Meditation practice helps us to develop contentment, clarity, integration, concentration, and a sense of peace. Whether you're just looking to find some stillness in your life, or to directly explore the nature of consciousness, this class is a great way to begin! 

In this introductory meditation workshop we will explore the Buddha's teaching of kindness or metta, generally as a living principle, and more specifically as a meditation practice. Participants will learn the Metta Bhavana, or Cultivation of Loving-Kindness, a meditation that has been practiced for thousands of years. Described as 'divine abiding', the practice of loving kindness meditation opens new dimensions and depths of positive emotion within the heart. We will learn how to be with difficult emotion in a creative space, rather than a reactive cycle.  We will explore the core Buddhist ethical principle of non-harm and its practical application in daily life, drawing out the rewards and challenges of a life lived with empathy and kindness. 

Participants will learn everything they need to begin a regular and effective meditation practice. Suitable for complete beginners, or those looking for a refresher.

The course is by donation: we suggest $10-$15 per class or $40-$60 for the entire 4-weeks; it is also ok not to donate if your budget is too tight. Proceeds will be split between South Church and Portsmouth Buddhist Center. A donation bowl will be onsite. Although the course builds on the material of the previous week, it is also OK to just drop in.  Chairs and cushions will be provided, but feel free to bring your own gear if you prefer. Dress in whatever way feels comfortable to you.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Led By — Dh Suddhayu. Suddhayu has been a practicing Buddhist since 1992. He is an ordained member of the Triratna Buddhist Order, and has been teaching workshops and leading retreats since 1998. He currently works full time for Dharma initiatives as manager of Aryaloka Buddhist Retreat Center and Chair of Portsmouth Buddhist Center.
And Dh. Singhaśūrī has been involved in the Triratna Buddhist Order, Aryaloka and Portsmouth Buddhist Center Sangha’s since 2001. She has been a yoga and meditation practitioner for over 30 years and on the teaching team for yoga and meditation retreats at Aryaloka since 2001. Singhaśūrī brings her deep knowledge and love of mindful movement and meditation to our introductory courses.

Over 2500 years ago, a young man sat beneath a tree and woke up. He then walked the wilds and villages of India, talking to anyone who would listen and passing on his vision, so that others too could wake up. His vision was passed on through the centuries and through many cultures down to us in 2025. 

What did he have to say? What was so compelling to last this long, to influence millions of people, to change lives and cultures? What was he like? What aspects of his life story and message are meaningful for us today?

This spring we’ll be pursuing these questions as we follow the life of the Buddha and uncover his character and his teachings through stories from the Pali Canon — the repository of early Buddhist literature that is our main link to this remarkable man. We will explore the relevance of his example and guidance for our own lives. What does it mean to follow the Buddha here in the 2025 on the seacoast of New England?

Every Sunday, 10-11:45am. These mornings will include meditation, a short talk and discussion. Everyone is welcome! We will be meeting in-person at Gateway Taiji, 875 Islington St, Portsmouth, with a Zoom option. Offered by donation, $5-$15 suggested. If you’d like to attend by Zoom, we’ll send the Zoom link upon registration, or simply sign up for our weekly email which includes the link. Please bring your own water bottle or thermos; we have meditation cushions and chairs at the studio.

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER/DONATE

CLICK HERE TO JOIN ON ZOOM

 A four-week course, Wednesdays 6:45-8:00 PM, February 19 - March 12 at 73 Court Street, Portsmouth 

Meditation helps us to develop contentment, clarity, integration, concentration, and a sense of peace. Practicing Mindfulness as we go about the activities of our lives helps to keep us centered, creative and in touch with our own vitality. 

This class offers a weekly opportunity to build your meditation and mindfulness skills by practicing with others in a supportive, friendly context. Led meditations and practice exercises will focus on developing an embodied awareness, within the Buddhist ethical framework of kindness toward self and others. There will also be time for sharing experiences and tips about establishing a regular meditation practice. Suitable for beginners, or those who wish to explore their practice more deeply.

The course is by donation: we suggest $10-$15 per class or $40-$60 for the entire 4-weeks; it is also ok not to donate if your budget is too tight. Proceeds will be split between South Church and Portsmouth Buddhist Center. A donation bowl will be onsite. Although the course builds on the material of the previous week, it is also OK to just drop in. Chairs and cushions will be provided, but feel free to bring your own gear if you prefer. Dress in whatever way feels comfortable to you. Online registration here.

