Triratna News
Triratna News

New Chair for Taraloka

By Munisha on Tue, 25 Nov, 2014 - 18:52

New Chair for Taraloka

By Munisha on Tue, 25 Nov, 2014 - 18:52On 30th September, after 14 years as Chair of Taraloka Retreat Centre for Women in Shropshire, UK, Saddhanandi handed over to Samantabhadri. Saddhanandi leaves in early December to take up her new responsibilities at Adhisthana, in nearby Herefordshire. Samantabhadri will hold the position for two years while Taraloka awaits the arrival of a new, long-term Chair.

Samantabhadri writes, “The transition took place during Community Days at Taraloka, attended by the community, trustees and Dhammadassin,...
Triratna News
Triratna News

Ratnasuri leaves Taraloka after 29 years

By Munisha on Mon, 21 Apr, 2014 - 18:44

Ratnasuri leaves Taraloka after 29 years

By Munisha on Mon, 21 Apr, 2014 - 18:44Ratnasuri, founder member of the community at Taraloka retreat centre for women, UK, has moved out to begin a new life, living alone for almost the first time in her 91 years.

Saddhanandi writes: In 1985, in her 60s, Ratnasuri moved to the newly-bought Taraloka, along with Sanghadevi and the two mitras who became Karunasri and Kulanandi. As other women laboured to convert the farm buildings, she worked away to support them, cooking for entire retreats...
Taraloka Retreat Centre
Taraloka Retreat Centre

Ratnasuri Departs from Taraloka after 28 years

By saddhanandi on Wed, 16 Apr, 2014 - 14:29

Ratnasuri Departs from Taraloka after 28 years

By saddhanandi on Wed, 16 Apr, 2014 - 14:29Saddhanandi: Here I am, back at Taraloka after a two-week absence: visiting family, attending a two-day meeting on mindfulness at Adhisthana, and attending a meditation retreat at Rivendell. All these events were enjoyable and productive, but throughout I was very conscious of the fact that whilst I was away Ratnasuri was leaving Taraloka and beginning a new life in Wrexham – living alone for almost the first time in her 91 years.

Ratnasuri first moved to Taraloka in 1985...
Taraloka Retreat Centre
Taraloka Retreat Centre

Tonglen Retreat: Thursday

By saddhanandi on Wed, 26 Mar, 2014 - 18:30

Tonglen Retreat: Thursday

By saddhanandi on Wed, 26 Mar, 2014 - 18:30It’s hard to believe it’s the last full day of the retreat and that we’ll be coming out of silence very soon. It’s now a process of holding the retreat steady whilst we begin to meet the transition phase of ‘leaving’. Meanwhile, I’m trying to work out what I need to say at 11am.

I’ve been reflecting on an extract from one of Sangharakshita’s seminars: ‘A common misapprehension is to think of ‘Insight’ in abstract terms, but the ‘Truth...
Taraloka Retreat Centre
Taraloka Retreat Centre

Tonglen Retreat: Wednesday

By saddhanandi on Wed, 26 Mar, 2014 - 10:02

Tonglen Retreat: Wednesday

By saddhanandi on Wed, 26 Mar, 2014 - 10:02Bright clear blue skies, the earth covered in dew and the magnolia trees are just coming into blossom. It’s a beautiful spring morning and by 9am the solar panels are already heating up the hot water.

Many years ago, when I was manager of the Operations Team at Taraloka, I attended a small study retreat for women teachers. During those nine days we looked at the Four Foundation Yogas, or Mula Yogas, which form the basis of Tibetan spiritual...
Taraloka Retreat Centre
Taraloka Retreat Centre

Tonglen Retreat: Tuesday

By saddhanandi on Tue, 25 Mar, 2014 - 06:54

Tonglen Retreat: Tuesday

By saddhanandi on Tue, 25 Mar, 2014 - 06:54The sky is heavy and grey with cloud, which is interesting as we’re in the middle phase of the retreat and it can be a time when people can hit more resistance, so it’s as if the sky is reflecting that back to us after the bright clear skies of yesterday.

The thankha of four-armed Avalokitesvara, hanging above the shrine, is reflecting back a different perspective and Ratnavandana drew this out in the readings in last night’s puja.

...
Taraloka Retreat Centre
Taraloka Retreat Centre

Tonglen Retreat: Monday

By saddhanandi on Mon, 24 Mar, 2014 - 08:55

Tonglen Retreat: Monday

By saddhanandi on Mon, 24 Mar, 2014 - 08:55A bright hard frost this morning, after a clear starry night. The wind has dropped and it’s absolutely still.

At 11am, I’ll be presenting Tonglen in relation to ‘self’. I’ve been remembering a period of time when I was quite new to meditation, and how I had to face certain uncomfortable truths about myself: five hard years of going on retreat acknowledging what was really happening! But the work that I did on myself during those years has become...
Taraloka Retreat Centre
Taraloka Retreat Centre

Tonglen Retreat: Sunday

By saddhanandi on Sun, 23 Mar, 2014 - 13:06

Tonglen Retreat: Sunday

By saddhanandi on Sun, 23 Mar, 2014 - 13:06The day started with two meditations, held within the silence of early morning - dawn rises quietly in front of the large shrine room windows at Taraloka.

At 11am, I focused on the teaching of the Absolute Bodhicitta. In Tonglen it is sometimes called the stage of ‘Flashing Bodhicitta’. It’s taken me a few years to relate to this aspect of the practice as I’m such a practical sort-of-girl and I need things to be concrete and tangible! But...
Taraloka Retreat Centre
Taraloka Retreat Centre

Tonglen Retreat: Saturday

By saddhanandi on Sat, 22 Mar, 2014 - 06:54

Tonglen Retreat: Saturday

By saddhanandi on Sat, 22 Mar, 2014 - 06:54After more than a week of unseasonably warm weather, the temperature in the western region of the UK is beginning to drop again, with rain and wind, and even flakes of snow falling right now! Meanwhile, the landscape is showing the full signs of spring, with bright yellow daffodils and dark blue hyacinths scattering their colour – fabulous! It’s like a yearly miracle!

Today is the first day of the retreat and this is often a more complex...
Taraloka Retreat Centre
Taraloka Retreat Centre

Announcement of the Tonglen Retreat

By saddhanandi on Fri, 21 Mar, 2014 - 14:44

Announcement of the Tonglen Retreat

By saddhanandi on Fri, 21 Mar, 2014 - 14:44*Updated*: Click here for the latest from the retreat. Click + follow above to get notifications of new posts.

Today 24 Dharmacharinis will gather at Taraloka for a retreat on Tonglen.

Led by Saddhanandi, and supported by Ratnavandana, Yashobodhi and Vajramudita.

It will be a week of intensive meditation practice, taking place mainly in silence, and dedicated as an offering to the world and to alleviating suffering.

The retreat will be based around Tonglen...

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