South Church Portsmouth
Formed in 1999, we are a diverse
group—younger and older, make and female, gay, bisexual, and straight; long time
students of the Buddha Dharma and newcomers. Many, but not all, are members of
the South Church. We meet to practice meditation, to chant, to study the Way of
the Buddha, and enjoy each other’s company, support and inspiration. You’re
welcome to join us. There is no need or expectation to participate in practices
that you do not understand. Your questions are welcome.
We do not follow a particular Buddhist
tradition (such as Tibetan, Zen, Theravada) but try to learn from many
traditions, Sutras, and modern teachers (including Thich Nhat Hanh, the late
Chogyam Trungpa, and Pema Chodron.
We gather on Thursday evenings between
6:45 and 7:00 in room one of Karnan house, which is located directly behind
South Church in Portsmouth. Our practice begins promptly at 7:00 and lasts until
8:00. Newcomers are urged to arrive early.
We open with chanting, followed by a statement of out intentions and motivation for what follows. There follows a brief period of meditation, during which we sit in silence attentive to the activity of our minds and compassionately detaching from their activities.
What follows is a period for questions,
shared readings, discussion, and the voicing of personal joys and concerns.
Who was the Buddha?
The historical Buddha was born
Siddhartha Gautama and lived from about 536 to 483 BCE. Born to wealth and
privilege, as a young man he became profoundly dissatisfied with his life and
the meaning offered by the conventional and unconventional wisdom of his day. He
separated himself from family, friends, and society and spent six years in
severe yogic practices that brought him little satisfaction. Eventually, he
rejected these life-threatening practices and sought a middle way.
In deep meditation and resolve he
experienced a profound understanding of himself and the human condition. This
experience was akin to waking up. Later, when asked if he was a teacher, a man,
or a god, he would answer that he was awake. It is form the word for awakening
that the name Buddha is derived.
Following his enlightenment, the Buddha wandered and taught for 45 years in what is now India and Nepal. These teachings, originally oral and later written, constitute the source of Buddha Dharma, a means of detaching from suffering while remaining compassionately involved in and with the world.
For 2500 years these teaching have
spread throughout the world, taking somewhat different interpretations, forms,
and emphases in different cultures and eras.
Now Buddhism awakens in the West, and as Westerners, we try to understand the Buddhist teachings and practices informed by their Eastern origins but distinct from these cultures and traditions. We seek teaching true to the Buddha and valued in 2500 years of development. We seek teachings that speak to our personal and social needs and conditions while remaining true to the best of our western traditions.
How does Buddhist teaching relate to
the UU?
There is a long history of Unitarian and Universalist interest in Buddhism. However, in the latter 20th century this became more explicit with many UUs identifying with Buddhist teachings and practices. Several UU ministers hold ordination in specific Buddhist traditions.
For more information, contact James Funston or Bruce Deveau .
UU Buddhist Fellowship Discussion List
(The Email List of the Unitarian Universalist Buddhist Fellowship)