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
25 March 2026 — 30 December: Theme: Mantra and Meditation
| Date | Meditation | Topic: Regulars | Topic: Newcomers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 March 2026 | Mettā Bhāvanā | Mantra Workshop - Helena | Going for refuge to the three jewels - Vīryanātha |
| 1 April 2026 | Mindfulness of Breathing | Meditation - Overview of the Triratna System of Practice - Śraddhādāsa | Ethics 1 – Non harm - Vanaraji |
| 8 April 2026 | Mindfulness of Breathing | Triratna Festival Evening - Dharmavartin | Ethics 2 – Generosity - Ksantivajra |
| 15 April 2026 | Mettā Bhāvanā | Meditation - Mettā Bhāvanā - Abhayavāṇī | Ethics 3 – Contentment - Vīryanātha |
| 22 April | Mindfulness of Breathing | Meditation - Mindfulness of Breathing - Laurie | Ethics 4 – Wholesome speech - Dharmavartin |
| 29 April | Mettā Bhāvanā | Meditation - Just Sitting - Abhayasakhī | Ethics 5 – Mindfulness - Ksantivajra |
| 6 May | Mindfulness of Breathing | Practice Evening - Abhayavāṇī | Meditation 1 – The System of Practice - Vīryanātha |
| 13 May | Mettā Bhāvanā | The Art of Reflection - Introduction - Śraddhādāsa | Meditation 2 – Balanced effort - Vanaraji |
| 20 May | Mindfulness of Breathing | The Art of Reflection - A Reflective Life - Abhayasakhī | Meditation 3 – The Hindrances - Dharmavartin |
| 27 May | Mettā Bhāvanā | The Art of Reflection - Learning from Experience - Āryasāra | Wisdom 1 – Conditionality - |
| 3 June | Mindfulness of Breathing | The Art of Reflection - Dwelling on a Topic - Upekṣhādhī | Wisdom 2 – The Four Noble Truths - Āryasāra |
| 10 June | Mettā Bhāvanā | Practice Evening - Āryasāra | Wisdom 3 – The Lakshanas - Vīryanātha |
| 17 June | Mindfulness of Breathing | The Art of Reflection - Reading Reflectively - Śraddhādāsa | Wisdom 4 – Karma and rebirth - |
| 24 June | Mettā Bhāvanā | The Art of Reflection - Imagining the Buddha - Dharmavartin | Introduction to Buddhism and Triratna - |
| 1 July | Mindfulness of Breathing | The Art of Reflection - Contemplating the Buddha - Āryasāra | Going for refuge to the three jewels - |
| 8 July | Mettā Bhāvanā | The Art of Reflection - Practice Evening - Vīryanātha | Ethics 1 – Non harm - Āryasāra |
| 15 July | Mindfulness of Breathing | Practice Evening - Śraddhādāsa | Ethics 2 - Generosity - Vīryanātha |
| 22 July | Mettā Bhāvanā | Practice Evening - Āryasāra | Ethics 3 - Contentment - |
| 29 July | Mindfulness of Breathing | Dharma Festival Evening - Reserved | Ethics 4 - Wholesome speech - |
| 5 August | Mettā Bhāvanā | Practice Evening - Āryasāra | Ethics 5 - Mindfulness - |
| 12 August | Mindfulness of Breathing | Practice Evening - Abhayasakhī | Meditation 1 - The system of practice - |
| 19 August | Mettā Bhāvanā | Saying Goodbye to Laurie for his Ordination Retreat - Laurie | Mediation 2 - Ballanced Effort |
| 26 August | Mindfulness of Breathing | Practice Evening - Nandaketu | Meditation 3 - The hindrances - |
| 2 September | Mettā Bhāvanā | Satipatthana Sutta - Introduction - Vīryanātha | Wisdom 1 - Conditionality - |
| 9 September | Mindfulness of Breathing | Satipatthana Sutta - Format & Contents - Eric | Wisdom 2 – The Four Noble Truths - |
| 16 September | Mettā Bhāvanā | Satipatthana Sutta - Body Contemplations - Upekshadi | Wisdom 3 – The Lakshanas - |
| 23 September | Mindfulness of Breathing | Satipatthana Sutta - Vedana - | Wisdom 4 – Karma and rebirth - |
| 30 September | Mettā Bhāvanā | Satipatthana Sutta - What you dwell on you become | Introduction to Buddhism and Triratna - |
| 7 October | Mindfulness of Breathing | Satipatthana Sutta - Citta - | Going for refuge to the three jewels - |
| 14 October | Mettā Bhāvanā | Dr Amedkar Festival Evening - Tracy | Ethics 1 - Non harm - |
| 21 October | Mindfulness of Breathing | Welcoming back "Laurie" from his Ordination Retreat | Ethics 2 - Generosity - |
| 28 October | Mettā Bhāvanā | Satipatthana Sutta - A penny for your thoughts | Ethics 3 – Contentment - |
| 4 November | Mindfulness of Breathing | Satipatthana Sutta - Contemplation of the Dhammas - | Ethics 4 - Wholesome speech - |
| 11 November | Mettā Bhāvanā | Satipatthana Sutta - Review and Summary - | Ethics 5 - Mindfulness - |
| 18 November | Mindfulness of Breathing | What's Live for me in My Practice - Abhayasakhi | Meditation 1 - The System of Practice |
| 25 November | Mettā Bhāvanā | Practice Evening (Sangha Retreat) - | Meditation 2 – Balanced effort - |
| 2 December | Mindfulness of Breathing | Spare | Meditation 3 – The Hindrances - |
| 9 December | Mettā Bhāvanā | Spare | Wisdom 1 – Conditionality - |
| 16 December | Mindfulness of Breathing | End of Year Reflection | Wisdom 2 – The Four Noble Truths - |
| 23 December | Mettā Bhāvanā | Sesshin Practice Evening | Wisdom 3 – The Lakshanas - |
| 30 December | Mindfulness of Breathing | Practice Evening | Wisdom 4 – Karma and rebirth - |
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.