Mindfullness & Buddhism...

annabee1234

Hi,

I've been exploring Buddhism for some time now by reading about it etc. I was raised Catholic and as you'd imagine have guilt even thinking about another religion!!:p

Anyways.... I feel the best way to explore it, is by practising mindfulness, meditation, learning about myself and my spirituality.
I want to learn slowly and steadily. I really feel it's for me and will improve myself and life with time.
I want to go to a Buddhist centre that accepts that i'm a complete beginner and I'm very nervous of joining one.

Can anyone recommend one in Dublin? Preferably city centre that can help me?

All help is appreciated...

Yi Harr

I'm sure you have looked into it but just googling Buddhist Centres gives you the Dublin Buddhist Centre and the Kagyu Samye Dzong Buddhist Centre.

You should also look to places like The Sanctuary. They run lots of mindfulness and meditation workshops.

gnu

Sounds like you're on the right track Annabee! I understand full well about the Catholic guilt. I find it still crops up from time to time!

Mindfulness is a practice that anyone can benefit from - more and more I hear of people from different religions using it. I was at a Mindfulness Ireland retreat recently and met several committed Christians who had made it part of their practice. Mindfulness Ireland has sanghas at The Sanctuary which was already mentioned and also at Oscailt which are both near town. They have other sanghas too but it sounds like city centre suits you best.

Oscailt hosts a few different meditation groups which might be worth checking out.

I would think that all Buddhist centres will welcome beginners, all I have gone to have welcomed me. And I think if you didn't get a good feeling from them or find them welcoming then perhaps they are best avoided.

I hope you find somewhere that suits you.

annabee1234

Hi,

Thanks for your guidance!
I still haven't taken the next step, I've been googling them but, there are so many centres out there.
I'd like one that has some activities that encourage you to be more involved in the centre.

Is anyone out there a current member of any?

Ax

limra

forget people just look at the grass, ask the grass, can you a blade of grass have the buddha nature?

meryem

Just give some groups a try to start at least. Otherwise straight away follow the advice of Limra. Your inner self should start responding itself after some meditation practice.

gnu

annabee1234 wrote: »

Hi,

Thanks for your guidance!
I still haven't taken the next step, I've been googling them but, there are so many centres out there.
I'd like one that has some activities that encourage you to be more involved in the centre.

Is anyone out there a current member of any?

Ax

Hi Annabee,

Sorry for the delay replying to you. Have you got anything in mind activity-wise? If I come across anything I'll let you know. In the meantime I'd suggest you just visit some and see for yourself if they seem to be a good fit for you. If you want some moral support visting somewhere, feel free to PM me.

mccoist

i know of a lay buddhist teacher who runs one day courses onmeditation to help people start and get confidence
i attended my self and really was a great day
i believe he is running a day for beginners on 23rd
as a pre curser to a week long meditation practice
for obvious reasons i wll not advertise his name but if you conact me i will forward his email address and you can go from there
he operates in galway and the course is in galway
well worth the visit

stillness

annabee1234 wrote: »

Hi,

I've been exploring Buddhism for some time now by reading about it etc. I was raised Catholic and as you'd imagine have guilt even thinking about another religion!!:p

Anyways.... I feel the best way to explore it, is by practising mindfulness, meditation, learning about myself and my spirituality.
I want to learn slowly and steadily. I really feel it's for me and will improve myself and life with time.
I want to go to a Buddhist centre that accepts that i'm a complete beginner and I'm very nervous of joining one.

Can anyone recommend one in Dublin? Preferably city centre that can help me?

All help is appreciated...

The sanctuary in Stanhope St. (Stoneybatter) run a number of meditaion and mindfullness workshops from one day to multi-week. There's a realyy interesting one coming up on Sept 25th called Zen McGahern. Here's a except from a mail I got:
Description: A multi-sensory evocation of Buddhist resonances in ‘That They May Face The Rising Sun.”

This presentation uses multimedia including video clip, DVD excerpts, original art work, photography, voice, music, sculpture and teaching
to explore a number of central ideas in mindfulness as they surface in the John McGahern novel, ‘That They May Face The Rising Sun.’

This is a homage to the book that seeks to draw a parallel resonance between the themes of the book and those of Buddhism without manipulating either.
It’s a call to the day, the moment, the inter-being of life, to compassion. Ultimately, to be happy you must first leave the striving behind and live in the now. This is a
beautiful and personal journey from which each may draw one’s own meaning.

Zen McGahern first ran at The Dock in Carrick-on-Shannon on the 21st of July last and was very warmly received. Definitely well worth a look.



Hope this helps