Welcome to the Cardiff Buddhist Centre, a thriving community practicing meditation, exploring Buddhist teaching and developing a strong spirit of friendship.
The Cardiff Buddhist Centre is part of the Triratna Buddhist Community, triratna meaning ‘three jewels’ in Sanskrit (referring to the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha). It is an ecumenical Buddhist movement which tries to engage with the core of the Buddha’s teachings in the conditions of the modern world, drawing on the whole stream of Buddhist inspiration. It is one of the largest Buddhist communities in the United Kingdom and was started by Urgyen Sangharakshita in 1967.
It is common to see a Buddhist centre referred to as a ‘sangha’. This is a word from the Pali1 language which refers to the spiritual community of those practicing Buddhism together. It is an ideal that the centre works towards – of a community based on authenticity, meaning and generosity.
At the Cardiff Buddhist Centre, we have events aimed towards those who want to learn meditation or deepen their practice, as well as those who would like to learn more about the Dharma – the teachings of the Buddha – and how we can apply it towards our daily lives. There are also Welsh-language events as well as events aimed at specific groups such as young people.
This page aims to give an overview of the regular events held at the centre. There are also non-regular events such as creative writing workshops or day and weekend retreats: please see the events calendar for everything the centre offers.
Many of our events run on a ‘dāna‘ (generosity) basis – dāna-based events cost nothing to attend, and if you find value in them you are encouraged to make a donation so that we can continue to offer events that provide this value to yourself and others. The Centre relies on donations, we wouldn’t be able to run without your generosity.
We hold several categories of events:
- Meditation sessions
- Courses
- Young people’s events
- Welsh-language events
- Community events & talks
- Pūjā (ritual) and festivals
- Day/weekend events and retreats
If you are new to Buddhism, meditation, or the Cardiff Buddhist Centre, our events specifically tailored for beginners are the Sunday drop-in and the introductory course.
If you would like to know who runs the Cardiff Buddhist Centre, please see our ‘who we are’ page. We also have an FAQ. If you still have questions or want to get in touch, please email our Centre Manager.
Meditation
Throughout the week, there are various meditation drop-in sessions available at the centre, all held on a ‘dāna‘ basis (see above):
- Sunday morning, 10:00-12:00: On Sunday morning, a meditation session is held from 10:00 until 11:00, with the option of joining a beginners’ group with more guidance, or a session with less guidance for those more comfortable with meditation. If you would like to, you are then welcome to stay for a ritual (pūjā) from 11:00 until 12:00.
- Tuesday, 11:00-12:00: The Tuesday sessions are an opportunity to connect with yourself and the community via taking care of the Centre. The programme consists of a short talk on a teaching of the Buddha, some time spent cleaning the Centre, and finally a meditation.
- Wednesday morning, 07:00-08:00: The Wednesday morning sessions are unled, with only bells at regular intervals, so are most suitable for those already comfortable with Buddhist meditation. After the meditation, you are welcome to stay for a communal breakfast.
- Thursday lunchtime, 12:30-13:20: A guided meditation suitable for all levels of experience.
The meditation classes mainly consist of two types of meditation, which are common to most Buddhist schools. They are a mindfulness of breathing practice which centres around focus and awareness of the breath, and a loving-kindness practice (metta bhavana) which aims to develop a feeling of kindness and compassion for yourself and others.
Courses
The centre runs regular evening courses discussing aspects of Buddhist principles and teachings (the Dharma), led by experienced practitioners and members of the Triratna Buddhist Order. In the sessions, you will investigate and discuss the main ideas and beliefs of Buddhism and how you can apply them to improve your daily life and relationships with others.
Most of our evening courses are ticketed, with both a concession price available. To book, please go to the page for the event (you can see all of events in the site’s events calendar) and fill in the booking form.
Cardiff Buddhist Centre wants these teachings to be available to as many people as possible, so if the cost is prohibitive please get in contact (via e-mail, connect@cardiffbuddhistcentre.com) to discuss.
- Introduction to Buddhism and Meditation: Our 7-week introductory courses discuss the foundations of what it means to be a Buddhist, discussing topics such as who the Buddha is, how to meditate, the foundations of Buddhist ethical principles, and what it means to be a Buddhist within the context of a modern lifestyle in Wales. This course is ideal for anybody interested in what Buddhism is and how its teachings apply to our day-to-day lives. Click here to see dates and information for upcoming introductory courses.
- Follow-on courses: The Centre offers further follow-on courses aimed towards those who have completed an introductory course, but it is not mandatory that you do so in order to attend these. They will dive more deeply into a more specific aspect of Buddhist teaching and are a great way to deepen your understanding and practice of the Dharma. A list of follow-on courses is available if you click here.
If you have been to some of our courses and would like to take your spiritual practice deeper, you are encouraged to speak to an Order member to discuss pathways available for doing this.
For specific groups
Young people
- Sub40 evenings: Alternating Thursdays, 19:00-21:00: A fortnightly session for those under 40. Usually consists of a meditation session followed by open discussion on a topic relating to Buddhist practice in everyday life. There are also regular talks by experienced practitioners from the wider Buddhist community discussing how Buddhist practice interacts with the modern world.
Welsh-language events
- Myfyrdod yn y Gymraeg, Bob pythefnos ar nos Fawrth am 7:15 o’r gloch: Dyma gyfle unigryw i ddysgu ac i ymarfer myfyrio (meditation) Bwdaidd trwy gyfrwng y Gymraeg. Mae croeso cynnes i bawb, boed eich bod heb fyfyrio o’r blaen neu eich bod wedi ymarfer ers rhai blynyddoedd ond erioed wedi cael y siawns i gael arweiniad yn y Gymraeg.
Community events & talks
There are currently a few regular series of sangha events:
- Film Night & Talk, monthly, 19:00-22:00: A film screening in the centre, accompanied by a talk relating the film to Buddhist themes.
- Conversations about Meditation, 19:00-21:00: A series where members of the Order are interviewed regarding their meditation practice, their relationship to mindfulness, and how that has changed over time, with a Q&A session at the end.
Pūjā and festivals
The Centre holds festival days on Buddha Day (Wesak), Dharma Day, and Sangha Day, as well as holding an evening ritual (pūjā) every full moon. Pūjā means ‘ritual’ in Pali and is devotional rituals to the Buddha and other bodhisattvas. For upcoming festivals please click here.
- Pali is an ancient Indian language, believed to be the closest known language to the language spoken by the Buddha and his followers – much of Buddhist terminology has Pali roots, and many ancient Buddhist texts were originally written in Pali. ↩︎