Garden Pictures
April 19, 2010
japanese garden and meditation centre
the beautiful Pureland Japanese Garden and Meditation Centre - a special venue for self-discovery, team development, meditation and wellness - or simply to visit the garden
The Pureland Japanese Garden and Meditation Centre is a remarkable place. It is a uniquely beautiful garden, and also the home of Buddha Maitreya (pronounced 'My-treeya'), a spiritual teacher and creator of this wonderful space.
There is now a Pureland Japanese Garden website, which contains some of the information explained here, and additional details besides.
The Pureland Japanese Garden, and the teachings and sessions provided by Buddha Maitreya, present a wonderful opportunity to bring spirituality and enlightenment into organisational learning and development. Spirituality and business - or love and business - might not seem an obvious 'fit' according to traditional thinking, however, we live in enlightened times. More and more people are seeking a new meaning from life and work. So there are increasingly significant connections between the ideas of spiritual peace, and what people want from their work and life beyond work. Pureland, based in the English East Midlands close to Newark Nottinghamshire, and Buddha Maitreya, offer a wonderful way to make these connections real.
The Pureland garden reflects Maitreya's approach to meditation and philosophy, in which he teaches self-awareness, peace, and harmony with nature.
Buddha Maitreya acquired the land in 1973. It was then one and a half acres of flat wasteland - the site of an old farm house.
Maitreya has since transformed the space into an extraordinary venue, for people who seek peace and well-being, to discover more about themselves, or for others who simply enjoy visiting beautiful gardens.
The pictures convey a little of the Pureland experience. Visit the garden, or arrange a session for yourself or your team, with Buddha Maitreya, and discover for yourself the wonder of this special place, and this special teacher.
For those too distant to reach the Pureland venue, you might instead consider asking Buddha Maitreya to visit you, to teach relaxation and meditation, and/or maybe to give his talk and slide show about this beautiful Japanese garden and how it was created.
pureland japanese garden views
Traditional Japanese garden elements combine to create a special peaceful space.
Beautiful ponds, bridges, reeds, lillies and carp, and the sound of gently flowing waterfalls.
| Bridges and walkways. | Steps and grassy mounds. |
The variety of textures, shapes and patterns takes your breath away.
pureland activities information
Pureland is a maze of seemingly endless features, exquisitely crafted, and immaculately maintained. The story of the garden's construction, from disused farmland into a stunning garden, over many years, and virtually single-handedly by Buddha Maitreya is remarkable in itself.
Maitreya's slideshow of the garden through the seasons is an absolute wonder to behold.
Buddha Maitreya is a wonderful teacher and host. In his company you feel uplifted and centred. People who possess such wisdom and calm, plus the ability to transfer a genuine sense of peace and serenity to others, are extremely rare.
He offers meditation classes, tea ceremonies, and friendly, very reasonably-priced hospitality.
Activities at Pureland include:
- individual relaxation and meditation tuition
- individual consultation
- regular monthly meetings at which Maitreya teaches his simple 'pure meditation' approach to inner peace
- group relaxation and meditation sessions
- Japanese garden viewings - from the last weekend in March to the last weekend in October
- lantern lit evening garden viewings - Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays during August and September, 7pm - 10pm
- Japanese tea ceremonies - for up to five people
- group visits to the garden - available day or evening by appointment
Activities other than garden viewings generally include food and/or afternoon tea, which is available separately if required, and highly recommended when viewing the garden. (You don't have to have an interest in religion and peace and love to view the garden - many people come to Pureland simply to see the Japanese garden.)
Please bear in mind that Pureland is not a large commercial concern. Do not expect the venue to be like a modern conference facility. The meditation centre is basically Maitreya's house and the tea-room for visitors. The meditation centre - house and team-room - accommodates up to fifteen visitors. Of course there is a lot more room outside.
Pureland's appeal lies in its simple beauty, the richness and tranquility of the garden, and the wisdom and teaching of Buddha Maitreya.
Pureland Japanese Garden and Meditation Centre is based in North Clifton, Nottinghamshire, England, just off the A1133 road, half way between Newark and Gainsborough and about 12 miles from each. Pureland is signposted from the main road.
There is ample car parking space.
To make a booking for a lecture, relaxation, meditation or a group visit contact Buddha Maitreya.
Buddha Maitreya is also available to visit you to give talks on higher self-awareness, meditation and meditation guidance.
Maitreya offers a wonderful slideshow presentation (35mm slide projector required) and talks about the creation of the Pureland Japanese garden.
Buddha Maitreya also offers talks and classes in Haiku poetry.
To enquire about visiting Pureland, or Buddha Maitreya's availability for external talks, meditation and relaxation sessions, slide-show, etc, telephone: 01777 228567, or from outside the UK +44 (0) 1777 228567.
Pureland Japanese Garden and Meditation Centre
North Clifton
Near Newark
Nottinghamshire
NG23 7AT
North Clifton
Near Newark
Nottinghamshire
NG23 7AT
buddha maitreya
Maitreya was born and raised in Handa, near Nagoya, in Japan. From an early age he sought to find truth, and attained enlightenment through meditation, which he then followed through teaching and sharing with others. He completed a Masters degree in Buddhist Theology, and for a while afterwards lived the life of a Zen Buddhist monk. His experiences as a Zen Buddhist monk led him to feel that monastic existence was too harsh and inflexible for modern teaching and application of meditation and Buddhist ideas. Maitreya left Japan and travelled to Thailand, India and Nepal, where he taught meditation for several years. On the invitation of a friend Maitreya visited England, where he began teaching and lecturing at various English universities, including Cambridge, Reading and Lancaster. While visiting Nottingham Maitreya learned of the old pig-farm property for sale in North Clifton, which he decided would be a good base from which to teach meditation, and in 1973 Pureland meditation centre was born.
Maitreya began the serious work of creating the Pureland Japanese garden in 1980. He had no previous gardening or agricultural experience. The flat featureless land was re-shaped into small hills around a newly dug central pond. Large boulders were brought in from a Derbyshire quarry, which helped form the winding paths and walkways. Elements were positioned harmoniously, and to reflect Maitreya's philosophical ideals. Maitreya completed most of the work by hand over many years.
At the core of Maitreya's philosophy are the following principles:
- Self-awareness.
- Harmony with nature.
- Peace - the most important thing in our life.
- Meditation provides you with peace, and also lets you be in touch with your inner self.
- The purpose of life for human beings is not just to pursue one's 'wordly' life, but more importantly to realise one's True Self.
- Life is for us to evolve from 'ego' existence become to Self Awakened.
- Learning meditation enables us to become Self Awakened.
| Maitreya teaches his own form of 'Pure Meditation' . His teaching is accessible to all. Maitreya's teachings are simple and aim to provide a direct path to fulfil the purpose of life, namely 'Self Realisation', and for all people to contribute to the 'Higher Evolution' of mankind. "Not only the cherry blossom That has cracked into a smile But also my face." (Maitreya, 25 April 2006) Buddha Maitreya's teachings, and the inspiration and peace offered at Pureland, provide a wonderful perspective for living a good, positive and fulfilled life. With acknowledgements Buddha Maitreya. |  | The Japanese characters and written or spoken words are are called 'kanji'. The word kanji is from kan (the name given to a great part of China thousands of years ago, from where the language and characters were adopted by Japan) and ji, meaning language or words. Kanji is written from right to left and from top to bottom. The three columns on the right are the cherry blossom haiku verse; the next column of two characters represents Maitreya's original Japanese name, Koji, which interestingly means 'supervisor of cultivation'; and the final column far left is the date, which traditionally includes the emperor's name, hence so many characters. |
