Meditation classes - Beginners

Kenpo

Hi,

I'm looking for Meditation classes around Dublin (preferrably town or Clondalkin/Lucan/Tallaght area).

I know the Buddhist institute are starting classes but at €150 for 5 classes
is a bit steep in my opinion.

Thanks for any help you could give.

K

twilight_singer

hi kenpo,
check out www.buddhism.ie they are based in inchicore

zag

Kenpo wrote:

Hi,

I'm looking for Meditation classes around Dublin (preferrably town or Clondalkin/Lucan/Tallaght area).

I know the Buddhist institute are starting classes but at €150 for 5 classes
is a bit steep in my opinion.

Thanks for any help you could give.

K

Check out www.rigpa.ie also.

Marksie

www.wulonghealing.com do meditation in the celbridge area.

The Buddhist breathing meditation.
The inner smile meditation.
and the 6 healing sounds.

I have asked the teacher involved and he says that the first is 150 for 2 by 1 1/2 hour.

The advantage is it is 1:1 not a class.

painfullywitty

I was actually shocked to see the posts above, about organisations that are charging for meditation classes, etc.. I live in Kilkenny, so I had not heard of these centres in Dublin. When I first saw the charges, I assumed that perhaps it was not a "charge", but a voluntary offering of some type that they were suggesting, to support the centre and offset costs.. So, I checked out the websites, and was shocked to find that indeed these Centres do not use the word "offering", and the price is not suggested.. there are set charges for transmitting the Dharma?
For thousands of years, there has been a very strong tradition of not charging for Dharma Teachings. Offerings are usually accepted by a Centre to help support resident Teachers, but any fee or offering made directly to a Teacher taints the teacher/student connection. At most Buddhist Centres, this tradition is honoured, and Teachings are offered completely free of charge. The Dzogchen Beara Centre and Jampa Ling Centre in Cavan are both sponsored by extremely well qualified Tibetan Teachers, and neither charge fees for any Teaching.
From Shasta Abbey.org:

"No price can be put on the Dharma, and we do not charge fees. We maintain and strengthen the fabric of the monastery through Dana, the ancient Buddhist tradition of mutual giving and receiving; mutual gratitude, compassion, and generosity of spirit.

And from thebuddhadharma.com:

One thing that is very important, according to the words of Buddha in the Dhamma na vanim care is, "Don't make dhamma a business. Don't make it a livelihood." The moment you make it a business commodity, it loses all its efficacy, all its purity. If you want to earn money, why don't you do another business? There are so many businesses you could engage in. Why make dhamma a business?

I have to say that Dublin Buddhist Centre never mention the word "offering" on the website.. and they do set forth a fixed "cost" both waged/unwaged.. clearly not in-line with the tradition mentioned above. This means that someone who is very interested in Buddhism & Meditation but who does not have the money is not welcome.. one would assume that based on the fact that these are costs, not offerings, and nowhere on the site does it mention that Teachings are Free, and all are Welcome, as almost all Buddhist Centres (even in Ireland) are.

I have been a Buddhist for 15 years, and have attended hundreds of Centres all over the world, receiving Teachings from many Teachers.. and have never paid 1 cent in "charges". Only given whatever offering I was able. I have seen teenagers walk into a Buddhist Centre during Teachings off the street, with no bookings and no money and they were instantly made to feel as welcome as anyone else.. That is the nature of the Dharma.

My heartfelt advice to any of you who are looking for a Centre near where you live, is to get more information on one of several Centres in Ireland that does not charge fees for Teachings, such as Dzogchen Beara or Jampa Ling , among others, that follow this wonderful Buddhist Tradition.

Of course, in Ireland you won't find a perfect Buddhist Centre on the block you live on.. but if you truly are intersted, taking a drive to one of these authentic Centres once or twice per month, trust me, will be well worth it!

If I can help with anymore advice about Practice, please don't hesitate to post here, or email me at painfullywitty@gmail.com .

