How to get started in Buddhism

The Maitreya Institute offers various ways to get started in Buddhism.

• We regularly organize introduction days in our city center in Amsterdam to provide you with information and more importantly, to give you the opportunity to ask your questions and experience a talk and/or meditation given by our regular teachers.  
• In our retreat center in Loenen you can join us every first Wednesday evening of the month to learn about what we offer and who we are.
• In Amsterdam, the (English spoken) Discovering Buddhism course, the guided meditations on Monday evenings (also in English) and the monthly Compassion Bootcamp are specially geared towards people who are interested in but know very little about Buddhism. It is quite probable that the Wisdom Bootcamp will be given in English, but participation might require a little more background in Buddhism. Have a look at our program overview on this website for more information.
• There are also many creative activities which combine Buddhism with doing activities together. For example, painting thangkas (Tibetan paintings), making mantra rolls (to fill Buddhist statues), helping out in the beautiful garden in our center in Loenen or watching Buddhist related videos. It’s a perfect way to do something valuable and fun, while getting to know the people who are associated with Maitreya.
• Every year we organize a ‘Lam Rim’ (Buddhist path) summer retreat in Loenen. In the course of two weeks you get an elaborate overview of (Tibetan) Buddhism, you will learn how to meditate and there is always ample opportunity to exchange thoughts and ideas with other students who are just starting or those who have been studying and practicing Buddhism for years. This course is only given in Dutch. For more information, please do not hesitate to contact the center in Amsterdam and/or Loenen.

And this is only the start

• As we are part of the FPMT organization with over 160 centers and projects worldwide, we have accumulated a vast amount of knowledge and there are many (English speaking) teachers with whom we are affiliated. This means that we have access to visiting teachers who give courses and facilitate weekend retreats on specific Buddhist subjects. There are also ample opportunities to join their online courses or visit one of our international centers.
• In either of the centers you can join our more advanced Buddhist courses that dive deeper into many different topics.

Check out this website for much more Buddhist reading material

• The short summary: Buddhism on one page and/or the mini-course Buddhism in 20 pages.
• Or have a look at the list of recommended books provided on this website.