A Retreat Centre For Men

At Padmaloka we provide something rare and precious: an intensive and focused environment in which men can explore the Dharma life together and deepen their Going for Refuge to the Three Jewels of Buddhism - the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha. The residential community live and work in semi-monastic conditions which you partake in when coming on retreat.

Our community has agreed that retreats will be for men only*.

(For women, Triratna offers public retreats at Taraloka and ordination training retreats at Tiratnaloka. We also have plenty of mixed retreats at retreat centres such as Rivendell and Dhanakosa, and Buddhafield offers very popular family retreats).

The Spirit of Being on Retreat

Each Padmaloka retreat forms a temporary monastic practice community, and a vital requirement for this is to enter the spirit of going forth: intelligently letting go of the things that hold us back to make way for ever more creative actions of body, speech, and mind. The following points are requirements for coming on retreat at Padmaloka:

A celibate environment
Those on retreat undertake to support us and their fellow retreatants by abstaining from all forms of sexual activity whilst here on retreat and to develop stillness, simplicity and contentment.

Electronic devices
Electronic devices are more and more prevalent in modern life and can draw us away from a life of contentment and depth into one of distraction, craving and superficiality. Hence, we ask that you turn off all electronic devices for the duration of your retreat.

We are a meat-free, smoke-free, drug and alcohol-free retreat centre
Those on retreat undertake to not consume recreational drugs or alcohol, smoke, or eat meat or fish. Those who do need to smoke are asked to do so off the premises.
In its place we strive to develop loving kindness towards ourselves, our friends and indeed all beings, and to deepen our practice of mindfulness and awareness.

* Our retreats are open to all men including trans men. If you have any questions about this or would like to contact us about it please get in touch: 01508 538112, manager@padmaloka.org.uk