Impressions of BTE Meetings
2024 Chan Center Hartovski Vrh, Croatia
Tuesday 24 to Friday 27 September
Theme 2024
One Dharma, Many Sanghas
The 2024 meeting in Zarko's impressive Chan centre in Croatia was agreed by all to have been the best one yet. Nineteen of us made the journey, including five monastics, coming from nine countries. All but one of us had been before so we knew each other already, in fact we focussed upon meeting as individuals, not as representatives of our traditions, and used the meeting to strengthen our friendships.
This is what allowed the atmosphere of trust and openness upon which the success of our new exercise depended. In this, one of us presented their favourite practice from their tradition, speaking personally rather than teaching about it. The "fishbowl" technique proved the best way of holding the follow-up discussion. Contributing this year were Susthama from Pure Land tradition, Jamie from Soka Gakkai, Isabelle from Reiyukai, Munisha from Triratna, and Jake spoke on his involvement with ecodharma. Vassika and Munisha held a moving service for Kamalashila who had just stopped his cancer treatment.
Another exercise we all enjoyed was a "sociometric" session, where we quickly got a picture of the make-up of the group in terms of many variables, like length of teaching experience, age, and tradition. The morning sessions were a chance to sample the practice of the host Chan group, which included some beautiful chants.
For 2025 we are arranging to meet in the UK at the Triratna centre near Hereford from 22nd to 25th September. We'll aim for the same relaxed personal sharing which worked so well in Croatia. Attendance in recent years has been fairly constant, so for our autumn dates we are dropping the notion of big and small meetings. When we schedule meetings to coincide with the EBU's in-person meeting they will be in spring and share the EBU venue, which will minimise travel and environmental impact. The next gathering we will hold to follow the EBU will be in the spring of 2028.
The BTE Network meetings are by invitation only
Find out more about our guidelines here
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us
If you would like to register for the next BTE meeting in 2025
in the UK please follow the link:
Link to register:
>> BTE UK 2025 <<
Next meeting in 2025
For 2025 we are arranging to meet in the UK at the Triratna centre near Hereford from 22nd to 25th September. We'll aim for the same relaxed personal sharing which worked so well in Croatia.
Attendance in recent years has been fairly constant, so for our autumn dates we are dropping the notion of big and small meetings. When we schedule meetings to coincide with the EBU's in-person meeting they will be in spring, which will minimise travel and environmental impact. The next gathering we will hold to follow the EBU will be in the spring of 2028.
The BTE Network meetings are by invitation only
Find out more about our guidelines here
If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact us
If you would like to register for the next BTE meeting in 2025
in the UK please follow the link:
Link to register:
>> BTE UK 2025 <<
2023 Brussels, Belgium
Sunday 24 to Wedenesday 27 September
Theme: Your life as a Buddhist Teacher in Europe
2023 Brussels, Belgium
Sunday 24 - Wednesday 27 September 2023
Last year's meeting of Buddhist Teachers Europe took place in Brussels from September 24 - 27. Once again, we felt how important and beneficial it is to spend time together. As always, we had a very lively and inspiring exchange about our experiences and concerns as Buddhist teachers in Europe. The connection and friendship across all traditions nourishes and encourages our practice and role. We are very grateful for this.
Up until 2023, the BTE meetings have taken place following the meetings of the European Buddhist Union (EBU).
At the EBU AGM in 2023, the EBU decided to make some changes to its meetings, including meeting every third year in the Spring.
As Buddhist Teachers in Europe we would like to continue the tradition of meeting in person every year in the second half of September. Therefore, we will no longer hold the BTE meeting straight after the EBU.
2022 Paris
Sunday 25 to Wedenesday 28 September
2020 Online
Online Friday 23 October to Sunday 25 October
This is the report and a suggestion of regular meetings:
A total of 14 teachers took part, many attending for all three meetings. Throughout the meetings there was a general wish that we meet more, which would build friendships between us - friendships we could call upon at any time for any reason, rather than only meeting every year or three.
It was suggested that we try offering monthly dates to meet, with a more prepared meeting every third month when someone would introduce a discussion by presenting a short talk on a topic. So we will offer dates from November to April, with presentations in January and April. If you would like to present a topic, please tell us. There is, of course, no reason that anyone could not bring a topic to any meeting for discussion. We will review the success of this plan next spring.
We will begin with a Friday evening as a good time to catch people, if that would not suit you please let us know. We hope you feel like trying out these meetings, even though so much of our teaching activity is now on Zoom.
FIRST MEETING: Friday November 13th 8 pm Central European Time (UTC + 1)
Best wishes,
Susthama, Five & Kurt, EBT conveners
2019 Sangha Activa
Barcelona
29 September - 3 October 2019
2018 Adhisthana, GB
30 September - 4. October 2018
small meeting
2017 Warshaw, GB
small- meeting, 24 - 27 September 2017
Buddhist Modernism and Hybridity today.
Contemporary Europe is characterised by a number of discourses dealing with transformation processes involving Buddhism.
2016 Vienna, Austria
Vienna, Maha-Council (large meeting), Sep 25 to Sep 28 (3 days)
Hosted by the ÖBR - Austrian Buddhist Union
"Buddhist Inspiration in our Age of Crisis".
Talks by:
- Lama Shenpen “Mindfulness as the path to liberation”
- Ajahn Sundara “Mindfulness., different levels, mainstream & deep”
- Dario Doshin Girolami: “When blossom falls. A meditation course for grieving parents who lost their children”
- Lama Irene “Supported ending of Life - How do we as Buddhist teachers think and feel about that?”
- Kaikyo Sara Roby-Baranek: “End-of-life or assisted suicide”
- Sylvia Wetzel: Dark Night, Emptiness and Renunciation
- Marcel Geisser: Buddhism beyound "Ism"
- Yesche U. Regel, „Applying Buddhist compassion practices on social, ecological and other urgent matters" and a Tonglen-compassion meditation.
- Zarko Andricevic, Present crises in the light of Chan Buddhism
2015 Omega Institute, USA
2013 Karma Ling, France
As it was a Maha-Council (large meeting) stretching over 5 days, three topics were at the centre of exchange and discussions. “Authority and Transmission”, “Mindfulness in a Buddhist and in a Secular Context”, “Creating Community”.
