Our Values
Statement of intent to embrace diversity from the Trustees & Centre team of the Bristol Buddhist Centre
We welcome people in all their diversity. We are committed to respect and to uphold every individual’s dignity and agency, and to promote their spiritual growth. To this end we offer an open hand of friendship on the basis of unconditional loving-kindness.
At the core of the Buddha’s teaching is the understanding that greed, hatred, fear and ignorance are the root poisons causing human suffering. As a community, we are committed to tread the path that exposes and undermines these poisons, both in our own lives and in the world, and to help us embrace and share the truth of our interconnectedness with all life.
We actively cultivate awareness to help us to uncover and recognize where we may be unwittingly expressing ignorance, prejudice, or unfair discrimination, whether individually, collectively, or through our organisational structures and processes. We are committed to educating ourselves and our community to identify, manage and diminish this risk. To this end, we embrace acceptance, appreciation, listening, witnessing, reflection and spiritual friendship in the hope that these qualities will expand our capacity for understanding, and empathy with all life.
Our values are expressed by the five ethical precepts taught by the Buddha:
| Behaviour to avoid | Behaviour to develop |
| harming living beings | loving-kindness |
| taking the not-given | generosity |
| sexual misconduct | stillness, simplicity and contentment |
| false speech | truthful speech |
| taking intoxicants that cloud the mind | mindfulness; awareness |
A more detailed exposition of these precepts can be found in the model_ethical_guidelines
Find out more about Inclusivity & Access at the Centre here. If you need to discuss anything around inclusivity and access at the centre then do get in touch: info@bristol-buddhist-centre.org
Some specific expressions of our commitment to these values are given here:
Safeguarding Policies and Documents:
Children – Safeguarding Policy
Vulnerable adults – Safeguarding Policy
Managing those who may pose a risk
Bristol Buddhist Centre Ethical Guidelines
Chair’s name: Bhadra Contact: bhadra@bristol-buddhist-centre.org
Safeguarding Lead: Samasuri Contact: safeguardingbristolbuddhistcentre@proton.me