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Getting Started

Real happiness in life starts when you begin to cherish others.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche

Welcome to our site! If you’re new to meditation, Buddhism, or even just to Buddha House, chances are you have a lot of questions. Never fear; this section will help you to get going and find the information you need.

Let’s start with the basics.

What is Buddhism?

Introduction

If you are interested in Buddhism, perhaps the best way to understand “What is Buddhism” is from a teaching by the founder of the FPMT – now a worldwide organisation, that Buddha House is part of. Click here to read “What is Buddhism” by Lama Thubten Yeshe.

To learn more about the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), click here.

Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive

If you are wanting to learn more about Buddhism, the Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archive is a collection of free books based on the teachings of Lama Yeshe, founder of the FPMT, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, our spiritual guide, and other excellent teachers. Just drop into Buddha House during opening hours and pick up a free book (ask staff which would be most suitable for beginners).

Courses for Beginners

Buddha House offers meditation and Dharma teachings for all levels of practice, and we have several courses designed for beginners.

Learn to Meditate

This beginner’s course in meditation is run weekly on Monday evenings, 6:00 – 7:00pm. Starting simply, with a gentle focus on mindfulness of the breath, Learn to Meditate is suitable for students of any level. Click here to see details on the course page.

Introduction to Buddhism

This introductory course is for complete beginners and assume those who join know little or nothing about Buddhism. It presents basic Buddhist philosophy and principles within the Tibetan Mahayana context. The course is offered periodically throughout the year; check out the Event Calendar, or contact the centre for the next start date.

Public Talks

Designed for listeners with no assumed knowledge of the Dharma, public talks are a great entry point into the Buddha’s teachings in a way that we can easily relate to our everyday lives. Talks are held regularly; see the Public Talks page for a list of upcoming events.

Planning a Visit

We look forward to seeing you! To help you get the most out of your visit, please see the next section, Planning a Visit, which covers parking, public transport options, and etiquette at the centre.

More questions? Take a look at our FAQ.

General Questions

All are welcome at every teaching and meditation session, regardless of religion or background. Some background in the Dharma is recommended to get the most out of the advanced teachings.

We recommend attending the teachings in person, but for those where this is not possible, most courses are available via a live stream. When registering for a course you are given an option to attend in person, via live stream, or a combination of the two.

The Gompa is the focal point of Buddha House. It is a meditation room with an altar used for meditation, teachings, pujas and celebrations on auspicious days.

If you are attending events at Buddha House, it is useful to be familiar with some basic guidelines for conduct at the centre. Please see the Planning a Visit page for an explanation of etiquette in the Gompa.

If you are attending events at Buddha House, it is useful to be familiar with some basic guidelines for conduct at the centre. Please see the Planning a Visit page for an explanation of etiquette in the Gompa.

Meditation Sessions

No booking is needed. Just come along, and arrive about 5 min or so before the start of the session. Please remove your shoes before entering the Gompa (meditation hall).

No, there are chairs, mats & cushions provided.

We recommend a $5 donation, which helps to keep these sessions going.

Teachings

Several times a year we present “Introduction to Buddhism” over 4 weeks. For more details or when the next course is scheduled, please contact spc@buddhahouse.org.

Another good introduction is to attend Learn to Meditate 6pm on Monday nights, 10am Tuesday Mindfulness Meditation or 10am Thursday Healing Meditation.

The lam rim, or “graduated path,” is a presentation of Shakyamuni Buddha’s teachings that details the stages in the complete path to enlightenment. We learn how to transform our delusions, such as anger, attachment, and jealousy, to develop our appreciation of the good qualities that we all possess – love, compassion, and kindness – and also how to create the conditions which allow these qualities to flourish and grow.

We are extremely fortunate to have Venerable Thubten Dondrub as our resident teacher, who is an Adelaide-born native English speaker. Therefore, the content of all Dharma teachings is presented in English. Some traditional prayers and mantras are recited in Tibetan or Sanskrit, but a side-by-side English translation is always present.

Please contact spc@buddhahouse.org to discuss as the teachings are free, the facility fee is to keep the centre running so we can continue to offer all the different programs. There may be opportunities to offer service to the centre by the way of volunteering in one of the many areas.

Volunteering

We are entirely run by the kindness of many volunteers. If you wish to offer service, then please contact info@buddhahouse.org for more information.

We are always needing people to man the Buddha House office Mom – Fri 9.30am to 12.30pm.
Helping in the gardens, cleaning, cooking, audio visual or in what-ever way you can offer, for more information contact info@buddhahouse.org

Still more questions?

We’re here to help. If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to contact the centre.

Buddha House acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands upon which we work and live. We pay our respects to elders, past, present and future, as well as all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples – their country, culture, and community.

Dedication

May everyone who sees, hears, or thinks (even in frustration) of this web site be freed in that very second from all their sufferings, diseases, spirit harms, negative karmas and obscurations, and abide in the peerless happiness of full enlightenment forever.

Buddha House Centre for Advanced Buddhist Studies, Inc.
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