Welcome to Discovering the Heart of Buddhism, a structured training in Buddhism and Buddhist meditation.

Discovering the Heart of Buddhism gives you the opportunity to:

• Engage in a comprehensive & structured training in Buddhist study, reflection and meditation
• Discover the truths of Buddhism through your own experience. All you need is an open & inquiring mind
• Connect to the heart of Buddhist teachings without the confusion often caused by Eastern cultural trappings
• Explore some of the most profound Buddhist teachings, essential for everyone whether new or very experienced
• Make contact with and receive regular guidance from the experienced teacher and senior students
• Share the fruits of their years of study in the Mahamudra & Dzogchen traditions of Tibetan Buddhism

What does Discovering the Heart of Buddhism provide?

• Personal guidance from Lama Shenpen Hookham, the teacher
• Specially written course books to reflect on
• Meditation instruction and advice
• Regular discussion with an experienced senior student
• A complete book focusing in detail on meditation
• Introductory tape

Who is Discovering the Heart of Buddhism for?

• The themes of the course are the heart of Buddhism, essential whether you have read about and practised Buddhism for some time or are completely new to it
• You set your own pace, and continuing study reveals deeper levels of meaning in the themes
• Participation is flexible and the course can be completed entirely from your own home

To get started you can enrol now online.

   I want to enrol now 

Complete information about Discovering the Heart of Buddhism is available below for you to browse now, but you can print it out in the form of a Course Guide if you prefer.

  I want to print out a Course Guide 

Who is Shenpen Hookham?

Lama Shenpen Hookham, the Principal Teacher of Discovering the Heart of Buddhism, is a Buddhist teacher who has trained for over thirty years in the Mahamudra & Dzogchen traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. Lama Shenpen has spent 9 years in retreat and for the past 20 years has been a student of Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche, one of the foremost living masters of the Kagyu tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. 

Tell me more about Lama Shenpen and her teachers 

What are the teachings on Discovering the Heart of Buddhism?

Discovering the Heart of Buddhism is not an academic course. Rather, it is a comprehensive training in Buddhist study, reflection and meditation - a sound basis for a lifetime of deep spiritual practice.

It is based on some of the most profound Buddhist teachings, the Mahamudra and Dzogchen teachings of Tibetan Buddhism. The ideas introduced are ones you will keep coming back to however long you study, and so it is equally suitable for those who have read about and practised Buddhism for some time and for those who are completely new to it.

The training on Discovering the Heart of Buddhism is a search for truth, a process of exploring our experience and coming to understand and relax into our true nature. In the midst of all the pain, doubt, hesitation, stress and confusion of our lives, there is something that keeps us going. We talk of losing heart and yet, somehow, there is something deep inside us that spurs us on, restores us and gives us hope. 

The path of Buddhist training is to uncover this heart of our being, to recognise it, to value it and to base our lives and actions on it. According to the Buddhist tradition, this is our Awakened Heart or Buddha Nature.

Tell me more about the
Awakened Heart and the training to uncover it 

How is meditation involved?

Meditation is central to Discovering the Heart of Buddhism, as it deepens and stabilises our exploration of our experience. The simplicity of being that we discover in meditation then spills over into our lives, and this natural process is helped by pausing to reconnect with the awareness sometimes during the day.

As a participant in Discovering the Heart of Buddhism you will be able to have formal meditation instruction and periodic meditation interviews with Shenpen Hookham.

This is supplemented by inspiration and practical advice from a specially written book on meditation, Openness, Clarity, Sensitivity, as well as the deepening process of reflecting on the materials in the coursebooks. 

To take full advantage of the course you need to commit yourself to at least 15 minutes of meditation a day, and to simple awareness exercises at odd moments throughout the day.

Tell me more about the practice of 
meditation and daily life awareness 

How is it tailored for Westerners?

Discovering the Heart of Buddhism does not expect blind belief but is designed to help you discover the truths of Buddhism through your own experience.

It presents the underlying principles of Buddhism in familiar English words and enables you to connect to the heart of Buddhism without the confusion often caused by Eastern cultural trappings.

The traditional formulae for presenting Buddhism were evolved to help people in Buddhist cultures, where people were brought up to have a strong conviction in Buddhist ideas about the world. But in the West we do not share many of these ideas, and so we need to be introduced to Buddhism more carefully. 

