Programme Letter

Autumn/Winter 2008

Dear Friends,


Many apologies for the delay in sending our Autumn/Winter programme and hope
that you will come and visit, either to stay or to visit, as it is always a pleasure to see you.

We enjoyed a wonderful 30th Anniversary Garden Party on the 3rd August and we would like to express our thanks to all those who made the Party such an outstanding success. Everyone enjoyed themselves and it was so good to reconnect with old friends, and also relax in the company of new friends and our neighbours. We all had immense fun participating in the Summer Pantomime, the Art Exhibition and listening to our very talented musicians. We encounter a different quality when being party to a creative process, and those special unique moments are shared together and become part of our life experience.

Ven Geshe Damcho-la flew to South Africa in September to give Teachings at Lam Rim South Africa in Jo’berg and in Durban for the next 2 weeks. Geshe-la is accompanied by Dan Buys for the first month and by John Allman for the second month. Geshe-la sends his love and expresses his thanks for the support we are receiving from our Helping Hands.

We have enjoyed the company of Cathy (from South Africa) for 2 weeks and are benefiting from the presence of Ven. Ani Honue from Australia, who is staying with us until December, and will then return home.

We are enclosing a copy of the latest issue of our Mandala Newsletter – we hope you enjoy reading it and we would appreciate some feedback with regard to David’s article and the Statement of Intent which was drawn up when His Holiness the Dalai Lama visited Nottingham this year. This Statement was a written Declaration from the Dharma Centres who were gathered in Nottingham to activate change both individually and collectively by reducing our carbon footprints and in doing so create a beneficial example of sustainable living. We are now entering the Age of Responsibility- and we need a consensus on how we bring our aspirations to implement change. Turning off lights, switching off standby equipment during the night, closing doors, conserving water, putting on a warm sweater and warm socks helps to reduce our need for Heating fuel. We can also create a habit of driving at a reduced speed, and sharing journeys with each other. We can all become agents of change. Are you interested in setting aside some time for us to enjoy dialogue
together? If so, then do get in touch. Thank you for your kindness.