Buddhist Chaplain to Higher Education Institutions in Manchester

Ven. Piyatissa of Ketumati Buddhist Vihara (Sri Lankan temple) has kindly agreed to visit regularly the St. Peter's Church and Chaplaincy, and has been appointed as the honorary Buddhist Chaplain of the University.

See the list of Chaplains here.

Location: St. Peter's House, Oxford Road

Ven. Piyatissa

Time: From about 2:30 P.M. Every Wednesday in term time

Ven. Piyatissa is a senior SriLankan Theravadin monk and has been in UK for more than 16 years. He is experienced with meditation and all aspects of Buddhism. He is also a regular member of various multifaith events, forums and conferences, including the multifaith reference group in the chaplaincy.

There is no fixed programme: we usually have a cup of tea and talk about anything that has to do with Buddhism. However, we are trying to start a regular programme of discussion of important Pali suttas, led by Ven. Piyatissa. Possibly it will be followed by a quiet session of meditation also led by the monk.

Suttas discussed so far (or planned):

Note: You can access these suttas from:
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/
http://www.saigon.com/~anson/ebud/majjhima/index.htm
Bhikku Bodhi's translation of the Majjhima Nikaya

Suttas in 2004-05
Advantages of Loving-kindness: Mettanisamsa Sutta (Magapakkha (Temiya) Jataka, vol. vii. No. 538)
The Greater Discourse to Sakuludayin: Mahasakuludayi Sutta (77 Majjhima Nikaya)
The Relaxation of Thoughts: Vitakkasanthana Sutta (20 Majjhima Nikaya)
The Major Discourse on Heartwood: Maha Saropama sutta (29 Majjhima Nikaya)
Relay Chariots: Ratha-vinita Sutta (24 Majjhima Nikaya)
The Water-Snake Simile: Alagaddupama Sutta (22 Majjhima Nikaya)
To the Householder Potaliya: Potaliya Sutta (54 Majjhima Nikaya)
Conditions of Welfare: Vyagghapajja Sutta (Dighajanu Sutta) (Anguttara Nikaya VIII.54)
Discource on Downfall (Parabhava sutta) (Sutta Nipata 1.6, Khuddaka Nikaya)

Suttas in 2005-06
This year we will be concentrating on popular suttas that are widely chanted in Theravada countries, and also on the Pali language.
Mangala Sutta (discourse on auspicious blessings : from Sutta Nipata II.4)
Parabhava sutta (discourse on downfalls : from Sutta Nipata I.6)
Karaniya Metta Sutta: on loving kindness (from Sutta Nipata I.8)
Ratana Sutta: The jewel discourse (Sutta Nipata)
Alavaka Sutta: To the Alavaka Yakkha (Samyutta Nikaya X.12)
Discourse to Girimananda (Girimananda sutta: Anguttara Nikaya X.60)
Bojjhanga Samyutta of the Samyutta Nikaya (containing the discources on factors to awakening including Gilana Sutta)
The Dhammapada: twin verses
Ahina Sutta: By a Snake (Anguttara Nikaya IV.67) and the Khandha Paritta
The Dhammapada: verses on mind and on the path

Suttas in 2006-07
We will be covering the Sutta Nipata systematically. Here is the provisional sutta study programme for the October-December 2006 term (along with a Pali course from 2:30 till 3 pm).

Download the programme as a word file for printing.

In 2007 we started with the Aganna sutta from the Digha Nikaya, about the origin of life and evolution.

If you have any questions about meditation or Buddhism, you are welcome to discuss with the Venerable. All people (Buddhist or non Buddhist) are welcome to talk about any problems they may have, or anything else.

New: Meditation retreats in Manchester with Venerable Piyatissa. We have recently started to conduct day meditation retreats in Manchester, led by Ven. Piyatissa. The last one was conducted on Friday, March 30 2006 at the Renshaw House methodist church. We will try to hold such retreats in future on a regular basis.

Please note: there shall be no sutta study over the summer break 2007. Venerable Piyatissa's visits to the St Peters Chaplaincy (and the sutta study sessions) will start again after the freshers fair in September 2007.