Led By — Dh Shraddhavani (Bettye Pruitt), who is part of the team running the Portsmouth Buddhist Center. She received her Buddhist name in 2018 at ordination into the Triratna Buddhist Order, part of a worldwide Buddhist movement originating in the UK. Shraddhavani has been practicing yoga and meditation for 25 years and has been practicing and leading meditation for over a decade at Portsmouth Buddhist Center and Aryaloka Buddhist Center in Newmarket.

The Buddha’s core insight into the conditioned nature of existence is most famously expressed in his teaching of the Four Noble Truths. These are not  abstract beliefs to be adhered to religiously. Rather they are observations grounded in direct experience and intended to inspire and guide us in exploring how to live wholeheartedly and even joyfully in the complicated context that is human society. In this sense, we can think of them as “ennobling truths” — an alternative translation of the Pali language in which they were originally written down, which captures the potential in this teaching for spiritual uplift and liberation from the tribulations of mundane life. This is what we will be exploring in these three sessions. 

Significantly, the Buddha also expressed these truths as a set of tasks. First is the truth of dukkha, the unavoidable fact that many aspects of life are unsatisfactory, giving rise to suffering. Our task in relation to dukkha is simply to comprehend, to open ourselves to awareness of this reality. The second task is to let go of the reactivity that gives rise to suffering in response to the reality of dukkha. The third task is to behold the cessation of suffering when we let go of reactivity, that is, to allow ourselves to experience liberation when it occurs. The fourth task is to take up a path of practice that will lead to our enacting the first three tasks — exactly what we will be doing in our three afternoons together.

Our practice days will include meditation, with an emphasis on somatic awareness and relaxation; sharing stories from the Buddha’s teachings and our own experience; individual reflection and small-group conversation; as well as poetry, music and rejoicing.

January 26: Comprehending dukkha
February 9: Letting go of reactivity
February 23: Beholding liberation

Open to women* at all levels of experience. Register for the whole series or for individual sessions. Offered by donation, $10 - $30 per session suggested. 

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Location: Gateway Taiji, Qigong & Yoga, 875 Islington St. Portsmouth NH 03801. (Zoom option upon request)

Led by Advayashri, Shraddhavani and Viriyalila, all members of the Triratna Buddhist Order and part of the team that hosts gatherings at the Portsmouth Buddhist Center every Sunday. Together we have decades of experience meditating and leading practice, and we are committed to supporting others in exploring the ennobling teachings of the Buddha. 

When we begin practicing Buddhism, it may not be immediately clear how one develops connection in the sangha (sangha = spiritual community). And yet, participation in community is a central emphasis in Buddhist teaching.  Since the very beginning, becoming a Buddhist has been framed as “going for refuge to the Buddha, the Dharma and the Sangha,” or more broadly, to the possibility of Enlightenment, the Path to get there, and the community of those making the effort to walk the path.

In these times, this vision of spiritual life and community as “going for refuge” can be appealing on many levels. The irritation and anxiety of living through challenging times — when the three root poisons of greed, hatred and the delusion of separateness seem to be running rampant throughout the world — are feelings we all experience, regardless of our views on particular issues or public figures. 

What are the characteristics that make a spiritual community a refuge from the stress and conflict of mundane life? How can growing our roots in the sangha make a difference for us and in the world?

This winter at PBC, we will explore this question through the lens of a teaching on the “skillful means” of growing community through generosity, loving speech, beneficial activity and exemplification (“walking our talk”). These are also important qualities of spiritual friendship. Following our usual meeting format of meditation, brief talks and ample time for reflection and small-group conversation, we will consider together how cultivating these four skillful ways of acting can contribute to making the sangha a true refuge, where people feel connected, inspired and supported in applying Buddhist teachings and perspective in their own life circumstances.

Every Sunday, 10-11:45am. These mornings will include meditation, a short talk and discussion. Everyone is welcome! We will be meeting in-person at Gateway Taiji, 875 Islington St, Portsmouth, with a Zoom option. Offered by donation, $5-$15 suggested. If you’d like to attend by Zoom, we’ll send the Zoom link upon registration, or simply sign up for our weekly email which includes the link. Please bring your own water bottle or thermos; we have meditation cushions and chairs at the studio.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN ON ZOOM

Meditation helps us to develop contentment, clarity, integration, concentration, and a sense of peace. Practicing Mindfulness as we go about the activities of our lives helps to keep us centered, creative and in touch with our own vitality. 

We will explore Buddhist teachings of mindfulness and how we can practice them in contemporary life. Participants will learn the mindfulness of breathing, a meditation that has been practiced for thousands of years.

Participants will learn everything they need to begin a regular and effective meditation practice. Suitable for complete beginners, or those who wish to explore their practice more deeply.

The course is by donation: we suggest $10-$15 per class or $40-$60 for the entire 4-weeks; it is also ok not to donate if your budget is too tight. Proceeds will be split between South Church and Portsmouth Buddhist Center. A donation bowl will be onsite. Although the course builds on the material of the previous week, it is also OK to just drop in. Chairs and cushions will be provided, but feel free to bring your own gear if you prefer. Dress in whatever way feels comfortable to you.

Led By — Dh Suddhayu and team. Suddhayu has been a practicing Buddhist since 1992. He is an ordained member of the Triratna Buddhist Order, and has been teaching workshops and leading retreats since 1998. He currently works full time for Dharma initiatives as manager of Aryaloka Buddhist Retreat Center and Chair of Portsmouth Buddhist Center.

Click Here to Register

"Call forth as much as you can of love, of respect and of faith!
Remove the obstructing defilements, and clear away all your taints!
Listen to the Perfect Wisdom of the gentle Buddhas
Taught for the weal of the world, for heroic spirits intended!"
The Buddha from the Ratnagunasamcayagatha

The Buddhist Path begins with the human situation, with the reality of change and loss and the reality of wonderment, inspiration and spiritual transformation within the processes of impermanence. In the midst of life’s changes, we may sometimes hear a call — perhaps it's an inspiration, an intuition or even a sense of existential angst. It may seem to come from within our deeper hearts, or from outside of us, through an image or teaching. It is a call that compels us towards something unknown, and it can be both exhilarating and frightening. 

How do we respond?

This past summer we explored the role of ethics and meditation in Buddhist spiritual life (also known as the Dharma life). We have seen how changes in the way that we think, communicate and act can lead to real and deep change in ourselves and communities. For the remainder of 2024 we will be exploring how that positive change continues to deepen, becoming more liberative and eventually leading to real Insight. The Buddha’s teaching is described as an invitation to ‘come and see,’ and we can respond by walking the path.

On Sunday mornings we will explore:
•How our views can limit our happiness and trap us in old habits, or lead to our freedom 
•The Buddha’s vision of the human condition and the interconnected nature of life
•An understanding of the Four Noble Truths
•How faith deepens and becomes wisdom
•The role of the imagination in Dharma life and its relationship to the Buddhist idea of faith
•The limitation of concepts/views in understanding reality
•The provisional nature of concepts about spiritual life
•How wisdom is non-conceptual and involves personal transformation and direct experience

Every Sunday, 10-11:45am. These mornings will include meditation, a short talk and discussion. Everyone is welcome! We will be meeting in-person at Gateway Taiji, 875 Islington St, Portsmouth, with a Zoom option. Offered by donation, $5-$15 suggested. If you’d like to attend by Zoom, we’ll send the Zoom link upon registration, or simply sign up for our weekly email which includes the link. Please bring your own water bottle or thermos; we have meditation cushions and chairs at the studio.

Schedule: 
September —
15 Two Visions of Humanity: Impermanence and Transformation
22 Responding to the Call
29 The Way of Things: Four Noble Truths 
October —
6 A Transformative Life: Living the Four Noble Truths
13 Reimagining Spiritual Life: A Thicket, a Raft, a Handful of Leaves, a Snake and the Moon
20 This Being, That Becomes
27 Three Ways of Looking Deeper
November —
3 The Stories We Tell Ourselves
10 Changing Habit into Liberation Part One
17 Changing Habit into Liberation Part Two
24 The Inspired Imagination
December —
1 no gathering thanksgiving
8 For Heroic Spirits Intended: The Perfection of Wisdom
15 Prajnaparamita: Mother of the Buddhas
22 Mind Only
29 no gathering holiday weekend

Click Here to RSVP or Donate

Click Here to Join on Zoom

This summer we’ll be exploring the creative aspects of Buddhist ethics, drawing on a book by a Triratna Order member, Subhadramati — It’s Not About Being Good: A Practical Guide to Buddhist Ethics (2013). As we make our way within a world context that is challenging in so many ways, Subhdramati’s framing inquiry seems relevant. She describes having become disillusioned, first with her childhood Christianity and later by the advanced physics she pursued at university, as ways to understand why things are as they are. Through her encounter with Buddhism, however, her perspective shifted entirely. “I revised the very questions I was seeking answers for,” she writes. “Rather than focusing on why the universe is as it is, the crucial issue became how I should live my life within it.”  

