Many local Triratna Centres have families groups, offering weekends away and Dharma activities suitable for adults and children. In the UK, Buddhafield, Dhanakosa, and other Triratna retreat centres around the world offer family-friendly retreats. On Festival days there are often children’s activities and a crèche.

Generally young people in the Triratna Buddhist Community are not regarded as Buddhists until they are old enough to make a conscious choice for themselves. Most Buddhist parents, however, would want to bring up their children with a sense of Buddhist community and ethical values.

Listen to a talk on Buddhist Parenting by Karunagita.

Triratna and schools

School groups are welcome at many Triratna centres, by appointment. Two projects in particular are active in the field of Religious Education in the UK:

The Clear Vision Trust makes acclaimed audio-visual teaching materials for Buddhism in primary and secondary schools, and offers INSET for teachers as well as consultancy at local and national level. They also offer new online interactive tools for learning, some of which are available for free. In Germany, some of Clear Vision’s school materials are available in translation from Windross Publikationen at the Buddhistische Zentrum, Essen.

The Bodhi Tree project offers discussion and storytelling workshops on Buddhist themes for schools, meditation in schools and colleges, training for teachers, and drama and writing workshops for children and adults.

Ask a Buddhist – Video answers to your FAQ!