This weekend my next retreat begins at Rivendell Retreat Centre in Sussex UK.  It’s on Turning our Mind towards Freedom, and is open to any experienced meditator (say 2 or 3 years of meditation) who is familiar with the Triratna approach to Buddhism. It’s a hybrid retreat. The residential places are all taken, but you can still book to join us online. All the booking details are here on the Rivendell site.

Here’s what to expect, taken from the Rivendell programme:

How do we keep ourselves motivated to practise the Dharma, day after day, year after year? How do we build momentum behind our practice, so that it grows deeper, richer and more fulfilling over time? On this retreat we shall look at a set of deep reflective meditations that empower us to practise effectively.

These reflections are all included in the Morning Verses that we recite at the beginning of the day on many retreats. Based on traditional reflections, the verses begin with the ‘four thoughts that turn the mind to the Dharma’ and end with the ‘four immeasurables’ – love, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity.

So, we’ll spend our time together focusing on what’s really important in our lives and what opens our hearts. We’ll practise setting up the conditions to pass the tipping point so that our mind turns towards freedom.

The retreat will be mostly in silence, and will include presentations, guided meditations, devotional practice, and (for residential retreatants) the opportunity for meditation reviews. As usual with Vessantara’s retreats, the aim will be twofold: to support you to get into your meditation, and also to equip you with new understandings and insights to take away and unpack over time.

In 2023 Vessantara will celebrate having been a Buddhist for fifty years. He and Ambaranta have often teamed up over the last decade to offer retreats for experienced meditators at Rivendell.

Book to participate online here.