About us

The Maitreya Institute strives to make Mahayana Buddhism accessible in the Netherlands, because the principles and methods of Buddhism can benefit and bring happiness to individuals as well as to society as a whole. Since the founding in 1979, this has been done by facilitating teachings, meditations, retreats and many other activities in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition.

The two study and meditation centers are located in Amsterdam and Loenen. In Amsterdam, we mainly provide evening and weekend programs (often in English). In Loenen, students can stay overnight in the center (a former hotel), and many activities are during the weekends in Dutch or English.

We are fortunate to have a Tibetan teacher in Loenen, Geshe Sonam Gyaltsen. The teachings of Geshe Sonam Gyaltsen are translated into Dutch. The Dutch monk Venerable Losang Gendun is the main teacher in the center in Amsterdam and he mostly teaches in Dutch, but he also gives some English courses. Annelies van der Heijden's meditations and classes are always in English. Besides these teachers, several advanced students of the Maitreya Institute regularly lead courses, meditations and retreats, mostly in Dutch.

Click the links for a summary of the English teaching program in Amsterdam and Loenen.

Maitreya Institute is affiliated with the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT), a world-wide organization that was founded by Lama Thubten Yeshe and under the spiritual guidance of Lama Zopa Rinpoche. The FPMT is based on the Tibetan Gelug tradition of Lama Tsong Khapa and the inspiring example of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.

 

Because we and all beings still live in samsara and have anger, attachment, ignorance and all the mental garbage: having all these wrong views is why we need Dharma centers, which are a place to learn, to practice, to purify and collect merits, to inspire each other, to develop wisdom and compassion and to achieve liberation and enlightenment.
Lama Zopa Rinpoche