Smritiratna first took up Buddhist practice in 1977 at the age of 21 while studying Developmental Psychology at Sussex University. At 27, he began training in earnest with the FWBO and entered the Western Buddhist Order in 1991.
In 1996, he came to Scotland, joined the Dhanakosa project and spent five years on-site, teaching and house-keeping. In 2001, he gave up house-keeping to concentrate on study, contemplation and teaching. He now calls Edinburgh home and spends some of his time in a forest hut near Dhanakosa and three months a year on retreat at Guhyaloka in the Spanish mountains. He still leads Dhanakosa retreats and continues to delight in introducing meditation to newcomers.
Friday, 31 August 2018 to Friday, 7 September 2018 2018
‘Simply being’ points to a quality of awakeness and receptivity that we can recognise at any moment, both in and outside of formal meditation. It’s an openness to full presence in our being - in our body, senses and awareness. It suggests opening to what we really are, beyond conceptual fabrication, inseparable from nature itself, which is undivided and ungraspable.
These are meditation retreats and will be conducted mostly in silence. They will normally have between 5 and 7 hours a day of sitting meditation.
Friday, 2 March 2018 to Friday, 9 March 2018 2018
These retreats are an ideal first regulars retreat. They take successful themes from our introductory programme and gently introduce more silence, meditation and a stronger Buddhist context through teachings and ritual (including 7-fold Puja). They are open to anyone who has done an introductory retreat or has been attending a local Triratna Buddhist centre and is looking to take their practice deeper.
For more information read the retreat information sheet.
Friday, 23 February 2018 to Friday, 2 March 2018 2018
Buddhism is not about beliefs, it’s about the way we live our lives. On these retreats we will explore traditional Buddhist teachings and meditation practices and see how they apply directly to our lives. These retreats are an ideal reflective situation in which to take a fresh look at ourselves.
For more information read the retreat information sheet.
Friday, 23 December 2016 to Friday, 30 December 2016 2016
When your heart is in the right place, the rest is easy. Loving Kindness, or metta is the gateway into compassion, appreciative joy and insightful serenity. With a little music and film to help inspire us along the way, we will thoroughly explore the four meditations of the sublime abodes or Brahma Viharas.
For more information, please read the retreat information sheet.
Friday, 4 November 2016 to Sunday, 6 November 2016 2016
These retreats provide an excellent short introduction to both meditation and Buddhism. They will introduce you to two simple traditional meditation practices and give you a grounding in the basic principles of Buddhism. They are an ideal situation in which to take a fresh look at yourself and your life.
For more information, please read the retreat information sheet.
Friday, 12 February 2016 to Friday, 19 February 2016 2016
Buddhism is not about beliefs, it’s about the way we live our lives. On these retreats we will explore traditional Buddhist teachings and meditation practices and see how they apply directly to our lives. These retreats are an ideal reflective situation in which to take a fresh look at ourselves.
For more information, please read the retreat information sheet.
Friday, 2 October 2015 to Friday, 9 October 2015 2015
On this retreat we will explore the Buddha's four noble truths and eightfold path to awakening through talks discussion meditation, reflection and ritual. There will be more silence, meditation and a stronger Buddhist context (including an introduction to and practice of 7-fold Puja) than on our introductory retreats. They are open to anyone who has done an introductory retreat or has been attending a local centre and is looking to take their practice a bit deeper.
Saturday, 20 December 2014 to Saturday, 27 December 2014 2014
When your heart is in the right place, the rest is easy. Loving Kindness, or metta is the gateway into compassion, appreciative joy and insightful serenity.
With a little music and video to help inspire us along the way, we will thoroughly explore the four meditations of the sublime abodes or Brahma Viharas.
For more information please take a look here
Friday, 10 October 2014 to Friday, 17 October 2014 2014
Buddhism is not about beliefs, it’s about the way we live our lives. On this retreat we will explore traditional Buddhist teachings and meditation practices and see how they apply directly to our lives.
As well as giving a grounding in the basic principles of Buddhism and meditation, this is an ideal reflective situation in which to take a fresh look at ourselves.
For more information please take a look here
Friday, 20 December 2019 to Friday, 27 December 2019 2019
We begin this retreat just after the Winter Solstice, the darkest time of the year. Folk have been marking this special time since the deep past. For us, the coming of the light signifies faith in awareness prevailing over ignorance, humanity prevailing over inhumanity. This retreat is an opportunity to gather and affirm that faith through ritual, shared communication and especially silent meditation.
These are meditation retreats and will be conducted mostly in silence. They will normally have between 5 and 7 hours a day of sitting meditation.
