Secular

The resources shared on this page aim to help empower people to live their lives as they deem most beneficial for their physical/mental/spiritual well-being and that of their loved ones and society. They offer practical, empowering and relevant advice to help people tackle modern day issues in a kind and compassionate way, by providing the chance to discover the flexible quality of the mind and its ability to transform negative habitual perceptions into more joyful and ethical behaviours.

Courses at Land of Joy

These courses do not use buddhist terminology or philosophical ideas, instead focusing on non-religious tools which can help develop happiness, kindness, compassion and more in your everyday life. You therefore do not need to be Buddhist or interested in Buddhism to attend.

Please click on the button below to learn more about our upcoming universal weekend courses and book your place.

Recordings of Past Courses at Land of Joy

Opening Our Hearts to Others: Exploring Loving Kindness with Paula Chichester & Lou Beaumont

What is Self Compassion? With Ven Lozang Yönten

Stress Relief Techniques and Ideas with Ven Lozang Yönten

Exploring Death for a Meaningful Life with Ven Lozang Yönten

Equanimity and Love with Ven Lozang Yönten

Practicing Patience with Ven Lozang Yönten

Dispelling Guilt with Ven Lozang Yönten

The Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom (FDCW) was established as a global charity based in London in 2005. Since then we have provided secular training, programmes and resources across many sectors of society – schools, universities, hospices, workplaces, healthcare, youth groups and community centres.

They create programmes and courses that cultivate and explore universal values such as humility, kindness, courage, compassion, empathy. By seeing our experiences through the lens of these values, we learn to manage our negative emotions better and create the space for wiser choices. The content is inspired by ancient Buddhist wisdom and Western philosophy without religious elements. Courses are presented in a modern way using scientific evidence and current theories in psychology so that they are universally relevant in a modern world. [www.compassionandwisdom.org]

The Big Love Festival

“Since Lama Yeshe first shared his vision for a Universal Education in the mid-1970s and then during this interview in 1983, his unique and innovative approach has inspired many individuals and projects in schools, universities, hospices, workplaces, healthcare, youth groups and community centres around the world.

The Big Love Festival started out not only as a celebration of what Universal Education has achieved in nearly 40 years but also an opportunity for us to shape our future in response to the pressing challenges of today.” [FDCW]

Below are a selection of the video recordings for the festival organised and hosted by FDCW in November 2020. You can discover all the recordings they have so kindly made available by clicking here

Universal Education at Home – Making the most of the Happy Toolbox with Kids and Teens with Ceci Buzón – recorded by Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom

Universal Education and Mindfulness for better mental health with Ven Carla Pearse – recorded by Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom

The Self-Healing Tools of Transformative Mindfulness Methods with Hilary McMichael – recorded by Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom

Wisdom & Compassion in the Eye of the Storm with Ros Broughtflower and Paul Wielgus – recorded by Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom

Creating Compassionate Cultures with Pam Cayton- recorded by Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom

Tenzin Ösel Hita In Conversation with Anna Colao – recorded by Foundation for Developing Compassion and Wisdom

FDCW have their own free resource pages which include audio recordings from their webinars as well as links to other interesting articles and books. Below are a selection of the webinars they have made available.

FDCW’s Courses:

The 16 Guidelines for Life programme draws on the knowledge of ancient wisdom traditions and contemporary science to explore how we think, act, relate to others and create a meaningful life. The 16 Guidelines are universal human values such as humility, gratitude and patience. They are organised in four wisdom themes and explored through the qualities of mindfulness and compassion in guided reflections as well as a range of interactive activities in pairs and smalls groups. Participants are introduced to different tools and resources with the aim to empower them to create positive change in their lives and those around them. [www.compassionandwisdom.org]

The 16 Guidelines programme offers a learning path to transformative change:

Please click here to learn more

Exploring mindfulness and universal values in playful ways

This new and innovative course based on the 16 Guidelines for Life aims to empower parents, teachers, educators and carers to explore mindfulness and ethical values with children and teenagers. The course was developed for FDCW by Cecilia Buzón, a teacher and neuro-psychoeducator from Argentina. There are fifteen facilitators worldwide ready to deliver the course in English or Spanish.

We each create our understanding of ourselves and the world based on our experience.

The course methodology is based on this simple, yet profound insight and introduces age-appropriate activities allowing space for three stages of learning:

Encounter: watch, listen, read – with engagement. Provide children and teens with direct experiences so they can explore and be curious. Encounter develops into understanding.

Examine: reflect and check up on what is encountered. This can happen consciously or subconsciously. Ideally it is a rational process. After activities lead debriefs to help learners reflect and develop their critical enquiry. Examining develops into expressing.

Experience: integration – turn what we learn into a natural part of our attitude, thinking and behaviour. This is a subtle process – often overlooked. Through this, help children and teens to develop understanding of their minds and to share and apply their inner wisdom. Experience develops into embodying. [www.compassionandwisdom.org]

Through encounter, examination and experience, information becomes embodied learning. Please click here to find out more

Go on a deeper exploration into how to live a happier, more fulfilling life and achieve your true potential. Beginning with an honest appraisal of your own life, this experiential course offers you strategies to make informed and considerate choices about yourself, your relationships, and the world around you.

Inspired by the Dalai Lama’s Mind & Life Dialogues, this course aims bridge the gap between analytical thinking and contemplative understanding by bringing together Buddhist teachings, scientific research, and the world’s psychological and philosophical insights. [www.compassionandwisdom.org]

Please click here to find out more

Exploring what causes us to feel emotionally overwhelmed and how to relate in healthy and more balanced ways

Building Balanced Empathy is a 6-hour course designed to explore empathy, vulnerability and emotional resilience. You will learn techniques empowering you to relate to yourself and others in healthy and more balanced ways.

This course will help you:

  • Develop better self-understanding and therefore real empathy for others
  • Identify what pushes us out of balance allowing the space for wiser choices
  • Build closer, more nurturing relationships with family, friends and co-workers

Please click here to find out more [www.compassionandwisdom.org]

Discovering what shapes our experience and how we can transform our lives

Unlocking Your Potential is our latest 6-hour course inspired by The art of Fulfilment programme. It is designed to explore how conditioning shapes our experience and how this may influence how we show up in our lives. You will learn tools empowering you to reflect more deeply on your potential to find fulfilment and meaning in life.

This course will help you:

  • Explore the lifelong process of conditioning which influences who you are today.
  • Understand that the way you experience and interact with the world through conditioning may support or limit the fulfillment of your potential.
  • Reflect on how you aim to unlock your potential.

Please click here to find out more [www.compassionandwisdom.org]

The atlas is an interactive tool that builds your vocabulary of emotions and illuninates your emotional world. The goal is to gain greater control over what triggers your emotions and how you respond. The first step towards emotional awareness is learning to identify and describe how you are feeling and why [Atlas of Emotions]

Below you can find illustrations demonstrating the experience of anger. Please click here to discover the full interactive experience for exploring anger and other emotions.