Exploring A Buddhist Sanctuary in London
Creating Community: The role of one of Londons leading Buddhist safe third spaces; Jamyang Buddhist Centre
Buddhist Sanctuaries serve as serene havens where individuals can retreat from the chaos of Urban life. These community spaces provide a peaceful environment conducive to meditation, reflection and mindfulness.
Beyond being places of individual reflection, these sanctuaries foster a vital sense of community and activism, hosting programs and charity events for self development, and a broad range of accessible weekly group activities.
In a city as vast and diverse as London, community Buddhist centres act as a third space, where individuals from all walks of life can come together, united by a common interest in personal development and self discovery.
Jamyang Buddhist centre, located in the heart of Elephant and Castle, is a community led organisation affiliated with The Foundation of the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), established and developed over the last 40 years.
Around 30 years ago the building was won in auction, and a few Buddhist volunteers began the process of converting an old court house in to a thriving community center, featuring a Buddhist temple with many statues assembled and carved by hand.
Although the centre offers the rich cultural practices of traditional Tibetan Buddhist teachings, they also provide secular activities and support for anybody seeking refuge and companionship. The aim of the centre is to help people “build sustainable happiness” through collaboration and symbiotic living. Promoting intentional and conscious care for supporting both ourselves, and in turn the wider community.
The centre recently opened a cafe, where one of their most recent Community days took place in collaboration with, and sponsored by the National Lottery. The event provided a space for the local community to gather and eat together, offering free food to anybody attending.
As well as hosting frequent community days, the center also runs free weekly sessions. The weekly mending workshops encourage individuals to bring broken clothes in for repairs, where support and care is shared between attendees to fix and aid one another in circumstances where they couldn’t afford it themselves.
There are also weekly Sunday meditation sessions open to the public, as well as arts and craft workshops that take place afterwards, allowing attendees to connect and engage socially though shared goals of self improvement and healing, in a calm and relaxed environment.
Jamyang Community Centre Cafe; photo by Immie Frost
Amongst many other volunteer led practices, the Jamyang centre also runs a program called The Recovery Dharma, where the space is offered to those suffering from addiction.
The stance taken by the centre, and the work that they do is essential and positively pivotal for striving towards, and building a more equal and connected way of life, through their willingness and compassion to aid with and combat such a broad range of prevalent issues within society, with no financial gain or motivations.
A rare ethos and inspiring example to those seeking to start a community centre themselves, as Jamyang was built and cultivated by a few of likeminded individuals with a common goal to deliver equal support and care to all those who feeling isolated or in need.
Wall of activism in Jamyang Community Centre; photo by Immie Frost