Wat Phra Singh UK / Buddhist Temple and Meditation Centre
As part of my role in Riverside College, here in the UK, I visit a younger generation of apprentices, and assess their knowledge and skills, regularly, to map their progress, and hopefully allow them to move on, to more complex levels of competency, and qualifications.
I do not usually, write about these visits on so public a forum as my blog, but this ‘onsite’ visit is to be an exception. I had arranged an assessment visit, to a 19th century pub, in the Runcorn area, and was met in the car park of the pub, by the apprentice and his employer… This visit was to be one of the most fulfilling and enjoyable visits, I have ever undertaken… After the assessment, Tony C. a trustee/manager of the centre, took me for a guided tour of the temple and its facilities… I was to be, totally astounded !!!
Tony C.
Future plans for the centre
I took off my shoes, as a mark of custom etiquette, and followed Tony into the main meditation room, where we sat, and chatted, Tony told me of the path, the temple had taken, from its first ideas, to the purchasing of the building here in Runcorn, and onto its realisation of that idea, progressing to what it is today, and including the temple’s future evolution… for the regions practising Buddhists, and ordinations.
Budda
Holy books
An amazing fact was told… the topknot of the Budda, was removable, and metal prayer sticks, presented as gifts from the congregation, would be inserted into the hollow body of the Budda, and when full… the Budda would be emptied, and the prayer sticks, melted down, to make more ‘Buddas’, and thus extend the prayer contained on the original stick !!! What a fantastic custom…
The monks, of the temple are from Thailand, and when the ‘leading’ monk, came over to the UK for Tailand, he was enrolled on an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages)… Where I work at Riverside College, and we had a good chat, before he went into the dining room, with the other monks and initiates, for chants, prayers and their main meal of the day.
Tony then took me to see the upstairs rooms which look out onto the canal below… As the building was originally a pub/hotel, it has 8 double ‘guest’ bedrooms, and the trustees of the temple are installing bathrooms to go with these 8 rooms. These large bedrooms will be used for visitors to the temple… The monks have rooms on the third floor, thus spiritually, protecting all under them…
The upstairs meditation rooms
The temple is situated on the banks of the Runcorn & Western Canal, with Runcorn Station within a short walking distance, along with the usual airport links, and road links… with access to all. There are 1500+ registered Buddhists at the temple from all over the region, and they are delighted to run tours, for the people of the district….
This ‘temple’ is certainly one of the regions ‘hidden’ GEMS… and well worth a visit…
More info can be found on the links below..
Website
Click below to take you to their Fb site…
Tel: 01928 575444
Address
Wat Phra Singh UK
88 High Street
Runcorn
Cheshire
WA7 1JH
Thank you Mal,
What a great piece of information that is, I’m always amazed at what’s in our area or close by.
Jean Flanagan
Hi Mal, thank you so much for your kind comments, it was our pleasure to meet you today and show you around our temple. As I mentioned, the temple is always open and we welcome everyone including groups, schools and individuals. We are delighted to have found such a wonderful building, and would like to thank the people of Runcorn for making us feel so welcome here. Hopefully we will have the opportunity to meet you again, With Metta (loving kindness), Tony
Can I ask you Please Mal “Where is the Runcorn-Weston Canal” ??
I was born in Runcorn and lived here All my Life This Temple is in the Old “Waterloo Pub” at the top of what was the corner of Waterloo Rd and Top High St across the Road is the Bidgewater Canal ( Top Locks) I think the Canal You refer to is way down the Bottom along side the Manchester Ship Canal which ran from the Bottom of the Lock System through both the Runcorn and Weston Docks to the River Weaver.
I felt I needed to correct you as some people reading this would get confused, especially if they wanted to visit the Temple!