Leeds Buddhist Centre

We offer two introductory courses in meditation and Buddhism at Leeds Buddhist Centre. Either is appropriate for newcomers interested in exploring Buddhist meditation and basic Buddhist principles.

Both courses run throughout the year. Each course consists of 5 Monday evenings, followed by a day retreat to give a deeper experience of meditation. These courses are held at the Swarthmore Centre, 4 Woodhouse Square, only ten minutes walk from Leeds Town Hall.

Cost for each course: £60/£30 concs.

Monday January 19th 2009 7 - 9.15pm for 5 weeks, followed by a day retreat on Saturday 21st February 10 - 4pm

In this course we explore a practice called the Mindfulness of Breathing, a simple and direct way of developing awareness and calm. By coming back to the sensations of the breath we are able to cultivate calm, clarity, and a relaxed concentration and presence.

This course includes Just Sitting meditation, an unstructured practice which complements the Minfulness of Breathing practice.

This course will run again in September 2008

Monday 2nd March 7- 9.15pm for 5 weeks, followed by a day retreat on Saturday 4th April 10 - 4pm

In this course, we explore the Metta Bhavana, a practice which allows us to cultivate emotional warmth, kindness and friendliness towards ourselves and others. This enhances awareness of our responses to others and allows us to interact in an increasingly positive way with the world around us.

This course includes Just Sitting meditation, an unstructured practice which complements the Metta Bhavana practice.

These courses are an opportunity to learn about Buddhism and meditation and explore these in relation to our own lives, in a friendly and supportive environment. We use short meditation sessions, together with talks, workshops and discussion. Along with meditation practices we will also be looking at some important aspects of the Buddha's teachings.

What we cover in each course varies, but some examples of what we might look at are:

• What is Buddhism?
• Who is the Buddha?
• Our potential for change and awakening
• Exploring our connection with others
• Ethics - the five Buddhist precepts
• Buddhist symbols and ritual - connecting body, speech and mind
• Practicing for others - the altruistic side of Buddhism

We get the greatest benefit from meditation if we do it regularly and we will have a look at a few things that might help you set up a regular practice. So that people get the most benefit from a course, we encourage you to practise at home between classes.

Please click for bookings and other enquiries, or to download the current course leaflet