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Saturday Meditation at Dhammaloka
by Fiona Nichols
A long week at work followed by the Friday
night Dhamma talk enriches many, but if you
are like me and work in the hospitality
industry, attending this talk can prove
difficult. This is my reason for attending the
S a t u r d a y a f t e r n o o n m e d i t a t i o n a t
Dhammaloka held between 3-4.15pm. I can
unwind after a hard night's work the night
before and get in touch with my spiritual side
come Saturday afternoon.
Whether you are a beginner at mediation or
more advanced, there is something to suit all.
There is a four week introductory course on
meditation that starts the first Saturday every
month and gives a good foundation for those
who want to learn about mediation. It gives
insight into mindfulness and concentration
on the breath.
However, if you have been meditating for a
longer period of time and would like
something more advanced, the main hall
holds a meditation talk that leads into a 45
min meditative process which is often guided
by the popular Ajahn Brahm. The instructor
who runs the guided mediation, be it Ajahn
Brahm or someone else, will ensure that the
meditators are taught simple yet very effective
mediation techniques.
I was recently introduced to a form of
meditation called Metta or Loving Kindness
Meditation which involved concentration on
the breath, and breathing in “May I be happy”
and breathing out “May all beings be happy”.
I found that this particular type of meditation
centred me and gave me a focus I cannot
usually achieve. Apart from relaxation, I was
able to focus strongly on my meditation
subject and radiate loving kindness to all.
I have long been doing mindfulness
mediation and found that Metta meditation
took me to a new state I had never before
experienced. I strongly feel that if I had not
attended the mediation classes that I would
not have known about this type of mediation
for a long time as the Friday night Meditation
and Dhamma talks often concentrates on a
more basic meditation that suits both
Buddhist and non-Buddhist alike. I did find
that the Metta meditation deepened my
understanding of Buddhism and gave me
knowledge with insight.
Metta meditation has greatly benefitted me
and I am sure this type of meditation might
also benefit you. However, if it is not suitable
for you, there are other meditation techniques
that might be more suitable. The skillful
instructors at the Saturday Meditation classes
will be able to guide you in your meditation
practise.
If you have never been to the Saturday
afternoon meditation before and are a
beginner, I recommend the introductory
course which will ground you in all sorts of
meditation techniques. Once you are more
familiar with the nature of meditation then I
would recommend the advanced class. Even
though you may consider yourself as
advanced, remember we all have a lot to learn
and never stop learning, so keep that it mind.
Come along to relax and enjoy yourself on the
Saturday meditation, I'd love to meet you.
However, for those of you who are unable to
make it for the advanced Meditation class in
person, you can still join the class virtually.
The advanced meditation class will be
streamed live on the Dhammaloka website.
Sunday Sutta Classes at
Dhammaloka
Most think that the Friday night talk
encapsulates what is happening at the
Dhammaloka, but nothing could be further
from the truth. I regularly attend the Sunday
Sutta class that is often run by Ajahn
Brahmali and find it to be a useful insight into
Buddhism.
The Suttas are collection of teachings (or
discourses) directly attributed to the Buddha
and his close disciples. There are more than
10,000 suttas grouped into 5 collections
(Nikayas): Digha Nikaya (The Long
Discourse), Majjhima Nikaya (The Middle-
Length Discourse), Samyutta Nikaya (The
Connected/Grouped Discourse), Anguttara
Nikaya (The numerical Discourse) and the
Khuddaku Nikaya (The Minor Collection).
Every second Sunday (the second and the
fourth of every month), the Sutta class runs
from 3pm-4.15 pm. The class is often given by
the informative Ajahn Bramhmali. It
provides insight into spiritual growth as the
main focus of the group is to explore on what
the Suttas have to say about the Dhamma and
spiritual life.
If you are like me, you would want to know
what the Buddha actually did and said to
people. Last year, I remember a very
informative talk being delivered about
mindfulness and its connection to
meditation. I found that by combining the
theoretical and the practical (meditation), it
had greatly enriched my experience and
conscientiousness.
This is no mere sermon, those who attend are
invited to ask questions and deepen their
understanding of Buddhist practice.
Through understanding the theory, you can
come to grasp the Four Noble Truths with
greater ease as well as the Eight Fold Path.
Buddhism has often been viewed as a
complicated religion/philosophy. However,
through the Sutta classes, it enriches my
understanding of Buddhism in a simple way
without all the confusion.
If you want to grow in your understanding of
Buddhism and apply the teaching to your life,
I highly recommend the Sunday Sutta class.
The theoretical discourse will deepen your
understanding of the philosophy and can be
practically applied to your practice. Don't be
afraid to come to the Sutta Class, all are
welcome, be you a first time Buddhist or an
advanced practitioner.
For those of you who are far away, do not feel
left out. The Sutta classes are streamed live on
the Internet. Please visit the Dhammaloka
website to listen in between 3pm-4:15pm
every second Sunday of the month. You can
also download the sutta classes from the
Dhammaloka website or through the mobile
application once it become available.
Artwork courtesy of Ron Battersby
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