Theravada

What we do

At the Hout Bay Centre, we follow the Theravâda tradition. This is the oldest school of Buddhism. It means ‘Doctrine of the Elders’ and is associated with original teachings of the Siddharta Gautama, Lord Buddha himself. Theravâda is practiced today in parts of India, Sri Lanka, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and parts of Malaysia and China.

We meet on Wednesday evenings promptly at 19h30. We have a standard evening format: announcements, a dhamma talk on Buddhist teachings or topics of ethical and spiritual interest, a short session of Pali chants and a group meditation. This is followed by tea and biscuits. We have occasional guest speakers and sometimes we schedule special Sunday events for more intensive meditation or study of Buddhism.

We try to include inter-faith dialogue in each quarterly calender. We are active in the Cape Town Interfaith Initiative and the Western Cape Religious Leaders Forum. We welcome participation from other faith groups.

Everyone is welcome. Though we follow certain Thai traditions of Buddhist practice, members and guests are not expected to follow rituals unless it suits them. We do encourage respect for others and the image of the Buddha. At the Centre, we put the emphasis on creating a space for you to be comfortable, whether sitting quietly, meditating or giving dhamma talk.

At the Centre....

• There is secure parking, please arrive before 19h30;
• Shoes are to be left at the entrance;
• A voluntary donation (dāna) is welcome to keep the centre running;
• You may light incense and a candle upon entering the room.
• Take up a chair or sit on a stool or cushion on the black mats on the floor;
• Upon seating we make three bows – to the Buddha, the Dhamma (the Buddha’s teaching of the Universal Law), and the Sangha (the monks and nuns who sustain our tradition);
• Please do not point the bottoms of your feet at the image of the Buddha;
• Announcements are made and the guest speaker will speak for about 40 minutes;
• Before chanting and meditation we light two candles – the one candle represents the teachings and the second the comprehension or understanding of the Dhamma;
• With the good scent of three sticks of incense we honour the Sangha and are grateful for their generosity (dāna), compassion (karuņā) and wisdom (paññā);
• We finish by 21h00. Stay for tea and biscuits afterwards

Resources
Silent meditation, both walking and sitting, are core aspects of the Theravâda tradition. Introduction to meditation, classes and additional coaching are available on Sunday mornings or by special arrangement.

We have a well stocked library with books and CDs.