‘Life is not only a battle, not only a problem. It is a journey: a journey from the cradle to the grave, from innocence to experience, from the depths of existence to the heights, from darkness to light, from death to immortality.’
Sangharakshita – The Myth of the Return Journey

The Buddha’s parable of the return journey tells the story of a man who, having forgotten that he is the son and heir of a man of vast wealth, lives in abject poverty and destitution. The Buddha tells this story to illustrate another angle on our existential situation – we are that man – the Buddha’s inexhaustible spiritual riches are our birthright. Yet, not realising this, we impoverish ourselves in worldly pursuits, ignorant of our incredible potential, enmeshed in wrong views, and squandering our opportunities to truly follow the path of the Dharma.

Throughout the weekend we will evoke the parable of the return journey to explore what the Dharma says about our true potential, the real meaning and purpose of our lives, and how we can begin to make the effort required to reclaim our Dharmic birthright.

Banner and thumbnail image: cropped painting by Aloka ©

Details and Timings

The retreat starts with dinner on the first day at 6:30pm and finishes on the final day at around 2:30pm.