Subhadramati says that as she moved along in her practice she came to understand being ethical as learning to act more and more in accord with her values, and it would be hard to come up with a better list of values than the positive precepts: kindness, generosity, contentment, authenticity and awareness. As we consider each of these, we’ll also talk about karma and the effects of our actions, the importance of the Buddha as an exemplar of kindness, the beauty of generosity, how to take responsibility for our unskillful actions without guilt, the positive power of speech, and the qualities of a mind “purified” of the poisons of craving, hatred and delusion. Overall, we’ll be looking at how focusing on ethics can give us a practical understanding of how to approach the famous dictum in the opening lines of the Dhammapada:

Experiences are preceded by mind, led by mind, and produced by mind. If one speaks or acts with an impure mind, suffering follows even as the cart-wheel follow the hoof of the ox (drawing the cart).

Experiences are preceded by mind, led by mind, and produced by mind. If one speaks or acts with a pure mind, happiness follows like a shadow that never departs.

Join us this summer as we meditate together and explore these teachings in a spirit of friendship  and community. Each topic will stand alone, so join us whenever you are able.

Every Sunday, 10-11:45am. These mornings will include meditation, a short talk and discussion. Everyone is welcome! We will be meeting in-person at Gateway Taiji, 875 Islington St, Portsmouth, with a Zoom option. Offered by donation, $5-$15 suggested. If you’d like to attend by Zoom, we’ll send the Zoom link upon registration, or simply sign up for our weekly email which includes the link. Please bring your own water bottle or thermos; we have meditation cushions and chairs at the studio.

July 7: July 4 weekend, no meeting
July 14 Introduction: Karma & the Effects of Our Actions
July 21 Acting Like a Buddha
July 28 The Beauty of Generosity
August 4 Remorse vs. Guilt
August 11 Meditation in the park
August 18 The Power of Words
August 25 A Beautiful Mind
September 1: Labor Day Weekend, no meeting

Image detail from ‘The Buddha’ by Odilon Redon

Click Here to RSVP or Donate

Click Here to Join on Zoom

Transforming the Heart with Kindness — a 4-week course on Wednesday evenings, 6:30-8pm, June 26th to July 17th at 73 Court Street, Portsmouth

Meditation practice helps us to develop contentment, clarity, integration, concentration, and a sense of peace. Whether you're just looking to find some stillness in your life, or to directly explore the nature of consciousness, this class is a great way to begin! 

In this introductory meditation workshop we will explore the Buddha's teaching of kindness or metta, generally as a living principle, and more specifically as a meditation practice. Participants will learn the Metta Bhavana, or Cultivation of Loving-Kindness, a meditation that has been practiced for thousands of years. Described as 'divine abiding', the practice of loving kindness meditation opens new dimensions and depths of positive emotion within the heart. We will learn how to be with difficult emotion in a creative space, rather than a reactive cycle.  We will explore the core Buddhist ethical principle of non-harm and its practical application in daily life, drawing out the rewards and challenges of a life lived with empathy and kindness. 

Participants will learn everything they need to begin a regular and effective meditation practice. Suitable for complete beginners, or those looking for a refresher.

The course is by donation: we suggest $10-$15 per class or $40-$60 for the entire 4-weeks; it is also ok not to donate if your budget is too tight. Proceeds will be split between South Church and Portsmouth Buddhist Center. A donation bowl will be onsite. Although the course builds on the material of the previous week, it is also OK to just drop in.  Chairs and cushions will be provided, but feel free to bring your own gear if you prefer. Dress in whatever way feels comfortable to you.

Led By — Dh Suddhayu and team. Suddhayu has been a practicing Buddhist since 1992. He is an ordained member of the Triratna Buddhist Order, and has been teaching workshops and leading retreats since 1998. He currently works full time for Dharma initiatives as manager of Aryaloka Buddhist Retreat Center and Chair of Portsmouth Buddhist Center.

Click Here to RSVP

The Portsmouth Buddhist Center is offering  a weekly Buddhist Recovery Group at 73 Court Street, Portsmouth, NH. The time will be Mondays from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM. The meetings will be facilitated by Dharmasukta, an order member in the Triratna Buddhist Community and a person in long term recovery. 

The Buddhist Recovery meetings will focus on Buddhist teachings, traditions and practices that can be helpful to people recovering from addiction to alcohol and other drugs. There will be an emphasis on meditation practice, ethics, waking up and transforming unskillful behaviors. These are not 12-Step meetings, but we will see how the steps can be understood from a Buddhist perspective.

Membership- These meetings are open to people in the Sangha and anyone interested in exploring recovery from a Buddhist perspective. One important caveat- These meetings are NOT a replacement for traditional 12-Step recovery; they are a supplement for those who are looking for a way to integrate Buddhist practice into their recovery from addiction. 

Meeting format:   We will begin each meeting with a period of meditation. Meditation will be followed by brief check-ins, then a topic discussion based on Buddhist materials that integrate Buddhist teachings and practice with recovery from addiction.  

