Varapunya Meditation Centre

13/05/2026

✨ මහා පුණ්‍යෝත්සව ආරාධනය ✨
ස්කොට්ලන්තයේ ප්‍රථම උපෝසථාගාරය සඳහා සීමා ගල් තැන්පත් කිරීමේ මහා අභිෂේක පුණ්‍යෝත්සවය.
ස්කොට්ලන්තයේ ඇබර්ඩීන් නගරයේ පිහිටි වරපුණ්‍ය භාවනා මධ්‍යස්ථානයේදී පැවැත්වෙන උපෝසථාගාරය සඳහා සීමා ගල් තැන්පත් කිරීමේ මහා පුණ්‍ය උත්සවයට සහාගී වනමෙන් සියලු පින්වත් බැතිමතුන් සදහා කෙරෙන විශේෂ ආරාධනාවයි.
📅 2026 මැයි 14 – 17 දිනවලදී (බුද්ධ වර්ෂ 2569)�
ප්‍රධාන උත්සවය 2026 මැයි 17 ඉරිදා දින පැවැත්වේ
මෙම මංගල උත්සවය පවත්වනු ලබන්නේ�උපෝසථාගාරයේ පූජනීය සීමා විධිමත්ව ස්ථාපිත කිරීම සඳහාය. එය ස්කොට්ලන්ත භූමියේ බුදු දහමේ ආධ්‍යාත්මික සංකේතයක් ලෙසත්, වර්තමාන හා අනාගත බෞද්ධ පරම්පරාවන් සඳහා�ශ්‍රද්ධාව, අධ්‍යාපනය හා භාවනා පුහුණුවේ මධ්‍යස්ථානයක් ලෙසත් පවතිනු ඇත. මෙම මහඟු පිංකම කෙනෙකුගේ ජීවිත කාලය තුළ සහභාගී වීමට ලැබෙන ඉතා දුර්ලභ පුණ්‍ය කර්මයකි.
🌸 පින්කම් සඳහා දායකත්ව 🌸
Varapunya Meditation Centre�Sort Code: 40-01-25�Account No: 8139-2948
හෝ
Phra Sujan – Krungthai Bank�Account No: 155-1-03116-7
තෙරුවන්ගේ ආශිර්වාදයෙන්�ඔබට සතුට, සම්පත්, සෞඛ්‍ය, ශක්තිය හා දීර්ඝායුෂ ලැබේවා!�සියලු යහපත් ප්‍රාර්ථනා සාර්ථක වේවා!
සාධු 🙏

13/05/2026

✨ Grand Meritorious Ceremony Invitation ✨

Consecration Ceremony for the enshrinement of Sīmā Stones for Scotland’s First Uposathāgāra (Ordination Hall)

A special invitation is extended to all devoted devotees and well-wishers to participate in the grand meritorious ceremony for the placement of the sacred Sīmā stones for the Uposathāgāra at the Varapunya Meditation Centre in Aberdeen, Scotland.

📅 14–17 May 2026 (Buddhist Era 2569)
The main ceremony will be held on Sunday, 17 May 2026.

This auspicious ceremony is being conducted for the formal establishment of the sacred Sīmā boundary of the Uposathāgāra. It will stand as a spiritual symbol of Buddhism on Scottish soil and serve as a centre of faith, education, and meditation practice for present and future Buddhist generations.

Participating in this noble meritorious event is an exceptionally rare opportunity that may arise only once in a lifetime.

🌸 Donations and Contributions 🌸

Varapunya Meditation Centre
Sort Code: 40-01-25
Account No: 8139-2948

or

Phra Sujan – Krungthai Bank
Account No: 155-1-03116-7

By the blessings of the Triple Gem,
may you be blessed with happiness, prosperity, good health, strength, and long life.
May all your wholesome aspirations be fulfilled!

Sādhu 🙏

13/05/2026

✨ ขอเรียนเชิญร่วมงานบุญมหากุศล ✨

พิธีฝังลูกนิมิตแห่งอุโบสถหลังแรกของประเทศสกอตแลนด์

ขอเชิญพุทธศาสนิกชนและผู้มีจิตศรัทธาทุกท่าน ร่วมงานบุญมหากุศลในพิธีฝังลูกนิมิตอันศักดิ์สิทธิ์ สำหรับอุโบสถ ณ วัดวรปุญญะ เมืองอเบอร์ดีน ประเทศสกอตแลนด์

📅 วันที่ 14–17 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2569
พิธีหลักจะจัดขึ้นในวันอาทิตย์ที่ 17 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2569

พิธีอันเป็นมงคลนี้จัดขึ้นเพื่อประกาศเขตพัทธสีมาอย่างเป็นทางการของอุโบสถ ซึ่งจะเป็นสัญลักษณ์แห่งพระพุทธศาสนาบนแผ่นดินสกอตแลนด์ และเป็นศูนย์กลางแห่งศรัทธา การศึกษา และการปฏิบัติธรรม สำหรับชาวพุทธทั้งในปัจจุบันและอนาคต

