Forthcoming events
We’ll be holding a Lay Ordination Ceremony for two of our Sangha on Sunday 30th April. There will be a meditation period at 9.45am and the ceremony will begin at 10.15am. People are welcome to come along in person (please let me know beforehand, if you’d like to do this) or to join online.
Rev. Saido
Rev. Master Saido Kennaway died on 3 March, following a short illness. His main roles were as Prior at Telford Buddhist Priory and as the OBC’s European Advisor. He had a particular connection with our Priory here in Norwich, because he was a trustee of our charity from 2009 until his death and so he was involved in decision-making around the main landmarks in our history, including setting up a Priory and purchasing our current property. He visited our first Priory in 2015 for the second anniversary celebrations and he can be seen in this photo (third from the right in the back row).
Rev. Saido will be greatly missed by all who knew him. His kindness, gentleness, solid common-sense, calmness, groundedness, positivity and sense of humour made him an invaluable source of teaching and advice. He was always stepping forward to help and the adjective “big-hearted” certainly applied, in his quiet and understated way. I often picture him with a “twinkle in his eye” and fondly remember his infectious laughter. As a trustee, I occasionally contacted him with a query or concern and he was an absolute rock of wise and compassionate advice. I always knew that I could trust his suggestions and I was very grateful for his reassuring presence in the background of the functioning of our Priory.
For anybody who didn’t meet Rev. Saido or would just like to be reminded of him, there is this lovely video on YouTube, where he explains the Four Noble Truths in his inimitable way, while this page on the Telford Priory website has three short videos of him answering some basic questions about Buddhism.
We shall be having a memorial for Rev. Saido on Sunday 19th March, which will give people here in Norwich the opportunity to express their appreciation for and gratitude to this special monk. The ceremony will be part of our normal Sangha Morning and it will replace the Renewing the Precepts Ceremony that was scheduled for that day. So, we shall begin at 9.45am with a meditation period and the memorial will be at 10.20am, followed by tea and a discussion. If you would like to come along in person, please let me know. The morning will be shared online, as usual. Rev. Saido’s funeral is going to take place at Telford Chapel the day before, on Saturday 18th March, at 9.30am.
Thanks
I would like to say a big “thank you” to the Sangha members who very kindly helped with providing me with transport between Norwich and London in January. My thanks also go to those who recently offered to help with cleaning and maintaining the Priory.
With best wishes and in gassho,
Reverend Leoma