Brightest Blessings in your Practice!

-Tenzin

Asiaprod

painfullywitty wrote:

I was actually shocked to see the posts above, about organisations that are charging for meditation classes, etc.. AND
I have been a Buddhist for 15 years, and have attended hundreds of Centres all over the world, receiving Teachings from many Teachers.. and have never paid 1 cent in "charges". Only given whatever offering I was able. I have seen teenagers walk into a Buddhist Centre during Teachings off the street, with no bookings and no money and they were instantly made to feel as welcome as anyone else.. That is the nature of the Dharma.

Nice post. I am completly in agreement with you. No one should charge money for doing the Buddha's work, its just plain wrong. Making an offreing is acceptable, and should indeed be encouraged, but never should it be made a condition of gaining teaching or help in our search. I would hate to think of the bad karma that could be incurred as a result of capitalizing on what is essentiall a free teaching.

Mary777

Umm, do you work for free? Why should someone who has spent years learning and training to teach meditation not charge?

I think if you say this you do not value meditation or repect meditation teachers.

painfullywitty

Thank you for the post, I'm happy to respond, and try to shed some light on the topic.
There are many forms of meditation. If the form of meditation being taught is anything other than Buddhism, than whether one charges a fee or not is completely up to the individual.
However, if the form of meditation being taught is Buddhist, and the Teacher is a Buddhist Practitioner who follows Buddhist Ethics in his/her life, then one has to consult what Lord Buddha taught on the subject of charging fees for Dharma Transmission/Teachings.
2500 years ago, Lord Buddha taught that "The Dharma is priceless and should not be sold like goods in the market place." Instead, Lord Buddha stated in his Teaching that all Dharma should be offered free, to everyone.. as a Practice of "Dana" (generosity) the Teacher just gives, without any thought of return. Students also Practice Generosity through donating time, money, etc.. This system of mutual Generosity set up by Lord Buddha has been preserved for 2500 years and is still used to this day by the wide majority of Buddhist Centres/Teachers.
To shortcut this entire traditional system by saying "but the students may not give what we expect them to, or may not give enough money to cover "costs", so we'll just set a fee" is unthinkable from a Buddhist perspective, since Lord Buddha Shakyamuni stated expressly not to do this.
A simple search around the internet reveals that a wide majority of Buddhist Centres and Teachers around the world still follow this very important traditional Teaching, as a matter of fact, most even state that Offering Teachings freely instead of charging set fees is the very secret to their success.. A few examples:

Ven. Dr. Henepola Mahathera

"I have heard it said many times that Americans do not offer money unless a specific amount is required of them; for example, it is said that they will not pay anything for a retreat unless there is an admission fee. That is not what I have seen. I am very happy to report that Buddhist centers in the U S can operate successfully on a completely dana (donation) basis. There are thriving centers which do not charge money for anything.

At Bhavana Society, we do not charge money for anything. I want to do things, myself, in the spirit of dana. I want to give without charging anything. People recognize this, so they also want to give. If you ask them to pay you, they will want you to pay them back. Then, at times when you cannot do anything for them, they will not want to do anything for you. They will see giving to you as being unproductive. That is the result of a materialistic, capitalistic system, It is better to never mix the teaching of the Buddha’s message with these strong forces -- especially in America. Relying on dana, on peoples’ generosity, is so rare and special here, that it opens up peoples’ hearts and minds. It makes a very powerful statement in this country. People respond almost with awe that we would operate with such faith and devotion. They feel more trusting because we clearly are not trying to take something from them. Thus their minds become more receptive to the Dhamma.

Do all, give everything you have, free. Then, when you cannot do something, people will still want to give in return. They will remember ever after you are dead: "this is how he worked and this is how we want to work, to follow this principle." Dana is a way to express self-lessness. On this basis, I work."


