Silent Retreat 2021 | Taraloka | Buddhist Retreat Centre For Women

Friday, June 18, 2021 to Thursday, June 24, 2021

Retreat Team:

Shraddhatara

Retreat Type:

It is the pauses which make beautiful the music of our lives. Sangharakshita.

A wonderful opportunity for almost a week of continuous silence. Dwell in the timelessness of meditation, reflection, devotion and beauty. Let the mind and heart quietly become more open, loving and aware.

*Please read and ensure you are able to comply with Taraloka's COVID 19 policies including around travel BEFORE booking your retreat. This retreat is able to run with full social distancing in place if needed.

FOR THIS EVENT THE MAIN MEDITATION SPACE WILL BE IN A MARQUEE.

Samantabhadri writes:

Silence is an important part of spiritual practice and a silent retreat draws us into a particular, deeper way of being. What is our experience when the meditation bell finally fades or when we catch the pause between the birdsong? What is it like to relax and live within a deeper flow of quietness? We glimpse the inner resonance of silence in meditation, while silence is also an outer presence and atmosphere. We can feel as if we are moving in a different rhythm and ordinary life resembles ritual. Loosening our deluded fixed view of self, we can feel less substantial and more connected with everything. We can glimpse that ‘form is only emptiness, emptiness only form.’

More simply, a silent retreat gives the opportunity to be with ourselves and go beyond ourselves: whether meditating, walking in the spring landscape or sitting by the window with a cup of tea. We thus develop a deeper but kindly awareness of the play of our minds and of the world of our senses – the sights, the sounds, the scents, the very feel of things and our resonance with them. We are also living in a gentle, unspoken harmony with others.

We will be with the Dharma through meditation, devotional practice and beautiful shrines. The programme will include contemplative standing outside, as well as time to reflect and simply relax. There will be some meditation guidance and optional meditation reviews.

The silence will begin at the end of the very first evening. We will gently ease back into speaking from the last afternoon onwards as a preparation for going back into the world.

Orchid – breathing

Incense into

butterfly’s wings

(Basho)

Suggested donation (in addition to the booking fee): £360.00 waged / £245.00 unwaged

Booking Fee:

£80.00

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