To attend this retreat you will need to have been regularly meditating for at least two years and regularly attend retreats, a centre or a group within the context of the Triratna Buddhist Community. You must also be comfortable with extended periods of sitting meditation, Buddhist devotional practice and spending most of the retreat in silence.
Sangharakshita has said that to practise we need to be aware of our minds at all times – but how do we do this? And what are the benefits to our practice? How do we really engage with mindfulness in a way that doesn’t feel contrived and ‘added on’, leaving us feeling stiff and unnatural? How can we connect with awareness that is completely natural, unfabricated and uncontrived?
During the retreat we will explore mindfulness as a path to wisdom. We will work with awareness and right view to 'watch the mind' in all its guises. The focus will be on how we use mindfulness as a support to 'vipassana', or clear seeing, and the end of suffering.
We will look at the role of receptivity in mindfulness and the 'wise' or 'unwise' attention we bring to every aspect of our experience. We will be looking at how continuity of mindfulness can touch and transform our experience through simple presence and intelligent awareness, developing both steadiness of mind and heart and insight into the nature of all things.
The retreat will mostly be in silence with input and meditation reviews.
Vajradevi has been meditating for over 30 years and was ordained in 1995. She regularly leads meditation workshops and retreats based around the Satipatthana Sutta and has explored approaches to awareness with the Burmese teacher, Sayadaw U Tejaniya and with Joseph Goldstein.
Limited places
Due to Covid-Secure government restrictions, this retreat can currently only accommodate 7 retreatants, each having their own single room (a ‘capped’ retreat). Should the government guidelines change and we are able to safely increase our numbers, then those on the waiting list will be given the opportunity to book first.
Concession information
Unfortunately, due to this requirement to restrict our retreat numbers we will not be able to offer a concessionary rate. This decision had to be made as Rivendell’s current financial situation is of great concern – we had to close for most of 2020 and this has had a seriously detrimental effect on our finances.
We will revisit this decision again if things change later in the year, and we are allowed to safely increase the numbers (with people sharing rooms again).
Change to cancellation policy
If you wish to cancel, we now require a minimum notice of 4 calendar weeks before a retreat is due to take place, in order that a refund will be possible. All deposits are non-refundable and non-transferable in any circumstances. If you cancel and we can't replace you, you will be required to pay half the total cost of the retreat. Please let us know as soon as possible if you need to cancel, as there may be other people waiting for a place on the retreat to become available. It will still be on the basis that we can the fill your space.
However, if Rivendell has to cancel your retreat due to increased Covid restrictions, then you will be given the option of a refund, to transfer your money to another retreat, or to perhaps offer a donation.
Covid-Secure requirements
In addition to the confirmation email you will receive at the time of your booking, you will also be sent some Covid-Secure information about your stay at Rivendell. We have made many changes to ensure that Rivendell is Covid-Secure and we will only accept bookings on the basis that those who attend our retreats abide by the requirements of our Covid risk assessment.
NB Please be assured that should someone repeatedly ignore our Covid guidelines, we reserve the right to ask them to leave the retreat, with no refund, as potentially they will be putting others’ health at risk. We want those that come to Rivendell to be confident that we are making it as safe as possible.
Prices for this event are: £360