Deutsch | English | Español | Français | Nederlands
The Programme
The FWBO International Retreat commences on the Friday evening and goes through to Tuesday lunchtime.
The event will be an inspiration for someone on his or her first retreat. Likewise, for those who’ve already been on many retreats, this will be a great opportunity to experience the magic of practising together in large numbers and to experience the greater FWBO Sangha.
Story-telling, chanting and ritual: to create an atmosphere of magic and beauty, re-enacting the story of the Buddha’s Enlightenment.
Meditation: teaching and time to practice how can we see through negativity and free our own hearts and minds.
Talks and discussion: looking at the society we live in and what helps and what hinders our attempts to move towards Enlightenment.
Sangha: an experience of the breadth and depth of the FWBO with hundreds of us from all over Europe living, practising, and creating sangha together over a long weekend.
Family Friendly: facilities and activities for children and teenagers.
What is a Retreat?
A retreat entails taking time out from your usual routine, often somewhere in the countryside, where there is more opportunity to meditate, study and reflect on the Buddha’s teachings, and meet like-minded people.
The FWBO has many different retreat centres that run different “styles” of retreats. For example, there are retreats with a lot of emphasis on meditation and silence, or on study, or retreats for families. On Going On Retreat you’ll find more information about other FWBO retreats.
What is special about the FWBO International Retreat is that it is a gathering of people from all over the FWBO. The emphasis will still be on meditating, studying, and practising together, but we will be able to do this in large numbers — which is an inspiration! You’ll have the opportunity to meet people from other FWBO centres and get a sense of the wider FWBO.
There will be a daily programme of meditations, talks, and ritual, interspersed with meals and free time for meeting up with friends or going for a walk. It is up to you to decide how much of the programme you join in with, though we usually recommend joining in with as much as possible to get the full benefit of the retreat.
Facilities
The event will be held at Taraloka, a beautiful retreat centre in Shropshire. There will be some dormitory accommodation available (book early!), plus camping space in fields adjacent to Taraloka (bring your own tent and bedding).
If you need accommodation indoors because of physical ailments, or you are elderly, please contact us and we will do our best to meet your needs.
The retreat is being run in conjunction with Buddhafield, who have many years experience in running outdoor events, and who will be providing the catering for this event.
For more on facilities for children, those with special needs, or translations for those for whom English is not their first language, please see the other information section.
