mudra retreats

Developing the practice of Vajrayana

Meditation retreats and study retreats led by

Rob Preece and Anna Murray-Preece

Retreats exploring the practice of Buddhist Tantra through the experience of meditation and movement.

  
 

Meditation retreats

The Tantric or Vajrayana school of Buddhism has a living lineage of experience passed down from the time of the Buddha and held intact within the Tibetan tradition. During the past forty years Tantra has gradually been introduced to the west. Today it still remains one of the most profound esoteric approaches to spiritual transformation.

At the heart of Tantra is the principle of creative transformation, embodying and manifesting our essential nature in the world creatively and compassionately. To understand Tantra requires experience, not just intellectual knowledge. These retreats will focus upon specific themes of meditation aimed at providing a foundation of practice that can be built upon and deepened.

The purpose of these retreats is to provide an opportunity for those with some experience of meditation to continue to develop their practice. They will also offer an introduction to meditation from the Tantric tradition for those who have not explored this kind of practice.

During these retreats many of the fundamentals of Buddhist psychology will be introduced. The heart of meditation will be the practice of Mahamudra for the cultivation of clarity and insight into the nature of the mind as well as exploration of the principles of deity practice central to Buddhist Tantra.

In the Devon retreats meditation will be supported by movement to help embody experience more fully and add a dynamic expression of our vitality. Movement helps the transformation and release of stagnant, blocked energy in the body which can result from prolonged sitting. It also facilitates the process of grounding and integrating meditation through the body.

These retreats are silent but time is provided for discussion and exploration of problems that can arise in integrating meditation practice. Those who attend these retreats are welcome to receive further mentoring to support on going practice if they so wish.

 

Retreat Programme

2009-10

with Rob Preece & Anna Murray Preece

January 29-30; Devon (residential)

April 17-18; Bristol (non-residential)

May 29-30; Bristol (non residential)

July 10-17; Devon - Vajra Yogini (residential- only for those with this empowerment)

(Please also look at the foundation study retreats listed below)

Non-residential Bristol weekends with Rob Preece

Venue:The Coach House, 40a Eastfield, Westbury on Trym, Bristol BS9 4BE

Fee: £90 per weekend

Times: 9.45 - 5.30 Saturday 9.45 - 4.30 Sunday

Book early to reserve your place. Please note that your place cannot be held without a deposit of £45. Places are limited.

Residential Devon Retreats with

Rob Preece and Anna Murray Preece

Venue: Brimpts Farm

January Weekend retreat £120 accommodation and food (deposit of £75 to secure a space) The facilitation fee is by donation to enable those on lower incomes to attend retreats. We ask that those that can afford it make a donation of £70 + which will enable us to continue working in this way.

July Week retreat cost to be determined (It will require a deposit of £100)

Book early to reserve your place. Please note that your place cannot be held without a deposit. Places are limited.

For information and to apply contact: robpreece@mudra.co.uk

or phone 01364 654044

For details of Rob and Anna go to Biography

  
 

 

Foundations

Study retreats led by Rob Preece in Devon

Weekend study retreats exploring the essential foundations of the Tibetan Buddhist practice.

 

Study retreats
The Tibetan tradition of Buddhism is a comprehensive synthesis of both Sutra and Tantra. The Tantric path is one of the most profound aspects of the Buddha’s teachings and to engage in it requires a combination of dedicated skillful practice and sound understanding of the principles upon which it is based.


The traditional foundation for the practice of Tantra are sometimes called the common and uncommon preliminaries. The common preliminaries are primarily oriented towards deepening an understanding of the Sutra aspect of the Buddha’s teaching and the cultivation of the Bodhisattva's way of life. The uncommon preliminaries introduce the meditator to processes that help to prepare the ground for the practices of Tantra.


The aim of the foundation series of study retreats is to offer a context for study and meditation practice in which some of these foundation principles and practices can be explored. This will particularly benefit those who have already attended previous retreats as well as those who wish to begin to develop an understanding of Buddhist principles in practice. During these study weekends, which are not in silence unlike meditation retreats, there is opportunity to discuss in depth important aspects of the Buddhist path. This gives a space to address important issues relation to practice, western psychology and the relevance of Buddhist ideas within a contemporary western life.

2010 Programme

The Three principles of the path

The three foundation weekends for the year 2010 will explore the essential Buddhist principles that are considered to be at the root of the Mahayana and Vajrayana traditions. These three are renunciation, Bodhicitta and the realisation of emptiness or Shunyata. The study of these will be oriented around a text by Lama Tsong Khapa called "Three principle aspects of the path".

Renunciation, more accurately translated as definite emergence, is the willingness to embark upon a journey of awakening. Bodhicitta is the cultivatoin of a quality of intention that recognises that awakening for the welfare of others brings a depth of meaning to life that has profound consequences. The insight into the nature of reality brought about through meditation and the realisation of emptiness cuts through the fundamental igonorace that is seen as the root of suffering. These three insights are an important base from which more advanced practices such as Tantra can evolve.

These three study weekends will be valuable to anyone wishing to deepen their understanding of the basic principles of the Buddhist path. They also form a foundation vital for developing the practice of Tantra.

For further information contact Rob .

  

2010 PROGRAMME
in
Devon
(Non-residential)

Feb 20-21; March27-28; May 22-23

The Three Principles of the path

Course full
Fee: £270 for the three weekends. (£90 deposit)


Times: 10.00 - 5.30 Saturday
10.00 - 4.30 Sunday
Venue: W.I. Hall, Haytor Vale, Devon

(There is a limited amount of B&B accomodation at the barn for those that may need it)
For further details or to apply contact:
robpreece@mudra.co.uk
or phone 01364 654044

To reserve a place please send
a deposit of £90
(Please make cheques payable to
Rob Preece)
Please note: Numbers are limited and a place cannot be held without a deposit and deposits are non-returnable unless your
place can be filled.