People become interested in meditation for a variety of reasons. Some seek a deeper perspective; others to come to terms with stress or a personal crisis in their lives. It is not always easy to follow a consistent and stable meditation practice by ourselves – so the group is a place where we can meditate with others and draw encouragement and learn from them. Also we reflect together on how Zen meditation practice and Buddhist insights can help us practically, in living from a deeper perspective.
In our meditation practice, Zazen, we learn to sit still with an open and alert mind, accepting thoughts and feelings that arise, without judging them. This practice enables a profound transformation to take place in us – it is straightforward and accessible, and enables us to experience the profound truth of our lives directly. The Soto Zen tradition, which we follow, emphasises integrating meditative awareness with our ordinary daily life and, in this way, finding the heart of compassion, love and wisdom within our lives – Soto Zen is the longest-lived Zen tradition practised currently.
‘Serene reflection meditation’ (‘silent illumination meditation’) is an English translation for the Zen tradition’s main meditation practice, Zazen, sometimes called ‘just sitting’, and also known as ‘shikan-taza’.
To find out more about our style of meditation, what we do at group meetings, and the group’s affiliations, see ‘Pages’ at the bottom of this page and each page – click on any that interest you.