Retreats

What are the pieces of a complete Buddhist practice?

Non-residential retreats start with an evening session on Friday from 7-9pm. Then meeting together on both Saturday and Sunday from 9am until 1pm. Without needing to go away for the weekend you are able to get some extra meditation happening, learn a few new things or refresh your understanding, have some meaningful discussions with others ... and still have time to do the other things you need to do before the week starts (like go for a swim if the weather is nice or do some shopping).

Whether you are familiar with our System of Practice or not, this weekend offers an opportunity to get a good start in 2024 by learning about it and practising it. And by familiarising ourselves with these five basic aspects of Buddhist practise, practising them together, we get some sense of what a complete Buddhist lifestyle might feel like.

The quote below is one of Sangharakshita’s early attempts to speak in everyday language about these five central aspects of Buddhist spiritual life: integration, positive emotion, spiritual death, spiritual rebirth, and spontaneous compassionate activity.

All the time, every day, one has got five things to practice as best you can, simultaneously.
1) one keeps up the effort to be mindful and aware and to be as integrated as possible.
2) one remains in as positive a mental state as one possibly can.
3) one does not lose sight of one's ultimate goal at any time.
4) whatever you have realised on the highest level of your being at any time, you try to apply this to practice at every level.
5) you do what you can to help other people.

This weekend non-residential is open to everyone who who has finished attending our Monday night introductory class series.

When

Cost