It is always exciting to announce the Dhamma Talks each year – this is the one big event for Buddhism in English in Bangkok each year ….
Announcing:
The 6th Annual Dhamma Talk Series
for the Rains Retreat period 2011
Entitled –
‘The Dance of Emptiness’
Starting Monday August 8th – to Sept. 26th
Monday evenings at the Dance Centre, school of performing arts
Sukhumvit 24 (map and directions below)
OUTILINE
Every year, during the Buddhist ‘Rains’ retreat period, monks and nuns are not allowed to travel, and instead stay in their temples for an intensive study of Buddhism and meditation. So it is a proper time for taking time to learn something about Buddhism, or increase your study and practise if you are already a meditator!
Everyone is welcome. There are no special temple rites or rituals, nor special observances to follow. This year we are kindly hosted by the Dance Centre: School of Performing Arts, so everyone should feel quite at ease.
The hall is air-conditioned and there is plenty of space. No need for advance registration, and there is no charge for the events.
SPEAKER
42 year old Ven. Cittasamvaro has been a British Bhikkhu (monk) in Thailand for 14 years. Ordaining in Rajaburi Province in 1996, he has since moved to Bangkok where he studies and teaches at the Monks University. He practised with various teachers before settling in Thailand.
This is the sixth year giving a Dhamma Talk series in Bangkok in the Rains period. For the last 5 years he has been leading the Little Bangkok Sangha, arranging various talks, retreats and workshops around Bangkok, and inviting different speakers and meditation teachers
SCHEDULE
Monday evenings from August 8th to September 26th
6:15-6:30 – gather at the Dance Centre, Sukhumvit 24 (map/directions below)
6:45-7:45 – Dhamma Talk
7:45-8:10 – Silent meditation with brief instructions for beginners
8:10-8:25 – Q&A
TOPICS
This year’s theme is based around ‘Emptiness’. This is one of the most important concepts and practises to a meditator – however you don’t need prior knowledge of Buddhism. The talks aim to be light, interesting, and easy to follow. For a full list of the topics week by week please click here.
LOCATION
The Dance Centre is 820 meters down Sukhumvit Soi 24, from Phrom Phong BTS. From MRT you can taxi, walk or motorcycle from Queen Sirikit Station. If you are walking – it is not far, but there’s a lot of winding and turning to do through the small lanes.
Enter into the President Park Building, and go up the red carpet to the Capitol Club
Just to make it easier – here is what you will see as you arrive;
LITTLE BANGKOK SANGHA
Since there is little dhamma/meditation in English in Bangkok, for the last few years a few of us have been banding together and arranging events. We try to do everything for free, on donation basis only, so that anyone can join in. Since we have no center or buildings, we have hardly any costs – but it means we move about town to different venues as convenient.
All are welcome to join in more closely – there are some neat people involved. Its fine to just be a quiet observer in the background, or make yourself known to some of the regulars if you would like to join in the more social activities.
Keep up to date with this blog for other activities and happenings in Bangkok.
Why not record these talks and put them on podcast (I’m sure you can do it but if you don’t you have Tony And Greg from Bangkok Podcast at your disposal) and link that to iTunes so anyone missing the talk can listen to it on their laptop/smartphone/tablet.
I did record quite a few talks, but in the ned I just got 150 files on my voice recorder, and never any time to sort through them, clean up the sound and convert. I have a plan to do something like this but with video … one day when I get time…
Hi Pandit, are these starting from tomorrow or the week after? Sorry if I’ve missed the info somewhere. Looks exciting!
Thanks for all your work doing these talks Phra Pandit .. it’s very much appreciated!
I second what Jun says about recording your talks. Aren’t there any yogis in our Sangha who can help you with this? Your Rains Retreat talks are always soooo wonderful and inspiring, and I’m sorry to have to miss this series due to my work schedule. Fingers crossed that a techie yogi will materialize and help make the recordings a reality–for the benefit of us all! :):)
Cindy, I am trying to find you. Can you email me? Janet
Ok, so I spent the day out today looking for a video camera. Finally decided on one, after asking details on it and 100’s others, only for them to tell me there are none. It is out for display only, this type is not for sale.
The crucial point was battery time, since some great talks got lost due to exceeding battery time …. so I got a Canon with 3.5 hours time and 16 GB data storage. Cost of 9000 baht, which we can cover from donations at the talks.
Should be able to record all the talks, and other monks/nuns who come in the future.
is there any contact number?
Honourable Cittasamvaro,
I would appreciate to understand Buddhist cosmology. The Christians have their Heaven and Hell, God on his throne and Jesus next to him and the final judgement. The Scientists have their primeval ooze, their “by chance” and their evolution (looking back but nothing to look forward). Do Buddhist have a cosmology, an overarching framework ?
Sorry for the delay.
I have been planning a talk on this topic for some years … It will come about. In very short – there is heaven and hell, but they are both temporary. You are reborn according to your Kamma, with caveats. Seeing this directly is one of the supermundance powers that can be gained through meditation, which in fact some people can do in the modern day also.
But then we get into all kinds of speculation. The fact is until one can see for oneself, it is all speculation and belief/disbelief.
I did write a blog on the cosmology of Buddhas : http://littlebang.org/2011/05/30/cosmology-of-a-bodhisatva/
On Australia TV ( ABC) the Program “The Buddha” is shown on Wed 17:00 , 21:30 and on
Thu 12:00 noon. I watched the first half last week and found it interesting and informative….
Kuhn Peter
hi is there still regular talks on mid week?