Wednesday PRACTICE NIGHT:
Dharma Day
The Buddha's First Teaching
Wednesday 9th July from 7.00pm until 9.15pm
Today we celebrate the Festival of Dharma Day, an occasion when Buddhists from all traditions celebrate their good fortune in coming across the Dharma, the Buddha's teaching.
The Buddha Sakyamuni first Turned the Wheel of the Dharma some weeks after after his Enlightenment, 2,500 years ago. When departing from Bodh Gaya where he realised Enlightenment, he remembered his five friends in the ascetic life who he had left some weeks before. Having found them at Sarnath, some 100 Kilometers away in North-Eastern India he taught them - thus Turning the Wheel of the Dharma for the very first time. Very soon they too became Enlightened.
This was a tumultuous event which proved to the Buddha that his Enlightenment could be realised by others and represents the forming of the first Buddhist Sangha or Community and the beginning of the spread of Buddhism throughout the world.
Then, in our own time, our teacher, Sangharakshita, brought the Dharma to the West in 1967 and began our own Western Buddhist Movement
On this day mitras (friends) from York Buddhist Centre will be telling the story of that special day and leading us in our celebration.
All over 18 are welcome. No experience of Buddhism is necessary. No need to book - just turn up.
PLEASE MAKE A DONATION for this session. We do not charge for our Wednesday classes but instead, rely on your generosity to help us pay for our substantial running costs. We suggest £12 per class - but please give more or less according to your means.
No one is paid at York Buddhist Centre. Our only income comes from those who use the centre.