Courses & Events
On this page you will find our half day courses, away retreats, weekend courses and social events, as well as a few selected events at other centres.
About our courses & events
Our one-off events give extra time to explore a variety of meditations in more depth. Courses and events cover a wide variety of topics; from the meaning and application of all aspects of the Buddhist path, to how to transform particular real life challenges into opportunities for creating peace.
Courses share a monthly theme with our ‘Meditation & Daily Life’ and ‘Friday Night Lecture’ classes to help enrich your experience of meditation.
See Q&A below for more info on our courses.
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Our courses have three parts:
Guided meditation
Every course includes a chance to practise meditation. No prior experience is necessary and all the meditations are guided.
Teaching
From Buddha’s teachings, these practical talks help us to solve our daily problems and find peace, happiness and, if we wish, a deeper purpose in our busy lives.
Discussion
A chance to discuss the topic of the talk and meditation with others during the break over refreshments. No one is ever ‘put on the spot’ and asked to talk in a class. The teacher will normally make time for questions, and will be happy to clarify any points during the class too.
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Yes. Courses cover a wide variety of topics from simple stress reduction to profound wisdom teachings, but are always taught in an accessible way such that everyone leaves with some practical insight they can use in daily life.
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No. People from all backgrounds attend JLC to find peace according to their own individual needs and wishes. Everybody is welcome.
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No special clothing is needed. Our courses do not include any physical exercise and most people choose to sit on chairs, although cushions are also set out for those who prefer to sit on the floor.
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Other than removing shoes before going into the meditation room (they can be worn as normal elsewhere) and turning phones off during session, there are no special rules to follow. People are always very pleasantly surprised with just how informal, welcoming and down to earth Jangchub Ling is; you’ll feel right at home in no time.
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Walk-ins are very welcome; we can take payments by card or cash. Advance bookings can be made online or at any of our classes.
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Courses are not currently online. Centre members can access several of our classes online and we hope to offer online courses in the future too.
January’s theme:
‘foundations’
January’s classes and courses explore the foundations of Kadampa Buddhist practice and how these methods benefit people of all backgrounds because of their scientific nature.
February’s theme:
‘purpose’
February’s classes and courses explore how to create a meaningful meditation practice that helps us live life to the full.
March’s theme:
‘optimism’
March’s classes and courses explore how to turn every disadvantage into an advantage by an optimistic view of life as an incredible opportunity.
April’s theme:
‘impermanence’
April’s classes and courses explore how we can develop a positive relationship with change.
May’s theme:
‘empathy’
May’s classes and courses explore our relationship with ourself and with others, and how to make these relationships harmonious, meaningful and joyful..
June’s theme:
‘confidence’
June’s classes and courses explore the true nature of confidence and its relationship with our innate capacity for compassion and wisdom.
July’s theme:
‘breathe’
July’s classes and courses explore developing a peaceful mind using three beautiful breathing meditations.
August:
a meaningful holiday
Our regular classes pause in August while we’re away at our tradition’s International Summer Festival in The Lakes (see above). But there’s still lots happening to help you deepen your peace of mind and create amazing karma.
September’s theme:
‘wisdom’
September’s classes and courses explore the illuminating mind of wisdom, the real antidote to all our toubles and the true source of lasting happiness.
October’s theme:
‘clarity’
October’s classes and courses explore the nature of our mind, helping us to realise peace is closer than we think.
November’s theme:
‘imagination’
November’s classes and courses explore the creative power of our mind and how to harness this power to create the world we truly wish to live in.
December’s theme:
‘mindfulness’
What is unique about a Buddhist understanding of mindfulness? A lot! Explore Buddha’s time tested guidance on mindfulness in this joyful end to the year’s classes.
“The function of mindfulness is
to prevent distractions. The more
stable our mindfulness, the fewer
distracting thoughts we will have.”