"When our life is inspired by a mythic dimension, we are working out on the historical plane something that is of archetypal significance. And the bodhicitta, one could say, is the myth that inspires the Buddhist spiritual community." This retreat will be looking at the mythic dimension, our need for spiritual receptivity, and how we can develop this, especially in relation to the Refuge Tree. This will be supported by the Going for Refuge and Prostration practice, pujas and meditation.

"It is true that transcendental insight itself is independant of conceptual thought, but it doesn't just appear out of nowhere. It arises on the basis of the conceptual expression of the Dharma...Intellectual understanding comes first: it's a sort of springboard." Looking at Chapter 1 of 'A Survey of Buddhism' together helps take our understanding of this material to a deeper level and helps clarify some of the most important teachings in Buddhism, including the lakshanas, pratitya-samutpada and the Middle way. 

"It is true that transcendental insight itself is independant of conceptual thought, but it doesn't just appear out of nowhere. It arises on the basis of the conceptual expression of the Dharma...Intellectual understanding comes first: it's a sort of springboard." Looking at Chapter 1 of 'A Survey of Buddhism' together helps take our understanding of this material to a deeper level and helps clarify some of the most important teachings in Buddhism, including the lakshanas, pratitya-samutpada and the Middle way. 

"According to the Buddha's teaching actions are right or wrong, perfect or imperfect, according to the state of mind with which they are performed." On this retreat we will be exploring the ten precepts and how they impact our daily lives for the better. We will also explore the practice of confession and how this is an aid to our practice as a whole.

"We don't want an ethics of guilt, an ethics of fear: we want an ethics of growth and development, which is what we have in Buddhism." On this retreat there will be the opportunity for carer's to explore the ten precepts and the practice of confession, whilst other groups will study Ethics II, exploring more deeply into the mind precepts.

**The Ethics II retreat is for those who have been on an Ethics to Insight with us previously **

"When we plant the seed, and set the right conditions, up comes the plant. It is just the same with our own moral and even dharmic lives. If we create the conditions, and act within those conditions, the result naturally comes, at least in the end." (Subhuti) Come and explore the five aspects of Sangharakshita's system of spiritual life: integration, positive emotion, spiritual receptivity, spritual death  and spiritual rebirth, and how to put them into practice. 

What does it mean to be sincerely Going for Refuge or to have an effective practice? Explore these questions, and others, to help understand how you can deepen your practice. This is a good retreat to attend as your first Going for Refuge retreat. 

This retreat will be held at Adhisthana. Please book via their website. 

"It is only through intensity of commitment and practice that you achieve any results. For commitment to be strong it has, in a sense, got to be narrow." What does it actually mean to commit your life to a specific spiritual community and why is it important in our lives? We'll explore kalyana mitrata, and the significance of the private and public ordinations, to find our own answers. 

"It is only through intensity of commitment and practice that you achieve any results. For commitment to be strong it has, in a sense, got to be narrow." What does it actually mean to commit your life to a specific spiritual community and why is it important in our lives? We'll explore kalyana mitrata, and the significance of the private and public ordinations, to find our own answers. 

"Although these trends are contradictory, both must be developed in the course of the spiritual life. The trend of withdrawal may be said to embody the wisdom aspect of the spiritual life, while the trend of involvement embodies the compassion aspect." How do we bring these two trends into our Going for Refuge? Is it possible to walk the Bodhisattva Path in our busy lives? We'll be exploring its relevance to us as Order members and future Order members.