Introduction to Buddhism and Meditation – now online
May 1, 2021 @ 10:30 am – 12:30 pm
Would you like to learn to meditate, find a meaningful spiritual path, create an ethical world you would choose to live in? Then come along to our Introductory Sessions and learn about Buddhism and Meditation.
We teach two Buddhist meditation practices: Mindfulness of Breathing, for developing awareness, integration and clarity of mind; and Mettā Bhāvanā (“development of loving kindness”), which brings about a gentle but radical transformation of our emotional world.
We introduce traditional teachings of the Buddha in a way that is accessible and practical to everyday life in the modern world. Bringing calm and clarity to a bewildering and divided world.
The classes are open to all – those who have no experience of Buddhism and Meditation, and those who have some experience – there is always more to learn and these sessions are a great support to practice.
How to join
This event is presented online using Zoom.
We recommend you check out How to use Zoom well in advance and then log on to this link about 10 mins before the event is due to start https://zoom.us/j/127596226
Should it be needed, the password is 979179
We make no charge for these events but the Centre does depend on your generosity. Giving Page
Programme
| 13th Mar | The Precious Opportunity “Just the fact of being alive is extraordinary.” Having an awareness of the miracle of our existence can help us focus on what’s really important to us. We often forget this preciousness. How can we keep it alive. Amoghavajra explores this in our first of a series based on Vajragupta’s book, Buddhism:Tools for Living Your Life. |
| 20th Mar | Coursing the Worldly Winds Often we feel blown about by life, pushed and pulled away from the direction we intended to travel. Buddhism calls these the Worldly Winds. By becoming more aware of these we can learn to set sail and navigate through life. Ariyanivata is at the helm this week helping us to weather the storms. |
| 27th Mar | Ethics: Practicing with body, speech and mind In our meditation, we learn to bring awareness to how we are and we seek to develop loving kindness and positive emotion. In generating this mind-set we are compelled to take this behaviour off the cushion and out into the world. We express this ethical behaviour through our thoughts, our speech and our actions. The team will talk about their experiences of working with these. |
| 3rd Apr | Friendship: The main support for an informed life Practising meditation, developing an ethical life, transforming oneself are richly rewarding actions and they are made all the better by enjoying them with others. However, it’s not always easy and it doesn’t always make sense. Our friendships with those that care about us help us along the journey, reflecting back to us and holding us steady. Tim will talk about this precious aspect of the Buddhist life. |
| 10th Apr | The Reflective Life “Socrates said that an unexamined life was not worth living. An examined, or reflective, life, on the other hand, is full of richness and wonder.” Vajragupta, Tools for Living Your Life. Ariyanivata discusses reflection as one of the three levels of wisdom in Buddhism. |
| 17th Apr | The Kind Heart of Wisdom “Compassion is far more than emotion. It is something that springs up in the emptiness which is when you yourself are not there,” ‘The Unseen Flower’, Sangharakshita In the final installment of this series from Vajragupta’s book, Tools for Living Your Life, Mark talks about compassion and wisdom. |
Frequently asked questions
Is this session suitable for me?
This session is a great place for an introduction. Find out about Buddhist meditation, ethics, and living a more meaningful and fulfilling life. It is also very popular with people with some experience as there is always more to learn! These sessions can provide a useful ongoing support for practice.
Do I need to pay?
No – you don’t need to pay. We do appreciate donations – you can donate online by card or Paypal – as we have ongoing costs to run the Centre.
Do I need to book?
No. Just turn up. If it is your first time, you may prefer to log-on about 10 minutes early so that we can answer any questions you have about the session.
Team
These sessions are led and / or supported by these wonderful people:
