Combined Sanghas Retreats

These are our offerings of large events that bring together sanghas from all over Europe (or even further!) to get a taste of depth and intensity; the kind of event where friends ask to become mitras and mitras ask for ordination. Adhisthana takes care of the programme, teaching and practical side, we just ask that there is an Order Member from sangha for each of your sangha discussion groups.

How to get involved

Get in touch with us if you’re interested in getting your sangha involved in any of the events above. You just need to find an Order member to lead a group and enough retreatants from your sangha to form a group. You can also sign up to bring multiple groups. We allocate spaces to sanghas in multiples of 10, knowing that last minute cancellations reduce the group size. If your sangha is smaller than this, you could combine with another small sangha to form a group. The Spring and Autumn sanghas retreats are nearly full for sanghas while Summer still has places available.

Or if you want to come as a participant, then just book! We have reserved a few places on each event for those from sanghas not involved (the ‘Open’ option).

help with promotion

If your sangha or group is participating in this event then we can help with promotion. We could arrange for an Order Member to visit your centre in advance of the retreat to talk about Adhisthana, its significance as Bhante’s last home and resting place or simply on the topic of the Combined Sanghas retreat you’re involved in. We might also be able to provide posters or flyers for you to use locally as well as provide digital images that match those we are using in our communications. Get in touch to ask.

The international Sangha

As Triratna has grown, it becomes more important than ever that we form strong links within the sangha internationally. As such, these events will aim where possible to have Sanghas from different countries, as well as different cities within the UK, to foster connections beyond our local contexts, and so see more clearly the universality of the Dharma.

Experienced teachers + deepening dharma practice

These retreats aim to enable more members of the Triratna Sangha to go on retreat with the some of Triratna’s most experienced Dharma teachers, many of whom studied with Sangharakshita, exploring Bhante’s teaching in a way that is faithful to its essential elements while supporting a creative evolution in response to new needs and circumstances and to pass it on for generations to come.

Connect to Bhante

As Bhante’s last home and resting place, as well as a home to the Order and Movement, Adhisthana seeks to be as accessible as possible, to enable people to connect with our lineage, and the stream of spiritual energy that flows down to us. These events will enable sangha members to connect to that in whatever way is most appropriate to them – visiting Urgyen House, circumambulating the burial mound, reading in the library, or meeting and talking with members of the wider Triratna Sangha.

Participating sanghas + individuals

These retreats are a great opportunity for some members of a sangha to come together and deepen connection with each other and with the wider Triratna community. At present each sangha is being allocated places in groups of ten (which would include an order member). However it’s also important that anyone in Triratna, not just participating Sanghas, is able to come, and we therefore have an ‘Open’ category, so if someones sangha isn’t participating, they are still able to join us.

Celebrating Triratna

Every Combined Sanghas event is a celebration of our community, but especially so the long weekend in spring, where we celebrate Triratna Day. As the Order and Movement have long outgrown being able to all come together in one place to celebrate, we are glad to at least be able to open our doors and invite people to come to Adhisthana, in a nod to the festivals that happened in the early days, and reflecting how far we have come.