Tag: rainy season retreat

Dharmabyte: Growing Very Deep Roots in the Sky

By Sadayasihi on Mon, 3 May, 2021 - 06:00

Kuladharini reflects on the life of the sangha at the start of the Glasgow Buddhist Centre’s annual rainy season retreat. Here she explores the cosmic and mythic significance in their current work and their approaching going forth from the city premises they have been teaching from for almost 50 years.

Excerpted from the talk of the same title, Growing Very Deep Roots In the Sky, 2021.

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Bristol Buddhist Centre

Day 5: Spiritual Receptivity - Final Day - Bristol Rains Retreat 2020: 'The Dynamic Mandala'

By FB-Jay on Thu, 2 Apr, 2020 - 18:51

Day 5: Spiritual Receptivity - Final Day - Bristol Rains Retreat 2020: 'The Dynamic Mandala'

By FB-Jay on Thu, 2 Apr, 2020 - 18:51

The fifth, and concluding, day of our Virtual Rains Retreat with Tejananda saw us exploring the Receptivity or ‘just sitting’ aspect of the System of Practice, seen as a ‘Dynamic Mandala’. Tejananda introduced this aspect of practice as a transition from a ‘fabricated’ to an ‘unfabricated’ approach.

In a period of meditation practice we had an ‘experiential resume’ of the material from the previous four days. Questions and observations followed, including how to work creatively with a ‘frozen heart’ and working with...

Bristol Buddhist Centre

Day 4: Spiritual Rebirth - Bristol Rains Retreat 2020: 'The Dynamic Mandala'

By FB-Jay on Wed, 1 Apr, 2020 - 18:08

Day 4: Spiritual Rebirth - Bristol Rains Retreat 2020: 'The Dynamic Mandala'

By FB-Jay on Wed, 1 Apr, 2020 - 18:08

Day Four of our Virtual Rains Retreat in Bristol with Tejananda and there were still about 50 of us logging on, this time to explore the aspect of Spiritual Rebirth in the ‘Dynamic Mandala’ presentation of the System of Practice. Tejananda began with some reflections on the benefits of the ‘principial’ nature of the system of practice - especially the flexibility of application which it offers. This retreat is working with these principles in a somatic way, ie with the...

Bristol Buddhist Centre

Day 3: Spiritual Death - Bristol Rains Retreat 2020: 'The Dynamic Mandala'

By FB-Jay on Tue, 31 Mar, 2020 - 16:55

Day 3: Spiritual Death - Bristol Rains Retreat 2020: 'The Dynamic Mandala'

By FB-Jay on Tue, 31 Mar, 2020 - 16:55

Day three of our Virtual Rains Retreat in Bristol with Tejananda saw about 50 of us exploring the aspect of Spiritual Death, through the ‘Dynamic Mandala’. Tejananda re-emphasised the fact that we can’t meditate unless we are able to know this sense of being embodied. He talked more about the value of engaging with our actual bodily sensations through which we may discover that soma or the ‘cloud’ of sensations of the body are less fixed than we may have...

Bristol Buddhist Centre

Day 2: Positive Emotion - Bristol Rains Retreat 2020: 'The Dynamic Mandala'

By FB-Jay on Mon, 30 Mar, 2020 - 16:39

Day 2: Positive Emotion - Bristol Rains Retreat 2020: 'The Dynamic Mandala'

By FB-Jay on Mon, 30 Mar, 2020 - 16:39

This morning there were 50-60 of the Bristol Sangha online again to hear the second part of Tejanada’s teaching on the ‘Dynamic Mandala’, a somatic exploration of the Triratna System of Practice. ‘Somatic’ is the term used to highlight the alive/vibrational aspect of awareness.

Today’s focus is on positive emotion. Tejananda encouraged us each to find where ‘a sense of ease’ may be located in our bodies, as a starting point for this practice. It may not be...

Bristol Buddhist Centre

Day 1: Integration - Bristol Rains Retreat 2020: 'The Dynamic Mandala'

By FB-Jay on Mon, 30 Mar, 2020 - 10:26

Day 1: Integration - Bristol Rains Retreat 2020: 'The Dynamic Mandala'

By FB-Jay on Mon, 30 Mar, 2020 - 10:26

About 50 of us gathered (online) for the start of the 2020 Bristol Sangha Rains Retreat for Order Members and Mitras this morning. Tejananda had been due to be at the Centre this week to lead the Rains, but as that wasn’t possible, due to Covid-19, he’s generously offered to run 5 x 2 hour sessions over five mornings covering the same material - ‘The Dynamic Mandala’.

After a general introduction we did a short exercise to explore...

Community Highlights

Complete Recordings from the Bristol Buddhist Centre Rains Retreat 2019

By Sadayasihi on Fri, 3 May, 2019 - 10:52

The 2019 Bristol Buddhist Centre’s Rains Retreat was called “Pathways to a Beautiful Mind”. Led by Vajradevi, the retreat explored ways of cultivating a beautiful mind by using the framework of the Satipatthana Sutta as well as the five spiritual faculties.

You can now listen to the complete recordings - which include led meditations and pujas as well as Dharma talks - and take part in your very own rains season retreat at your leisure! A big...

Bristol Buddhist Centre

Day 6: Pathways to a Beautiful Mind

By Satyalila on Thu, 2 May, 2019 - 15:49

Day 6: Pathways to a Beautiful Mind

By Satyalila on Thu, 2 May, 2019 - 15:49

Day 6 - the final day! The 2019 Rains Retreat is now over. Here are some final photos - Bhadra, the Chair of the Bristol Buddhist Centre, thanking and rejoicing in Vajradevi, and then the inevitable dismantling of the shrine and farewells.

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Listen to the audio recordings from day 6 on Soundcloud

Early Morning Meditation Session

Exploring Our Momentum with Mindfulness + Closing Ritual

Listen to the whole series on Free Buddhist Audio

View...

Bristol Buddhist Centre

Day 5: Pathways to a Beautiful Mind

By Satyalila on Thu, 2 May, 2019 - 11:31

Day 5: Pathways to a Beautiful Mind

By Satyalila on Thu, 2 May, 2019 - 11:31

Day five - the last full day - of our Bristol Rains Retreat 2019 saw us beginning with a led meditation in which we were watching our minds, including noticing how awareness arises with the object of awareness. Vajradevi followed this with a full exploration of the poison of moha (delusion), which she described as the most illusive of the three poisons. We looked a bit more at how we can use our sense faculties...

Bristol Buddhist Centre

Day 4: Pathways to a Beautiful Mind

By Satyalila on Wed, 1 May, 2019 - 12:27

Day 4: Pathways to a Beautiful Mind

By Satyalila on Wed, 1 May, 2019 - 12:27

The morning of the fourth day of our rains retreat saw us diving into the ‘dangerous neighbourhood’ of our minds where the kleshas (poisons) hang out. With Vajradevi as a fearless guide, we explored both aversion and craving. With a skilful use of personal examples, she helped us venture into the territory with the companionship of mindfulness, helping us to distinguish the ‘knowing mind’ from the ‘known mind’.

Our afternoon session was devoted to exploring two very different...

Tag: rainy season retreat

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