Review of Pure Land Meditation Centre and Japanese Garden, Newark

www.buddhamaitreya.co.uk

I had heard about this place many years ago and really wanted to go but for some reason I never did. Everything happens to you at a certain time for a reason and now I know it just wasn’t the time for me to visit. My Mum and Step Dad visited a few weeks ago and told me about it and so I decided to go with my partner for our 6 year anniversary, In all honesty, we weren’t feeling that great. I was recovering from a bad cold and was feeling fatigued and he was suffering badly that day with a pain that he has had chronically for quite a few years. Nonetheless, we still had a nice time at the centre albeit a little short.

At £7 an adult (£6 OAP, £4 child and season tickets available), it is not badly priced at all. That price gives you entry to the whole garden and the crystal garden and you can spend as long as you like there - the whole day even. We didn’t take a look at the menu but I did see that they serve tea and scones if you wanted some refreshments. Being a vegan with a few food sensitivities I don’t eat out, apart from the odd fruit bowl, and we weren’t planning on getting a drink there. Tea is really not my thing though. On entry, you walk through an old barn/farm house style building, pass some pretty lanterns and then head into the garden and into a building on the right hand side where you pay. This is also where you can buy refreshments and a meditation CD if you wish. There are a few tables and chairs in the garden and a few people were enjoying some pleasant conversation and surroundings. It wasn’t busy and I assume that this was because it was a weekday morning.

The garden isn’t huge but it is still really impressive and beautiful. On the walk around there are many places to sit and admire the surroundings. The terrain is not flat, even though the land originally was. It was crafted by Maitreya, a Buddhist Monk who owns the place, beautifully with many winding paths. Even though there were other people there, we barely saw any walking around because of the terrain and landscape. There are stepping stones over a pond, a wooden bridge, steps, slopes, a range of trees, shrubs, bushes and flowers, and shaded areas to sit. It was really warm on the day we went so it was really nice to have these areas to relax. There is a beautiful building that I can only assume is used for Japanese tea ceremonies. Maitreya offers these as well as meditation sessions and workshops, which are listed on the website.

One of the key features of this place is the magnificent crystal garden. It is absolutely stunning. We sat in here admiring it for quite a while. I think that the earth is amazing to have created these gems naturally. The crystals were put together really well, with blue stones representing water, and others representing mountains. It truly is something you will appreciate greatly in person.

The thing I took from the place itself was the message of peace. Peace and freedom are two of the things I seek most in life. These are the things that make me happy and fulfilled. In the leaflet you get when you arrive it states:

‘Peace is the most important thing in our life. Meditation not only provides you peace, but also lets you be in touch with your inner self. The purpose of life for human beings is not just to pursue one’s ‘worldly’ life but to realises one’s True Self. It is for us to evolve from ‘ego’ existence to Self Awakened human beings. It is not a difficult talk to achieve once we practice right meditation.’

I couldn’t agree more and this message was clearly one I felt that I needed to hear. I do meditate but I often do it in phases. Now I feel that I have reason to fully commit to a daily practice. Not only that, but I felt the need to share meditation with others. Therefore, I am in the planning phase of starting up a meditation group in my local area. I am going to learn as much as I can about meditation to help myself and to help others. This truly has been a wonderful and life changing visit. I hope to return again very soon and will stay a little longer. I would love to see the garden in all four seasons. If you are fairly local or in the area, I would highly recommend a visit. If not a life changing experience, it will definitely give you a little more peace in your life.