate the merits of this practice to all suffering beings.
May everyone be free of suffering, and the causes of suffering.
May everyone enjoy happiness, and the causes of happiness.
Keep sitting; and keep smiling.