Financial support:  The Portsmouth Buddhist Center operates on your generosity. A donation of 5 to 10 dollars is suggested but not required, and greatly appreciated. 

Click Here to RSVP

Exploring Mindfulness and Meditation — a 4-week course on Wednesday evenings, 6:30-8pm, May 22nd to June 12th at 73 Court Street, Portsmouth

Meditation helps us to develop contentment, clarity, integration, concentration, and a sense of peace. Practicing Mindfulness as we go about the activities of our lives helps to keep us centered, creative and in touch with our own vitality. 

We will explore Buddhist teachings of mindfulness and how we can practice them in contemporary life. Participants will learn the mindfulness of breathing, a meditation that has been practiced for thousands of years.

Participants will learn everything they need to begin a regular and effective meditation practice. Suitable for complete beginners, or those who wish to explore their practice more deeply.

The course is by donation: we suggest $10-$15 per class or $40-$60 for the entire 4-weeks; it is also ok not to donate if your budget is too tight. Proceeds will be split between South Church and Portsmouth Buddhist Center. A donation bowl will be onsite. Although the course builds on the material of the previous week, it is also OK to just drop in.  Chairs and cushions will be provided, but feel free to bring your own gear if you prefer. Dress in whatever way feels comfortable to you.

Led By — Dh Suddhayu and team. Suddhayu has been a practicing Buddhist since 1992. He is an ordained member of the Triratna Buddhist Order, and has been teaching workshops and leading retreats since 1998. He currently works full time for Dharma initiatives as manager of Aryaloka Buddhist Retreat Center and Chair of Portsmouth Buddhist Center.

Register Here

Addiction and Recovery: How Buddhism Can Help— The Journey from Me to We
Mondays April 15 to May 6, 7-8:30pm at gateway Taiji, 875 Islington St, Portsmouth NH

There are many paths to the source. If you are someone who has experienced addiction to alcohol and/or other drugs, and are seeking ways to support your recovery, Buddhism can offer a path to help maintain recovery from addiction. The Portsmouth Buddhist Center is offering a 4 week course for those in recovery from addiction interested in learning more about how Buddhist teachings and practices can support your recovery efforts. This course is not a replacement for traditional 12-Step recovery. It is another way to understand addiction and recovery from a perspective that compliments the wisdom and tools of the 12-Step approach. (If you are a family member or friend who supports someone in recovery, and are interested in learning more about Buddhism, we encourage you to attend our Sunday morning classes at Gateway Taiji.)   

In this series, we will be exploring:

—The Buddha’s teaching on the 4 Noble Truths and their relevance to the suffering brought about by addiction and the path out of that suffering;

—The Buddhist ethical precepts and how living ethically can alleviate shame-based thinking and behavior;

—Mindfulness and Mindfulness of Breathing meditation as a tool for managing craving and understanding the causes of craving;

—Loving kindness or Metta Bhavana Meditation as a means to transform self-loathing and hatred into kindness and compassion towards self and others;

—Sangha or spiritual community as a means to support and sustain us on the path to transformation.

The course will be facilitated by Dharmasukta and Shraddhavani, two ordained members of the Triratna Buddhist Order who have experience healing from the impact of addiction. 

Click Here to Register

Meditation, Dharma, Community — Every Sunday 10-11:45am, in-person at Gateway Taiji or online on Zoom beginning March 10

Whether you're just getting started in meditation, or have years of experience, the workshop environment of these gatherings will aim to assist participants to go deeper with their meditation practice. The teachings and techniques explored in this series will help meditators to successfully overcome hindrances to concentration, and to cultivate tranquility. Attend every week or just drop in when you can!

Every Sunday, 10-11:45am. These mornings will include meditation, a short talk and discussion. Everyone is welcome! We will be meeting in-person at Gateway Taiji, 875 Islington St, Portsmouth, with a Zoom option. Offered by donation, $5-$15 suggested. If you’d like to attend by Zoom, we’ll send the Zoom link upon registration, or simply sign up for our weekly email which includes the link. Please bring your own water bottle or thermos; we have meditation cushions and chairs at the studio.

