Going for Refuge to the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha is ‘the central and definitive act of the Buddhist life’ and ‘the unifying principle, therefore, of Buddhism itself’. The ordination process involves a progressive deepening of Going for Refuge until it becomes effective in all aspects of our lives. The ceremony of ordination involves the witnessing, by senior Order members, of this effective Going for Refuge. We will explore how we can make the Three Jewels ever more central to our lives.

We will be studying Padmavajra's paper 'The Best of Refuges', which you can order from the bookshop here.

Banner and thumbnail image: cropped painting by Aloka © from the Padmaloka Shrine Room

Details and Timings

The retreat starts with dinner on the first day at 6:30pm and finishes on the final day at 10.15am.