Retreat details at a glance

• Timings: Friday evening, 20th December - Friday midday, 27th December, 2024
• Led by Viryadeva and Gambhiralila
• Place: Rivendell Retreat Centre
• Cost: £280 (all inclusive)
• Suitable for people who have been meditating for at least six months

Just as a circle that has expanded to infinity is not really a circle any more [...] so the mind that has expanded to embrace all beings has gone beyond definition. –Sangharakshita,Living With Kindness

The Buddha's teaching on metta, or loving kindness, contains the quintessence of his insight into the nature of reality. The Buddha taught that by learning to expand the heart to embrace other living beings, we can gradually uproot the deepest causes of human suffering.

Through metta, we can expand consciousness beyond all bounds.


What will happen during this retreat?

On this retreat we will explore metta as a path to liberation by learning to expand the limits of the self. For this we will be drawing on material from Sangharakshita's Living With Kindness. Whilst staying close to direct, embodied experience, we will take a journey deep into the heart of the Dharma.

This is an intensive meditation retreat, with great conditions for extended meditation practice. You can expect:
(1) guided meditation focused on deep relaxation and embodiment as a foundation for metta,
(2) practical guidance on how to use metta as a vehicle for investigating the non-duality of self and other, and
(3) one-to-one meditation reviews with experienced teachers.

Who is this retreat for?

This intensive meditation retreat is suitable for people who have been meditating for at least six months. We will be meditating for 5-6 hours daily, with a few days in complete silence. As a result, this retreat is likely to be a strong experience for attendees - if you're unsure whether this retreat is for you, please contact the Croydon Buddhist Centre team via info@buddhistcentrecroydon.org.

Travel and accommodation

For travel and accommodation information you can read our Retreat FAQs here. 

Retreat cost

This retreat is priced at £280 per person and includes accommodation (in simple shared rooms), good vegan food, and all the teaching. If this is too much, please do get in touch with us - we have a few bursary places available. We don't want lack of money to prevent anyone coming on retreat. Please note, the price includes a £50 non-refundable deposit.

Start and finish times are a guide and exact times will be communicated nearer the time.