This retreat is suitable for those who have a regular meditation practice and who regularly attend retreats, a centre or a group within the context of the Triratna Buddhist Community. You will also need to be familiar with, and happy to participate in, Triratna Buddhist devotional practice and ritual (puja), be comfortable with extended periods of sitting meditation and the possibility on some retreats of periods spent in silence.
The Buddha went so far as to say that friendship was in fact “the whole of the spiritual life”. On this retreat we will be exploring friendship in all its aspects. The Buddha stated that our friends and companions would be best served and cared for if we were to perform five ‘duties’ towards them. These are: generosity, kindly compassionate speech, to support their general welfare, to treat them as we treat ourselves and to keep our promises. Ideally, our friends will respond in kind to us, creating a living network of love and care between us all. On the retreat we will reflect on and embody these five aspects of friendship by practising friendliness together, as a communication of the Dharma. We will experience how this will support ourselves and others and create the conditions for the spiritual community, or Sangha, to truly flourish.
Please note: This retreat runs Thursday pm to Monday pm.
Prices for this event are: £250 - £230 (Conc)