Comments about our Retreats

Comments: If you have been on retreat at Padmaloka and would like to send us your comments to be included on this page please

"Thank you so much for your inspiration on the retreat! Good to see you all in action (and non-action!). Appreciated the awareness,attentiveness, care, clarity, thought provoking deep content, talks, walks, rituals, meditations, discussions, good food, gardening & the quality of being! And the wonderful organization you have all created, well done you are an inspiration to us all!"
Ady Griffiths - Nov 2007

"I thought I'd write a short note to the whole of the Padmaloka team to thank you all for making my first "long" retreat such a successful one. I can only imagine how much work goes on behind the scenes while we may only see a few OMs taking the classes and meditation (etc), but you guys make it look so slick and easy."
Roland Nissan - July 2007

"I just wanted to thank all of the team at Padmaloka for the men's event last weekend. It was my first experience of Padmaloka and of being on retreat and I had a great time and felt it was incredibly beneficial in many ways.I will definitely be back soon."
Joe Shier - May 2007

"It is my second visit to Padmaloka on a National Order weekend for Dharmacharinis. I wanted to thank you all so much for making Padmaloka available to us and for making us feel so welcome. It is a wonderful place and I especially love your shrine room and also the feeling of being securely away from the world. You are fortunate to be living and developing such a special place. With gratitude" Punyamala - March 2007

"Just wanted to say how much I enjoyed this weekends retreat. As my first “contact” with any form of Meditation or Buddhist experience I really did not know what to expect. I felt very welcomed by everybody I had the good fortune to talk with both in terms of Team members and other men on retreat. Whilst some of the “technical” terms of the talks and the actual meditation were beyond me, little gems of thought I have taken away and and no point did I not feel involved. Thanks once again."
Nick Sheen - Jan 2007

"I have just returned from the men's event and want to rejoice in the merits of all involved in the organisation,talks,teachings, study group leaders ,not forgetting the wonderful people who made all that delicious food available to us and lastly all my fellow retreatants. I had a wonderful retreat and am already looking forward to my next visit to Padmaloka.Tony Keogh - Nov 2006

"I was at the Summer Retreat 2005 - partly inspired by one of the exercises there I did an OU Poetry Course. On this course I wrote the following poem: Ode to a stone Buddha I saw you in an English garden beside the pond where a lotus-flower bloomed and a blue dragonfly hovered and shimmered in the sun. Your head was haloed with flies I think you saw me but you did not speak. Perhaps you were remembering when you sat beneath the Bodhi tree until your suffering ceased and you penetrated to the heart of things. You are silent still I see the sun’s light glinting from your stone eyes. I feel the sun’s warmth softening your stone mouth. I feel your love penetrating to the heart of me Thanks guys.Peter Jenner - Nov 2006

"I would like to say thank you to all of you for looking after us so kindly and well caring. I got the impression that at the moment you are a very harmonious, effective and highly motivated and inspired team, which was of great pleasure to observe." - Norbert - Sept 2006

"Thanks for all you did to make the National order Weekend a good one, including all the little things that no-one notices but make all the difference." - Jnanaketu - Aug 2006

"With thanks to all at Padmaloka for the kindness and thoughtfulness displayed during the Summer Retreat. In all, it was a rather remarkable week." - Ian Mariott - July 2006

"Thankyou so much for all of your efforts - a fantastic retreat for me. I marvel at the energy and devotion put into this place and its activities by the team." - Aaron Matheson - June 2006

"Thanks for a fantastic weekend (Touching Life men's event), what a great bunch of people you are, pity everyone in the world can't get a taste of what we all shared at Padmaloka. I look forward to coming on another Padmaloka retreat and getting more involved with the FWBO." - Paul Brown - November 2005

"I would like to express deepest appreciation for the retreat weekend that I just attended at Padmaloka called 'Touching Life'. It was challenging and encouraging in equal measure and has made a deep impact. It is impossible to verbalise the full 'Padmaloka' experience as I experienced it! There was peace in the midst of about 70 men all pursuing a packed programme. There was reflection and self-revelation even though I don't remember actually sitting and reflecting. There was real friendship and laughter among people who'd never met before. And I got up at 6 o'clock two days running, miraculous! Thank you." - David Furnival - November 2005

"The Metta and Insight retreat at Padmaloka had a tremendous effect on me. I've wanted to do the metta-bhavana every day since the retreat - I'm more enthusiastic about the practice than I have been for over 10 years, and that period includes 2 Brahmaviharas retreats at Vajraloka. The combination of groundedness and expansiveness is /exactly/ what I've been looking for over the last few years. So I really hope Padmaloka runs the same sort of retreat again some time, even if that's not until 2007, and I really hope I can be there!", Sakyakumara - September 2005

"Many thanks for what was for me the first time at a Padmaloka retreat/event. A great atmosphere, friendly, relaxed and committed to broadening each persons understanding of Buddhism whatever their level." John - August 2005

"I would like to thank Padmaloka for all your hard work to run this remarkable place. When ever I come here things have improved. May Padmaloka keep thriving and blossoming and may your energy stay strong. May you endure all difficulties and never loose track. This place is a lighthouse for establishing the Dharma in the West. Without your work it wouldn't exist." Claus Klinker - May 2005

"It's a real treat coming to Padmaloka and entering such a rich realm - full of beauty, human and natural." Tom De Grunwald - October 2004

"Padmaloka looks and feels great. Lots of lovely touches of beauty, especially inthe grounds. Many thanks for your warm hospitality and cooking." Carl Evans - October 2004

"Dear Padmaloka Team, Many thanks for a wonderful Euro Gathering weekend - the best that I have been to. The organisation and facilities were excellent as always but I particularly appreciated the effort you put into developing the theme 'What is a Dharmachari' through the three Dharma talks, study groups and returning Dharmacharis. Together with the biscuits and chocolate cake the weekend at Padmaloka felt like the special and uplifting occasion that it should be.", Matthew Webb - September 2004.

"Dear Padmaloka, I'd like to thank you for all your efforts put into preparing the day of my ordination. As ever, you did very well and several people commented on your hospitality. Of course it's also the all-year round maintenance that creates Padmaloka and above all the spirit of harmony and spiritual community that makes myself and others love the place so dearly. I'm very happy to have been ordained at Padmaloka", Nityabandhu - June 2004.

"Thank you very much for a great retreat. I've really appreciated everyones warmth and freindliness. The volleyball was also fantastic and I look forward to my next visit to Padmaloka.", Liam - June 2004.

"I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all at Padmaloka for your support, generosity and friendship during my ordination. It has been a truly memorable and inspirational experience for me to be ordained at Padmaloka. Something I will cherish for the rest of my life.", Shantisthana - June 2004.

"I've been comming to Padmaloka for over 6 years now, and each time I feel more and more like I'm visiting my second home. The support team are genuinely friendly, the accomodatiion is great, with the space to practice the dharma being perfect for me; quiet, beautiful country setting with great devotional spaces... thankyou Padmaloka", John Denton - January 2004.

"Highly recommended", Good Retreat Guide.

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