A Path to the Deathless: The Bardo Verses - 2022 | Taraloka | Buddhist Retreat Centre For Women

Friday, September 23, 2022 to Sunday, October 2, 2022

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Retreat Type:

The Bardo Verses emphasise the ever-changing dynamic quality of consciousness. Each bardo gives a unique opportunity to experience a specific quality of heart-mind, and shows us different ways in which we block and solidify our experience. This intensive meditation retreat will explore the Bardo Verses through meditation and ritual.

*Please read and ensure you are able to comply with Taraloka's COVID 19 precautions BEFORE booking your retreat. *

This year’s annual very popular Women’s Order Retreat at Taraloka will be on the theme of the Bardo Verses taken from the Bardo Thodol -- one of the main insight reflections recommended by Bhante from the very early days of the movement. ‘Bardo’ literally means ‘in-between’, so the Bardo of Life is an experience of aliveness arising between dream states. But what does it mean to be alive, to be awake to the full mystery of sensory experience? Every moment is an experience we can ‘wake up’ in, if we inhabit the ‘gap’, embrace the in-betweenness while fully alive to the meaning and impact of each breath. With the Dream Bardo we can learn how to work when deeper habits and tendencies surface, and develop clarity. With the Meditation Bardo we can learn how to confidently embrace the freedom, flexibility and joy that can emerge, and work with the doubts that hold us back. The Bardo of Dying challenges our attachment at the deepest level. We can learn the freedom of letting go with awareness. The Bardo of Dharmata or clear light, shows us the profound love that is there when, no longer separated, we are fully alive in an alive universe. The experience is so shattering and unfamiliar though, that we approach it through learning to live increasingly flexibly with the unfamiliar. The Bardo of Becoming takes us into new life; conditionality unfolding as a result of previous tendencies. It can teach us the importance of flavouring and tempering those tendencies with love and awareness, of leading an ethical life. We will be practising together as a community on this mainly silent retreat with daily input around the Bardo Verses. There will be the opportunity for meditation reviews, bodywork, walking meditation, ritual and time in nature.

Suggested donation (in addition to the booking fee): £405 waged / £285 unwaged

Booking Fee:

£90.00

Paying for your retreat

Taraloka runs on generosity.

To book a retreat you pay a booking fee. This is the only charge made for coming on retreat. We want Taraloka retreats to be available to any woman, whatever her financial situation.

At the end of your retreat, you have the opportunity to give money towards Taraloka. If you are able to donate, you are giving to another woman who otherwise could not afford to come on retreat. And you are helping to give the gift of Taraloka to the women of the future.

Suggested donations

Our suggested donations (in addition to the booking fee) for 2021 are (waged/unwaged)

Weekend retreats (£195 / 135)
Long Weekend (3 nights) (£220 / 155)
4 night retreats (£250 / 170)
5 night retreats (£280 / 190)
Week retreats: (£360 / 245)
9 night retreats (£405 / 285)
12 night retreats (£460 / 305)

There will be an opportunity to make your donation at the end of the retreat. Donations can be made by credit/debit card, cheque or cash.

Those who cannot afford our suggested donations are free to contribute what they can.

Running on generosity is radical – thank you for being part of that.

For more information see what does it cost and a flow of generosity