Buddhist Audio Books

Foreword to the first edition of the Dharma Training Course for Mitras

Since the earliest days of the FWBO (now the Triratna Buddhist Community) I have been concerned that men and women who attend our centres should be able to gain a proper understanding of the Dharma. I am therefore delighted that the new Dharma Training Course for Mitras is now available.

The aim of the Course is to provide Mitras – those wishing to practise the Dharma within the context of the Triratna Buddhist Community – with what amounts to a basic education in Buddhism. The four-year course (the first year of which is a foundation year) includes modules on the principle Buddhist teachings, both practical and theoretical, as well as on some of the more important scriptures and philosophical schools. There are modules on the Bodhisattva Ideal; on the nature of the Sangha or spiritual community; on faith, symbols, and the imagination; on ethics and the environment; on Buddhist psychology; and on the history of the Triratna Buddhist Community. Though the new Dharma Training Course draws on the old Mitra Study Course, there is also much that is new, some of it specially written for the course. Moreover, there is a greater emphasis on the importance of putting what one learns into practice.

"A great deal of thought has gone into the preparation of the new Dharma Training Course, and a great deal of work, and I congratulate all those who were involved in its production. The course should be available at every Triratna centre, and I hope that all Mitras who wish to extend and deepen their knowledge of the Dharma will take full advantage of it." - Sangharakshita