Books, Buddhas and Ethical Gifts

Open six days a week, the Centre’s spacious ground floor shop is a great place to browse. New stock comes in all the time and almost everything we sell comes from Buddhist right livelihood businesses, other ethical sources, or small local independent businesses. All proceeds go towards the Centre and its activities.

Our friendly receptionists can advise on what to buy and you are welcome to try out the meditation equipment and singing bowls to get what’s right for you.

In the Buddhist Centre Shop . . .

• Books on Buddhism and meditation, vegetarian cookery, day to day mindfulness and more. We also have CDs, magazines, calendars and a great second hand section – fiction too
• Meditation equipment – mats, stools, kindseats, shawls, cushions and meditation beads
• Buddha statues and singing bowls in many styles, sizes and prices
• Incense galore – Nag Champa, Morning Star and many others
• Vajras, bells and other Buddhist ritual items
• Yoga equipment – mats, blocks, straps, bolsters, neti pots
• Greetings cards and gifts, plus gift vouchers if you can’t decide
• Toiletries, soaps, Green People and Faith in Nature products – organic, vegan and not tested on animals
• Fairly traded teas, coffees, snacks and a great range of vegan and organic chocolate

And look out for our handmade crafts stall from 1st December!

Welcoming Students of All Ages

Thousands of school children and college students come to the Buddhist Centre each year to explore Buddhism and see the Centre at work. Our acclaimed education service is run by Clear Vision, based here at the Centre.

Group visits

School, college and community groups of all ages are welcome on guided visits, with a tour of the ground floor and shrine room, discussion, questions and answers, and an optional meditative stilling exercise. Details are on the school visits page of the Clear Vision website.

Group visit enquiries and bookings

• groupvisits@clear-vision.org
• Or 0161 839 9579

A Buddhist visitor in your school?

We offer Buddhist classroom-based workshops and assemblies for primary to AS/A2 level. We can bring the RE syllabus to life, and explore Buddhist perspectives on citizenship, community cohesion, identity, and PHSE themes.

• £50 per hour, or £240 for the whole day, including expenses

Enquiries and bookings

• groupvisits@clear-vision.org

Teaching materials for Buddhism in schools

Clear Vision makes award-winning audio-visual materials for Buddhism in your classroom. See also their FAQ pages, Ask a Buddhist!

Team Sessions with Heart

At the Buddhist Centre we have everything a small to medium team might need. At an attractive, affordable location right in the heart of Manchester we can offer meeting space with a bit extra. We can also come to you, if that would work better.

Put together your own package

Typical packages are for full or half days, and might combine some ‘business’ time in one of our two relaxing meeting spaces with a mixture of appealing, life-affirming activities led by specialist teachers.

We can help you to put together your own mix, including any or all of:

• Meditation for beginners
• Gentle yoga
• Chi kung – easy-to-learn exercises for relaxing, calming and balancing energy
• Short talks about Buddhist belief and practice
• Lunch at the renowned Earth vegetarian café

Track record

Previous satisfied customers include the Albert Kennedy Trust, Big Life Centres, the Co-Op Group, Great Places Housing, Parsons Brinckerhoff and Selfridges.

Breathworks and Mindfulness

Breathworks delivers mindfulness teacher training and courses to help those living with pain, long-term health conditions and stress live happier and healthier lives, through its mindfulness-based pain management program.

What is Mindfulness?

Mindfulness is a state of present moment attention where you can clearly perceive thoughts, physical sensations, emotions and events at the moment they happen without reacting in an automatic or habitual way. This means you can make choices on how you respond to things, even in difficult circumstances.

How Breathworks started

Breathworks grew out of the experience of Vidyamala Burch, who has suffered from severe chronic back pain for most of her adult life following a spinal injury in her teens. Since 2004, Breathworks has grown within the UK and internationally.

Daytime Café and Juice Bar

In the Buddhist Centre’s basement, Earth is a relaxing and comfortable place to enjoy delicious, healthy and affordable vegan and vegetarian food, coffee, cakes and juices. You don’t need to be a vegetarian or vegan, just into great, healthy home-cooked food.

Everything is available to eat in or take out and outside catering is also available – no more beige buffets!