24 Apr – 3 may | led by Vessantara + team
book:
As stars, a fault of vision, as a lamp,
A mock show, dew drops, or a bubble,
A dream, a lightning flash, or cloud,
So should one view what is conditioned.
At 16 Sangharakshita read the Diamond Sutra and so realised he was, and always had been, a Buddhist. Yet in Wisdom Beyond Words he describes the sutra as ‘confusing, irritating, annoying, unsatisfying…‘
However, if we are ‘prepared to have our limiting views and ideas shaken up, there are precious jewels to be found in this centrally important Mahayana sutra, which can unlock the riches in our own minds’ (and Vessantara always enjoys the challenge of explaining the inexplicable).
Explore key parts of the Diamond Sutra, including the nine images with which it ends, through teaching, guided meditations, and devotional practice. The retreat will mainly be in silence to help create the conditions for a satisfying meditation retreat but with enough teaching input to gain new tools and understandings to unpack in your future practice.
In 2024, Vessantara celebrates 50 years as an Order member. He studied the sutra with Sangharakshita in 1982.