More about Living Dharma

Computer Access

Because of the unique nature of the Living Dharma Programme, we ask you to check that you have access to a computer with internet and email at least twice a month.

Information and commitment

The programme will be made available to those totally new to Dharma teachings and practices as well as those who have a wealth of experience in the Dharma.

We anticipate there will be Dharma students from all five continents participating in the programme.

The basic intention would be for every Dharma student to:

• take the opportunity to share inner processes with a mentor
• write reflections on experiences for feedback from the mentor
• bring a Dharma perspective into important features of daily life
• develop meditation and skills in reflection on personal experiences
• study of Buddha's teachings applicable to daily life
• attend, if possible, a minimum of 7 days of group retreat per year and provide for the mentor a reflection on her or his experience and insights from the retreat (s)
• listen to Dharma CDs
• develop wisdom about being in the world and to cultivate commitments

It will depend on the students' time, Dharma experience and commitment how deep they would like to inquire into the teachings.
The primary purpose behind Living Dharma is to bring genuine clarity to the range of our daily life experiences and to establish a Dharma understanding in every area of life.

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Study material

Living Dharma serves as a unique, individual study and practice programme with mentors who have a deep and long standing appreciation of the Buddha's teachings.

The study topics for the first year (for new and experienced Dharma students) will relate to the basic teachings of the Four Noble Truth and the Eightfold Path and their daily life application.

The Living Dharma student area provides study material for downloading and reading:

• suttas study
• texts
• contemporary Dharma writings
• meditation instructions
• guided meditation and
• practice material
• Dharma students will receive questions from their mentors to inquire into the teachings and their daily application.

E.g. First Noble Truth:
What generates problems and difficulties in your life?
What do you need to focus on?
Are the difficulties around not getting what you want?
Or losing what you have?
Or dissatisfaction with your life?

The mentor will ask their students to be specific about the issues and the impact they have and to give a summary of them. The student will also be asked to refer to any occasions during the month when the mind is untroubled with such matters and personal problems are not an issue.

The mentor would then endeavour to offer skilful responses to his or her student, and perhaps refer the person to passages in the Buddhist texts that might also be helpful.

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Confidentiality

The correspondence between the mentor and student will be by email. Letters, phone calls or other communication may also be possible if agreed between mentor and student.

The purpose of Living Dharma is to create a one to one supportive Dharma inquiry friendship. Both mentor and student will respect ethics and confidentiality about personal issues.

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Mentoring

Living Dharma mentors help the student to reflect on their daily experiences and views related to the study material of wisdom teachings. It will be possible to respond to the students' intention and present life circumstances. Living Dharma mentors are under the direct guidance of the Dharma teacher Christopher Titmuss. Mentor and student would be asked to keep monthly correspondence to a maximum of two e-mails a month each.

The first e-mails between the mentor and student each month would not be longer than 1000 words (two sides of an A4 piece of paper) each. The second e-mails would consist of any further questions from the students and the mentor's responses to those questions. The second e-mails would be limited to 500 words (one side of an A4 paper) unless both student and mentor agree to extend the e-mail correspondence for a particular month.

It is hope that at least once a year many of the students and mentors will meet together for several days to develop further their practices and explorations as well as deepen Dharma friendships.

We will try to connect the student to a mentor who is speaking the same native language and living in the same country or continent. The student–mentor email contact when possible will be in the mother tongue. The study material on the student area will be offered in English.

The mentors will be allocated on the basis of availability. Therefore it will not usually be possible that for a student to choose their mentor. If you have a particular reason (already existing connection or common interest) for preferring a particular mentor, please indicate this when you register. Otherwise we encourage you to trust that all the mentors have a wealth of Dharma experience and will give you wholehearted support.

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