What you can expect
First time in the Centre?
In general, our guests find visiting the Centre a relaxing and thoughtful experience. The volunteers who run the Centre are friendly and respectful. Our visitors and volunteers are very, what you might call “normal”! People come for their own reasons and no-one is “pushy”. We sit in regular chairs, listen to teachings, learn meditation, chat a little, sometimes drink some tea and then go home – hopefully feeling a little wiser, more compassionate, peaceful and having learned something useful they can use in daily life. Generally, there is a nice mixture of Danish and international people. Most of the classes are given in English, though we are working on providing more classes in Danish. Everyone is welcome and anyone can benefit from these teachings regardless of nationality, culture, background, gender or age.
Questions you may have
Classes and workshops consist of teachings, meditations and discussion. Most people cannot meditate for more than 20 minutes, so the meditations are generally not longer than this. Most classes include two meditations.
Don’t be concerned if you haven’t meditated before. In a sense, we are all beginners in the West. Meditation is a training that we practice, and anyone can train in meditation.
Most people find meditation difficult because generally these days our mind is so busy. But that’s why we train in meditation, to gain more control over our mind and our thoughts. We need not be concerned about results. They come naturally through training, and anyone can train in meditation. So if you’ve tried before, come and try again!
Most people sit on chairs. We have some cushions for those who want to sit on the floor. No special clothing is required. Just come as you are.
No, please feel free to drop in whenever you like. Attending the entire series of classes is highly beneficial, as each class builds on the next. However, each class is taught in such a way that if you only attend one class, you will still benefit from it.
No. Anyone can learn meditation and experience the benefits. Buddha taught wisdom and compassion for everybody. All you need is a wish to improve yourself and the quality of your life.
The cost is 100kr for most General Program classes. You can buy Clip Cards to reduce the cost. Half-day workshops cost 325kr. Chanted meditation prayers (pujas) are free. You can join as a Centre Supporter for 600kr per month which gives free access to all classes and helps support the Centre for the benefit of all. As a non-profit, volunteer organisation, fees for classes are our only source of income and are used only for public service. Our Centre is run entirely by volunteer efforts. No one receives any personal income from the fees.
Everyone can participate in the classes regardless of ability to pay.
The Centre is run by a team of volunteers as a public service for the people of Copenhagen and Denmark. We are a “frivillig forening” (volunteer organisation) and our CVR number is given below. The Centre is part of the New Kadampa Tradition – International Kadampa Buddhist Union (NKT-IKBU) an international association of Mahayana Buddhist study and meditation centres that follow the Kadampa Buddhist tradition founded by Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche. The NKT-IKBU is a charity organisation, registered in the UK with the number 1015054.
No. Buddha taught for everyone and that everyone is free to choose their own path. We never enquire about whether people subscribe to a particular faith or none at all. It’s simply none of our business.
The main reason is that until now, most of our teachers have been internationals rather than Danes. Also we have quite a high proportion of internationals coming to the Centre. We are however working on providing more classes in Danish, developing Danish teachers and translating texts into Danish.
Foundation Program is our study program that you can enrol on if you want to go deeper into understanding Buddhism and how to apply it in daily life. A consistent group of people meets every week on Wednesday to explore a particular Buddhist text together, through teaching, meditation, discussion and practice in daily life. Most people join Foundation Program after participating in weekly classes and workshops for a while.
Although Buddhism first appeared in India over two and a half thousand years ago, it has a timeless and universal relevance. Buddhism is about understanding and training the mind. Buddha explained that all our problems arise from confused and negative states of mind. He taught methods for identifying, reducing and finally eliminating these destructive states of mind and thereby realising true happiness and fulfillment. These methods work for anybody, in any country, at any age.
Get in touch
Want to talk with someone?
If you are not sure about whether what we offer is for you, please feel free to get in touch with us. We will try and answer any questions you have about what we do, why we do it, our tradition or the services we provide.