Click Here to Donate

Click Here to Join on Zoom

March 10 Why Meditate?
March 17 Learning to Enjoy Stillness: Peace in the Body
March 24 Tools for an Enjoyable Meditation Practice
March 31 Creative Antidotes for Restlessness and Anxiety
April 7 Creative Antidotes for Sloth and Torpor
April 14 Creative Antidotes for Sense Desire
April 21 Creative Antidotes for Aversion
April 28 Creative Antidotes for Doubt and Indecision
May 5 Discovering Confidence in Your Meditation: The Signs of Integration
May 12 Deepening Tranquility in Meditation
May 19 Fine Tuning Meditation: Balanced Effort and the Subtle Hindrances
May 26 (memorial day)
June 2 Mindfulness and the Body
June 9 Mindfulness and Feeling
June 16 Mindfulness and Thinking
June 23 Mindfulness and Dharmas

How to be as Kind as a Buddha —
Practices to Cultivate Kindness for Self and Community

Meditation, Dharma, Community —  every Sunday 10-11:45am ET,  in-person at Gateway Taiji or online on Zoom, beginning  January 7.

“Even as a mother protects with her life
Her child, her only child,
So with a boundless heart
Should one cherish all living beings:
Radiating kindness over the entire world
Spreading upwards to the skies,
And downwards to the depths;
Outwards and unbounded,
Freed from hatred and ill-will.
Whether standing or walking, seated or lying down
Free from drowsiness,
One should sustain this recollection.
This is said to be the sublime abiding.” 
From the Karaniya Metta Sutta

“Love where there is no reason to love.”  Sangharakshita

Like a garden, kindness needs to be cultivated; kindness needs the right conditions to grow and flourish. What are those conditions and how do we find or create them? Every Sunday we’ll be exploring practices that create the best conditions within ourselves and our communities for kindness to take root, thrive and bear fruit.

Metta, or universal loving-kindness, is known as an immeasurable, in that it has limitless application and leads to a heart and mind free of constriction. The every-day practice of kindness leads to a freer, more expansive heart. How big can your heart grow?

The cultivation of meditative calm with radiant positive emotion is a central dynamic of Buddhist spiritual life. The heart and mind are changeable — painful states of hatred and craving can be let go of as we cultivate the qualities we wish to embody, such as kindness or contentment. This process is deeply healing and integrating; this practice can ‘burn up’ the karmic residue of unskillful habits, and create momentums of inspiration and love that transform us and our communities.

The Brahma Viharas (Sublime Abodes or Immeasurables) are a collection of meditation practices based in the development and embodiment of metta or loving-kindness. They are kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity. We will explore each of these practices, learning to be with whatever we feel, finding freedom from the constriction of ill-will, and showing us the way to deeper expressions of positive emotion.

Click Here to Register

Click Here to Join on Zoom

Embarking on a spiritual path is a highly personal and individual step. Yet most of us sooner or later come to feel a need for the support and friendship of others who are on a similar path. This reality speaks to why there are three jewels we value in Buddhism: the Buddha, the exemplar and ideal of enlightenment; the Dharma, the truth the Buddha realized and his teaching; and the Sangha, the fellowship of those who follow the Buddha and practice the Dharma.

For the closing months of 2023, we will be looking at the Sangha jewel and what it might mean to us individually and collectively. The Buddha famously said that kalayana mitrata, or ethically helpful friendship, is “the whole of the spiritual life.” Over the coming weeks, we’ll unpack the implications of that teaching, looking at what spiritual friendship means in practice, how we can benefit from it and offer it to others, and the nature of a community that embodies it. 

Our weekly program includes meditation, short talks on Dharma and small-group conversation. Whether you’re a newcomer to Buddhism, an old hand or somewhere in between, our gatherings offer a supportive, friendly context for pursuing your practice. Please join us as we consider the value of spiritual friendship and explore what it means to build community on that basis.

*Every Sunday, 10-11:30am. These mornings will include meditation, a short talk and discussion. Everyone is welcome! We will be meeting in-person at Gateway Taiji, 875 Islington St, Portsmouth, with a Zoom option. Offered by donation, $5-$15 suggested. If you’d like to attend by Zoom, we’ll send the Zoom link upon registration, or simply sign up for our weekly email which includes the link. Please bring your own water bottle or thermos; we have meditation cushions and chairs at the studio. 

CLICK HERE TO JOIN ON ZOOM
 

Creative Mind — The Buddhist Way to What is Real
How our views and stories lock us down or free us

This summer we’ll be exploring how the views we hold and the stories we tell ourselves can either keep us locked in to painful habits, or free us from our suffering.

The Buddha described the philosophical and religious positions of his day as a ‘thicket of views,’ and described Nirvana or Enlightenment as being beyond views. This means that true freedom is a direct experience that cannot be adequately described in words or captured in concepts about Reality.

And yet the Buddha had a great deal to say about the path to true freedom, describing views as being either helpful or unhelpful when walking that path and finding a way to end suffering. The Buddha found ways to communicate his own direct experience, not by describing it exactly but by showing us how best to get there ourselves!

