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30 September - 07 October 2011 Led by Tejananda If we let go of thoughts of past, present and future, what do we discover? Simple Being, the timeless moment, the clear, sky-like nature of Awareness itself. Combining body awareness and just sitting with insightful ways of exploring our direct experience, this practice allows our hearts and minds to open to the unsuspected and limitless depths of Awareness, beyond thought. Silent practice will be supported by devotion, faith and aspiration. Suitable for those with at least one year of regular meditation practice. Men's winter retreat 2011- Four Noble Truths 21 - 28 Dec 2011 The Four Noble Truths have been called the heart of the Buddha's teaching. They may be outlined in less than a minute. But their truth may be penetrated only through practice, study, reflection and meditative contemplation. We'll have excellent conditions here for our understandings to go deeper. We'll use especially mindfulness practice to become present to our actual experience and begin to see the Truths in action. Men's Winter Retreat 2012 - Relating to the Buddha 21 - 28 December 2012 Led by Smritiratna Shakyamuni Buddha lived twenty five centuries ago, yet events in his live can still have resonances with our own. Old tales can rekindle our inspiration and, in our meditations, we can let that flame burn on.
Wolf at the Door Creative Writing Retreat - Writing as Awakening
Ananda has co-led Wolf at the Door workshops around the world for the past sixteen years. He has had many poems published, and he has recently completed a Science Fiction novel. Satyalila has been writing since her teens and has been involved with Wolf at the Door since 1998. In recent years she has been teaching and leading retreats at the Bristol Buddhist Centre.
28 Dec 2011 - 04 Jan 2012 28 Dec 2012 - 04 Jan 2013 Total Immersion Led by Paramananda An intensive retreat following the popular total immersion format. Two weeks of silence and Meditation – a chance to take a deep dive into your experience, to savour it and explore its true nature. Paramananda has been teaching meditation for over twenty years in Britain and the USA. He is the author of "Change your Mind", a very popular book on meditation. Please note this retreat has been moved to an Autumn slot to allow for building work in winter/spring 2012. We hope to return to our normal slot in 2013 Order Meditation Retreat - Mandala of the Mind (for Order Members) 02 - 11 May 2012 Led by Dhammarati & Vajrasara The theme will be the Order's System of Meditation, with its five stages (integration, positive emotion, spiritual death, spiritual rebirth & formless practice) and will explore how these link with the 5 Spiritual Faculties or Powers of the Mind. There will also be time to reflect on kalyana mitrata as a key aspect of the system of training. The week will focus on meditation – with ritual, silence, some discussion & group meditation reviews. 02 - 09 March 2012 Led by Smritiratna To meditate in metta bhavana is to illuminate your current human relationships with the warm light of mindfulness. You have the space there to fully experience all your feelings about someone ... and then to wish them well. Inspired by the Buddha's Karaniyametta Sutta, here on retreat, we'll have a chance to resolve some inner conflicts then return to the world refreshed. 30 March - 06 April 2012 Led by Dhivan During this study retreat, we will explore themes from Dhivan's recent book This Being, That Becomes: the Buddha's Teaching on Conditionality . Conditionality is a way of translating paticca-samuppada , which means 'dependent arising' - the most essential teaching of the historical Buddha. This teaching is encapsulated in the general formula: 'This being, that becomes; from the arising of that, that arises. This not being, that does not become; from the ceasing of this, that ceases.' But what does this formula or general principle mean in practice? In a way, we can talk about the whole of Buddhism from the point of view of conditionality. However, on this retreat we will focus on some key themes: the relation of conditionality to modern science and philosophy; how the Buddha used conditionality to explain the arising and ceasing of dukkha or 'unsatisfactoriness'; and how the teaching of conditionality is the key to understanding the Buddhist spiritual path to liberation. We will use meditation, study, discussion, reflection and devotion to explore conditionality in different ways, and hence allowing this profound teaching to enter into our minds and hearts as much as possible. 14 - 21 October 2011 Led by Dhammagita Dhammagita focuses on the development of awareness through the body, combining meditation, movement, poetry, music and energy work. By opening fully to sensations of the physicality, energies, movements and resistances of the body-mind we can learn to embrace the ordinary/extraordinary experience of the pleasure and pain of being human. "Opening Into Wholeness" is a vibrant exploration and appreciation of our human body in movement and stillness, designed to reveal and dissolve our obstructions, show us how we really are and enhance wellbeing of the whole body-mind. Working directly with the elements we will ground ourselves and release to the support of the earth, move body and mind with the fluidity of water, feel the fire of energy and rejoicing in life, and enjoy the unobstructed freedom of air in our breath and being. This is a week of workshops and experiences, balanced by silence and meditations. For all wanting to stop living only in their busy heads, willing to let go of habitual ways of being and engage fully with what can be surprising, challenging and fun. A full-on week of depth and delight. Dhammagita's mix of somatic practices, energy work and breathing techniques are drawn from her Shiatsu training and exploration of various bodywork and spiritual traditions, and influenced by her training with Reginald Ray. Her past life (initial drama training, later Art & Design degree, and years as a fashion stylist) contributes to her eclectic and playful approach to revealing awareness . Exploring Dynamic Reality (for Order members and mitras training for ordination) 14 - 21 September 2012 Led by Khemasuri When we accept Ordination we do so for the attainment of Enlightenment, for the benefit of all beings. What does this really mean? This retreat will weave Vasubandhu's 4 factors, traditional reflections laying the foundation for the arising of the Bodhicitta, with the experiential "Work that Reconnects" a cycle of work developed by Joanna Macy and others. Both strands will be supported by a strong framework of reflection, mediation and ritual.
09 - 16 December 2011 Led by Padmadarshini & Christine Howitt Yoga is essentially an awareness practice. It has the potential to help us to reinhabit our bodies, to listen to our bodies` wisdom and to meet ourselves as we are with kindness and sensitivity. On this retreat we will explore some of the key principles that underpin the practice: how to access the primal rhythm of the breath to support movement, how to access the support of the ground through the giving of weight and exploring the relationship between stability / containment and opening/flexibility. We will have periods of collective silence during the week to support going deeper. Open to those with a regular yoga practice who have previously attended a week long yoga and meditation retreat.
17 - 24 February 2012 - Going Deeper with Yoga & Meditation 07 - 14 September 2012 - Going Deeper with Hillwalking & Meditation led by Nayaka 21 - 28 September 2012 - Going Deeper in Meditation and Buddhist Reflection led by Amoghavira These retreats are an ideal first regulars retreat. They are open to anyone who has done an introductory retreat or has been attending a local centre and is looking to take their practice a bit deeper. They take successful themes from our introductory programme but gently introduce more silence, more meditation and more Buddhist ritual (including 7-fold Puja) than our introductory retreats. They are an ideal exploration of deeper practice for people who might not feel ready for a traditional study or meditation retreat. 12 - 19 October 2012 Led by Tejananda Can we actually wake up - become enlightened? According to Buddhism's core teachings we all have this potential. What sometimes stops us in our tracks is lack of confidence in ourselves and our practice. This retreat is about gaining the confidence and courage to go deeper. That means having the understanding in practice that enables us to enter absorption (shamatha) and directly penetrate the truth of things as they are (vipashyana). Working through all the main areas in the Triratna meditation system, we'll find new ways to approach the practices and give our practice a quantum shift.
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DHANAKOSA Buddhist Retreat Centre, Balquhidder, Lochearnhead, FK19 8PQ, Scotland. TeL: 01877 384 213. info@dhanakosa.com |
The Dhanakosa Trust Scottish Charity No. SCO32776 |
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