Friday Meditation was started for those who couldn’t join us on Sundays. In addition, this is only meditation without any discussion time. This is a weekly group sitting meditation held every Friday evening. Each session starts with taking refuge in the Triple Gems (Buddha, Dhamma and Sangha), refreshing one’s moral principles (Sila) and a short chanting of recollecting qualities of the Triple Gems and reciting discourse on Loving-friendliness (Metta Sutta). This is done in Pali language and the link for this devotion booklet is provided below.
After short chanting, monastics will lead the group to develop loving-kindness meditation and breath meditation (Anapanasati). The meditation time is about 45 minutes.
Why should we meditate?
It is the core practice of the Buddha’s teachings. To understand Buddhism, one has to apply its theory into practice and develop experiential wisdom “Bhavanamaya Panna” which helps to witness the impermanent, unsatisfactory and insubstantial nature of life.
Meditation helps to train our mind. It transform our mind from thinking unwholesome thoughts and to cultivate wholesome thoughts such as love, kindness and empathy. If one attempts to purify one’s words and actions without purifying mind, it would not be possible because they are the manifestations of our mind.
Mindfulness practice also helps to develop focus and enables us to distinguish essential and non-essential aspect of our life.
There can be no meditation in one who lacks wisdom; there can be no wisdom in one who lacks meditation. He who has meditation as well as wisdom is, indeed, close to peace and emancipation.
Buddha