Wednesday Dharma Night in person only
The evening takes place in two halves. In the first half, we will introduce an aspect of Buddhism with an opportunity for discussion. After a short tea break, we explore one of two Buddhist meditations.
We offer two streams of teaching (see our Programme below):
- for newcomers to Buddhism, we offer a 14 week rolling Introduction Course plus led meditations. You can join the course on any week and can go round it as many times as you like.
- for more experienced regulars, in a separate room, we offer teaching and discussion on an aspect of Buddhism plus meditations with little or no leading.
Classes are free but your donations are greatly appreciated. Make an online donation here
Meditation
We teach two Buddhist meditation practices: Mindfulness of Breathing, for developing awareness, integration and clarity of mind; and Mettā Bhāvanā (“development of loving kindness”), which brings about a gentle but radical transformation of our emotional world. Each week we alternate between the two practices.
Talks
We introduce traditional teachings of the Buddha in a way that is accessible and practical to everyday life in the modern world. The format is usually a talk, sometimes followed by breaking into smaller groups for discussion.
Programme
30 July 2025 — 22 April 2026: —
| Date | Meditation | Topic: Regulars | Topic: Newcomers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 July 2025 | Mettā Bhāvanā | Tibetan Book of the Dead - Film Night + Q&A - Vanarājī, Kṣāntivajra, Nandaketu | Wisdom 2 – The Four Noble Truths - Laurie |
| 6 August 2025 | Mindfulness of Breathing | Practice Evening - Dharmavartin | Wisdom 3 – The Lakshanas - Vanarājī |
| 13 August 2025 | Mettā Bhāvanā | Practice Evening - Katrina | Wisdom 4 – Karma and rebirth - John |
| 20 August 2025 | Mindfulness of Breathing | Practice Evening - Āryasāra | Introduction to Buddhism and Triratna - Vanarājī |
| 27 August | Mettā Bhāvanā | Practice Evening - Śraddhādāsa | Going for refuge to the three jewels - Kṣāntivajra |
| 3 September | Mindfulness of Breathing | Four Noble Truths - Śraddhādāsa | Ethics 1 – Non harm - Abhayavāṇī |
| 10 September | Mettā Bhāvanā | The Noble Eightfold Path - Perfect Vision - Vīryanātha | Ethics 2 – Generosity - Vanarājī |
| 17 September | Mindfulness of Breathing | The Noble Eightfold Path - Perfect Emotion - John | Ethics 3 – Contentment - Kṣāntivajra |
| 24 September | Mettā Bhāvanā | The Noble Eightfold Path - Perfect Speech - Dharmavartin | Ethics 4 – Wholesome speech - Abhayavāṇī |
| 1 October | Mindfulness of Breathing | The Noble Eightfold Path - Perfect Action - Nandaketu | Ethics 5 – Mindfulness - Dharmavartin |
| 8 October | Mettā Bhāvanā | The Noble Eightfold Path - Perfect Livelihood - Laurie | Meditation 1 – The System of Practice - Vīryanātha |
| 15 October | Mindfulness of Breathing | The Noble Eightfold Path - Perfect Effort - Katrina | Meditation 2 – Balanced effort - Abhayasakhī |
| 22 October | Mettā Bhāvanā | The Noble Eightfold Path - Perfect Awareness - Śraddhādāsa | Meditation 3 – The Hindrances - Kṣāntivajra |
| 29 October | Mindfulness of Breathing | Practice Evening - Dharmavartin | Wisdom 1 – Conditionality - Laurie |
| 5 November | Mettā Bhāvanā | The Noble Eightfold Path - Perfect Concentration - Śraddhādāsa | Wisdom 2 – The Four Noble Truths - Vīryanātha |
| 12 November | Mindfulness of Breathing | Rituals within Triratna - Transference of Merit - | Wisdom 3 – The Lakshanas - Dharmavartin |
