Leeds Activities

Here's the latest news from the work of Steve Suleyman Hart, the Zen Peacemaker Circle visionholder in Leeds, and the Leeds circle in our sister community, the Nur Ashki Jerrahi Sufi Order, arranged by the Circle Guide Sahil Sefer Warsi. The umbrella organisation for Steve's work is Leeds Mindfulness, and he'll be beginning the next round of ZPC training this month:

I'll make some time now to bring you up to speed with some succinct news. As you know I regard the groups I facilitate as my social engagement contribution and challenge. One of the groups - the tuesday evening circle at the Quaker House in Roundhay has now been taken over by Tamaris Kielty who works in the NHS and teaches mindfulness in the NHS. She is a lovely warm hearted trickster and laughs alot and is influenced by Tara Brach and Tsultrim Allione.

After the highly successful Kirkstall Abbey Mindfulness Festival, our regular group on tuesday afternoons there continues to meet - we held a service for our lost loved ones amidst universal loving kindness practise and six element practise with readings from Sangharakshita (who died 2 hours before we led the ceremony). Last week we included Bernie Glassman and sent him love. Steve feels the presence of these 2 great teachers in the Unborn and feels they send encouragement and warm love and interest.

Due to the good practise and community life of the Kirkstall Abbey Mindfulness Festival, Leeds City Council will be promoting Steve's talks at the Abbey over the year on Imaginal, creative visualisation, myth and history - mainly related to Tibetan Buddhism and this will come under the "Mythos" banner (Steve's music, arts creative community outpouring).

We hold a regular tuesday morning group in Moortown for older people - some with memory discontinuity where we encourage simplifying life and sharing very accessible and friendly practiises. We read paragraphs from the Dalai Lama's "Book of Joy" also with Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

The sufi circles continue to meet and grow - Sahil/Sefer and myself continue to talk about contemporary challenges in tariqat community and how softness and gentleness, mercy and compassion need to be emphasised alongside the more passionate and powerful access to God.

The Zen Peacemakers in Leeds will re-start in a week - the main emphasis when we start will be training in the precepts and exploring how the precepts ensure an ethical focus and better mental states albeit going through periods of confusion as we re-align.

Steve is continuing to visit other sanghas and communities - albeit with periods of illness - so prayers and merit dedication is requested.He led Green Tara mantra at triratna remembrance of Sangharakshita and is connecting with Guru Yoga with the Open Heart tradition in Leeds. Steve is requesting all his friends to remember Bernie and send him love and appreciation.

In February there will be a dance offering from Lola Maury at Kirkstall Abbey with mindfulness and dervish resonance. Please visit !

Further details can be found at www.leeds-mindfulness.uk