Half Day of Mindfulness at Sanskriti Kendra: 13th October, 2024
A. Upcoming Events
1. Communities of practice/Sangha (online - open to all)
A ‘sangha’ or a ‘çoming together’ is a community of people who gather to practice. Ahimsa Trust has a number of such sanghas who practice regularly (once or twice a month) in the NCR region of Delhi and in Dehradun. These communities are divided geographically. However, during these unprecedented times of the Covid-19, each sangha is offering online teachings and practices. Please feel free to join any Sangha convenient to you. Do contact the co ordinators or write to us at ahimsa.trust@gmail.com If you are a beginner who wants to be introduced to the practice of mindfulness, or an experienced practitioner searching for a community which practices in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh- our sanghas are a wonderful support with experienced facilitators.
| AREA | DAYS OF MEETING | TIME | VENUE | CO-ORDINATORS | ||
| NAME | PHONE | |||||
| Gurugram (NCR) | Second Saturday of the month | 4.30 to 6.00pm | Zorba The Buddha (Depending on availibilty), Datta Farms or a volunteer’s home.(ONLINE SESSIONS) |
Indira Unninayar | 9810269803 | indiraunninayar@gmail.com |
| Ajeer Vidya | 8860088326 | ajeer.vidya@gmail.com | ||||
| Arjun Vivek Datta | 9818247195 | vivekdatta2002@yahoo.co.in | ||||
| Central Delhi (Sundar Nagar, Jorbagh, Defence Colony, Hauz Khas, Kalkaji, Green Park, Anand Lok etc) |
Every 2nd and 4th Wednesdays, from 6.30-8.00 pm of the month | 6.00 to 8.00pm | 112 Anand Lok (Basement), New Delhi. (ONLINE SESSIONS) |
Anita Anand | 9811157812 | aa.comfirst@gmail.com |
| Teena Gill | 9818929608 | teenagill06@gmail.com | ||||
| South Delhi (Alaknanda/Greater Kailash 2) | 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month | 6.30 to 8 pm | 482, Mandakini Enclave, New Delhi. (ONLINE SESSIONS) | Teena Gill | 9818929608 | teenagill06@gmail.com |
| West Delhi Vasant Vihar, Vasant Kunj, Chanakyapuri, Patel Nagar etc |
Once in two weeks, the day depends when the Sangha members are free. Usually Fridays |
6.30 to 8.00pm | 20, Paschimi Marg, Vasant Vihar, Ground Floor, Opposite of Little Pearls School, New Delhi. (ONLINE SESSION ONCE A WEEK FROM 4 TO 6 PM) |
Raka Sinha Bal | 011-24692612 24634978 41643401 | angajafoundation@gmail.com |
| Noida (NCR) and East Delhi (Maharani Bagh, Friends Colony, Ghaziabad, Faridabad) |
2nd Friday of the month | 5.30 to 7.00pm | ONLINE SESSIONS | Mala Tandan | 9810533635 | mtandan@gmail.com |
| Aarti Chandra | 9818392624 | aartichandra@gmail.com | ||||
| Mussoorie and Dehradun | 4th Saturday of the month | 5 to 6.30pm | ONLINE SESSIONS | Rajesh Sharma | 8272074782 | rajeshsharma4024@gmail.com |
2. Days of mindfulness (online - open to all)
On most last Saturdays of the month, a half Day of Mindfulness is organized by Ahimsa Trust which is open to anyone interested. We currently meet online for a few hours, where we meditate together, listen to teachings, share some practices, have discussions etc. If you are not on our mailing list then do write to us at: ahimsa.trust@gmail.com The details of the program are shared closer to date.
Dharmacharya Shanthum Seth and members of the Order of Inter-being have celebrated Buddha Purnima on the full moon since 1997.
Traditionally, meditation practitioners gather for an evening of mindfulness on Buddha Purnima at the Bodhi sapling (child of the Bodhi tree in Bodh Gaya) at Sanskriti Kendra Anandgram Delhi. There is usually walking meditation, sitting meditation and a Dharma talk. There is chanting and a candle light procession followed by dinner. All bring portions of food to share.