All are welcome for our summer of liberation! As the Buddha said, “Come and see.”

Our full calendar is below. Please note, all days described as ‘meditation in the park’ will not take place at Gateway Taiji or on Zoom. We will meet in Prescott Park under the trees near the large flagpole. Please bring either a chair, or a blanket and cushions for yourself. And, if you like, feel free to bring a vegetarian bagged lunch for a picnic after meditation!

*Every Sunday, 10-11:30am. These mornings will include meditation, a short talk and discussion. Everyone is welcome! We will be meeting in-person at Gateway Taiji, 875 Islington St, Portsmouth, with a Zoom option. Offered by donation, $5-$15 suggested. If you’d like to attend by Zoom, we’ll send the Zoom link upon registration, or simply sign up for our weekly email which includes the link. Please bring your own water bottle or thermos; we have meditation cushions and chairs at the studio. 

Every Sunday, 10-11:30am. These mornings will include meditation, a short talk and discussion. Everyone is welcome! We will be meeting in-person at Gateway Taiji, 875 Islington St, Portsmouth, with a Zoom option. Offered by donation, $5-$15 suggested. If you’d like to attend by Zoom, we’ll send the Zoom link upon registration, or simply sign up for our weekly email which includes the link.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN ON ZOOM

May
21 The Way to Wisdom
28 Memorial Day Weekend (no gathering)
June
4 Mind: Reactive and Creative
11 The Taste of Freedom: Eight Strange and Wonderful Things About the Dharma
18 The Spiral Path of Liberation part 1
25 The Spiral Path of Liberation part 2
July
2 Meditation in the Park
9 Getting off Autopilot: Habit and Creativity
16 Stop Going Through the Motions: Superficiality and Commitment
23 No Doubt: Vagueness and Clarity
30 Ethics and Liberation: Freedom from Unskillfulness
August
6  Meditation and Liberation: Freedom from the Five Hindrances
13 Wisdom and Liberation: Freedom from Upside-down Views
20 Lessons from the Gotami Sutta: Knowing the Dharma by its Fruits
27 Lessons from the Honeyball Sutta: Freedom from Reactivity
September
3 Meditation in the Park
10 Buddhism and Social Liberation

Weekly Friends' Morning: The Four Reminders — Sunday Mornings, 10-11:30am,
in-person at Gateway Taiji or on Zoom* | Meditation, Dharma, Community

All are welcome to our weekly Sunday gathering. Our spring series will be an exploration of the Four Reminders, or the Four Mind-Turning Reflections. The Four Reminders put us in touch with the nature of life in a way that challenges our tendency to take things for granted. These reflections set the foundation for an engaged practice of the Buddha’s teaching. Exploring them together, we find that we are not alone in the human predicament! 

The Four Reminders

Life has inevitable difficulties. No one can control it all.

This body is impermanent. Death is certain.

The karma I create shapes the course of my life.

This human birth is precious, an opportunity to awaken.

These four reminders expose my pre-occupations.
Things that at death will mean nothing to me.

This life I must know as the tiny splash of a raindrop.
A thing of beauty that disappears, even as it comes into being.

Therefore I recall my inspiration and aspiration.
I resolve to make use of every day and night,
wherever I am, to realize it.
(version by Vessantara)

*Every Sunday, 10-11:30am. These mornings will include meditation, a short talk and discussion. Everyone is welcome! We will be meeting in-person at Gateway Taiji, 875 Islington St, Portsmouth, with a Zoom option. Offered by donation, $5-$15 suggested. If you’d like to attend by Zoom, we’ll send the Zoom link upon registration, or simply sign up for our weekly email which includes the link.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN ON ZOOM

Every Sunday, 10-11:30am Beginning  January 15

Over 2500 years ago, a young man sat beneath a tree and woke up. He then walked the wilds and villages of India, talking to anyone who would listen and passing on his vision, so that others too could wake up. His vision was passed on through the centuries and through many cultures down to us in 2023. 

What did he have to say? What was so compelling to last this long, to influence millions of people, to change lives and cultures? What was he like? What could a Buddhist approach to personal transformation and fulfillment look like for us?

This winter we’ll be exploring the life of the Buddha, his core teachings, and  a selection of stories from the days of the Buddha. We will discover their relevance, practicality and wonder for ourselves. What does it mean to wake up, here in the winter of 2023 on the seacoast of New England?

Every Sunday, 10-11:30am. These mornings will include meditation, a short talk and discussion. Everyone is welcome! We will be meeting in-person at Gateway Taiji, 875 Islington St, Portsmouth, with a Zoom option. Offered by donation, $5-$15 suggested.

