York Sangha

York Sangha practises in the Plum Village tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, following his emphasis on mindful living and engaged Buddhism. Our Sangha is open to people of all faiths, or none, and we welcome newcomers.

We meet on Mondays from 7 to 9 pm and Thursdays from 10.30am to 12.30 pm either at St Bede’s Pastoral Centre, a short walk from the railway station, or on Zoom. Sessions at St Bede’s are in person only. The sessions usually start with an informal chat / drink, followed by:

• Guided meditation
• Mindful walking
• Silent sit
• Introductions
• A reading
• Dharma Sharing (reflecting on our own practice)

Each week, different members of the group facilitate the session. This is on a purely voluntary basis but participation is encouraged. The facilitator (or facilitation group) chooses the format, theme and readings for the session. Chairs are provided, but if you use a meditation stool or cushion for sitting, please bring it with you. On the first session of each month we use The Five Mindfulness Trainings and on the third session of each month we take Loving Kindness as our theme.

We hold Days of Mindfulness (DOMs) on Saturdays (9.30am to 4.00pm), every other month, where the weekly practice is extended and we bring contributions for a shared, vegetarian lunch. We sometimes invite monastics and lay members of the Community of Interbeing to lead our practice. Days of Mindfulness are usually held at St Bede’s but sometimes we use other venues.

Our weekly sessions and DOM are open to anyone interested in meditating in the company of others and applying mindfulness to their lives. We suggest a small donation (Dana) when attending, to contribute to room hire and other costs. The Sangha is a ‘not for profit’ group and any surplus funds are given to charity in keeping with Buddhist tradition.

Please contact York Sangha by email if you are interested in joining us.

Every morning when we wake up, we have twenty-four brand-new hours to live. What a precious gift! We have the capacity to live in a way that these twenty-four hours will bring peace, joy, and happiness to ourselves and others.
Thich Nhat Hanh, Peace Is Every Step (1991).