Retreat

There are two main methods Buddhists use to try to soak the mind in the motivations and understandings that should pervade their practice and so seep out into daily life. 

The first is to set up a regular meditation practice.  For a Mahayana Buddhist this will usually contain at least three elements: a practice to develop true altruism, a pracrtice to strengthen stability and focus and a practice to help see the reality of our daily lives as it is, free of superstitious overlay.

The second is to set aside time to do retreat.  The joy of retreat is that it allows a mediator to work more intensively with the mind through whatever is the practice that they have either chosen, or been advised to focus on. 

This doesn't necessarily mean that retreat is always a joyous experience, sometimes when the mind is very unruly, it can be tough going.  But it is always an opportunity for growth and is the clearest pointer to where we actually are on the path. 

Though retreat can be for years, a retreat can also be a lot shorter and still enormously beneficial.  Even a day or a weekend consciously spent in retreat - not listenintg to the radio or TV or using the computer, taking a break from the phone - and focusing on just one topic or practice gives us the space to attend to turning the mind around from self centred to other-centred.  A space we so rarely offer ourselves.

Geshe Tashi is leading a number of retreats this Spring: six and a half days on Shamata, a weekend on Vajrasattva, Compassion at Easter.  All these are open to all.  His Vajrayogini retreat in January is retstricted to people who have the initiation.  Please go to the Geshe Tashi tab on the viewer's left hand side of this screen page or open the Calendar to find more information about the retreats he is leading in the Spring programme.