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Buddhafield Retreats 2008

What's a Buddhafield retreat like?

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Buddhafield retreats are camping events, held on various beautiful sites in the south-west. They are a wonderful way to take a break from our everyday routines and have a fresh experience of ourselves, amidst stillness, beauty and harmonious community.

Previous experience is advisable for certain retreats. Those marked ‘Open’ are suitable for beginners, and those marked ‘Regulars’ suitable for those with some experience (6 months or more) of the mindfulness of breathing and metta bhavana meditation practices. If you are in doubt of the best retreat to choose please contact us before booking.

If you are on medication for a mental health problem, please contact us in advance to check that the retreat is suitable.

Space in a communal dome or bender is provided for retreatants who do not have their own tent.

The three tier amounts are suggested donations for Normal rate / Low wage / Concession (unemployed, student, senior citizen). You are free to give more, or less. We are committed to providing affordable retreats for those with genuine need. We depend on your generosity to help us continue to do this.

"In the oldest religion everything was alive, not supernaturally but naturally alive…the whole life effort of man was to get his life into contact with the elemental life of the cosmos, mountain-life, cloud-life, thunder-life, air-life, earth-life, sun-life. To come into immediate felt contact, and so to derive energy, power, and a dark sort of joy. This effort into sheer naked contact, without an intermediary or mediator, is the root meaning of religion."
DH Lawrence

Buddhafield 2008: The Dance 0f the Elements

In ancient India the Buddha's followers wondered from place to place, meditating in forests, and living by streams, at the roots of trees, or in parks and gardens. They lived their lives in the elements and drew inspiration and teachings from the aliveness of the natural world.

Buddhafield continues something of this earliest Buddhist tradition - we move from place to place, living in the midst of the elements in fields and woodlands. We too draw our inspiration not only from the Buddha's teachings, but also from the beauty and aliveness of the natural world.

This year our theme is 'the dance of the elements' - the constantly changing interplay of the qualities of earth, water, fire and air (Buddhist tradition adds the two further elements of space and consciousness) that we and everything in the physical world are made up of. Buddhism teaches that we are not as fixed as we imagine - we ourselves are a dynamic process as much as a running stream or a cloud-blown sky. This realisation can be intensely liberating.

Come and join us in our exploration of the nature of the elements both within and around us, in beautiful surroundings, either on one of our retreats or at our festival.

"Buddhist thought understands the elements in terms of the changing processes that constitute our world, rather than as basic substances from which the world is made up…that the elements are not fixed but in a constant process of coming into being. Unlike the great elements of science, these elements are alive. Alienated from nature, no longer experiencing it as a living presence, we sorely need to recapture the sense that to be human is to be part of nature. We are dealing not with concepts or inanimate matter, but with living forces. The universe is alive, magically so. The Buddha and his disciples lived in the midst of nature theirs was a world populated not only by human beings and animals, but by gods and spirits of the hills and streams, trees and flowers. Their presence is itself part of the teaching…To miss them is to miss the poetry, and the heart of the Buddha's message."
Bhante Sangharakshita

TREE PLANTING RETREAT

(Open)

February 1^st - 4^th/8^th

Location:
Broadhembury, Devon

Led by:
Ratnarashi, Abhayajit, Sandy Lacey

Option to leave or arrive Mon 4^th.
A working retreat enabling us to connect with the vivid nature of the elements whilst continuing to implement our permaculture design. Includes introductory meditation, with the weekend dedicated to Green Tara.

Cost: £40, £25 weekend only.

BUDDHAFIELD ORDER / MITRA CONVENTION

March 17^th - 28^th

Location:
Dulverton, Devon

(Open to Order members and Mitras with a connection with Buddhafield)

Men's study week

March 17^th - 21^st

Lead by:
Kuladitya

Combined (Open to Children)

March 21^st - 24^th

Lead by:
Mumukshu, Kuladitya

Women's study week

March 24^th - 28^th

Lead by:
Akasati, Mumukshu

A gathering of the Buddhafield Mitra sangha.
Priority will be given to Buddhafield mitras.

The theme will be 'Living with Awareness' and the main text will be Sangharakshita's book of the same name (Windhorse publications), though we may use some other material too. It would be helpful if retreatants could read this book before the event.

Details: +44 (0)1647 24539 or

Cost: Womens or Mens Weeks £70, Combined Weekend £60, Both £120.

A DEEPER FLOWERING

(Women, Open)

May 2^nd - 9^th

Location:
Chagford, Devon

Led by:
Akasati, Mumukshu

Join our Spring women's retreat gathering on the land, exploring elements of awareness through meditation, ritual and mindfulness teachings, in great company, within the abundant beauty of May time.

Cost: £185/155/100

More details

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BEATING THE DRUM OF THE DHARMA

May 22^nd - 26^th

Location:
Taraloka, Shropshire

(Open)

Experience the magic and inspiration of practicing together in large numbers. Teachers include Dhammarati, Kamalasila, Kulaprabha, Padmavajra, Parami, Maitreyi, Ratnadharani, Sona, Tejananda, Vidyamala.

Please book via website www.internationalretreat.fwbo.org or brochures at local FWBO centres.

We need people to help site crew this event if you are intrested contact us Here

TOTAL IMMERSION

(Regulars)

June 6^th - July 4^th

Location:
TBC

Led by:
Paramananda, Kamalashila, Dhiramati

For a fortnight or a month; option to arrive or leave on 20th June.

Share a month of silent meditation practice on some very secluded and beautiful land in Devon with teaching by experienced dharma teachers. Programme includes optional yoga.

4 Weeks Kamalashila; 6th - 20th June Paramanada & Dhiramati; 20th June - 4th July co-leader TBC.

Cost: Month: £620/510/330; Fortnight: £340/280/185

More details

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TAI CHI

(Open)

September 25^th - 28^th

Location:
Easterbrook, Devon

Led by:
Maitrisara, Sandy Lacey

(Open to those with experience of the 'Work that Reconnects')

Buddhafield hosts this collectively created event for the third year. Participants are invited to offer workshops and activities. Rituals, meditation, games, discussion and poetry. Share your inspiration!

Cost: £160/130/85

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What's a Buddhafield retreat like?	Booking form	Contact details

Some of our retreat leaders publications and other FWBO retreats.

Page last updated: 01-May-2008

May all beings be happy!

Buddhafield Retreats 2008

Buddhafield 2008: The Dance 0f the Elements