การได้มีส่วนร่วมในมหากุศลครั้งนี้ ถือเป็นโอกาสอันหาได้ยากยิ่ง อาจเกิดขึ้นเพียงครั้งเดียวในชีวิต

🌸 ร่วมทำบุญและถวายปัจจัย 🌸

ศูนย์วิปัสสนาวรปัญญา
Sort Code: 40-01-25
Account No: 8139-2948

หรือ

Phra Sujan – ธนาคารกรุงไทย
เลขที่บัญชี: 155-1-03116-7

ด้วยอานุภาพแห่งพระรัตนตรัย
ขออำนวยพรให้ทุกท่านประสบแต่ความสุข ความเจริญ สุขภาพแข็งแรง มีกำลังกายกำลังใจ และอายุยืนยาว
ขอให้ทุกความปรารถนาอันเป็นกุศลของท่านสัมฤทธิ์ผลโดยทั่วกัน

สาธุ 🙏

08/05/2026

Interfaith Mindfulness Day program
9th May 2026

Program:
10:00 Gathering and mindful walk
10:30 Communal Mindfulness Meditation
11:00 Join Traditional Food offering
11:30 Community Luncheon
13:00 Reflection from all participants

Instruction:
1. The car park is in the field. Kindly Park your vehicle considerately to allow space for others
2. Meeting is inside the new building. Take your shoes off in a provided space.
3. If you are bringing food, please place it inside the Barn room. Do not bring food or drink inside the Hall.
4. Weather relatively good.

05/05/2026

Announcements plus Mindfulness Meditation for Mindful Living: Zoom Practice Group on Wednesday 6th May 2026 joining from 7.45am for 8.00am start

Good morning everyone🙏first of all there are, again, a few announcements.

1. This coming Saturday 9th May, we have our Annual Interfaith Mindfulness Day at the Centre, with representatives from most faiths, starting at 10.00am following the theme of "unity, solidarity and peace" - asking the question - what can we do within our own spiritual setting to make a difference in this world?" Discussion, reflection, sitting and walking meditation, including a community lunch, ending around 2pm.

2. Then we have this 'big' event on the evening of Saturday and all day Sunday 16th/17th May when we will re-consecrate the ground of our newly built Uposotha meditation hall and shrine room. More detail soon however, if you might plan to come to some or all of the event, you are most welcome and you might want to put it in your diary now. I've attached the draft programme at the end of this email.

3. And another reminder that we are planning a whole day meditation retreat at the Centre, exploring the practice of Mindfulness Meditation, from many different angles, and deepening our practice even further, on Sunday 21st June, 9.00am to 4.30pm. Lots of sharing challenges and solutions from our own experiences. Some of you have already registered and there is still space in our new meditation hall. So if you are interested, drop me an email here for more information.

Meantime, as usual, on Wednesday morning this week, 6th May, we will meet again, for our regular community practice on Zoom, where we continue to explore the path for the development of a more calm and peaceful life, developing a lifelong mindfulness practice, calming the mind so that it is less agitated, more stable & wise. When this begins to happen, we become naturally more reflective, develop greater awareness & 'insight' and begin to see things more clearly. We may see that so much in our lives is 'no big deal' and, if we can see most things that way, we leave space for a more 'aware, compassionate, wise and skilful' mind to grow. We begin to understand that our worries and regrets about the past (which we cannot change) help no-one. In the same way, procrastinating and catastrophizing about life yet to come is a waste of energy. Literally we 'stop digging' those holes we so often dig for ourselves.

This is why we continue our practice and deepen it where we can so that we know how to deal with those troubling thoughts that lead to unhelpful actions and reactions:)) With increasing insight & wisdom we travel further and further towards more freedom from life's suffering, as we discover the true reality of life and find the 'middle way'.

So set your alarm for Wednesday morning or put a sticky note on the mirror and/or kettle or wherever to 'remember to remember' ? Whether you're a newcomer (welcome!), a regular or if you intended to join us but never found the time, or just came and went and never came back? Any time is a good time to (re)new or (re)discover your meditation and mindful living practice:))

Every Wednesday: join from 7.45am for 8.00am start for 30/45m - short talk/discussion/sharing', body scan/grounding, meditation & loving kindness practice. Ethical living combined with caring, compassion, gratitude & joyfulness are also all important practices in our mindful living and we can all find different ways to explore & experience these. Come and join us, whether for the first time, a returner refreshing your practice or a regular:))

Here's the link below that we use every week - just CLICK & JOIN - hope to see some of you there. If you have any difficulty joining, send me an email to [email protected] . I'll keep an eye open for that & see if I can help.🙏

David

Varapunya Meditation Centre -

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Varapunya Meditation Centre is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Wednesday Morning Meditation
Time: 6th May 2026 joining from 07:45 AM London
Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81283372116?pwd=D7TBIhFg60lbBlPq4aEbSwpbx5o5Ox.1

Meeting ID: 812 8337 2116
Passcode: 067837

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Link for How to Support the Centre: https://www.varapunyacentre.com/support

The centre intends to assist finding everyone’s true self, which is priceless. Therefore, all classes and services are free. The centre runs entirely on donation. Your support is essential to run courses. Please ‘Sign gift aid’ form so the centre can claim from your tax payment. Click to downl...

