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Local Group | Manchester
Heart of Manchester Sangha
The Heart of Manchester Sangha welcomes newcomers, but please note that these are practice sessions and no instruction as to how to meditate is given. If you have any particular questions about anything please get in touch by email or just chat with us when you come along.
The Dharma Sharing section of each practice session provides a rich opportunity to share about the difficulties and joys of our personal practice, and hence to learn from each other in a strictly confidential, supportive atmosphere. There is never an obligation to share, as practising deep listening is a wonderful mindfulness practice in itself, so you are welcome to attend without actively participating in this element of the meetings.
We are a volunteer-led group. Experienced members facilitate our Sangha Gatherings. We have a Facilitators’ Team that deals with administrative tasks. When we are meeting in our physical buildings we rely on volunteers in other ways too, for instance to set up the room and greet those arriving. If you would like to help that would be welcome.
Please join our mailing list to be kept up to date with these and similar events by email newsletter.
We are always grateful for dana (donations) towards costs, but there is no fixed fee for any of our gatherings.
Meetings
In Person
* Every Sunday 7:30 – 9:30 PM
* Every second Saturday of the month 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM
* Three times a year for a day of mindfulness – 10:30 AM – 4 PM
* Twice a year for a relaxation and shared meal before Sangha – 4:30 – 9:30 PM
* Occasionally for walks – check newsletter
Location
Chorlton Unitarian Church, Wilbraham Road M21 9LB
The Unitarian Church is a bungalow hidden from view from Wilbraham road behind a small three story block of flats (Regency Court Flats).
There is a large square white notice board in front of these flats signposting the church.
Use your satnav to locate Wilbraham Road, then turn or walk down the drive marked with the blue arrow (see map below).
This is next right after Sibson Road (travelling towards Stretford) off Wilbraham Road.
Online
Twice each week for 1 hr 15 mins, with the opportunity of a stretch or a walk midway. Please email us for details and a joining link.
Additionally, our sister sangha in Stockport has a Zoom meeting every Thursday 11 AM – 12:15 PM that you would be welcome to join too.
The Five Mindfulness Trainings
On the second Sunday of every month 7:30 – 9:30 PM, we meet online to recite and contemplate the Five Mindfulness Trainings.
Online Donations
Online practice is free, but if you wish and are able to, please support our friends at Plum Village in France, please go to their donations page.
Meeting Format
Meetings include guided and silent meditation, readings, sharing in small groups and other Plum Village practices.
Resources
Websites
For detailed teachings, talks, videos, retreat information and otherwise, hese are places to look.
* Nhat Hanh’s Plum Village Monastery
* Community of Interbeing, UK
* European Institute of Applied Buddhism
Plum Village App
The Plum Village App for Android, iPhones and iPads is well organised and user friendly. It contains various meditation practices, recordings of teachings and other resources. A great support for daily practice.
* Download the Plum Village App
* Visit the website
Books
Thay has written many books. Here are some suggestions to get you started:
HAPPINESS
Essential mindfulness practices
The wide range of practices offered in Happiness encourages us to learn to do all the things we do in daily life with mindfulness; to walk, sit, work, eat, and drive, with full awareness of what we are doing. It is about practicing mindfulness in every moment of the day and not just while ‘formally’ meditating.
THE PATH OF EMANCIPATION
Compilation of dharma talks
The book is made of the Dharma talks given by Thich Nath Hanh on the 21-day retreat in 1998. It is a wonderful combination of the basic Buddhist teachings, stories from the Buddha’s life and mindfulness practices leading to inner peace and true happiness. It gives the reader the flavour of being on a retreat with Thay.
CREATING TRUE PEACE
Ending conflict in yourself, your family, your community and the world
Thay wrote: “The teachings of this book are offered to help anyone who aspires to lead a life of nonviolence. These practices are the living legacy of the Buddha and of my ancestral teachers. They are as powerful today as thet were at the time of the Buddha.” The book is easy to read and very practical, providing many practices, guided meditations and other exercises to help us calm and transform our emotions, develop understanding and compassion and learn the ways of reconciliation.
PATH OF COMPASSION
Stories from the Buddha’s life
This book is a vibrant retelling of the story of Prince Siddhartha, who left his family and renounced his privileged life to become the Buddha. Thay describes the Buddha as a human being like us, capable of human emotions and concerns. Far more than the description of an unusual life story, it serves as an enjoyable, compelling, and informative introduction to Buddhism by conveying its most important teachings in a compact and accessible format. The book is a condensed version of Old Path White Clouds.
TEACHINGS ON LOVE
True love from a Buddhist perspective
The true love that Thay describes is very different from the Western cliché of romantic love. True love has to contain four elements – loving kindne ss, compassion, joy, and equanimity and it starts with loving yourself. The teachings in this book apply not only to romantic relationships but to all areas of our lives. There are meditations on love, ways to heal our relationships with our family and our own spiritual traditions, and methods for resolving conflicts. Teachings on Love is the resource you can return to again and again for spiritual guidance, wisdom, and personal renewal.
NOTHING TO IT
Ten ways to be home with yourself —
By Brother Phap Hai, a monastic dharma teacher
This is a marvellous book. Written with humour and a down to earth style but full of essential teachings. Based on a series of talks given by Phap Hai at a retreat in 2013, it explores the many different gates to transformation offered by Buddhism. There are fifty-eight gates, arranged in the book into ten traditional groups, with one chapter exploring each gate. Each chapter includes questions for reflection, additional reading suggestions on the topic, and writing exercises. The book is equally valuable when read through at leisure or used as the text for a ten-week self-guided course.
HOW TO SIT
Introduction to the power of sitting quietly at peace with ourselves
Part of a charming series of mini-books exploring the essential foundations of living zen practice day-to-day. Others are How To Walk, How To Relax and How To Eat. In How to Sit, Thich Nhat Hanh provides explicit yet simple guidance on posture and breathing, along with instructions for achieving an awakened, relaxed state of mind, with the cultivation of clarity and compassion.
AGM
You can download our 2024-25 AGM Report here
Contact Us
heartofmanchesterstockportsanghas@outlook.com