Sagaraghosa introduces an introduction to Buddhism course which is run for complete newcomers at the Cambridge Buddhist Centre…

The course was devised for people who may not have learnt to meditate. In Cambridge, we provide both meditation and the Buddhism course as possible first courses for newcomers. However short led meditations are included in the Buddhism course and can help to give a flavour of what it is like to meditate as well as helping the course to be grounded in experience.
 

The aim of this Buddhism course is to introduce people to the basic ideas of Buddhism in a way that is transformative of people’s lives, rather than emphasising doctrines to be learned. In my experience, it is very easy to spend the sessions talking a lot, so there is an attempt to include several other activities such as very short led meditations or reflections, small group discussions and experiential activities. There is also some homework for each week, simply encouraging people to reflect on their experience.

The course hand-outs are very good, with maps and illustrations, as well as written information. There are also teacher’s notes. Thank you to Sagaraghosa for making these available.