All students on Discovering the Heart of Buddhism are welcome to discuss their experiences in meditation or with the courses materials at any point with Lama Shenpen. Not only will you have access to Lama Shenpen, but also to a contact person who serves as a Dharma friend, someone who can encourage you and with whom you can discuss your inspiration, difficulties and experiences on the Discovering the Heart of Buddhism course.

Lama Shenpen and your contact person can be contacted by email, phone or letter. It is also possible to talk to meet them face-to-face if you are able to come to retreats and weekend courses held in the UK.

Read more about personal contact and why it is important below.

How flexible is it?

 Personal Contact and Why it is Important

A special feature of Discovering the Heart of Buddhism is the high level of personal contact with the teacher and a senior student.

All of us are seeking a ground of genuineness and openness within ourselves and others. The teachers are there to communicate that awake, living and sensitive quality uncovered by Meditation and Awareness practice. Effective communication acts as a practice, gradually instilling in us confidence in the innermost nature of our being and the commitment to realise it.

All of us, teachers and students alike, are human beings treading the path alongside each other, connected to the lineage of those who have trodden the path and shown us the way. The living presence of, and our direct relationship with, the lineage helps us to cut through our unrealistic expectations and attempts to hide from the truth about ourselves and others.

Practically, we need to check our experience with those who have traversed the path before us. One-on-one interaction has unique advantages, drawing from the teacher advice and practical hints tailored to the needs and responses of the individual.

All students on Discovering the Heart of Buddhism will be able to discuss with Lama Shenpen by email, phone or letter, their experiences in meditation and with the course materials. This interaction provide the opportunity to ask questions about points you don't understand, to check that you have understood other points correctly, and to get practical hints about how to continue your progress. If you're able to visit the UK, you can also attend retreats and weekend courses and have face to face interviews with Lama Shenpen there.

In addition to these discussions with Lama Shenpen, each student will also be able to regularly contact an experienced senior student. This will be someone who can act as friend to you, encouraging you, discussing your difficulties and helping you to work out what you need to talk to Lama Shenpen about.