Ritual and the Imagination 2024 | Taraloka | Buddhist Retreat Centre For Women

Friday, October 4, 2024 to Sunday, October 13, 2024

Retreat Team:

Samantabhadri

Retreat Type:

‘Worship is an integral part of Enlightenment itself. The Enlightened mind is a worshipping
mind … ‘(Sangharakshita: ‘Who is the Buddha?’)

This is an inspiring, important retreat for women on the path to ordination. Its imaginative
vision of beauty, of the transcendental, of the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, is a preparation
for later sadhana practice. It offers a deeper understanding of ritual and devotion which will
also support discussing and leading these practices as a dharmacharini.

We ask that you do not come on this retreat until you have done at least one retreat for
women who are training for ordination. If you need to discuss this, please talk with your local
mitra convenor or contact us.

Ritual and devotion help to loosen the sense of self. Ritual is creative and an active
experience of body, speech and mind. Devotion is the flow of the heart response, including
reverence, respect, gratitude and delight. Imagination holds the vision of the transcendental
and its beauty.

We will turn towards the Buddha and to other archetypal Buddhas and Bodhisattvas, as
figures that arise and fade away, that are shimmering, insubstantial, translucent. They might
be glimpsed through sight, sound, touch or presence or we might simply wish to know them
better. Ritual also enables a kindly response from the depths of our humanity. This might be
experienced as sadness, regret, gratitude, compassion or joy. Through ritual and other
experience in the landscape, we will invoke the spiritual mandala of Taraloka, including the
presence of Green Tara.

The indoor and outdoor practice includes: ritual and devotion; presentations; meditation;
direct experience in the landscape; gentle movement exercises; groups; personal reviews;
and an extended period of silence.

Punyamala is a public preceptor who has regularly led the long ordination retreat at
Akashavana, where she shares her deep connection with ritual and devotion. A founder
member of Sheffield Buddhist Centre, she has lived there for over 30 years with her family
and worked part-time as a clinical psychologist.

Samantabhadri is a private preceptor and one of Taraloka’s most longstanding retreat
leaders, who lived there for 8 years. She has a special connection with ritual, devotion and
the imagination and a love of the arts, poetry and drama.

Sinhacandra is a private preceptor who has been much appreciated as a creator of ritual,
memorable shrines and sacred objects. She is an engaging speaker who also creates
beautiful Dharmic images as a stained-glass artist.

Moksalila worked as a therapist in palliative care, giving massage and healing to those
nearing the end of life. She has a particular interest in developing simple rituals in everyday
life that can connect us to something more profound.

Suggested donation (in addition to the booking fee): £410 waged / £290 unwaged

Booking Fee:

£95.00

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. As far as possible, we don't want anyone's financial situation to stop them from coming to Taraloka.

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 person 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 2023-24 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)

Our suggested donations (in addition to the booking fee) for 2024-25 are (waged/unwaged)

Weekend retreats (£195 / 135)
Long Weekend (3 nights) (£225 / 160)
4 night retreats (£255 / 175)
5 night retreats (£285 / 195)
Week retreats: (£365 / 250)
9 night retreats (£410 / 290)
12 night retreats (£465/ 310)

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