What is Modern Buddha Way all about?

It is a way of life

Modern Buddha Way is the cultivation of a wise, enlightened and peaceful way of life. It is relevant to the life of every human being, but a person will usually only see this relevance when they are ready to do so. This often happens during a period of unhappiness, loss or anxiety. Since such a period or periods will occur in everyone's life, everyone is ready for this Way at some point.

Are you ready?

As long as we can escape into fun, entertainment, pursuing success, material comfort, love affairs, pleasures, personal recognition, political objectives, alcohol and the like we do not have to confront the big questions of life. These things are not wrong, but may be distracting from what is truly important. Most of these things do not last long, and even when they last for some time we may not be sure how long they will last and are afraid of losing them. We may be lucky for a while, but even then when we see disasters befall others - illness, accident, death, grief - we may get a glimpse of the truth. We too could lose what gives us security, comfort and pleasure. Will we have sufficient self-understanding and courage to cope? If we do not understand the nature of life we are not prepared, and we shall suffer.

Changing your attitude to life

Modern Buddha Way is a way of re-orienting your life, a way of changing your attitude to life. If you are convinced that getting more of everything will bring you happiness, then you are not yet ready for the Way, even though in fact you need it more than anyone. The responsibility for embarking on the Way is yours and yours alone.

A programme of mental training

The Modern Buddha Way involves a sustained programme of mental training and attitude-changing. This programme has been practised by thousands of people for over two-and-a-half thousand years. There is nothing new or weird in it. It has withstood the test of time and the sincere efforts of countless people.

The MBW practice of meditation (which works together with 'practice of ethics' and 'practice of understanding') has three main aspects:

• Attention & Mindfulness (Sati)
• Concentration/Tranquillity Meditation (Shamatha)
• Insight Meditation (Vipassana)

The benefits of effort in practice are:

• Learning not to harm yourself - requires gradually letting go of self-harming attitudes, beliefs and actions.
• Learning not to harm others
• Learning not to harm living things and all those other things on which we depend (air, water, vegetation, etc.)
• Learning to resist going along with the harmful behaviour of others and society generally
• Learning to have fortitude and patience in the face of adversity and disappointment
• Learning to be positive and grateful
• Learning to be generous and invite generosity
• Learning to be inwardly happy and tranquil

The vehicles that carry us along this Way are as follows:

• Learning to become self-aware
• Learning to be mindful, attentive and sensitive to 'what's around you' including other people
• Learning to analyse and guide the motions of your own mind
• Learning to focus and concentrate your mind
• Learning to see more deeply and impartially into anything you chose to focus on
• Learning to speak and listen mindfully
• Learning to relate to others mindfully
• Learning to earn a living and care about society in a mindful way
• Learning how to build and focus your energy and efforts
• Learning to understand and direct your own intentions and motivations.

You can begin here and now. Attend our next Beginners' Class to learn more, and then decide whether you are ready to follow the weekly sessions and everyday practice of Modern Buddha Way. If you do so, you will have the support and listening ear of like-minded people.