Becoming Pagan Shaman Buddha

Starts 26 Oct 2018

Re-imagining an Ancient Ritual

Throughout human history people have practiced rituals of healing and purification. Our ancestors recognised the potency of these rituals that allow us to transcend our limited ego and open ourselves up to new ways of coming into deeper connection with nature, our body, mind and spirit. This retreat will be an opportunity for us to embed ourselves within, and explore our relationship with, myth, prayer, symbol and mantra. Together we will create sacred space and rituals large and small. Our main ritual will be a Sweat Lodge, also called a Sweat Bath by the ancient Celts. As embodiments of our potential, we will interweave into our experience the ‘nature Goddess’ Tara, Vajrapani’s energy for the good, and Vajrasattva the illuminator of our primordial purity.

The retreat name was inspired by a talk given by Lokabandu where he describes paganism as representing our relationship with the land, an awareness of our total interconnection with nature, and a gratitude for all we are given from nature. Shamanism, he says, is about the exploration and transformation of human consciousness in its heights and in its depths and is the territory of healing. And then the Buddha acts partly as an embodiment of what we can become and partly as a teacher, a kind of wisdom teacher. A healthy life has all these three in them and they'd all be expressed in some way in our lives.

“It becomes real insight, you don’t just feel things as alive, you almost
experience the conditioned as an expresion of the Unconditioned”.

Sangharakshita talking about his personal experiences of animism in his Nature of Existence seminar 1982.
Further reading Pagan Shaman Buddha – A Spiritual Path for Our Time, by Lokabandhu 2011.
You can listen to the talk here: www.freebuddhistaudio.com/audio/details?num=LOC904

Numbers for this retreat will be limited to 10 so if this sounds like your cup of tea get in touch quick and book your spot. We are also suggesting that people stay an extra night to allow their experience to settle before dropping back into their ‘normal’ lives (additional fee $45).
The retreat is open to women and men practicing withing the Triratna Buddhist community.
For more information on the retreat contact Fraser at refuge348@gmail.com
We will be in contact with you with a list of essentials to bring and other information once you have booked

Details

Start: 26 Oct 2018 at 6:00pm
Finish: 28 Oct 2018 at 3:30pm

Cost: $100 + Dana

Led by

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Darshanasiddhi

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Amaradipa

Amaradīpā has been coming along to the Auckland Buddhist Centre for many years, and was particularly involved in the creating, organising and…

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