Click Here to Join on Zoom

Wise Up! Buddhist Teachings for Awareness and Transformation

A six week online course on Wednesday evenings, Jan 18  to Feb 22 , 6:30-8pm ET.

Click Here to Register

What does Buddhist teaching have to offer us in 2023? During times of pandemic, social discord and uncertainty, it is both vital and inspiring to find voices of compassion and wisdom from our past, and to connect with a community of like-minded people now. After 2500 years, the Buddha’s vision of human spiritual life is still relevant, radical, practical and fresh. This six week class will give participants an introduction to the life and core teachings of the Buddha, and all they need to begin their own practice! We will explore aspects of Buddhist teaching that have come down to us through different cultures and times, including the teachings of the historical Buddha, the compassion and wisdom teachings of the Great Way, and the practical symbolism of mantra. Basic meditation instruction will be given as well as an introduction to Buddhist ethics, wisdom teachings, and symbolism. 

Whether you're looking to find some peace and stillness, to find tools for kinder, simpler living, or to directly explore the nature of consciousness, this class is a great way to begin! Suitable for complete beginners, or those seeking to explore Buddhism and meditation more deeply.

Our introductory classes are by donation. For this six week course we suggest $30-$90 for the entire course ($5-$15 per evening). Portsmouth Buddhist Center operates with a culture of generosity – the expense of running our programs is paid for with donations. If you'd prefer not to book online, you may email portsmouth@thebuddhistcenter.com to make other arrangements. You will receive an emailed zoom link prior to the course.

Led by —

Dh Suddhayu has been a practicing Buddhist since 1992. He is an ordained member of the Triratna Buddhist Order, and has been teaching workshops and leading retreats since 1998. He currently works full time for Dharma initiatives as manager of Aryaloka Buddhist Retreat Center and Chair of Portsmouth Buddhist Center. 

Dh Shraddhavani is part of the team running the Portsmouth Buddhist Center. She has been practicing yoga and meditation for 25 years and has been practicing and leading meditation for over a decade at Portsmouth Buddhist Center and Aryaloka. She was ordained in 2018.

Meditation, Dharma, Community — Every Wednesday, 7-8:30pm at Gateway Taiji in Portsmouth or online on Zoom, beginning October 5th.

From a Buddhist perspective, spirituality is a process of becoming kinder and less selfish, of freeing oneself from habits based in craving, hatred and ignorance. This work leads us to a deeper sense of connection, and begins to unravel our suffering. The problem of human suffering was of central concern to the Buddha, and the Noble Eightfold Path is a core teaching in relation to reducing suffering for ourselves and the world.

The Eightfold Path is more like a tree than a sidewalk. When we think of walking a path, we imagine following a course from one place to another. That image holds up for the Eightfold Path, as it does lead from Samsara to Nirvana. Yet in experience, the Eightfold Path feels more like a tree in that its limbs are connected and present all at once. Sunlight that touches the leaves of one branch benefits the entire tree. Likewise, as we focus on one limb of the Eightfold Path, what we learn there informs and supports our practice of the other limbs. A beautiful living organism of practice and the fruits of practice sprouts and grows in the light of awareness.

Each week we’ll gather to meditate and explore another limb of the path: Vision, Emotion, Speech, Action, Livelihood, Effort, Awareness and Samadhi. We’ll see how these integral dimensions of transformation work and relate to each other as an evolving process. We will have a practical focus on how the practice of the Eightfold Path reduces suffering for ourselves and others. We will explore these practices from the perspective of individual transformation, and how they contribute to the flourishing of friendship and community.

Suitable for all levels of experience, including complete beginners.  Join us for the whole series, or drop in as you like. Suggested donation of $10-$15. Your donations help cover our rent and support our programs and teachers. Please bring your own water bottle or thermos; we have meditation cushions and chairs at the studio. Gateway Taiji is located at 875 Islington St, Portsmouth.

Click Here to join on Zoom.

Click here to Make a donation to PBC. Thanks!

How are we coming together safely?
If you know you have been exposed to Covid-19 within a five day period of the event’s start-time, we ask that you not attend in-person. Stay up-to-date with exposure guidelines here.
Masks are optional unless otherwise stated. 
If you have recently recovered from Covid-19, stay up-to-date with CDC guidance here as to when you’re clear to be back in public.
If you have cold or flu symptoms, we ask that you do not attend in-person.
If you have cold or flu symptoms, we ask that you do not attend in-person, but please attend on Zoom.
Gateway has installed Hepa filters in their HVAC system for air purification.
*Please let us know if you have questions or concerns about how we’re coming together.