Tag: home retreat

The Community Toolkit for Uncertain Times

Dedication Ceremony - Turning Arrows into Flowers: Day 1

By Sadayasihi on Fri, 15 May, 2020 - 09:48

Dedication Ceremony - Turning Arrows into Flowers: Day 1

By Sadayasihi on Fri, 15 May, 2020 - 09:48

Today, day 1, you might like to spend some time figuring out how you are going to take part - how much time do you have, what supports do you need, what is your wish for this retreat. It can be helpful to support this intention with a bit of ritual.

Often on the first night of a retreat this is marked by some kind of ceremony - in our community, this is often done with a Dedication...

The Community Toolkit for Uncertain Times

Welcome - Turning Arrows into Flowers: Day 1

By Sadayasihi on Fri, 15 May, 2020 - 07:52

Welcome - Turning Arrows into Flowers: Day 1

By Sadayasihi on Fri, 15 May, 2020 - 07:52

Globally, the coronavirus and all its implications presents us with an enormous challenge - but how are we responding? With ill-will and aversion, or with curiosity and compassion? Today marks the start of our latest home retreat: Turning Arrows into Flowers - an exploration of the Seven-point Mind Training, where we are learning to cultivate a mind free of blame and reactivity, a mind that is open, kind, interested. By delving into these teachings, facilitated by Yashobodhi, and with personal reflections from...

The Community Toolkit for Uncertain Times

Closing the Being Divine Online home retreat

By kusaladevi on Fri, 1 May, 2020 - 17:01

Closing the Being Divine Online home retreat

By kusaladevi on Fri, 1 May, 2020 - 17:01

We hope you have enjoyed Being Divine Online with us this week!

The retreat ended with this beautiful song by Ratnavandana, which retreatants sing together at the end of her Brahma Viharas retreats.

Thank you so much to Ratnavandana for supplying us with these fantastic resources around the Brahma Viharas, for sharing her practice and experience so fully and for her wonderful evocation and explanation of the Divine Abodes in the Q & A where 138 of us gathered together.

Look out too for a ...

The Community Toolkit for Uncertain Times

Song of the Brahma Viharas - Being Divine Online home retreat

By Sadayasihi on Fri, 1 May, 2020 - 09:06

Song of the Brahma Viharas - Being Divine Online home retreat

By Sadayasihi on Fri, 1 May, 2020 - 09:06

It’s always good to finish things with a song - and happily, today, here’s one! It’s Ratnavandana chanting the Brahma Viharas song that is usually learned on each ‘Living in the Mandala’ retreat that she leads.

As Ratnavandana kindly sent on some lovely nature photos she has taken, we have made this into a short video which you can enjoy, and hopefully get a feeling for the Brahma Viharas “pervading all quarters”.

The text from this song comes from...

The Community Toolkit for Uncertain Times

Reflections on Upekkha - Being Divine Online home retreat

By Maitrisiddhi on Tue, 28 Apr, 2020 - 11:21

Reflections on Upekkha - Being Divine Online home retreat

By Maitrisiddhi on Tue, 28 Apr, 2020 - 11:21

Hi everyone, thought I’d share one way in which I enjoy approaching equanimity. I’ve been really enjoying listening to Ratnavandana’s material and feeling quite inspired by the ‘great tree of the Brahma Viharas’.

Ratnavandana and I would have been running ’Living in the Mandala: The Brahma Viharas’ retreat at Taraloka this very week (April 2020) - I’m so pleased it can happen in another form.

love Maitrisiddhi

The Community Toolkit for Uncertain Times

Reflections on Mudita - Being Divine Online home retreat

By Maitrisiddhi on Mon, 27 Apr, 2020 - 11:04

Reflections on Mudita - Being Divine Online home retreat

By Maitrisiddhi on Mon, 27 Apr, 2020 - 11:04

Hi everyone, hope you’re enjoying your explorations of the Brahma Viharas - I am! Here’s a few of my reflections on Mudita. Somehow I feel like this is the Brahma Vihara I always forget about, and every time I rediscover it, I find it so delightful I wonder why!

Ratnavandana and I would have been running ’Living in the Mandala: The Brahma Viharas’ retreat at Taraloka this very week (April 2020) - I’m so pleased it can happen in another form. ...

Community Highlights

Reflections on Metta - Being Divine Online home retreat

By Maitrisiddhi on Sun, 26 Apr, 2020 - 09:52

Reflections on Metta - Being Divine Online home retreat

By Maitrisiddhi on Sun, 26 Apr, 2020 - 09:52

‘Living in the Mandala: The Brahma Viharas’ retreat would have been happening at Taraloka retreat centre now - April 2020 - but then there was lockdown! So I thought I’d share some personal reflections around my own current practice of the Brahma Viharas to complement Ratnavandana’s online retreat.

There’ll be a few more coming!

love Maitrisiddhi

The Community Toolkit for Uncertain Times

Letting Go - Sailing the Worldly Winds Home Retreat Day 6

By kusaladevi on Wed, 8 Apr, 2020 - 18:22

Letting Go - Sailing the Worldly Winds Home Retreat Day 6

By kusaladevi on Wed, 8 Apr, 2020 - 18:22

In today’s reflection Vajragupta encourages us to identify negative thoughts and emotions in meditation and let them go. “Ah yes”, I thought to myself as I read this reflection, “let them go”… but then I realised this phrase has quite a particular meaning for me. I often use this phrase, to myself or when speaking to others - let go - what does it really mean and how can we actually practice it? Vajragupta does explain this when...

The Community Toolkit for Uncertain Times

Changing Practice in Times of Crisis - Sailing the Worldly Winds Home Retreat Day 4

By kusaladevi on Mon, 6 Apr, 2020 - 12:36

Changing Practice in Times of Crisis - Sailing the Worldly Winds Home Retreat Day 4

By kusaladevi on Mon, 6 Apr, 2020 - 12:36

In today’s reflection, Vajragupta suggests we review our practice so far and how we are getting on with Sailing the Worldly Winds. In times of adversity, I am often more able to honestly review my practice - how am I coping with the uncertainty? Based on my response to a crisis, I can often see more clearly which areas of my practice require attention and where I have set up positive conditions and responses within my mind. I...

The Community Toolkit for Uncertain Times

Truthfulness As a Teacher - Sailing the Worldly Winds Home Retreat, Day Two

By kusaladevi on Sat, 4 Apr, 2020 - 14:00

Truthfulness As a Teacher - Sailing the Worldly Winds Home Retreat, Day Two

By kusaladevi on Sat, 4 Apr, 2020 - 14:00

Truthfulness has always been very important to me. It’s something which I valued long before I came across the Dharma. So I was quite struck when Vajragupta suggested the opportunity to practice truthfulness when the winds of Praise and Blame are blowing. Praise and Blame are the Worldly winds I notice most in my experience, or perhaps the ones I am blown about by most strongly.

So I started to reflect on this - how might truthfulness help me when...

Tag: home retreat

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