Tag: beginners

Triratna Resources
Triratna Resources

Dharma Teaching - Beginners Buddhism: Introduction to Buddhism Course (Sagaraghosha)

By Centre Team on Tue, 19 Jul, 2016 - 21:30

Sagaraghosa introduces an introduction to Buddhism course which is run for complete newcomers at the Cambridge Buddhist Centre…

The course was devised for people who may not have learnt to meditate. In Cambridge, we provide both meditation and the Buddhism course as possible first courses for newcomers. However short led meditations are included in the Buddhism course and can help to give a flavour of what it is like to meditate as well as helping the course to be grounded in experience.

...
File NameSize
Introduction to Buddhism Course - Overview (PDF)1.68 MB
Introduction to Buddhism Course - Teachers Notes (PDF)231.19 KB
Introduction to Buddhism Course - Week 2, Images of the Buddha1.22 MB
Triratna Resources
Triratna Resources

Mantras (Audio)

By Centre Team on Sun, 17 Jul, 2016 - 23:42

The Birmingham Buddhist Centre sangha, led by Vipulakirti, have recorded their own versions here. Musical notation and an article about how to approach mantras and their chanting will follow soon from him, but, at the bottom of this page, you’ll find a short explanation about the mantras and the musical “principles” behind them.

With many thanks to Vipulakirti and all the chanters!

These searches on The Buddhist Centre Online yield considerably updated resources: Chanting  |  Mantra

Wildmind has ...

File NameSize
Aksobhya (mp3)3.02 MB
Amitabha (mp3)6 MB
Amoghasiddhi (mp3)4.5 MB
Maitreya (mp3)4.19 MB
Ratnasambhava (mp3)3.03 MB
Shakyamuni (mp3)3.47 MB
Vairocana (mp3)2.96 MB
White Tara (mp3)6.16 MB
Triratna Resources
Triratna Resources

Dharma Teaching - Beginners Buddhism: Imagination, Beauty and Ritual, An Eight-Week Course (Padmavajri)

By Centre Team on Sun, 17 Jul, 2016 - 22:41

This course over eight weeks on The Place of Imagination, Beauty, and Ritual in the Spiritual Life was provided by Padmavajri from the Brighton Buddhist Centre.

Padmavajri says: “I led two groups on this. The course was aimed at any Mitras and it turned out I had a group of experienced Mitras, and a group of newer Mitras (one or two years old)… The two groups here loved it, enjoyed it, were challenged by it, and also were helped to understand ritual and the arts...

File NameSize
Overview (PDF)68.4 KB
Week 1 - Emotional Energy and Spiritual Aspiration (PDF)77.03 KB
Week 2 - Faith and Non-faith (PDF)72.21 KB
Week 3 - The Psychology of the Spiritual Life (PDF)75.7 KB
Week 4 - The Life and Death of the Imagination (PDF)77.7 KB
Week 5 - Beauty and the Hierarchy of Art (PDF)82.72 KB
Week 6 - The Dharma in Poetry (PDF)77.05 KB
Week 7 - The Psychology of Ritual (PDF)75.31 KB
Week 8 - Approaching the Sevenfold Puja (PDF)76.48 KB
Triratna Resources
Triratna Resources

Dharma Teaching - Beginners Buddhism: Ritual and Devotion, A Course In Six-Weeks (Vajrapriya)

By Centre Team on Sun, 17 Jul, 2016 - 22:12

Exploring the psychology and meaning of Buddhist ritual through the ‘Sevenfold Puja’

A six-week course exploring Buddhist ritual. Provided by Vajrapriya, Cambridge Buddhist Centre, UK. Module 5 of Vajrapriya’s Buddhism Two Course in six modules.

Download this overview here

Overview

  1. Who/what do Buddhists worship? Commitment to a path of personal development.
     
  2. The practice of openness, disclosure and confession.
     
  3. The importance of developing positive emotion.
     
  4. Receptivity: turning towards what is deepest in ourselves and the universe.
     
  5. The ‘Awakening Heart’
    6. ...
File NameSize
Ritual and Devotion - A Course In Six-Weeks by Vajrapriya (zip)2.19 MB
Triratna Resources
Triratna Resources

Dharma Teaching - Beginners Buddhism: Mahayana Buddhism, A Six-Week Course (Achala)

By Centre Team on Sun, 17 Jul, 2016 - 21:36

Here you can download handouts for a six-week course introducing the various schools of Mahayana Buddhism. The handouts were provided by Achala from New Zealand. Please note that Achala says they all need further improvement! 

This is what Achala said about his intentions when designing this course:

I tried to construct a course such that it:

  • covers what an average human being needs to effectively practice Buddhism.
     
