I was completely in awe on my first visit here on 6th June…read more I am completely new to Buddhism and was so happy to be so welcomed, so accepted, and so happy to be around people that I can relate to and learn from. I arrived at 12:30 when free meditation was open and had a look around the reception area. I was very happy to be offered a cup of tea and be so pleasantly chatted to. The lady kindly took me on a tour of the building, showing me the beautiful two large shrine rooms and the small personal shrine room. She not only told me a bit of the history of the charity and the founder, but also showed me how to meditate, and did some guided meditation for me. I'll have to save up to get the train back to Brighton just to visit here again. I'm so glad these people exist.

Brighton Buddhist Centre is the hub of Buddhist study and practise in Brighton- they have been…read moreteaching and practising Buddhism, meditation and yoga for over thirty years. The organisation aims to make spiritual practise accessible to all sorts of people with all levels of knowledge and experience. The centre is staffed by friendly volunteers who will welcome anyone who wishes to drop in for a chat about what's on offer. Amongst the many classes and courses available, they run led drop in meditation for those who aren't yet ready to commit to a full course. Similarly you can drop in to an impressive range of yoga classes- choose from: Hatha, Iyengar, Astanga and Vajrasati. There are lunchtime and evening classes to suit all schedules. The building itself has a calm, peaceful atmosphere (as one might expect!). A small shrine room is available for individual meditation and a beautiful large room with a glass roof is used for group meditation practise. The centre is a really great resource, not only for supporting Brighton's Buddhist community but for educating people as to what Buddhism is really all about! That said, you don't need to be interested in spiritual study to attend the meditation or yoga classes...they're open to all.

On Sundays, in the car park is THE best place to get authentic Thai food in London…read more For 5 pounds I got a bamboo shoot salad swimming in super-spicy fermented fish sauce and decorated with mint leaves, plus a bag of sticky rice to help me with the heat. Seriously spicy. The real deal. For a further 5 pounds I got two boxes of Thai desserts, including a mouthwatering box of banana custard and purple sticky rice. I could have spent a lot more... Isaan sausage, Northern sausage, Satays, Fried Fish... every tupperware box was so tempting. The food sold here is the closest thing I've found in the UK to real Thai street-food, but it is literally sold out of the boot of people's cars. It's stuff they've made at home and brought to share with Thai tongues. Finding this is a foodie dream come true. Oh, and the temple is gorgeous too.

So beautiful visited with my mum and aunt last year for Thai New Year Songkran. There was music…read moreand dancing, blessings from the monks, Thai artifacts, ingredients and Jewellery for sale and the food. Oooh, the FOOD!!! Stalls and stalls and stalls of everything Thai. Real Thai food proper Isaan dishes like my Grandma used to make, Thai sausages I have never found outside of the country, authentic Thai tea ***sigh*** why can't everyday be like this? The temple is stunning and there is a lovely little garden/park for walks. very serene on a non-festival day. Visiting again next weekend for Songkran hope to take more pictures you must visit it's just gorgeous.

Open and welcoming evenings of formless meditation and teachings which explore how we may relate to…read moreour life experiences in a more simple and direct way. I would recommend the class for anyone interested in meditation and the Buddha's teachings.

From the owner: Courses introducing Buddhist meditation which are suitable for both complete beginners and…read moreexperienced meditators.

From the Buddhist movement in Japan that is building, donating and erecting these peace pagodas…read moreworldwide. It has 4 golden statues (one on each side) representing phases of the Buddha's life. You climb a short set of stairs to see them all. Overlooks the Thames on one side.

When I worked in South Kensington I used to cycle home from work along the Chelsea embankment…read more Every night I would stare across at the giant golden buddha on the opposite bank and wonder what on earth it represented and how it came to be. Since then I have had time to investigate. In 1985, the decision was taken to build a Peace Pagoda here in Battersea Park to join the dozens of other examples dotted around the globe. There is only one monk in residence currently, but apparently you can watch him ringing his bell and chanting every morning - though I haven't visited early enough to witness this yet! Even without him, the Peace Pagoda is a striking addition to Battersea's skyline. If you visit, take a few minutes to walk right around the structure and admire the individually-carved wooden decorations such as dragons and other mythical figures.

Who would have thought that there is a Buddhist temple right off Oxford Street?…read more The London Fo Guang Temple is a branch of the Fo Guang Shan Monastery in Taiwan, which advocates Humanistic Buddhism. But anyhow, I stopped by to have a look and, after mentioning that it was my first visit, was led through the three prayer rooms by a member of staff, who explained the meaning of the individual rooms. Altogether a very friendly welcome and I stayed for a spot of much-needed reflection, only to be disturbed by a member of staff every few minutes; I had the impression that she wanted to make sure that I was not packing the four foot Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva statue into my handbag. There are daily chants, regular tea ceremonies, meditation classes and other events. This temple is worth checking out although visitors seem to be approached with a mixture of friendliness and wariness.

I went on a retreat organised by this company in September 2024. My experience was not good. The…read moreretreat was a brainwashing exercise to recruit people into the Triatna cult, which I subsequently discovered was founded by a peodophile. I was triggered by the actions, behaviour and 'demands' of the 'leaders' during the retreat. I was left feeling duped, offended, shocked and bitterly disappointed at what I thought would be a peaceful, self-nurturing experience. I was particularly concerned that there were young women on the retreat, who were obviously triggered by the events. No support was offered for these vulnerable young adults. No information was shared about organisations they may access once back at home after the retreat. Mental health issues came up for many people I spoke to on the retreat however, at no point did any 'leader' offer on-going support. This is a dangerous practice. If you want to convert to Buddhism it might suit you. If you're looking for an experience that promotes self-growth don't bother.

I went to a few meditation classes and attended other events. During the break there is lots of…read moreinformation about other classes and retreats. They are very good at luring you in, using a lot of self help speak, attracting vulnerable people. But I discovered that the centre and their founder, Sangharkshita, has a very dark past as part of a wider movement. I'm not sure if the movement has fully moved on from this, there is a very strong sense of hierarchy and shutting down of critical voices by older members. I get a sense there is a lot of individuals suppressing dark thoughts here by believing they are enlightened. And of course there is the fact that Suella Braverman was a regular attender to the centre (until it broke as a news story) and was allowed to become a Mitra in the movement. For me that sums up LBC and the whole wider movement.