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Buddhist Centre Features

Amaragita - A Meditation On Our Three Bodies

By Free Buddhist Audio on Tue, 29 Sep, 2015 - 17:56

A helpful introduction from Amaragita to the subtler reaches of body-based awareness meditation, bringing in a sense of our physical, emotional and mental ‘bodies’ as the basis for deep relaxation and resting in our experience.

Led as part of the 2015 Mothers Retreat at Taraloka Retreat Centre.

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The Possibility Of Practice

By Free Buddhist Audio on Tue, 29 Sep, 2015 - 00:13

The Possibility Of Practice

By Free Buddhist Audio on Tue, 29 Sep, 2015 - 00:13

If a talk could ever be described as beautifully bracing, this is it! Amaragita brings a sharp-edged mind and a long-term perspective to the whole question of what practice is. 

As you might expect, she also brings humour, warmth and kindness too, qualities that more than balance out the penetrating clarity and sometimes challenging questioning underpinning this exploration of the possibility of practice - for all, and especially for those raising families at any stage of life.

Amaragita offers three principles for...

Buddhist Centre Features
Buddhist Centre Features

Stop, Look and See What Arises

By sheena on Sun, 27 Sep, 2015 - 15:30

Stop, Look and See What Arises

By sheena on Sun, 27 Sep, 2015 - 15:30

I really loved hearing Amaragita’s welcome to the retreat. I also found it painful. I experienced envy and jealousy. A hunger to ‘intervene in [my] life as usual’ and ‘untangle [my] existential knots’. I resonated with her description of a sense of needing to stop; of everything shouting ‘stop’!  

I have stopped a few times today. I woke early to meditate and check in to the retreat. Instead both my children woke early too. I...

Buddhist Centre Features
Buddhist Centre Features

At the Close of the First Full Day

By karunagita on Sun, 27 Sep, 2015 - 15:04

At the Close of the First Full Day

By karunagita on Sun, 27 Sep, 2015 - 15:04

It is a privilege to be able to support mothers on a retreat and inspiring to see how much impact a relatively short space of time in a place such as Taraloka can have. There is a huge amount of appreciation and the atmosphere on the retreat was warm and friendly from the Friday evening, as mothers connected easily with each other.

This afternoon people met in smaller groups to discuss whatever was arising for them at the time. One...

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Buddhist Centre Features

Karunagita - Lightening the Load

By Free Buddhist Audio on Sun, 27 Sep, 2015 - 00:39

Karunagita - Lightening the Load

By Free Buddhist Audio on Sun, 27 Sep, 2015 - 00:39

A great talk from Karunagita, author of A Path For Parents, with some key practical insights for anyone trying to figure out how to go deeper with their practice while raising children. We get a moving evocation of parenting as a distinct context for working with our conditioning, our views, and for learning to break our habits in order to cultivate ever deeper levels of awareness and love. 

And as you might expect, all the earned wisdom of this talk...

Buddhist Centre Features
Buddhist Centre Features

What have you brought with you?

By karunagita on Sat, 26 Sep, 2015 - 14:11

What have you brought with you?

By karunagita on Sat, 26 Sep, 2015 - 14:11

When people at the start of the retreat were asked what questions or musings this they brought with them, the main themes that emerged were:

  • finding more spaciousness in life that feels pressurised, busy or noisy
  • how to be more present and mindful with our children
  • how to share our spiritual life with our families
  • questioning whether we are good parents or doing okay, even if we sometimes loose our tempers…
  • Where do we end and our children begin
  • where are we, where are our hearts, within all that we
  • ...
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Buddhist Centre Features

A Morning Puja - Four Reminders, Three Terrible Oaths

By sheena on Sat, 26 Sep, 2015 - 13:52

A Morning Puja - Four Reminders, Three Terrible Oaths

By sheena on Sat, 26 Sep, 2015 - 13:52

The Terrible Oaths bit is something that Dayaka added for Buddhafield North to Vessantara’s Morning Puja! 

It’s very helpful and bracing if I pay attention to it…

The Four Reminders
Life has inevitable difficulties. No one can control it all.

This body is impermanent. Death is certain.

The karma I create shapes the course of my life.

This human birth is precious, an opportunity to awaken.

These four reminders

...
Buddhist Centre Features
Buddhist Centre Features

Introduction and Dedication Ceremony

By Free Buddhist Audio on Sat, 26 Sep, 2015 - 13:38

The retreat at Taraloka in Wales gets underway with a reassuring and encouraging message from Amaragita for all parents who need to stop from time to time, and then a lovely brief exercise led by Karunagita to ground everyone in the space. Dedicating the “sacred space” of the retreat follows, and we end with a beautiful chanting of the Green Tara mantra. A perfect way to begin…

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The Dedication Ceremony - A First Post To Set My Intention...

By sheena on Fri, 25 Sep, 2015 - 22:28

The Dedication Ceremony - A First Post To Set My Intention...

By sheena on Fri, 25 Sep, 2015 - 22:28

I have just read aloud the dedication ceremony sat on my cushion surrounded by the train track I have left out so I can meditate first thing tomorrow morning. I found it very moving to describe our home as ‘this sacred spot’ – and to dedicate this place to my best intentions. It reminded me of Ratnavandana’s talk ‘Living In the Mandala’ from Bristol’s Rainy Season Retreat.

We dedicate this place to the Three Jewels:
To the Buddha, the Ideal of Enlightenment to which we aspire; 

...
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Buddhist Centre Features

Upayavira - Meditating With Your Child (Introduction and Guided Meditation)

By Free Buddhist Audio on Fri, 25 Sep, 2015 - 21:09

As part of our weekend of resources for parents looking to practice Buddhism and meditation while caring for small children, we’re very happy to offer this great guided meditation from Upayavira, complete with a full introduction. Ideal for anyone looking to get started with practice - or renew it! - after having kids.

Upayavira was ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order in 2000, and became a parent soon after. Since then, he has been exploring, often through necessity, ways to meditate with...

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