S.N. Goenkaji in an interview was asked:

4. What are the charges / fee for a Vipassana course?

"Charges?! Dhamma is priceless! There is no fee and there can never be a fee charged for teaching Vipassana. Vipassana courses are completely free of charge. Earlier, for a short time, some small actuals were charged for boarding and lodging expenses. Fortunately, that has been removed. So one does not have to pay anything to attend a Vipassana course."

6. How are expenses met for a Vipassana course, since no fee is charged from students?

"The expenses are met from voluntary donations (dana) from students who have completed at least one Vipassana course. The donation, in money or services, is given with the Dhamma volition that, "as I benefited by getting this wonderful technique due to the generous dana of others, may others also benefit ". Most important is the volition with which the dana is given. Even a handful of fertile soil given with a pure Dhamma volition, is far more beneficial than a bag of gold given with ego, or with no Dhamma volition. The dana given with a pure mind gives benefits to the giver.

However, this does not mean that somebody will go around at the end of the course, asking every student if he wants to give a donation. A table is put in a quiet corner, and whoever wishes to give dana goes there and gives it, that's all."

From Sravasti Abbey:

"Why don't we charge a per night room rate, a per meal rate, a fee for teachings and a set price for books? As monastics, we want our lives to be lives of giving, of sharing. In addition, we want to give people the opportunity to express their kindness and generosity. Paying for services or items does not create any positive potential. It is simply a business transaction. But, when visitors give to the sangha with hearts of generosity and compassion, they create great positive potential that is the cause for wealth and prosperity in both a worldly and Dharma sense.

There's a huge difference between giving with delight and paying with obligation, even if the amount of the check is the same. We can feel the difference in our minds and hearts. When we pay a fixed price, we habitually look for the deal that is most advantageous for ourselves. We pay because we're required to and often wish the price were lower. There is no generosity influencing that mental state."

From a long-time Dharma student and administrator of Land of ten thousand Buddhas, discussing his Tibetan Teachers attitude about charging fees for Dharma:

"Our Guru was like steel on these things: "Even if you starve, you will never seek donations from people." Even if you freeze, you will never manipulate people to gain support."
That one would charge for Dharma is unthinkable.

We never charge for Dharma or put up any kind of "suggested donation" and never even say "donation" to people.

We give the Dharma freely out of gratitude to the Buddha and out of concern for the spiritual welfare of the people.

There's no sense of "this for that" anywhere in the equation. There's not sense that "we do this," therefore "they should do that" at all. That just turns Dharma into a business. And that stinks."

So, as you can see, this 2500 year old tradition, instituted by Lord Buddha, is so important to preserve, for so many reasons.. primarily because, when it comes to fees, it is the only Teacher/Student relationship that builds positive karma and potential for both parties. Please help to preserve it.

Thanks.

Brightest Blessings in your Practice.

-Tenzin
info@mindofenlightenment.com

DeviKalima

You know you can also learn meditation from the comfort of your own home and it is very simple to do. Just set aside time each day to meditate, take a few minutes, you can start out with as little as 30 seconds a day just to get yourself used to meditating, and then work your way up from there.

-- Kali,
Meditation Teacher

alanajane

Hi Kenpo,

Look up the spiritualist union of ireland, it based near lucan. It runs lots of classes and meetings at a very low cost, if it doesnt hold meditation meetings I'm sure they will point you in the right direction.

Good Luck.

Rycn

ThePaulMa wrote: »

Paul (ThePaulMa)
Meditation Teacher

Hadouken wrote: »

Hadouken
Meditation Teacher

Did you come here to genuinely help the op or did you both just jump at the oppertunity to make a few quid?

