2026 Annual General Meeting

Posted Bob BramwellPosted in Information, Members

The South Shore Buddhist Meditation Society will hold an AGM on March 28 at 10am. Members of SSBMS are invited to attend in person at the Mahone Bay Meditation Centre. Official year-end reports will be presented, there will be a few changes to the board, and your feedback will be invited.

If you have any interest in joining the board please contact one of the directors or let us know somehow before March 21.  SSBMS does not take nominations from the floor at the AGM.

Friends of the Centre (non-members) are welcome to attend any or all of the proceedings.

2026 – Year of the Fire Horse

Posted Bob BramwellPosted in Information

Losar is the first day of the Tibetan New Year.  In the Gregorian calendar this takes place on February 18th this year.  At MBMC we will gather to celebrate the new Year of the Fire Horse on Saturday, February 21st.

At 9:30am we will start the day with a practice of the Sadhana of Mahamudra. This is a long chant (in English) full of esoteric meaning and allusions.  However, if you have never experienced it, come and give it a try.  It is said that it can be experienced as one who knows no Italian can enjoy an Italian opera.  Everyone is welcome.

Following a mid-morning break we will continue with a lhasang, a “higher purification offering”.  After that, toasts will be proposed, and benedictions offered. 

The program for the day will unfold like this:

  • 09:00 Sadhana of Mahamudra
  • 10:30 Tea, coffee, cookies (provided by us)
  • 11:00 Gathering - Lhasang, toasts, speeches, etc.
  • Noon Pot luck lunch (please bring a dish to share)
  • Later I Ching casting (if there is interest)

2025 General Meeting

Posted Bob BramwellPosted in Information, Members

We invite all members of our community to attend our General Meeting on November 29th, 10am at MBMC.

The major topic for discussion at this meeting will be the future of our Centre. Some decisions will need to be taken regarding future financing and directions.

In conjunction with this meeting, by way of a small fundraiser, we will be holding a silent auction.  Items for the auction will be on display a half an hour before the meeting and the fortunate highest bidders will be announced at the end of the meeting during a social time when tea, coffee and light snacks will be offered. Please consider making an offering (or two) to be included in the auction and bring them to MBMC at least one week before the meeting.

 

World Meditation Day

Posted Bob BramwellPosted in Information

December 21 is UN World Meditation Day.  There are a variety of live and online events if you feel like participating.  Since we’re due for a major snowstorm here in Nova Scotia, this is probably the perfect time to tune in, both to the events and to your inner being. 

Find out more about all this from:

or join the live meditation session starting at 10:30am tomorrow (Dec. 21) on YouTube.

Tibetan Sound Healing Seed Syllable Practice

Posted Bob BramwellPosted in Program

This program, led by Kathie Brown, will be offered from 10:30 – 11:30am in 5 installments starting on Monday, October 21st with a break on November 25th.

When last offered in March, this program was a great success.  Those who could not be accommodated due to space restrictions at that time will be given preference this time around.

The Sound Healing Seed Syllable practice comes from the Bön tradition, one of the five wisdom traditions of Tibet. Through the vibrations of sound syllables sung or chanted aloud we clear the obstacles that prevent us from connecting with the wisdom and clarity of our true nature.

Each session will include explanation, guided practice, and opportunities for reflection.

Cost: Suggested donation of $25.00 to South Shore Buddhist Meditation Society for the whole program.

To register or to obtain more information, please email Kathie directly.

Introduction to Mindfulness Meditation

Posted Bob BramwellPosted in Program

Mindfulness is “the awareness that emerges through paying attention, on
purpose, and non-judgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment by
moment”  J.Kabat-Zinn (2003)

Starting on April 6 2024 we will be offering once-a-month Saturday morning introductory meditation sessions from 10 – 11am.

In our day-to-day life, we often spend a lot of time in pressured situations moving from task to task. Mindfulness meditation is designed to help us bring our bodies and mind together instead of the normal way of doing one thing and thinking about something else. Mindfulness is simply about being present and experiencing our world more fully

Each session includes meditation instruction, meditation practice, walking meditation and an opportunity for questions and discussion.

There is no charge for this program, and everyone is welcome.

2024 Annual General Meeting

Posted Bob BramwellPosted in Information, Members

The South Shore Buddhist Meditation Society will hold an AGM on March 23 at 10am. Members of SSBMS are invited to attend in person at the Mahone Bay Meditation Centre. Official year-end reports will be presented, there will be a few changes to the board, and your feedback will be invited.

At least three members of our existing board are stepping down so there will be at least three positions to fill. SSBMS does not take nominations from the floor at the AGM, so if you have any interest please contact one of the directors or let us know somehow before March 21.

Friends of the Centre (non-members) are welcome to attend any or all of the proceedings.

Tibetan New Year 2024

Posted Bob BramwellPosted in Information, Members

Losar is the first day of the Tibetan New Year.  In the Gregorian calendar this takes place on Saturday February 10th this year.  At MBMC we will gather to celebrate the new Year of the Dragon.

At 8:30am there will be a practice of the Sadhana of Mahamudra for those who are familiar with it.

Starting at 9:30am tea, coffee, cookies, and muffins will be served in the lobby outside MBMC.  The main celebration begins at 10am:

  • 10 minute sitting meditation
  • Lhasang (purification offering)
  • Throwing of the I Ching
  • Toasts and honouring the lineage
  • Inspiring messages

All this will be followed by a pot-luck lunch hosted by the participants in the Mahone Bay Centre kitchen.

2023 General Community Meeting

Posted Bob BramwellPosted in Information, Members
The semi-annual General Meeting of the South Shore Buddhist Meditation Society will take place at MBMC on Nov. 4 at 10am.  Anyone interested in SSBMS or the Mahone Bay Meditation Centre is welcome to attend.   In fact, Please Come!   Knowing that you care  enough to participate helps motivate us all to keep this thing going.  If it is more convenient for you to  attend via Zoom, let us know; if no one signs up in advance for this it will not be available.
 
The meeting will begin by asking everyone’s opinions regarding: “What is most meaningful or important for you about the Mahone Bay Meditation Centre?”  Specific suggestions and actionable ideas would be great, but all thoughts and reflections will be most welcome.
 
After this discussion we will review what we have been up to since the AGM in March and update you on any changes we can foresee before the next AGM.   SSBMS members will be asked to approve the minutes of the November 2022 GM and the minutes of the March 2023 AGM.
 
The proceedings are expected to wrap up by about 11:30, at which point everyone is invited to gather for a bring-your-own lunch.  Coffee, tea, and some soft drinks will be provided.  We would love to have you all stick around and get social for a while – something we don’t get to do very often.