We have to begin with what we can know for sure - our direct experience - and from there we can allow a sense of the vaster and profounder vision that Buddhism offers to dawn within us.

Tell me more about how the training is 
tailored for Westerners 

How much personal contact is there?

All students on Discovering the Heart of Buddhism are welcome to discuss with Shenpen Hookham their experiences in meditation or with the courses materials at any point. 

Lama Shenpen can be contacted by email, phone or letter; it is also possible to talk to her face to face if you are able to come to retreats and weekend courses held in the UK.

As well as this contact with Lama Shenpen, students on Discovering the Heart of Buddhism are able to regularly contact an experienced senior student. This is someone who can act as a friend to you, encouraging you, discussing your difficulties, and helping you work out what you want to talk to Shenpen about.

Tell me more about 
personal contact and why it is important 

How flexible is it?

Discovering the Heart of Buddhism is designed along the lines of a distance learning course, so that participants in Discovering the Heart of Buddhism can determine for themselves where and when they study and practice. 

As the core of the training is meditation and reflection on the course materials, it is very possible to complete the course entirely from your home, making contact with Lama Shenpen and a senior student by email, phone, or letter.

For many busy people, fitting half an hour into odd spaces during a hectic week is much more attractive than attending frequent day courses. Moreover, small 'bites' of frequent and regular study, reflection and meditation are important for getting to grips with the ideas in Buddhism and realising their full meaning in everyday life. This is made easier by having training materials, like those on Discovering the Heart of Buddhism, specifically designed for this approach.

Participants can also choose the pace at which they progress through the materials. 

The course materials are laid out to give guidance on the rate of progress, but you can vary this according to your own preferences and responses to the material. Perhaps you will find that you move more quickly through some sections and more slowly through others. However, it is normally recommended that you spend at least one year on the course.

What are the course materials?

The coursebooks are the core of Discovering the Heart of Buddhism, forming a complete course in themselves. They do more than just provide information. They are carefully structured to lead you on a journey of contemplation and reflection, an exploration into the nature of our being.

As well as the coursebooks and the book Openness, Clarity, Sensitivity on meditation, there are a number of teaching resources that are more widely available that can be used to support your study on Discovering the Heart of Buddhism:

• Other books and booklets
• Tapes of teachings from weekends and retreats
• Transcripts of some of these teachings
• Email teachings from Lama Shenpen on the Buddhism Connect email list

Tell me more about the actual coursebooks 

What do I actually receive on the course?

Enrolling on Discovering the Heart of Buddhism gives you:

• A companion book that introduces the course
• Four coursebooks specially written by Lama Shenpen
• The book Openness, Clarity, Sensitivity on meditation
• Regular discussion with an experienced senior student
• A booklet on meditation with an accompanying CD with guided meditation sessions and additional instructions

How long does it last?

You decide your pace through the course. However, for most people the course takes at least 12 months to complete. Once you have enrolled on Discovering the Heart of Buddhism, your enrollment is valid for up to 24 months, giving you plenty of time to complete the course.

How much does it cost?

There are two ways to pay for Discovering the Heart of Buddhism: 

• You can spread the cost by paying US$49 per month for 12 months (about UK£29 or EU€39);
• or you can pay up front at the beginning of the course. It helps our finances if you pay at the beginning, and if you are able to do this we can offer the course at US$495 (about UK£295 or EU€395). That's a reduction for you of $93.

We are a registered charity (The Shrimala Trust, UK no. 1078783) and we aim to keep the cost as low as possible for the quality of materials and service offered. We are only able to offer the course at this rate because our team of volunteers and low-paid staff are very generous with their time.

There is a bursary fund that helps those who are not able to pay the full rate for the course. Bursaries of up to 50% are available. Tell me more about bursaries.

What do I do now?

Gail administers Discovering the Heart of Buddhism and can answer any questions you might have.

To get started now, you can enrol online. We will then send you the first instalment of course materials, including instructions on getting started with the meditation.

  I want to enrol now 

You've just read the complete information about Discovering the Heart of Buddhism above, but if you would like to you can print this information out to read in your own time, in the form of a Course Guide.

  I want to print out a Course Guide 

If you have any question about Discovering the Heart of Buddhism, then do please send me an email, or phone the office on +44 1766 523110 (in the UK 01766 523 110).

  I want to ask a question by email