Macrogirl

I'd like to make the point that Jampa Ling and Dzogchen Beara most certaintly DO charge for their services - you can get a reduced fee in certain circumstances, but there is a charge, much more substantial than what is charged by the Dublin Buddhist Centre, which will never turn anyone away because of inability to pay
In the West, Buddhist centres are not automatically supported by dana (offerings from the general public) as are the monasteries and temples in the Far East, where the populations are Buddhist. Hence the need to charge in the West, and laso because in this culture, people value what they pay for.
Metta to all!
Macrogirl x

Duke Leonal Felmet

I did a play once where the director seemed to have some experience in meditation. Every rehearsal or so we would do a little meditation, usually around the end, and the more we did it, the better I got at shutting out thought. I recall the last few times I practised this, I found my mind was at peace for a day or two, almost like being on a mild drug. It was simple enough, usually involved sitting or lying in a comfortable position, with the director repeating a mantra of our mind being at peace, etc, etc.

Anywhoo, it was always something I intended on taking up again, but obviously never did. Any recommendations for classes for the Dublin city centre?

Macrogirl

Glad you enjoyed the meditation, I've been doing it for about 3 yrs now and have found it nothing less than life-changing
Good classes at the Dublin Buddhist Centre - they will negotiate the price if you can't afford it
http://www.dublinbuddhistcentre.org/
- and you don't have to become a Buddhist!
Macrogirl

Duke Leonal Felmet

Macrogirl wrote: »

Glad you enjoyed the meditation, I've been doing it for about 3 yrs now and have found it nothing less than life-changing
Good classes at the Dublin Buddhist Centre - they will negotiate the price if you can't afford it
http://www.dublinbuddhistcentre.org/
- and you don't have to become a Buddhist!
Macrogirl

Nice, I might pop along.

Seres

Macrogirl wrote: »

I'd like to make the point that Jampa Ling and Dzogchen Beara most certaintly DO charge for their services - you can get a reduced fee in certain circumstances, but there is a charge, much more substantial than what is charged by the Dublin Buddhist Centre, which will never turn anyone away because of inability to pay
In the West, Buddhist centres are not automatically supported by dana (offerings from the general public) as are the monasteries and temples in the Far East, where the populations are Buddhist. Hence the need to charge in the West, and laso because in this culture, people value what they pay for.
Metta to all!
Macrogirl x

Jampa ling run Meditation classes on a tuesday night which they do not charge for . This is a free service .
People value what they pay for BUT they also expect to get something in return if they pay . I thought the whole idea of Buddism was that if someone got something positive from the free teachings that they would by there own volition want to donate so other could get the opportunity to experience something similar .

Joshua Jones

Hi all.

I was just wondering if any of you know about meditation classes in the Letterkenny/Donegal area. Tried google and also a post in the region forum but nothing so far. Any help would be appeciated.

As an aside, is it possible to attend a buddhist meditation class without actually being Budhist.

gnu

Joshua Jones wrote: »

Hi all.

I was just wondering if any of you know about meditation classes in the Letterkenny/Donegal area. Tried google and also a post in the region forum but nothing so far. Any help would be appeciated.

As an aside, is it possible to attend a buddhist meditation class without actually being Budhist.

Hi there,

To go backwards and answer your second question first, yes it certainly is! Any meditation groups or retreats I've been on have emphasised how meditation is for everyone, for all religions or none. When I first attended a Buddhist centre, I was worried about the rituals and it was suggested to me that I just sit quietly for any ritual bits (like chanting, reciting prayers, prostrations or bowing) that I didn't understand or feel comfortable with.

I'm in Dublin so not ideally placed to answer your other question but on retreat in Gaia House, I read of meditation group in Donegal (don't know whereabouts) led by Aoife Valley.
Here's her website - if she doesn't have something to suit you, perhaps she could suggest alternatives.

Hope you find somewhere suitable.

Asiaprod

Joshua Jones wrote: »

As an aside, is it possible to attend a buddhist meditation class without actually being Budhist.

Most definitely. Meditation is a tool that is used by many beliefs, but it is not confined to, nor exclusively owned by, any belief system. There are of course a million varieties of meditation, with a million sought for destinations, but essentially meditation is open to anyone that can get anything out of it. Anyone that I know that has tried it has received numerous benefits.