| 19 November | Mettā Bhāvanā | Rituals within Triratna - Rejoicing in Merit - MEBC is 9 years old - | Wisdom 4 – Karma and rebirth - |
| 26 November | Mindfulness of Breathing | Rituals within Triratna - 3 Fold Pūjā - | Introduction to Buddhism and Triratna - |
| 3 December | Mettā Bhāvanā | Rituals within Triratna - 7 fold Pūjā + Sangha Festival - | Going for refuge to the three jewels - |
| 10 December | Mindfulness of Breathing | Rituals within Triratna – Tiratana Vandanā- | Ethics 1 – Non harm - |
| 17 December | Mettā Bhāvanā | Rituals within Triratna - Dedication Ceremony - | Ethics 2 – Generosity - |
| 24 December | Mindfulness of Breathing | Joint Evening: End of year reflection - | Joint Evening |
| 31 December | Mettā Bhāvanā | Joint Evening: Rituals within Triratna - Meditation workshop - | Joint Evening |
| 7 January 2026 | Mindfulness of Breathing | Practice Session - New Year Pūjā - | Ethics 3 – Contentment - |
| 14 January 2026 | Mettā Bhāvanā | Heart Sutta – what it is and what it isn’t - Nandaketu | Ethics 4 – Wholesome speech - |
| 21 January 2026 | Mindfulness of Breathing | Heart Sutta – The texture of Reality & the Nature of Wisdom - Nandaketu | Ethics 5 – Mindfulness - |
| 28 January 2026 | Mettā Bhāvanā | Heart Sutta – The Effulgence of Emptiness - Nandaketu | Meditation 1 – The System of Practice - |
| 4 February 2026 | Mindfulness of Breathing | Heart Sutta – Holding to Nothing Whatever - Nandaketu | Meditation 2 – Balanced effort - |
| 11 February 2026 | Mettā Bhāvanā | Festival Evening - Parinirvāṇa Day - | Meditation 3 – The Hindrances - |
| 18 February 2026 | Mindfulness of Breathing | GfR Groups - What is GfR - | Wisdom 1 – Conditionality - |
| 25 February 2026 | Mettā Bhāvanā | GfR Groups - Confession, Theory & Practice - | Wisdom 2 – The Four Noble Truths - |
| 4 March 2026 | Mindfulness of Breathing | GfR Groups - Training for Ordination - | Wisdom 3 – The Lakshanas - |
| 11 March 2026 | Mettā Bhāvanā | GfR Groups - Becoming a Mitra/Mitra Study - | Wisdom 4 – Karma and rebirth - |
| 18 March 2026 | Mindfulness of Breathing | GfR Groups - Going on Retreat - | |
| 25 March 2026 | Mettā Bhāvanā | Mantra Workshop - | |
| 1 April 2026 | Mindfulness of Breathing | Meditation - Overview of the Triratna System of Practice - | |
| 8 April 2026 | Mettā Bhāvanā | Meditation - Mettā Bhāvanā - | |
| 15 April 2026 | Mindfulness of Breathing | Meditation - Mindfulness of Breathing - | |
| 22 April 2026 | Mettā Bhāvanā | Meditation - Just Sitting - |
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be a Buddhist?
No, the class is suitable for everyone who wants to meditate or learn about Buddhism.
What should I wear?
There are no special requirements, just whatever is comfortable to sit in.
Do I need to book?
No - just turn up!
Is it okay to join in the middle of the series?
Absolutely. Though of course you'll get those most out of the class by attending the whole series, there's no need to wait until the start of the next series if you want to start coming.
Can I just come for the meditation?
Of course, though the meditation we teach is itself a Buddhist teaching.
How much does the class cost?
We don't charge for our classes, and the team are not paid for their time. We simply ask that those who are able to do so make a donation to the centre to help us cover our running costs.
The suggested amount, based on how many people come and how much it costs to run the centre, would be what you would pay for say a Yoga class, but this is not a fixed cost and everyone is equally welcome, even if you cannot give anything at all.