The Heart treasure of the Enlightened Ones - Order Sadhana retreat

Starts 9 Nov 2024

For Triratna Order members only.

On this retreat we will be exploring how we visualise and the context of everyday life as an expression of sadhana. We will also enter into the mandala of the Five Buddhas and Consorts - the five wisdoms of the Buddhas representing an archetypal manifestation of Perfect Wisdom, each being the complete and ideal purification of a mundane root. This exploration will be indexed to ‘A poem written to a friend’ by Patrul Rinpoche in the late 19th
century.

Patrul Rinpoche was one of the most outstanding Buddhist teachers of his time finding shelter in mountain caves or under forest trees, free of all the trappings of wealth, position and self- importance. He wrote this poem for a friend while living in a remote cave near the Chinese – Tibetan border. The poem provides a withering insight to the defects of the samsara and instruction for transformation through visualisation and mantra recitation in context of the Avalokitesvara practice. The heart treasure is the same for all yidams as the pure essence of devotion, so that the root text lays a template for sadhana practice in general. All forms are seen as the body of Avalokitesvara, all sound the six- syllable mantra and mind as undifferentiated awareness, dharmakaya.

While contemplating Sadhana in this way Order Members will be encouraged to use the template of the retreat to deepen their own root sadhana or array of visualisation practice in context of the retreat.

Patrul Rinpoche urges us to examine critically our own materialistic preoccupations and think carefully about how we really want to spend what is left of our lives.

There will be good periods of silence on this retreat, plenty of meditation, puja and opportunity to enjoy the environs of Sudarshanaloka.

Recommended reading and contemplation for this retreat is ‘The Heart Treasure of the Enlightened Ones’ – a commentary on ‘A poem for a friend’ by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche.