We’ve built this web site, and the extended platform it’s now part of, to reflect the kinds of activities that go on already at Triratna Buddhist Centres around the world, and to help you extend your practice in them using the internet in a mindful way. It can really help to just connect with others who share your interest in the Dharma. And we hope that if you can’t attend a physical Buddhist Centre then these spaces will help you participate in communal practice with others and feel part of a supportive community. Here’s what you can take part in on our platform:
1. Daily meditations online and a range of live Dharma classes, events and Home Retreats. Whether you’re new to the community or super experienced, we hope you’ll find something here to support your interest in Buddhism and go deeper with your personal practice!
2. Our blogs are public spaces that belong to any Triratna Buddhist Centre or institution. They are usually run by a local team and are always visible so anyone can view their posts (talks, events, pictures, etc.). They have an ‘info’ page with key information and highlights. Or try starting with ‘latest’! And if you join the site, you can also ‘+ follow’ any project that inspires you. Then we’ll notify you in your my sangha section (and by email if you like) whenever a new post is made there. You can also ‘take part in the conversation’ on any post (if the author enables it).
3. Groups are more participatory, specifically focused contexts (eg. for a particular interest or study group) and are usually visible under the ‘groups’ sub-menu on any Blog page. We’ve made most groups private by default, which means you need to click ‘+ join’ in the green bar (on the big header picture) in order to take part.
Once your application has been approved by the group’s owner or team, you’ll be able to take a full part in it. Not only can you ‘take part in the conversation’ by commenting on any group post, you can also make your own contributions. Give it a try, click + post something…
The green posting bar has all your posting options. You can add pictures (+ pictures), videos from YouTube, Vimeo, Instagram and Facebook (+ video), talks from Free Buddhist Audio (+ talk), or just a normal words-and-pictures post (+ blog). You can also embed other content from Instagram, Soundcloud and Audioboom, and upload a wide range of files and documents (all under + resources). And, of course, whenever anyone else posts to the space we’ll let you know.
You don’t need to join the site to view our general information areas on Buddhism, meditation and Triratna, our News blog, our galleries, or any Project page. Or to take part in daily meditation and live events! But if you want to take a full part in things: follow Projects (like this one with site highlights), join Groups, and contribute your responses and your own posts…
1. Sign up!
Please make sure you enter your email address correctly when you register. You’ll then receive a verification email. (If you don’t, please check your spam/junk folder.) Click the link in it and you’re done!
2. When you log in after verifying we’ll take you to our community home page, where you’ll see activity from around the world. You can get there anytime by clicking ‘connect’ or ‘community’ in the main menu.
3. Take a look at our community guidelines and complete your profile if you haven’t already (a picture really helps when connecting with others!). We have a strict privacy policy so your information is safe with us.
Here at The Buddhist Centre Online we’ll always be happy to hear from you. Contact us anytime on support [at] thebuddhistcentre.com. You can also get in touch via Facebook or Twitter (@buddhistcentre).
Before getting in touch about general usage issues, please check out the sections of this guide (see the sub-menu above) for details on how to get the best out of the site.
If you have technical issues, we’ll be glad of your feedback, and it’s especially helpful if it’s as specific as possible about any problems you’re encountering. Let us know what kind of device you’re using (PC, Mac, mobile), which operating system (the version of Windows, macOS, Android, iOS, etc.), and which web browser (Chrome, Safari, etc.).