We, the OBV Sangha, warmly invite you and your family to join our Summer Camps for Children and Families, at Oxford Buddha Vihara, FoD, St. Briavels. They will take place on two separate date periods at the end of July and beginning of August (see below) in 2026. Please contact us to let us know for which dates (‘1’ or ‘2’) you would like to join us.
This special camp is a wonderful opportunity for children and parents to spend meaningful time together, learning Dhamma, practicing mindfulness, and enjoying a peaceful, supportive environment. All are sincerely welcome.
Location: Oxford Buddha Vihara (FoD), Park Farm, Park Lane, St. Briavels, Gloucestershire, GL15 6QX
Dates and times: There are TWO separate retreats on the following dates:
1. Saturday 25th July to Wednesday 29th July 2026
2. Saturday 1st August to Wednesday 5th August 2026
Oxford Day Retreat with Bhante Dr. Dedunupitiye Upananda – 25th April 2026
Dear Dhamma Friends,
The OBV Sangha warmly invites you to our April day-long meditation retreat in Oxford, which this month will be led by Bhante Dr. Dedunupitiye Upanandatake. It will take the theme of “(Un)broken Cup: A daily Vipassana Approach” and will be held at the Oxford Buddha Vihara in Oxford, UK on the 25th April 2026, starting at 8:30am and finishing by 4pm.
Venerable Bhante Upananda has been a mindfulness instructor in the United States since 1999. He teaches mindfulness at law enforcement agencies and educational institutions.
The retreat will comprise meditation in different postures, Dhamma talks, and Q&As, with a leaflet outlining key terms and analyses available to help participants. Lunch with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options, and light refreshments will be provided. We hope you can join us to practice for the day.
Location: Oxford Buddha Vihara, 356-358 Abingdon Rd, Oxford OX1 4TQ
Date and times: Saturday 25th April 2026, 8:30am – 4pm
OBV Lunar New Year Blessing Ceremony – Sunday 12th April 2026
(NOTE: New venue this year – see below!)
The Lunar New Year, held in April, is an ancient annual festival for Thai, Burmese, Sri Lankan, Laotian, Cambodian, Nepalese, and Indian people. Every year, various cultural and religious celebrations are held to mark the New Year. For all Buddhists, this is also the time to make merits in dedication to the departed relatives and to ask for forgiveness and blessings from parents, grandparents, and elders. Each culture has its own name for the event, for example: Songkran for the Thai, Thingyan for Burmese and Aluth Avurudu for Sinhalese.
To celebrate the occasion this year, the Oxford Buddha Vihara will be holding a merit-making and blessing ceremony for the Buddhist community at Kingston Bagpuise with Southmoor Village Hall.
We would like to take this opportunity to invite you, together with your family and friends, to join us in starting off the New Year with merits and blessings. You may contribute food for the monks, which will be shared among the devotees. There will also be opportunities to purchase food, with proceeds donated to the Vihara.
Venue: Kingston Bagpuise with Southmoor Village Hall, Draycott Road, Southmoor, OX13 5BY.
Time: 10:00 AM – 2:45 PM
Date: Sunday, 12th April 2026
Programme
10:00 Arrival at the Village Hall
10:30 Chanting 30 Parami together
11:00 Monks going on alms-round (Pindapata)
11:15 Offering lunch
11:30 Lay people taking their lunch
12:30 Starting of afternoon session:
Observing the Five Precepts
Listening to Dhamma talks
Offering robes and other requisites to the Sangha
Bathing Rites for the Buddha statue, the Monks and the Elders
Receiving New Year Blessings
Sharing of merits with departed relatives and all beings
14:45 End of the Programme
We look forward to welcoming you to this joyous occasion.
With warm regards,
OBV Sangha
Easter Retreat, 3rd-5th April 2026
Dear Dhamma Friends,
The OBV Sangha would like to extend a warm invitation to you to participate in our Easter meditation retreat at Oxford Buddha Vihara (FoD) in the UK. It will be taking place from Friday 3rd April to Sunday 5th April 2026.
