Coming up
at Worcester Buddhist Centre
Thursday April 11th, 19.15 - 21.30
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Changing the habitual reactive mind into a mind of boundless creativity - A talk by visiting teacher Saddhaloka with questions and answers. (Open to anybody who has completed an introductory course).
Thursday April 18th, 19.15 - 21.30
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The Five Female Buddhas - Known in Sanskrit as the Five Prajnas or ‘Five Wisdoms’. Hridyagita will be leading a series of sessions on the five female Wisdom Buddhas. We begin with Locana "the embodiment of mirror-like wisdom". There will be a short talk to introduce each Buddha, followed by meditation, reflection and puja. (Open to anybody who has completed an introductory course).
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Saturday May 11th 10.00 - 16.00 (Also possible to come for the morning only)
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Exploring Buddhist ritual - A day led by Kalyanaprabha. We will be looking at and exploring our own experience of and attitude towards ritual, exploring common values and practicing some ritual together. No experience of ritual is neccessary. Bring vegan lunch to share. (Open to anybody who has completed an introductory course).
To give an idea of numbers please book via Karen at wbcnewsletterkjh@gmail.com
“Allowing ourselves fully to experience and express whatever feelings we have of faith and devotion towards our spiritual ideal can be very beneficial...” Sangharakshita
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Thursday May 23rd, 19.15 - 21.30
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Buddha day celebration. Sthiradharma will lead an evening of reflection, meditation and puja on full moon night celebrating Sidhartha Gautama's birthday and enlightenment when he became the Buddha.
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Regulars' classes:
Go deeper with Buddhism and meditate for longer. Open to all who have completed a Triratna introductory course.
Saturday mornings
10.00 - 12.30
Thursday evenings
19.15 - 21.30
The format is usually meditation, tea break followed by a teacher led discussion.
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We are currently following Sangharakshita's book
"What is the Dharma?"
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Our story
Worcester Buddhist Centre is part of the worldwide Buddhist movement called Triratna. The centre was started by order member Vajragupta early in 2002. He was chair of Birmingham Buddhist Centre at the time and wanted to start outreach classes in nearby towns and cities. He and newly ordained Nibbhaya drove from Birmingham each Tuesday evening in the centre’s old van with mats cushions and a rupa (statue of the Buddha) and led classes at the University.
Nowadays our classes take place on Thursdays and Saturdays at the Quaker Meeting House in the centre of Worcester and are led by Nibbhaya, Hridyagita, Sthiradharma and other experienced members of the team.
There is a lovely atmosphere at the Quaker Meeting House that is conducive to meditation, mindfulness and reflection.
Anyone of any faith or none is welcome to join us. We look forward to meeting you.
FAQ
What happens in an introductory course?
Introductory courses normally last six weeks. We teach a structured course covering the basics of Buddhism. During the course participants also learn the body scan, mindfulness of breathing meditation and loving kindness meditations. We ask that people commit to continuing the practices and exercises in-between lessons so they can feedback experience of how they have got on to the rest of the group next time - emails with links to guided meditations are sent to participants. One of the three jewels of Buddhism is Sangha, sometimes translated as community (the other jewels being Buddha, and Dharma - the Buddha's teachings). A genuine feeling of community can develop during the course when people wholeheartedly take part. After completing an introductory course, if people wish, they can continue coming to Worcester Buddhist Centre by joining our regulars classes which take place at the same times as the introductory courses. You do not have to consider yourself a "Buddhist" to come to either our regulars or introductory classes.
What happens in the regulars class?
The regulars class is a natural progression from the introductory course. The meditations tend to be longer and we explore Buddhism going beyond the basics learnt on the introductory course. You do not have to consider yourself a "Buddhist" to come to either our regulars or introductory classes. We ask that only people who have completed an introductory course come to the regulars class.
What do classes cost?
Classes are on a donation basis. A suggested donation would be £10.00 but please give according to your circumstances. We do not want cost to be a barrier to people attending.
Was Buddha a god?
No. Buddha was a man called Siddhartha Gautama who lived 2,500 years ago and through training his mind became awake to reality. The word Buddha literally means awake.
What is meditation?
Meditation is a method of training the mind using mindfulness and concentration. Typically in our classes we teach the "mindfulness of breathing" which stills the mind and develops the powers of concentration and "loving kindness" meditation which develops love and a feeling of connection with life.
Does Buddhism unduly focus on the suffering in life?
Buddhism actually teaches the way out of suffering. Using Buddhist practices people can find they become much more receptive to the beauty of life that is in us and around us all of the time.
What is mindfulness?
"Awareness that arises through paying attention, on purpose, in the present moment, non-judgementally" is the definition of mindfulness according to the father of secular mindfulness Jon Kabat-Zinn. In Buddhism paying attention to the present moment is seen as being very important - without it one could not meditate and it would be very hard to develop spiritually. Mindfulness is explored more deeply and taken further than the secular model in our Buddhist classes.
Do I have to be a Buddhist to come to Worcester Buddhist Centre?
No you don't. People of any faith or none can come. Everyone is welcome!
What if I disagree with the teacher?
That is fine! Positive doubt and a questioning mind are encouraged in Buddhism. We like people to ask questions and to test what they are taught here to see if it works.
Events for your diary
Worcester Sangha retreat (open to people who attend our regulars' classes) : May 24 - 27 at Tirylan House retreat centre in the Brecon Beacons
Festival Puja dates 2024
15th Feb - Parinirvana Day
23rd May - Buddha Day
11th July - Dharma Day
12th Sept - Padmasambhava
7th Nov - Sangha Day
Where to find us
The Quaker Meeting House
1 Sansome Walk, Worcester WR1 1UG
(Walk up the path turn right under archway and use the door on the left into the main building)
We are looking for a permanent home but currently most of our events take place at the Quaker Meeting House in Worcester. It is an oasis of peace with an atmosphere very conducive to meditation, mindfulness and reflection.