Foundations of Buddhist Study and Practice 1: Establishing a relationship with the Buddha’s teachings

This six week course offers an introduction to the study and practice of some of the Buddha’s key suttas or discourses. It is intended as the first in an ongoing series, and will cover preliminary themes and practices taken from the Four Noble Truths, the Four Establishments of Mindfulness and the Four Brahmaviharas.

Each week, we will explore a text from the Pali canon using a variety of different approaches, to distill the essential, practical wisdom of these teachings so that it can inform - and transform - our daily lives.

The course is best suited to people who have sat at least one seven-day silent meditation retreat, but prior Buddhist study is not necessary.

Each class will include a short dharma talk, some silent meditation practice, dyad (pairs) practice, and small group discussion.
During the six weeks of the course, you will be invited to maintain a regular sitting practice and keep a practice journal, to help inform the discussion during each meeting.

Because this is a group learning process, participants are asked to make a commitment to attend all six sessions of the course, and to allow at least two hours a week for personal study and reflections to be shared with the group.

Feel free to contact Jill if you have any questions about this.

Teacher: Jill Shepherd http://jill0shepherd-insightmeditation.com

Cost for six sessions: $120 + dana*

Times and dates: 2:00 pm - 4:15 pm, six consecutive Saturdays 13 June - 18 July

Please bring a pen and paper or notebook to each class.

*The registration fee covers only the cost of venue hire, administration, booking fees, and a contribution to the teacher's international airfares.

In keeping with Buddhist tradition, the teachings are offered on a dana basis which means the teacher is not paid to offer this workshop. Instead, they rely on the generosity of the participants to help them continue to share their teachings with others, and there will be an opportunity at the end of each class to offer donations to support their ongoing teaching.