Festival Day Retreat - The Buddha's Paranirvana

Parinirvana Day is a time to recall the Buddha’s final days and his passing into full and perfect Enlightenment, as he leaves his physical body.

On this very important Festival Day Shakyapada will lead us on a reflection of the Buddha's final days and and his death by exploring verses from the Maha-parinibbana Sutta, a beautiful evocation of the Buddha’s generous teachings and acts, even in his final few days. Included in the sutta are the well-known and moving words of Ananda, the Buddha’s loyal attendant:

'The Master is about to pass away from me: he who is so kind.'

Triratna communities around the world mark Parinirvana Day each year. It offers us an opportunity to reflect more broadly on impermanence and death. You are invited to remember loved ones who have died - whether human or animal - and to reflect on one's own inevitable mortality. This may sound a little morbid but in fact is an opportunity to reflect on the preciousness of our lives and to live them to the full.

Do please join us for this special day and bring along photographs of loved ones who have died in the last year to place on the shrine as an act of remembrance.

Places are limited so booking is essential. Click the link below.

There is a booking fee of £5 for the day. York Buddhist Centre has no outside income or support and no one is paid. So these classes are given  freely in a spirit of friendship. However we do have rent to pay and utilities and other running costs and we could not meet these without the generous support of those who use our centre. So, if you can, we ask you to also make a donation of £15-£20 (or whatever you can afford) either when you book or when you attend. This donation is entirely optional but it will help us enormously so please be as generous as you can.

Please bring vegan lunch to share.