Buddhism Classes
Learn about Buddhism
Our friendly classes cover the basics of Buddhism, how to live it day to day, and an introduction to Buddhist meditation
- Six-week evening courses on Tuesdays: Buddhism Foundation Course, around six courses a year. Next one starts on 26th June then 4th September
- One-day Saturday courses: Introduction to Buddhism – every few months. Next is on 15th September
- Weekly taster session: Tools for Living your Life – popular and informal classes most Saturday mornings at 11am. Just turn up a few minutes before
- See the boxes below for booking details, handouts and led meditations
Upcoming Buddhism Classes
About our Buddhism Classes
Our classes are friendly and accessible. You’ll get the chance to talk to practising Buddhists and discuss how Buddhism relates to modern life.
Our taster sessions take an aspect of the Buddha’s teachings and explore what it means for us. Our longer courses look at the Buddha’s life and search for meaning, and go on to explore wisdom and compassion, Buddhist ethics, and how meditation can help us change our lives.
Practical Meditation
You’ll receive practical instruction in two Buddhist meditations, helping you set up a regular practice.
Our Teachers
Our classes are taught by ordained members of the Triratna Buddhist Order and by those preparing for ordination. They are well-trained and experienced practitioners, who communicate from their own experience.
You can find some of them in Who’s Who
How to book
You need to book and pay for some courses in advance please – online, by phone or in person. Prices and booking details for each course are in What’s on. Questions? 0161 834 9232 or info@manchesterbuddhistcentre.org.uk
Course Handouts
Handouts for our courses are freely available here in printable pdf format
Buddhism Foundation Course
- Week 1: The Buddha’s Quest
- Week 2: Siddhartha’s Path to Awakening
- Week 3: Siddhartha becomes the Awakened One
- Week 4: The Buddha begins to teach the Dharma
- Week 5: Buddha’s Teaching on Human Relations
- Week 6: The Five Ethical Precepts
- Further resources
Introduction to Buddhism: One-day course
Led Meditations and Other Resources
Led Meditations from Padmadarshini
Download or click and play here
- Lying down body awareness meditation
- Sitting body awareness meditation
- Mindfulness of your breathing body 1
- Mindfulness of your breathing body 2
- Mindfulness of breathing, four stages
- Metta Bhavana – kindly awareness
Other Resources
You can listen to talks and led meditations on the talks page. There’s a wide range of meditation kit and introductory books in our shop and we also have a reference library.
I found the content on ethics incredibly useful and of immediate impact
Going Deeper
What next?
If you want to carry on after a Foundation or Level 1 course, our Buddhism Going Deeper or Level 2 courses cover several Buddhist themes in depth, as well as further meditation practice. Different six-week modules take place throughout the year on Tuesday evenings, so you can sign up for one course after another.
Keep your eye on What’s On for the next course.
Going Deeper Courses
- Vision and Transformation: The Buddha’s Eightfold Path
- Faith and Energy in the Good: The Buddha’s Five Spiritual Faculties
- Breaking Free: The Wheel of Life
- The Journey and the Guide: Triratna’s System of Dharma Practice
- Triratna – A New Voice: Who are the Triratna Buddhist Community?
Going Deeper Course Handouts
Handouts for our Going Deeper courses are freely available here in printable pdf format
Vision and Transformation: The Buddha’s Eightfold Path
- Week 1 – Introduction and Perfect Vision
- Week 2 – Perfect Emotion
- Week 3 – Perfect Speech
- Week 4 – Perfect Action and Perfect Livelihood
- Week 5 – Perfect Effort
- Week 6 – Perfect Awareness and Perfect Samadhi
Faith and Energy in the Good: The Buddha’s Five Spiritual Faculties
- Week 1 – Introduction
- Week 2 – Faith
- Week 3 – Wisdom
- Week 4 – Energy
- Week 5 – Concentration
- Week 6 – Mindfulness
Breaking Free: The Wheel of Life
- The Wheel of Life
- Realms in the Wheel of Life
- Spiritual Growth and Creative Conditionality
- Breaking the First Three Fetters
The Journey and the Guide: Triratna’s System of Dharma Practice
- Triratna’s System of Dharma Practice
- Dayanandi’s Introduction to the Five Great Stages of the Spiritual Path
Triratna – A New Voice: Who are the Triratna Buddhist Community?
- A Buddhist Manifesto: The principles of the Triratna Buddhist Community by Subhuti
- Triratna’s Distinctive Emphases by Vadanya
- The Purpose of Ritual by Vadanya
Beyond the Courses
Moving on from the Courses
To deepen your understanding of Buddhism, and get more involved with the Centre, you might want to try:
- Events like Triratna Night on Mondays: Buddhism in depth, with meditation practice and Buddhist ritual. See what’s on
- Joining a study group – see below
- Helping out at the Centre – a great way of feeling part of things
- Going on retreat, listening to talks, and coming to Buddhist festivals can all help deepen your practice
- Beginning to feel you are a Buddhist, or part of our Sangha (community) is always a very personal thing and often quite gradual – there’s no pressure
Dharma Study
After Level 2 / Going Deeper, our small weekly study groups give a thorough grounding in the Buddha’s teaching or Dharma, and Triratna’s approach, with an emphasis on putting them into practice in your life. During the first year of study, you will probably work out if practising Buddhism with Triratna is for you and you may want to commit to this by becoming a Mitra. A further three year course of Mitra Study is then available.
Joining a Study Group
Study groups usually meet on Wednesday or Thursday evenings. They are very popular and there’s sometimes a waiting list. Ask to speak to one of the Mitra Convenors to find out more, or contact us at info@manchesterbuddhistcentre.org.uk
Studying here is free, but we encourage you to join in and give to support the Centre.
Study Materials
The materials for the Triratna Dharma Training Course for Mitras are freely available on the main Triratna website. Our Centre’s library has copies of many of the books used in study.
What is Buddhism?
We can change
The basic message of Buddhism is straightforward and practical: we can’t rely on anything to be fixed or permanent, our actions have consequences, and we can change.
One way of looking at how we can change is through Buddhism’s three-fold path of Ethics, Meditation and Wisdom
Ethics
We try and live our lives within the ethical guidelines that the Buddha taught –
- Not harming anything
- Being generous
- Living a simple and contented life
- Speaking truthfully
- Living mindfully
These guidelines help us to live with a clear mind and develop positive feelings. Acting more skilfully also has a positive impact on those around us.
Meditation
By meditating regularly, we develop both awareness and positive feelings. We become more mindful of our actions, thoughts and bodily sensations and can see more clearly their effect on us and others. We also become more positive towards ourselves and those around us.
Ceasing to do evil, cultivating the good, purifying the heart: This is the teaching of the Buddhas
The Buddha
Wisdom
Through these and other practices, we begin to see life as it really is – that we and everything around us are changing all the time, with many factors at play. We also see that we are deeply connected with others.
We learn that grasping after things to be how we want them to be rather than how they are, just causes us and others pain. We can change our perspective to help us feel more liberated and compassionate.
You yourself must strive. The Buddhas only point the way
The BuddhaOpening Times & more
Opening Times:
Mon - Thurs: 10am - 7pmFri: 10am - 5.30pm
Sat: 10am - 5pm
Bank hols - see calendar
Charity reg no: 514937
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16-20 Turner Street, Manchester M4 1DZ