Introducing the Foundation Programme

What is the Foundation Programme?

Many people have a sincere wish to deepen their knowledge and experience of Buddhist meditation and practice through a structured study programme. At Vairochana Centre we offer the "Foundation Programme" which is designed to fulfil this wish. It provides a systematic presentation of the basic subjects of Mahayana Buddhism and forms a perfect basis for a strong and successful daily meditation practice.

Although we all wish for happiness, our mis-understanding of the true nature of things leads us to engage in negative actions, which are the main cause of all our problems. Furthermore, if we do not learn to cultivate a good heart in our daily activities, our selfish motivation destroys harmony and good relationships with others, and we have no peace and no opportunity to gain pure happiness. Without inner peace, outer peace is impossible. Through studying on the Foundation Programme we learn how to eliminate our negative states of mind and how to cultivate positive states of mind. Our negative minds such as anger and selfishness will not go away by themselves; we need a tried and tested method to reduce and eventually to eliminate all negativity from our minds.

Geshe Kelsang says: ‘Our present understanding and experience of Dharma (Buddhist Teachings) is quite superficial. We are like someone who has entered a huge food store and seen many things but sampled only a few. We may have received many different teachings from many different Teachers, but we have taken in very little, just a few morsels. There is a big gap between our mind and Dharma and we cannot apply Dharma in our daily lives. Our approach remains passive, like someone watching television, and our mind remains as uncontrolled as before. Why is this? It is because we are not studying systematically, according to a specially designed programme. If we just pick at Dharma randomly we shall never gain deep and stable experience. For this reason the spiritual programmes offered in New Kadampa Tradition Centres are very important.’

What is currently being studied?

We have two Foundation Programmes on offer:

Understanding the Mind
(Sundays 6.30 - 8.30pm & Wednesdays 7.30 - 9.30pm)

On this course you can learn how to develop and maintain a light, positive mind – showing how to recognize and abandon states of mind that harm us, and to replace them with peaceful and beneficial ones. Through this understanding we can learn to attain a lasting state of inner peace & happiness, indepedent of external conditions.

Eight Steps to Happiness
(Sundays 9.30 am - 1.15 pm)

This course is a practical commentary to eight beautiful verses that comprise one of Buddhism's best-loved and most enduring teachings, Eight Verses of Training the Mind. Composed by the great Tibetan Bodhisattva, Langri Tangpa, this short poem shows how we can find inner peace and transform all life's difficulties into valuable spiritual insights.

How long is the Foundation Programme course?

The length of the programme depends upon which book you study. Students enrol for a section of a book at a time which typically lasts about 3-6 months. The Foundation Programme takes longer than our traditional meditation courses but you can guarantee that your understanding and experience of Meditation & Buddhism will be greatly enhanced.

What is the cost of joining Foundation Programme?

The cost of the Foundation Programme is £40 per month. The fee includes free entrance to all evening meditation classes and day courses at Vairochana Centre.

I'm interested in joining, where do I find out more?

If you have any questions, or if you wish to find out more about Foundation Programme please don't hesitate to contact us at the centre.