About our Network meetings

Annual meetings in centers

The Network meets for three or four days annually at the end of September, immediately before or after the European Buddhist Union meeting. Meetings are hosted by Buddhist centers across Europe.

The meeting is not a conference, though there is often a theme. Many different formats are used to facilitate the meeting, open space discussion, small groups, presentations, practice sessions, world cafe, walks and sharing meals together.

Our meetings are after the EBU meeting.



Inspiration for the network

The inspiration for the network came from a meeting in 1993 held in Dharamsala, India, between His Holiness the fourteenth Dalai Lama and a group of Western dharma teachers from the major Buddhist traditions in Europe and America. 

The aim of the meeting was to discuss a range of issues concerning the transmission of Buddhadharma in the West. The following themes emerged:

  • a responsibility to work towards creating a better world for all forms of life
  • avoidance of divisive sectarianism within Buddhism
  • the need to affirm the equality of the sexes
  • the relevance of contemporary psychological understandings of the mind
  • the need to advise students of Buddhism to exercise care in choosing authentic teachers
  • the importance of the highest standards of ethical behaviour from teachers towards their students
  • the need to differentiate the essential teachings of Buddhism from its cultural trapping


Implementing these values is the raison d’etre of the Network of Buddhist Teachers in Europe.

Past network meetings

2022
Paris, France

2021
Online 

2020
Online 

2019
Barcelona, Spain

2018
Adhisthana, GB

2016 
Vienna, Austria

2015, USA
Omega Institute

2015
Germany, Berlin 
Rigpa Zentrum Dharma Mati 

2014
Germany, Hamburg

2013 
France,
Karma Ling 

2012
Churwalden, Switzerland


2011
France
Lerab Ling

2010
Hungary, Velence

2009 - 1993