Introductory Programs

Introduction to Meditation and Buddhism

Date: 4 Monday evenings, dates TBD
Time: 7-9 pm
Location: The lounge at First Church, 89 College Ave (Davis Square), Somerville
Course fee: $85

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How can we create a life that is meaningful, mindful and joyful? Joy and happiness are always within our grasp. We simply need the right tools to build a life that is at once creative, real and happy. This course explores some of these tools and how we can successfully apply them to our lives.


The topics are:

  • Week 1: The power of mindfulness. We will explore the enormous benefits that a mindful life provides; we’ll learn the core Buddhist meditation, the “Mindfulness of Breathing” and discuss ways to apply it to our everyday lives.
  • Week 2: The art of compassion. Compassion is considered the quintessential positive emotion, the ability to be kind and empathetic to ourselves and others. We will learn another important meditation, the “Metta-Bhavana”, the development of loving kindness.
  • Week 3: Karma and ethics. What we do from moment to moment and day to day, what we think, what we speak all have a great impact on our lives. We will look at ethics and how the quality of our actions impacts us and those around us. And we’ll continue to explore the benefits of meditation and how meditation can help us transform the nature of our actions.
  • Week 4: Wisdom – The Four Noble Truths. Why do we suffer? How can we create a life for ourselves that is centered more around joy and expansiveness and less around the difficulties we inevitably encounter? We’ll discover how to begin to lead a life built around creative rather than reactive and habitual responses to problems that life throws at us.

No prior experience with meditation or Buddhism necessary.

First Church is on the corner of College and Francesca, and easy walking distance from the Davis Square T-stop. The entrance is on Francesca. The lounge is up the stairs, through the sanctuary and through the door to the right. Parking is available on Elm St in the 2 hour metered spots (in effect till 8pm).

We want to make our classes accessible to people regardless of financial means. If you genuinely can’t afford the fee, contact us explaining your circumstances and telling us what you can reasonably afford. We’ll do our best to accommodate you.

This workshop is taught by Sravaniya, a member of the Triratna Buddhist Order. He has been teaching courses on meditation and Buddhism for sixteen years, and is also an active violinist and orchestral conductor.

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