Hull Buddhist Group
Wesak Celebration:
Saturday 10th May 2025
at the Friends' Meeting House,
Bean Street, Hull
from 10-00am until 3-00pm
There will be meditation and readings from Buddhist scriptures. Lay Buddhists of all traditions are welcome to attend.
Tea is available and you are welcome to bring some food for a shared cold vegetarian buffet at 12-30pm (please do not bring food that needs cooking or reheating). If you prefer vegan 'milk' and food please bring it with you. If you want a different drink please bring it with you. Do not feel obliged to stay for the whole day.
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further details -
There will be 3 periods of meditation and readings about the life of the historical Buddha - His birth, going forth, enlightenment, first sermon, the five precepts and His death. We aim to be able to give the opportunity to people to get the most from the day, without making it into a formal silent retreat, so please allow others to meditate in silence and listen to the readings. There is plenty of time scheduled to chat to old friends and make new ones over the lunch. (click here for probable event schedule) The event is probably not suitable for children, but if you want to catch up with old friends and cannot find a childminder - you could bring them along to the lunch.
You are welcome to bring your own meditation cushion (Zafu), bench, mat or rug if you have them. There is plenty of chairs to sit on, but you could bring your own cushion to make it more comfortable.
For people who are new to Buddhist meditation there will be a simple guided breathing meditation; veterans may prefer to do their normal meditation practice. You are welcome to wear meditation robes if you like and a name badge to identify yourself and the Buddhist Group you attend. You are also welcome to bring Buddhist flags, Thangkas or posters to decorate the hall; we will start setting things up at 9-30am.
We have decided that we wanted the day to be accessible to Buddhists of all traditions, so there will be no special ceremonies during the event because each tradition has different rituals. If you wish to bow or do prostrations then you please do so at an appropriate time. If you are a newcomer do not get confused by the fact that those attending are meditating or doing things slightly differently - this is just a manifestation of the wide scope of Buddhism!
We would like people to volunteer to: select and read scriptures or other appropriate texts (10 minutes each), welcome guests, set things up, make the tea and do the washing up. We will draw up a rota so these duties are shared. Also, if you would like to give a short reading (5 minutes) from your favourite Buddhist book please bring the text with you and we will see if there is enough time. (click here for rota)
There will be a begging bowl for donations to cover the cost of the hire of the rooms and other running expenses. Any excess after the costs have been covered will be donated to Angulimala - the Buddhist Prison Chaplaincy.
Buddhist Groups are welcome to bring some posters about the group and free literature for people to take. If your Group wishes to support the event please us know and we will add your name to the list of supporting Groups.
If you would like to attend the event or help please telephone Mike Horne on 01482 346784 . Please do contact us so we have an idea of how many people are planning to attend and so we can organise the event to run as smoothly as possible.
Click here to view the planned schedule for the day's activities.
This event is supported by the Hull Buddhist Forum, the Hull Dechen Group, Hull F P M T Group, the Kanzeon Sangha Group, York Chan Group and the Hull Serene Reflection Meditation Group, and is partly a reunion for the members of the old Hull Buddhist Group.
We now have a Facebook page - please "like" the page if you use Facebook.
Please take care of the things you bring with you, the organisers take no responsibility for anything that is lost.
There is wheelchair access to the building and a disabled toilet.
Travel directions to the Friends' Meeting House:-
The nearest train station is Hull Paragon, which is about 1 mile from the Meeting House. Taxis can be picked up by leaving the station concourse to the right as you alight from your train.
For car drivers using SatNav - the postcode for Bean Street is HU3 2PR.
For cyclists, routes can be found from Hull City Council's cycle map of the city.
In Brief:- Bean Street is a cul de sac between Rawlings Way and Coltman Street as you head out of town on Anlaby Road, Hull. The entrance is only 200 yards from Hull Royal Infirmary. The Friends Meeting House is a single story building on the right side of Bean Street set on its own. It is very easy to find.
updated September 2025