  • doesn’t not have a scholastic bent (so a few Pali/Sanskrit terms seemed reasonable but not so many as
...
File NameSize
Week 1 - The Emergence of Mahayana Buddhism (PDF)111.49 KB
Week 1 Replacement - The Emergence of Mahayana Buddhism by Sagaraghosa (PDF)807.07 KB
Week 2 - The Bodhisattva117.94 KB
Week 3 - The Wisdom Schools (PDF)117.94 KB
Week 4 - Yogacara and Zen (PDF)110.83 KB
Week 5 - Pure Land, Hua-yan, and Vajrayana (PDF)107.65 KB
Week 6 - The Unity of Buddhism (PDF)114.12 KB
Triratna Resources
Triratna Resources

Dharma Teaching - Gurus of the Past from the Triratna Refuge Tree - A Six-Week Course (Achala)

By Centre Team on Sun, 17 Jul, 2016 - 21:14

Here you can download Achala’s notes for a six-week course on exemplary practitioners and teachers of the Dharma-selected teachers from the Triratna Refuge Tree.

This is what Achala said about his intentions when designing this course:

I tried to construct a course such that it:

  • covers what an average human being needs to effectively practice Buddhism.
     
  • doesn’t not have a scholastic bent (so a few Pali/Sanskrit terms seemed reasonable but not so many as to give the impression that the courses are oriented towards bookish
...
File NameSize
Week 1 - The Arya Sangha (PDF)112.24 KB
Week 2 - Kukai (PDF)109.71 KB
Week 3 - Shantideva (PDF)95.49 KB
Week 4 - Hsuan-Tsang, Xuanzang (PDF)116.13 KB
Week 4 - A Map of Hsuan-Tsang’s Journey (PDF)328.93 KB
Week 5 - Padmasambhava (PDF)91.97 KB
Week 6 - Hakuin (PDF)97.94 KB
Triratna Resources
Triratna Resources

Dharma Teaching - Beginners Buddhism: Buddhist Ethics, A Six-Week Course (Vajrapriya)

By Centre Team on Sun, 17 Jul, 2016 - 20:50

Seeing the implications of our behaviour for ourselves and others. 

A six-week course exploring Buddhist Ethics. Provided by Vajrapriya, Cambridge Buddhist Centre, UK. This is the fourth module of Vajrapriya’s Level Two Buddhism Course in six modules.

Download this overview here

Overview

  • Ethics as individual choice
  • Love – the golden rule
  • Generosity – respecting and contributing
  • Contentment – weakening the neurotic drives
  • Honesty – being true about ourselves
  • Awareness – the working edge for any growth

Week 1: Ethics As Individual Choice

a) Attitudes when trying to communicate ethics

b) Notes for the teacher, including suggestions for:

  • Learning outcomes for module
  • Exercise: Why practise ethics?
  • Sources of ethical judgment
  • The workings of karma
  • Intention
    • ...
File NameSize
Buddhist Ethics - A SIx-Week Course by Vajrapriya (zip)1.35 MB
Triratna Resources
Triratna Resources

Dharma Teaching - Beginners Buddhism: The Noble Eightfold Path, An Eight-Week Course (Suriyavamsa)

By Centre Team on Sun, 17 Jul, 2016 - 20:19

Here are Suriyavamsa’s notes/handouts for his 8-week course on the Noble Eightfold Path at the Glasgow Buddhist Centre.

1. Introduction to the course and the 4 Noble Truths

2. Perfect Vision

3. Perfect Emotion

4. The path of ethics – Perfect Speech, Action and Livelihood

5. Meditation 1 – Perfect Effort

6. Meditation 2 – Perfect Mindfulness

7. Meditation 3 – Perfect Samadhi

8. Summing up and checking out

9. Day retreat

File NameSize
The Noble Eightfold Path - An Eight-Week Course by Suriyavamsa (PDF)121.45 KB
Triratna Resources
Triratna Resources

Dharma Teaching - Beginners Buddhism: Buddhist Wisdom, A Six-Week Course On Symbolic Dharma (Vajrapriya)

By Centre Team on Sun, 17 Jul, 2016 - 11:29

Download this overview of the course

The resources include:

  • Notes for the course leader (including learning objectives, guide lines for input and exercises, background information, suggestions for home practice)
  • Exercises, and handouts
  • Overview of the course
  • An overview of the whole of life’s dynamics in symbolic form.
  • The wheel of life – knowing our realm
  • The wheel of life – karma and rebirth
  • The wheel of life – the chain of conditioning, “staying in the gap”
  • The spiral path – to Insight and beyond
  • The mandala of the five Buddhas – Akshobya and Amitabha
  • The mandala of
    • ...
File NameSize
Buddhist Wisdom, A Six-Week Course On Symbolic Dharma by Vajrapriya (zip)2.91 MB

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