04/05/2026

Interfaith Mindfulness Day
Aberdeen Interfaith Interfaith Scotland

15/04/2026

Now this is the time for the meditation.

Sit in a comfortable position, relax yourself, and spend some time with the primary object to calm the mind. To see things as they are, the general public usually sees only two things: the body and the mind.

Here, when we say “mind,” we often mean only thoughts. So the body is this entire physical form, and the mind is thinking. Most people see only these two things. But a practitioner sees differently. They see that even thinking itself is separate. The mind is one thing, but the observer is different.

So one steps back and observes this mind and body. Seeing only the body alone does not lead to real happiness. We have to see that this mind and body are interconnected and interrelated—and even that understanding is still not enough.

This is not yet what is called clearly knowing. The moment we begin to see their true nature, we observe that the body has its own characteristics and manifestations, and the mind functions according to its own characteristics and manifestations.

And all of these are changing.

In a basic sense, understanding the three characteristics means seeing that things arise, remain for a short time, and then fade away. There is constant change taking place. But simply seeing this change is not enough.

We must also see that this constant change is the root cause of problems, disappointment, and suffering. The moment we truly see that, insight begins to arise.

So the first real insight is seeing change, understanding that it is why we suffer, and recognizing that everything that arises eventually passes away.

This is how insight develops.

When we meditate, we are not just paying attention to the breath or a primary object to become calm. That calmness alone is not the goal. It is also about developing the ability to see clearly that the body is one thing, thoughts are another, and that thinking is constantly happening.

This becomes the foundation.

At the moment when we begin to develop understanding through clearly seeing change, it marks the beginning of the insight journey—a journey that leads to real happiness.

So diligent practice is necessary. With that practice, we avoid holding onto perceptions and experiences. Instead, we observe them in their true nature, seeing their real characteristics.

As we meditate, the primary object serves as a foundation—a place for the mind to rest, a platform from which it can observe and see things as they truly are, and continue this process of understanding.

12/04/2026

🧘 Guided Meditation (Calm & Reset)

Find a comfortable position. Sit or lie down. Let your hands rest gently.

Close your eyes… or soften your gaze.

Take a slow breath in through your nose…
…and gently out through your mouth.

Again—inhale slowly…
…and exhale, letting your body soften.

Now allow your breathing to return to a natural rhythm.

Bring your attention to your body.
Notice where you’re holding tension—your shoulders, your jaw, your forehead.

With your next exhale, release it.
Let your shoulders drop.
Unclench your jaw.
Smooth your brow.

Now, bring your awareness to your breath.

Feel the air entering your nose…
filling your lungs…
and leaving your body.

No need to change it—just observe.

If your mind starts to wander, that’s okay.
Gently bring it back to your breath… again and again.

Now imagine a calm, quiet place.
It could be a beach… a forest… or somewhere completely your own.

Notice the details:
the sounds… the colors… the air around you.

Feel yourself fully there—safe, calm, at ease.

Let this feeling of calm spread through your body…
from your head… down through your chest…
into your arms… your legs… all the way to your feet.

You are grounded.
You are present.
You are okay.

Stay here for a few more breaths…

When you’re ready, gently bring your awareness back.
Notice your body again… the surface beneath you.

Slowly deepen your breath.

And when it feels right, open your eyes.

11/04/2026

Guided Meditation: Awareness of the Present Moment

Sit in a comfortable position.
Allow your body to relax naturally. Let go of any unnecessary tension.

Now is the time for meditation.

The purpose of this practice is to know—to be fully awake.

Gently ask yourself:
What do I know right now?
What should be known?

Bring your attention to the present moment.
Knowing is simply being aware of what is happening right now.

Whatever is arising in this moment—
a sensation, a thought, a feeling—
recognize it.

There is knowing.
And you know it.

But knowing alone is not enough.

We begin to develop a deeper, more complete understanding—
not just knowing things through labels or past perceptions,
but seeing their true nature.

As you observe, begin to understand:
This experience is changing.
It is impermanent.
It is not lasting happiness.
It is not something to hold onto.

See this clearly.

With this understanding, the mind becomes more awake—
not confused, not misled by what it sees or knows.

Whatever arises now,
simply attend to it.
Observe it.
Know it clearly.

See it as it is.

As understanding deepens,
experiences no longer trouble the mind.

When something arises,
it is understood,
and there is no reaction—only a natural neutrality.

The mind becomes balanced, steady.

But even this balance is not permanent.
So remain alert.

Stay gently, continuously aware.

This alertness allows you to know each moment,
each phenomenon arising here and now.

There is nothing complicated in this practice.
No need for special knowledge.

It is simple. Natural.

Just relax,
and observe whatever arises—
knowing its true nature.

Remain with this awareness.

Continue practicing quietly for some time.