Category: Sangha Night

Walking the direct path

Each year we run a ‘Rains retreat’ for local Order members and mitras. We also hope this year to welcome Order members and mitras from the Frome, Stroud and Buddhafield Sanghas.

Our retreat will be on the theme of Satthipathana generously led by our guest, Dhammarati, from Adhisthana.

The Buddha described his own journey as refinding a lost path. He describes the Satipatthana Sutta as ‘the direct path to realisation’. He suggests this particular teaching is nothing less than an exposition of the whole path. In the sutta he describes a progressive path, beginning with simple awareness of the breath and body, and deepening step by step into contemplation of the nature of experience. On this retreat we’ll looking at each step in our own experience, drawing on the Satipatthana sutta and also making references to the Anapanasati Sutta.

Dhammarati has been involved in Triratna since his first visit to Glasgow Buddhist Centre in 1973, and he was Ordained by Bhante in the Summer of 1976. He was chair of London Buddhist Centre from 1985 till 1992, when he returned to his training as a graphic designer to design Dharma Life magazine, a series of annual reports for Karuna Trust, and the cover designs for Windhorse books of that period. He became a public preceptor in 2003, and was chair of the Preceptors’ College from 2005 – 15.
Since 2015 he has been convenor of Triratna’s International Council, which he has recently left to become a full time member of Adhisthana’s new Dharma Teaching

Here is Dhammarati at our Sangha night last August.

The retreat will be on zoom. Check back for the link nearer the time.

No need to book

Friday 14: 7.30pm Welcome and introduction to the retreat

Daily programme:

7.30 – 8.30am     Unguided meditation and Tiratana vandana

10.00 – 11.30am  Dhammarati  teaching/ meditation block

11.45 – 12.30pm  Home Groups

2.45 – 4.15pm       Dhammarati teaching/ meditation  block 

4.30 – 5.30pm      Bodywork

7.30 – 8.30pm       Meditation/ puja

If you would like to access other teachers, here are just a few recommendations:

Breathworks: Mindful Self-care for Troubling Times

A free online course from our partner organisation based in Manchester who developed the secular Mindfulness for Stress and Mindfulness for Health courses we run at the Centre.

Buddhist Centre Online: Dharma Toolkit for Uncertain Times

Free podcasts and live meditations twice a day Monday to Friday from 23 March.

Windhorse Publications

Free monthly e-books when you sign-up to their newsletter, 10% off book orders on account and free shipping on all orders for the next few months.

Wildmind

A global community focused on mindful and compassionate living providing online meditations since 2001 now has an app and online courses:

Now that the centre bookshop is closed you can get books on the Dharma, meditation and working with your heart-mind directly from the Windhorse Publications website. 

There’s never been a better time to read!
 
“We read to know that we are not alone.” – William Nicholson, Shadowlands