Coogee Meditation Group

07/11/2025

07/11/2025

22/05/2025

13/08/2024

Hugh and Kim brought a book back with them from their recent trip to Thailand. It's called 'Without and Within' and it's compiled and written by Ajahn Jayasaro. It's a lovely, straightforward introduction to Buddhist teaching and meditation practice.

It's broken up into very easy to read sections and I've been sharing one each morning before we do our 6.30 am unguided meditation at The Coogee Buddhist Centre.

The copy I've photographed above is the section I read today and I thought I'd share it again with you in this forum as it speaks so eloquently and powerfully about why one would be crazy NOT to meditate .......

And .......

Jenny is running another of her very well received death cafes on
Thursday August 29th from 11 am - 1 pm

These are wonderful forums to come along and share your thoughts and experiences around death and dying and gently explore the current research around near death experiences along with some of the Buddhist teachings around the topic.

All are welcome to come to the Coogee Buddhist Centre and participate in a warm, friendly environment

For more details feel free to email Jenny on Jennyonyxnan@gmail.com

Or just turn up

Metta
Dhammalata

05/08/2024

The 6.10 am Ride
I’ve been playing with an ethical dilemma.
Every morning on the way to meditation I ride my bike to the top of Coogee’s northern headland. I go down Moore Street the wrong way (it’s a one-way street), enter the coastal walkway and sweep down the hill to the Coogee Beachfront.
I absolutely love it. I get a natural high. The sun just peeping from the horizon creating gorgeous, soft light shows, grey seas across to Wedding Cake and the twinkling lights of early morning Coogee in the cold bracing air.

It’s dark so I have my lights on. I watch carefully for walkers, runners and dogs and I take care to slow down and navigate above mentioned beings, if needed slowing to an almost stop.
But I’m aware that occasionally I raise the disapproval, even ire of some.
When I raised this with some of the early morning meditators, someone asked if it was illegal …. I didn’t know and so I looked at the signs ….. it is. And so my ethical dilemma deepened.
I tried riding by road, but the joy evaporated.
Buddhist teaching says we must work out these dilemmas for ourselves. I can’t justify it because others do it nor should I necessarily abandon it because an arbitrary rule says so or even because some disapprove……
Is there a sweet spot where we keep our point of freedom and simultaneously honour the welfare of others?
Currently my take is ‘yes, there is’ but I need to hold it lightly and be willing to change and adapt my position depending on the ever-changing conditions of life. I want to experience the pleasure of the sweep down the hill and I need to be acutely aware of how my behaviour impacts others …. I need to dance lightly and creatively with life.
What do you think?

30/07/2024

This beautiful quote reminds us of the incredible power of the breath to calm our mind and ease anxiety. By focusing on our breath, we can reconnect with our inner selves, find peace, and find more ease in our lives 🌬️✨

Come meditate with us and experience the tranquility and peace that mindful breathing can bring. Together, let's create a more peaceful and centered life. 🧘‍♀️🧘‍♂️

29/07/2024

🧘‍♀️✨ Discover the Magic of Yoga Nidra! ✨🧘‍♂️

Join us for a beautiful and rejuvenating session where you can lay down, relax, and release physical, emotional, and mental tension. This powerful practice of non-sleep deep rest is meditation made easy! 🌟

✨ Boost your energy
✨ Improve your sleep
✨ Clear your mind
✨ Find a peaceful heart

If you're looking to experience connection, inspiration, and deep replenishment, this session is for you! Led by the highly experienced wellness and meditation facilitator, Nickolas Yu. 🌸

🔹 What to bring: Comfortable clothing and a small pillow for extra comfort.

Book your spot now using the link in our bio! 😊💫

29/07/2024

Thanks everyone who came along to our Greening Day on Saturday. You were not all captured in the photo above .......

It's a pretty good metaphor for everything we're trying to offer at the Coogee Buddhist Centre.

By putting in effort we transform ourselves in the same way we transform a garden. By cultivating the right conditions we flourish as beings.

We talk about the threefold practice of ethics, meditation and wisdom. Ethics can be captured in the first Buddhist precept 'Ahimsa' (non harming or, in its positive expression, practising kindness). So ...... to come along and meditate with us and to develop right view through learning about the Buddha's teachings is hugely important but there's this fundamentally important practice of doing kind, selfless deeds ......

We can call this kind and generous practice dana (generosity) and it's the very first training principle of Bodhisattvas - to give of our time, energy and resources is to dilute and weaken our sense of me and mine and the delusion that we are somehow separate from others.

When we do this we become free and happy ........ it's a central teaching of the excellent dharma training course we're running on Thursday nights.

1. We can change
2. Happiness comes from within not from external 'stuff'
3. We are far more interconnected than we realise

So I encourage you to keep up the good work. Keep meditating, keep training yourself in ethics and keep stretching out beyond your own interests ......

and, as the Buddha invited us to ........ notice what happens

Metta
Dhammalata

27/07/2024

26/07/2024

Today we have our Greening day at The Coogee Buddhist Centre. We're holding it from 1 - 4 pm.

We'll finish before 4 pm and have a lovely afternoon tea together ..... 😊

If you'd like to join us we'd love to have your company.

The sorts of things you'll be able to assist with are:
- Further beautifying the street garden beds that Franz and others have been developing
- Potting plants all the way down our wall of the alley-way
- Doing some inspirational work in the significant and neglected garden bed in the rear courtyard
- Creating some potted planting in this same courtyard

You could bring
- Some more pots
- Plants for planting (of all varieties)
- Some bags of potting mix
- Cute garden statues
- Solar lights
- Gardening gloves and afternoon tea to share (just enough for you and one other to avoid wastage)
- A nice old (or new) garden bench for the alley-way
- Your friendship and inspiration (no limit on this)

Metta
Dhammalata

26/07/2024

Who's in for meditation and brekkie tomorrow? 🧘‍♀️🧘‍♂️

✨ Meditation:
Unguided: 6:30 to 7am
Guided: 7 to 7:30am

🍽️ Brekkie from 7:30am... Bring a plate to share 😊

23/07/2024

🌿🌼 Let's Green Our Spaces! 🌼🌿

Join us at the Coogee Buddhist Centre for a day of community, connection, and cultivation! We'll be transforming our courtyard, driveway, and front footpath with beautiful plants.

We'll provide the soil, plants, and afternoon tea - you bring your inspiration, friendship, and gardening gloves! 🌱🤝

Let's make our space greener and our community stronger together. See you there! 💚