To book a place on the retreat please use the following contact details:
Location: Oxford Buddha Vihara (FoD), Park Farm, Park Lane, St. Briavels, Gloucestershire, GL15 6QX
Dates: Friday 3rd April to Sunday 5th April 2026.
New Year’s Eve Chanting – 2026
Chanting on New Year’s Eve
On New Year’s Eve, December 31st, we’ll gather together at 11.30pm for a special chanting session to welcome the New Year 2026 with positivity and mindfulness. Following this, we’ll have a Dhamma discussion and blessing from the Sangha to set our good intentions for the coming year.
All are welcome. Feel free to bring friends, family, or anyone interested in practising mindfulness and chanting into the New Year.
Location: OBV Oxford
With Metta
Ven Mahasena
Christmas Retreat, 25th-29th December 2025
Dear Dhamma Friends,
The OBV Sangha would like to extend a warm invitation to you to participate in a 5-day meditation retreat at Oxford Buddha Vihara (FoD) in the UK over the Christmas period. It will be taking place from Thursday 25th December to Monday 29th December 2025.
To book a place on the retreat please use the following contact details:
Location: Oxford Buddha Vihara (FoD), Park Farm, Park Lane, St. Briavels, Gloucestershire, GL15 6QX
Dates: Thursday 25th December to Monday 29th December 2025.
Kathina Ceremony on 12th October 2025
The Sangha and Trustees of the Oxford Buddha Vihara (OBV) UK are pleased to extend a cordial invitation to you to participate in the Kathina Robe Offering Ceremony to be held in 2025 as usual at Tingewick Hall, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford.
The full schedule of the event is detailed below. You’re welcome to bring food, fruit, and soft drinks to offer the sangha and share amongst fellow devotees.
10:00 – Arriving at Tingewick Hall and Chanting 30 Parami together
10:30 – Alms-around (Pindapata)
11:00 – Monks partaking their meal
11:30 – Lay people taking their lunch
12:30 – Commencement of robe offering ceremony:
Observing precepts
Chanting
Offering Kathina robes and requisites
Dhamma Talks
Sharing merit
14:00 Financial report by the OBV Trustees
15:00 End of the programme
October Two-Day Retreat with Ven. Dr. Khammai Dhammasami
Dear Dhamma Friends,
The OBV Sangha warmly invites you to a two-day meditation retreat on the theme “The Habit of Happiness”, to be held at the Oxford Buddha Vihara, FoD, UK on the 4th and 5th October 2025.
The retreat will be led by Venerable Dr. Khammai Dhammasami, DPhil (Oxford), offering participants an opportunity to cultivate mindfulness, deepen their practice, and explore practical ways to develop lasting happiness.
Please let us know if you are planning to come so we can arrange food and accommodation. The retreat will also be streamed online to allow anyone who wishes to join remotely.
Location: Oxford Buddha Vihara (FoD), Park Farm, Park Lane, St. Briavels, Gloucestershire, GL15 6QX
Dates and times: Saturday & Sunday 4-5 October 2025 (exact timing is to be confirmed, but the retreat is likely to start at 8am on Saturday)
Visit and Dhamma Talk by Khenpo Ngawang Tenzin – 13th June 2025
You are warmly invited to Oxford Buddha Vihara (OBV UK) to welcome Khenpo Ngawang Tenzin, who will be visiting and offering a Dhamma talk.
Khenpo Ngawang Tenzin is a visiting scholar at the University of Oxford. A monk of over twenty years trained in the Sakya tradition of Tibetan Buddhism, he completed his monastic education at Sakya College in Dehradun. Khenpo Ngawang is originally from Mustang in Nepal, and is now a resident teacher and translator at the International Buddhist Academy (Sakya IBA) in Kathmandu.
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