Dear friends of Bodhi Berlin,
Happy Vesak and Mothers' Day! We invite you to take advantage of the double holiday to reflect not only upon the gifts you have received from your own mothers and from the Buddha's teachings, but also upon the two women who were maternal figures to the Bodhisatta Gotama: his birth mother Māyādevī and his aunt and foster mother Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī (who also became the first nun).
We will be celebrating Vesak together this coming Tuesday, May 13th. Read on below for more details
Schedule
Tuesday Night Meditation
The next four Tuesday night meditation sessions are:
- 13th May 2025, 19:15–21:00 (Vesak celebration)
- 20th May 2025, 19:15–21:00
- 27th May 2025, 19:15–21:00
- 3rd June 2025, 19:15–21:00
Our Tuesday drop-in, peer-led gatherings include meditation, listening to a recording or reading, and discussion. Experience the benefits of meditating together in a warm and accepting setting—we encourage people of all backgrounds, beliefs, and experience levels to attend!
Vesak Celebration
Vesak is a holiday celebrated mostly in the Theravāda tradition which commemorates the birth, enlightenment, and passing on of Gotama Buddha, all of which are traditionally said to have occurred on the day of the full moon of the same lunar month. The official date nowadays varies between traditions; we'll be celebrating Vesak on Tuesday, May 13th because it falls just after the full moon in May and is roughly in the middle of the official dates. We'll be meeting at the same time and place as we usually do on Tuesday evenings for our celebration and will spend the evening chanting, meditating, and reflecting together upon the Buddha's role in our lives.
Afterwards, we’ll share some tea and snacks together. So, we invite all of you to bring along either your favorite tea, snack or baked goods (or just what’s on hand), if you are so moved.
Further information, updates, and resources can be found on our website: https://bodhiberlin.org/
We look forward to seeing you soon!
Henrik, Jeff, & Josh
