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Climate, Conditionality and Karma
Using the medicine of the Four Reminders, we open to a new RealityWhat is a Home Retreat? (click to read)
Home Retreats can be tailored to your needs.
We provide:
- Live Home Retreat events daily
- Specially curated Dharma resources
- A chance to catch up each day on the event sessions by video if you missed them – so you can do the retreat in your own time
- Share your own inspiration and reflections on the private retreat Padlet space
- A chance to connect with the retreat leader to ask questions about your practice
Whether you have the time to engage with a full-on, urban-retreat style week at home – or are super occupied already with kids or work and just want some useful structure to book-end your days with a little calm and inspiration: this is for you.
Join the Home Retreat—online or in-person!
🧘🏽♀️ 🧘🏽♂️ Led by members of the Triratna Earth Sangha.
You can access video recordings of all sessions below under each day’s resources.
📖 View the retreat programme and meet the speakers
📖 Download a practice diary to use during the retreat
We’re really looking forward to this retreat and exploring how the Dharma can support us in relation to the Climate and Ecological Crises. As Buddhists we have something unique to offer the world in this area.
This retreat will be important not just for climate activists but everyone in the Triratna Community who wants to practise the Dharma in the face of these issues.
Part of Buddhist Action Month 2023, and in fulfilment of the European Chairs Assembly’s strategic priority of ‘Dharmic engagement with social and ecological issues’, which is now also a Triratna International Council priority.
The retreat begins a 30-day habit challenge, which extends throughout June.
We hope you can join us at home or with a group at your local centre for the meditations, talks, study and pujas.
Suggested donation for the retreat:
£100 / $135 / €120 (or £20 / $30 / €25 per day
Come to any sessions you wish on this Home Retreat – catch up online with all the teachings throughout the week!
Like all our events, this retreat is offered by donation rather than charging a compulsory ticket price. If you can, please donate today to help us continue with our work and support others to attend who cannot afford to pay. Thank you!
Led by members of the Triratna Earth Sangha, including Shantigarbha, Akasaraja, Amaragita, Sarvajit, Buddhasevaka, and others.
retreat resources
Welcome to the retreat
Day 1
Re-watch the Live PRACTICE sessions
The urban retreat starts with Shantigarbha inquiring how the Dharma can provide support in relation to the Climate and Ecological Crises. He points out that as Buddhists, we possess something exceptional to offer the world in this area. Additionally, he introduces the theme of the retreat, which revolves around the four reminders:
– This human birth is precious, an opportunity to awaken – Amaragita tomorrow evening.
– The body is impermanent, death is certain – Buddhasevaka, Saturday morning.
– The cause and effect of karma shapes the course of my life – Sarvajit, Saturday evening.
– Life has inevitable difficulties, no one can control it all – Shantigarbha, Sunday morning.
The retreat also provides a space for participants to share their intentions. Sarvajit then discusses the 30-day challenge, and Amaragita leads a sit and a dedication ceremony with mantra chanting.
Day 2
Re-watch the Live PRACTICE sessions
The urban retreat starts today with a morning puja, followed by a period of Mindfulness of Breathing led by Amaragita.
During this seminar, Shantigarbha delves into the importance of empathy and imagination in addressing environmental issues. Acting ethically requires two things: connecting with the beings in our surroundings and envisioning the possible consequences of our actions. According to Sangharakshita, “The natural world is alive, full of life that resonates with our own lives, and is valuable as life.” The session concludes with a guided reflection.
The session starts with Amaragita leading a brief sit, and listening to the song “The Lost Words Blessing”. She then introduces the first reminder “This human birth is precious, an opportunity to awaken.” She mentions about some thoughts of hopelessness and helplessness that can arise in us around the climate crisis and how we can deal with them when talking to other people about this topic and how to unpack them so that they are our friends, being able to have conversations that matter with people that matter.
She then leads a chanting session with Amitābha mantra.
Day 3
Re-watch the Live PRACTICE sessions
The day starts with Buddhasevaka with a ritual, a four reminders puja in call and response, followed by a sit.
Buddhasevaka starts this session talking about the second reminder: The body is impermanent, death is certain” and how we can approach this neither from eternalism nor nihilism. He reflects on this reminder on his personal experience on illness and his ordination process. Buddhasevaka then guides a reflection and then some retreatants share their reflections
In an interactive session led by Shantigarbha, the group explores the metaphor of Indra’s Net as a way of understanding Conditionality from a Buddhist perspective. They reflect on the concept and its implications for their practice, followed by a short period of meditation and visualisation.
Sarvajit starts the session with a quick grounding practice. Sarvajit starts by introducing the law of Karma and how it changes the course of our lives. He starts reading a passage from the Dhammapada and then shares some reflections about the law of Karma from two perspectives: the law of Karma and how our mental states impact our lives and secondly, how the law of Karma shows we can make a difference in the world and how we can take responsibility for our actions. Also, some fellow retreatants share their own reflections.
Day 4
Re-watch the Live PRACTICE sessions
The day starts with Shantigarbha leading a morning puja, written and compiled by Viveka, about the four reminders. Followed by refuges and precepts and meditation.
On this session we reflect on the fourth reminder: Life has inevitable difficulties, no one can control it all. Or in the traditional term, the defects of samsara. He shares some reflections and guides on a group reflection with space for fellow retreatants to share their own reflections and discuss together about them.
The session starts with Sarvajit and Buddhasevaka sharing their journey about engaging in the climate emergency within their Buddhist practice, challenges, inspiration, and how Triratna Earth Sangha came to be. There is an open discussion and conversation with everyone about how each one approaches this climate emergency, balancing between taking disruptive actions yet being kind, how to be creative and engaging, and other challenges and ideas. The session ends with a meditation of mindfulness of breathing.
The session starts with Shantigarbha leading a meditation, a guided visualisation with the theme dwelling in the heart.
Then, he guides a Shambhala Warrior Mind-Training verses puja, followed by Tārā mantra chanting.
Day 5
Re-watch the Live PRACTICE sessions
The day starts with Sarvajit leading a morning puja, followed by a mettā bhavana meditation.
Sarvajit examines how Buddhist ethics can help address the energy and resource crisis. By following the five precepts, he suggests ways we can minimize our carbon footprint.
This closing session starts by reviewing all the journey we have done together, and then retreatants take a round to share what they have learnt and what have touched and inspired them. Also, people take time to express concrete actions that they would like to take. Then we have a closing ritual with Amitābha mantra chanting.
Everything we offer is by donation – give today and help us keep it free for everyone!
We hope you find the Home Retreat helpful. As we all take care of each other through this extraordinary time we are committed to staying online with you for as long as it takes – and beyond.
If you can, donate and help us reach more people like you.
Make a regular gift and you’ll be supporting Home Retreats through the years ahead.
Thank you from our team and from the online community around the world!
May you be well!
Stay connected to community
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If you prefer to get your inspiration on social media, we’ll be there too: connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr.
With deep thanks to all the members of the Triratna Earth Sangha, including Shantigarbha, Akasaraja, Amaragita, Sarvajit, Buddhasevaka, and others.
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