What We Do
Programme and Activities
Discovering Buddhism - In person
This is an FPMT programme made up of 14 modules which gives students a solid foundation in the teachings and practice of Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism. All are welcome to join at any time. We meet fortnightly on a Wednesday evening at High Ham, near Langport for meditation and discussion.
Discovering Buddhism - Online
Thursdays 7pm – 8.30 pm on Zoom. Through presentation, discussion and meditation this is a clear and accessible exploration of the Mahayana Buddhist path for beginners and experienced students alike. Everyone Welcome.
Lunchtime Meditation – Online
This takes place 1.00-1.50 on Wednesdays and is under the auspices of Mindfulness UK with whom one must register. It is open to all, whether or not one is interested in Buddhism. Register at Meditations – Mindfulness UK
Basic Programme
This is a five-year FPMT in-depth programme that started in 2018. Announcements will be made on the Saraswati email group if and when there are opportunities to join.
Occasional Sunday Afternoons
These are usually linked to the Basic Programme and are mostly open to anyone. They explore Buddhist topics through discussion and meditation. They are announced on the Saraswati email group.
(Online and face to face, depending on circumstances).
End of Life Support
The End of Life initiative at Saraswati Buddhist Group is aimed at supporting our membership at the end of life both spiritually and practically. This is developing work which includes periodic workshops, discussions and teachings. Our objective is open, fearless consideration and dialogue about how we approach death.
Special Events
We have visiting teachers and events periodically. Please see our Facebook page or contact us by emailing hello@saraswatibuddhistgroup.org for more information about the current program or additional events.
Meditation
Meditation develops our awareness and harnesses the potential of our mind. Whilst it is only the mind that can meditate, the mind’s relationship with the body makes a suitable body posture essential for meditation. Therefore, the first thing is to learn is the posture, especially making the back straight.
Then what you do with your mind is to train it to absorb with beneficial meditation topics or objects. We focus on internal objects that have links to our everyday lives. Importantly, the effect of meditation is to enable us to live a better, more integrated, more conscious life. This improves our relationship with ourselves and with other people, our environment, and our activities.
Some kinds of meditation use analytical, conceptual thoughts to induce knowledge and understanding, known as insight or wisdom.
Other kinds of meditation train us to concentrate single pointedly on a single object. This enables us to eliminate extraneous, intrusive thoughts, and thereby learn to control our mind in the situations we encounter in daily life.
Meditation has the potential to transform us by deeply changing our mental habits. It is especially beneficial when our meditations are based on study of Dharma, which is the experience and process of eliminating suffering. We can learn the methods to do this through attending classes and reading, but the actual transformation only comes through meditation, which integrates what we have learned with practice
Equanimity Meditation
Introductory Breath Meditation
Meditation on love and compassion starting with self compassion
Meditation on six breath meditation objects
Meditations from a series of lunchtime meditations under the auspices of Mindfulness UK.
We would recommend that although these are video and hence visual sessions recorded on zoom, you may find it less distracting to simply listen to them.
Meditation on kindness.
For more meditations, why not visit our archive of recordings? We regularly add new recordings to this resource.
Just click on the button below to view the archive. You can listen directly through your browser or via Spotify.
Please note this will take you to another website.
Buddhist Roots
Find out more about the origins of Buddhism and how Saraswati Buddhist Group honours these traditions.
Resources
A range of useful resources including recorded meditations and links to deepen knowledge.