3. Teachings/Retreats and Courses
We will be posting dates of retreats and teachings in this section when scheduled. Click on our YouTube channel ‘Buddha Path-Ahimsa Trust’ to access past talks and teachings or look at the next section – Past Events
B. Past Events
1. Talks
2024
2021
- A conversation with Sister Chan Khong on 30th January, 2021
2. Retreats and Evenings/Days of Mindfulness
2024
An unseasonal rain cut short the planned walking meditation in Lodhi Gardens. But was more than compensated for by an impromptu singing session which everyone enjoyed. It was followed by tea meditation after which those attending went back into the lecture hall for an hour-long QnA session which was the highlight of the evening.
2023
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Ahimsa Trust, India International Centre and the Aleph Book Company were delighted to announce the launch of the book ‘ The World We Have’ by Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. The book was released at the IIC. In this book hope and a clear model of engagement to safeguard the future of our planet is offered. It reminds us that it is a blessing to be alive and inspires a collective awakening towards lasting peace on our planet. It was a delightful evening where we did walking meditation in the beautiful Lodhi gardens and was attended by around 100 people. A press release was also sent out. This book has a foreword written by Dharmacharya Shantum. A copy of it is available on Amazon.
Ahimsa Trust in collaboration with Sri Aurobindo Ashram organised a day of Mindfulness There were talks and a meditation practices by Ahimsa teachers and facilitators. Set in a surreal ambience of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram situated on Rajpur Road, Dehradun, it was a perfect setting for this program. It was well attended by the people of Dehradun and some who came from outside. The ashram also organised lunch and we all ate together as a mindful eating practice. Sister Deer Park and Brother Nguyen Luc, along with Ahimsa volunteers, also led a children’s program where we had 8 children from Bajaj Institute for the deaf and dumb who joined us with their 2 interpreters. There were 8 more children who joined them in the children’s programme. There were 75 people who joined us for this event. The total number of children went up to 20.
2022
Ahimsa Trust celebrated Gandhi Jayanti where we were delighted to have Brother PhapTu from Thailand, offer a Dharma talk: ‘Walk the Talk’. We were also joined by Brother BaoTich, our Indian monk, from Plum Village, Thailand. This was a wonderful opportunity to hear the two Brothers share. This was followed by Questions and Answers after the talk. We had about 60 people who attended the session Settlement officer, was presented the Tibetan version.
2021
2020
2. Retreats and Evenings/Days of Mindfulness
2023
- An Evening of Mindfulness with Thay Phap Hai – 22nd November, 2023Ahimsa Trust organised an in-person, evening of mindfulness ‘Finding Your Own Way Home’ on Wednesday, 22nd November, 2023. This session included teachings and practice and was led by Thay Phap Hai and the monastics from Plum Village, Australia.
We had a lovely sangam of two sanghas last Wednesday in Delhi when friends from the Australian sangha joined the Delhi sangha for a delightful evening of mindfulness. The occasion was Brother Phap Hai who was in Delhi briefly with other monastics and the lay sangha from Mountain Spring monastery in Australia. Br. Phap Hai kindly offered to lead a mindfulness session for the Delhi sangha. It was a memorable afternoon of meditation followed by sharing of food and hearts and laughter.
- ‘The World We Have’, at India International Centre – 24th March, 2023
Ahimsa Trust, India International Centre and the Aleph Book Company were delighted to announce the launch of the book ‘ The World We Have’ by Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh. The book was released at the IIC. In this book hope and a clear model of engagement to safeguard the future of our planet is offered. It reminds us that it is a blessing to be alive and inspires a collective awakening towards lasting peace on our planet. It was a delightful evening where we did walking meditation in the beautiful Lodhi gardens and was attended by around 100 people. A press release was also sent out. This book has a foreword written by Dharmacharya Shantum. A copy of it is available on Amazon.
- A Day of Mindfulness at Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Dehradun – 12th March 2023
Ahimsa Trust in collaboration with Sri Aurobindo Ashram organised a day of Mindfulness There were talks and a meditation practices by Ahimsa teachers and facilitators. Set in a surreal ambience of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram situated on Rajpur Road, Dehradun, it was a perfect setting for this program. It was well attended by the people of Dehradun and some who came from outside. The ashram also organised lunch and we all ate together as a mindful eating practice. Sister Deer Park and Brother Nguyen Luc, along with Ahimsa volunteers, also led a children’s program where we had 8 children from Bajaj Institute for the deaf and dumb who joined us with their 2 interpreters. There were 8 more children who joined them in the children’s programme. There were 75 people who joined us for this event. The total number of children went up to 20.
