Saturday, December 17, 2005

meditational moments...


hi all

steve has kindly folowed on my blog from the other day whereby I mentioned looking into a buddhist retreat...funnily enough there is one just by where he was raised as a lad and here he has detailed it for us...over to Steve...

CONISHEAD PRIORY

Conishead Priory was originally founded in 1160 as a hospital for lepers and
the poor. Dominated by two 100 foot octagonal towers, the present house is
an imposing example of Georgian Gothic architecture. Special features
include decorative ceilings, a vaulted great hall with fine stained glass
and a 177 feet long cloister corridor. The Oak Room contains impressive
carved woodwork from 1624. The building has been carefully restored by the
resident Buddhist community.



Manjushri Buddhist Center was established at Conishead Priory in 1977, to
provide a peaceful and inspiring environment where people could learn about
the Buddhist way of life and practice meditation. There is currently a
community of about 95 including ordained monks and nuns. The Center caters
for all level of interest by offering introductory talks, weekend meditation
retreats and extensive study programmes.


Evening Talks are held on Thursdays at 7:30 - 9:30pm and also on most
Mondays and Tuesdays.
5:45 - 7:00pm. TEL: (01229) - 584029.

All sessions are self-contained and cover a different topic each week. They
include guided meditations, talks and discussions. There is no charge for
the first talk attended.

Weekend Meditation Retreats provide a chance to learn to meditate during a
peaceful break in the country. They are suitable for everyone regardless of
experience.



The Temple was constructed by the Buddhist community to provide an
environment for quiet reflection and spiritual inspiration. It also provides
a venue for the large Buddhist Festivals, held every year in May and August.
Based on a traditional design which symbolizes the pure world (Mandela) of a
Buddha, the Temple is 24 meters square, with four doorways and three tiers.
Both the outside and the inside of the building are decorated with Buddhist
auspicious symbols. The shrine cabinet holds large bronze statues of Buddha
and his two Bodhisattva disciples, which were made on site by an Italian
sculptor. The central figure stands eight foot high. We believe them to be
the largest Buddhist statues cast in Europe.


Hope you found that interesting, now, as it is the panto
season here's one that i found funny.

A local pantomime for paranoid schizophrenics was thrown into chaos when
someone shouted "He's behind you!!".

see you steve.

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