Buddhism for Beginners

Curious about Buddhism? This weekly class presents basic teachings that you can immediately use to improve your work and relationships, cultivate inner peace and increase your enjoyment of daily life. Each hour-long class includes a meditation, a teaching, and time for discussion. 

Everyone is welcome!

Free for members / $10 non-members

Tuesday April Series:

The Man Who Was Happy 24/7 

Buddha’s meditation practices can help us develop and maintain a peaceful mind all the time. If our mind is peaceful all the time, we will be happy all the time. So, if we wish to be happy all the time, we must learn to practice meditation!

In this series, we’ll gain a better understanding of why we get grumpy and fussy even in ideal circumstances, and how by taking Buddha’s teachings as personal advice, we can be the 67th person in line at the DMV with a cold, stubbed toe and four hours of sleep—and still be having the time of our life!

This online-only class is available only to members. Please join using the Center’s member link.

Tuesday May Series:

May is opposite month!

You know the drill. We’ve been doing it for as long as we can remember. When someone says something harsh, we get angry. When we face a challenge we’d rather not face, we get frustrated. When our hopes for a sunny day or stress-free commute are dashed, we lose it. @#%! These are our default reactions that make us unhappy.

Buddha says, let’s do exactly the opposite of what we’ve been doing for so long. In this series, we'll learn how to employ Buddha’s practical advice to reverse these behaviors that disturb our peace of mind. 

This online-only class is available only to members. Please join using the Center’s member link.

Wednesday April Series:

Meditate in Community

When we meditate and look inward, we paradoxically discover a natural feeling of warmth toward others. This is because the deeper we go within, the more interconnected we are. This indicates that our meditation practice isn't meant to be a solitary journey.

By meditating with others, we can experience the inspirational energy that arises from practicing in a group, deepen our understanding of the dharma through discussion, and cultivate a community based on deep and meaningful commonalities that will help you sustain your practice.

Each class will include two meditations, a dharma talk, and a facilitated discussion designed to deepen our understanding of the teachings and foster connection with others.

April’s topic: Should we just chill out and stop caring? While this is sometimes appropriate, we need to learn how to care without getting overly anxious. 

May’s topic: Do you find it hard to stay focused while meditating? What about at work? What about right now? If so, come to this series and learn specific techniques to improve your mindfulness.

Free for members / $12 non-members / Optional Discussion after class 8:15-845pm!

Meditation Toolkit

Meditation gives rise to peace of mind, and when your mind is peaceful, you are happy. You will find relief from stress, anxiety and difficult relationships. This program has been carefully designed to support those who wish to develop and sustain an enduring meditation practice. In particular, we will study the “Lamrim,” a time-tested system of 21 meditations that help you, step-by-step, become a wiser, more compassionate person. Discover the joy of meditation, and become a life-long meditator.

Free for members / $10 non-members

Sunday April Series:

How to Live in the Moment

When we live in the moment and tune in to the constant flux of the world around us, we can stop clinging to the past and future and discover an open, spacious mind. This allows us to relax and respond with creativity to life’s challenges.

In this course, we will explore essential meditations to simplify our life, stop overthinking and recognize subtle impermanence. The result: a joyful, present-centered mindset.

Everyone is welcome!

Free for members / $15 non-members

Sunday May Series:

Building Healthy Relationships: From Loneliness

and Codependency to Confidence

Healthy relationships are possible! And it starts with real self care– looking after our minds and hearts and establishing mental health.

When we approach relationships without an awareness of underlying issues such as distraction, low self-esteem, fear and feelings of lack, we experience conflict.

In this series, we will learn how to identify these triggers and build meditative self-care into daily life. By doing so, we can forge robust, vibrant connections with friends, family and our community.

Everyone is welcome!

Free for members / $15 non-members