2022
- An Online Evening of Well- being, open to all in India and abroad – 2nd Oct 2022
Ahimsa Trust celebrated Gandhi Jayanti where we were delighted to have Brother PhapTu from Thailand, offer a Dharma talk: ‘Walk the Talk’. We were also joined by Brother BaoTich, our Indian monk, from Plum Village, Thailand. This was a wonderful opportunity to hear the two Brothers share. This was followed by Questions and Answers after the talk. We had about 60 people who attended the session Settlement officer, was presented the Tibetan version.
- An evening of mental health and well- being at the India International Centre, New Delhi – 22nd May 2022
A number of people from Delhi and the NCR attended this half day session which was done in collaboration at the India International Centre. 60 people attended. There were talks by two of the facilitators followed by a question and answer session.
- Ahimsa Trust’s Buddha Purnima Commemoration on 16th May 2022
The Ahimsa Trust community met for an Evening of Mindfulness to commemorate Buddha Purnima, marking the Buddha’s Birth, Nirvana and Mahaparinirvana on the 16th of May, 2022. This was the first time that we met for since Thich Nhat Hanh passing and were delighted to have 4 senior monks of Thay’s Plum Village tradition join us in India. Due to Covid restrictions we had to restrict the number at Sanskriti Kendra to about 50 people. This commemoration was live streamed as well on YouTube so that people could join us online. A talk, chanting, walking and eating practices were offered by the monastics, Dharmacharya Shantum and volunteers of Ahimsa Trust. Each person offered water to the Sita Ashok tree (the tree under which the Buddha was born and planted by Thich Nhat Hanh in Sanskriti Kendra) and the Bodhi tree (under which the Buddha attained enlightenment and planted by Mr. O P Jain of Sanskriti Kendra), both of which symbolise Shakyamuni Buddha. At the end, an offering of light was made to the banyan tree at the entrance of Sanskriti Kendra by each participant.
- An Evening of Well- being at Dehradun, India – 17th April, 2022
Various residents of Dehradun were invited for an evening of mindfulness. 45 people attended. The evening began by an introduction to mindfulness practices, including an orange meditation and questions and answers.
🌏 ‘Together We Are One’. Ahimsa Online Retreat 14th to 17th April 2022
Together We are One’ a four-day hybrid retreat workshop was organized in Dehradun, India with teachers and facilitators, Phap Luu, Phap Khoi and Shantum Seth from 14th to 17th April, 2022, for a select group of 25 people. Those who attended were Senior Facilitators/Trainers of the Ahimsa Community as they have been organising gatherings on stress management and mental well being, to attend this retreat. These Facilitators help in leading various programmes in different institutions as well. The teachers from Plum Village visited India after a two year gap due to covid and were happy to lead this retreat along with Shantum Seth for our experienced practitioners and the Ahimsa team of facilitators, many of whom were present in person. Talks, walking meditation and other practices were shared this retreat focused on the ‘Three Doors of Liberation: Signlessness, Emptiness and Aimlessness’. The practices of deep relaxation, touching the earth, walking meditation and eating meditation were led and offered by Ahimsa facilitators.
2021
- Ahimsa Trust’s 25th Buddha Purnima Commemoration on 26th May, 2021
Being Ahimsa’s 25th year of organizing a large annual gathering for the general public every May since 1997, a Zoom session on the 26th of May 2021 was organised due to the restriction on in person meetings. In this time of great individual and collective suffering it was important to share how to handle our feelings and mental formation seeds such as fear, anxiety and grief. Also it was seen as important to know how to water the seeds of gratitude and well-being. A talk followed by a tea meditation instruction was offered and haikus were read by different friends. About 200 people attended the session on Zoom.
- An Evening of Mindfulness with Sister Hien Nghiem on 27th March, 2021
2020
- 6th June to 8th August 2020: Online Course for Training Teachers on “Cultivating Mindfulness”. Ahimsa Trust ran a specially curated Online Course for Training Teachers on ‘Cultivating Mindfulness’ for ten weeks from the 6th of June 2020 to the 8th of August 2020.
- 11th October, 2020, Celebrating Thay’s Continuation Day: Thay’s
Continuation day was celebrated with Dh. Shantum and Brother Bao Tich
from Plum village sharing their interactions with Thay. A number of
Sangha friends shared how Thay had influenced their lives, followed by
a celebratory eating meditation.
- 26th December 2020 : As a closing session to this unusual year gone by, we organised An Evening of Mindfulness with a question from Plum Village to reflect on before the session: What change have you witnessed in your life this year that you wish to continue?
3. Meditation