Where I think belief systems come into play is that meditation does open the mind to seeking for higher meaning and this search inevitably leads one to explore different belief systems. Take my case, I am as ardent Buddhist, but very interested in, and currently exploring, the hindu cosmology system. I chant, I meditate.

Mercurius

Joshua Jones wrote: »

As an aside, is it possible to attend a buddhist meditation class without actually being Budhist.

I attend a Zen dojo in Dublin, and I'm not a Buddhist.

I go along, do the meditation, and I'll even join in the chanting at the end, which is a sutra in Japanese, but I've never so much as mentioned Buddhism with anyone there, or even heard it discussed.

RichieC

Mercurius wrote: »

I attend a Zen dojo in Dublin, and I'm not a Buddhist.

I go along, do the meditation, and I'll even join in the chanting at the end, which is a sutra in Japanese, but I've never so much as mentioned Buddhism with anyone there, or even heard it discussed.

this is good to hear actually, I'd really like to learn more about meditation but don't really want to go buddist.

Mercurius

RichieC wrote: »

this is good to hear actually, I'd really like to learn more about meditation but don't really want to go buddist.

I go because I practice the meditation better in a group (peer pressure kinda keeps my body still) and for longer than I would on my own.

The dojo's handy, so I go there.

And I think the Zen guys are the least 'dogmatic' (not sure if that's the right word here, no offence), so I've never heard any Buddhism discussed, though no doubt they would if I asked.

There's any amount of ways to meditate, if that's what you're after. It doesn't have to be in a Buddhist context.

conor.hogan.2

Being scared into meditation is not really how it is supposed to work.

Mercurius

conor.hogan.2 wrote: »

Being scared into meditation is not really how it is supposed to work.

Scared?

I meant I tend to fidget less if I'm in a group setting. Nothing to do with fear.

Jessi_Evans

I take meditation classes in Dublin with these guys yogadublin.org, and I am very happy with them. They charge small fee but its well worthed in my oppinion. The teacher even told me how to extract and apply the meditation teachings in my day to day life. Its a lot of fun and since the beginning of my practice I have found many improvements in all areas of my life. If money is problem for you just join their newsltter and you will get a whole online program of yoga and meditation completely free. Believe me I have purchased many courses and this one is far better than most of them and its free.

Hope that helps

Jessy

Vinny-Chase

Macrogirl wrote: »

Glad you enjoyed the meditation, I've been doing it for about 3 yrs now and have found it nothing less than life-changing
Good classes at the Dublin Buddhist Centre - they will negotiate the price if you can't afford it
http://www.dublinbuddhistcentre.org/
- and you don't have to become a Buddhist!
Macrogirl

I'd also second Macrogirl's post here. The Dublin Buddhist Centre is a great centre. After completing the foundation meditation course you can go along every Tuesday night to the Mastering The Basics night, which has discussions on meditation and Buddhism, if it's something you're interested in. Also note, you will be hard pressed to found any Buddhists who will try to convert you. Buddhism is a path you must take yourself.

Also on the point of charging for meditation classes. Unfortunately the likes of the ESB, Insurance companies etc are unwilling to negotiate on prices because you're spreading the Dharma

Most Buddhist Centres in the West are self funded and the majority of the funding comes from classes. Every place has over heads, of course they should be able to charge for their service.

I would say the fee I paid when I was learning to meditate was the best money I ever spent.

anotherjd

I know there are Mediation classes being run from Jan 2013 in Donabate, if anyone is interested.
They are part of the new The StillRoom blog holistic/cultural center in Donabate.

saucers82

what if you know you are going to miss one of the classes (dublin buddhist centre 5 week course), do they allow you to make it up?

Vinny-Chase

Yes. You can make it up in one of the other rounds of classes.