Date/Time
Date(s) - 01 Jul 2018 - 08 Jul 2018
3:00 pm - 2:00 pm
Location
The Nightingale Centre
Great Hucklow
Buxton
SK17 8RH
United Kingdom
**REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED**
Ajahn Brahmali is affectionately dubbed ‘Ajahn Brahm’s right hand monk,’ and this retreat will show you why! An exemplary scholar and much sought-after teacher of early Buddhism, Ajahn Brahmali brings the depth and scope of the Buddha’s message to life, with direct application to practice. Rarely are the Buddhist texts elucidated with enough clarity and contagious joy to make it feel as though the Buddha himself is guiding us.
This retreat will draw out the map of practice known as ‘the gradual training’– an intricate step by step guide to the joy of awakening. The emphasis will be on those factors that support meditation and on how to handle the mind in a skillful way to overcome mental qualities that block progress.
As the teachings come alive within, your relationship with the historical Buddha will deepen, bringing increased confidence and independence on the path. Moreover, the Buddha’s teachings will give you the inspiration to sustain your practice.
We are delighted to have found a beautiful venue, worthy of such a special retreat! The Nightingale Centre nestles in the hills of Derbyshire’s Peak District National Park, in a tranquil village with good transport links from Manchester and Sheffield. The retreat will be held in silence and we have exclusive usage of the Centre and its friendly staff to support this. It is suitable for both beginners and experienced meditators alike and will accommodate a maximum of 50 people, so be sure to get in early and secure your place!
Tentative Retreat Schedule
A true disciple of Ajahn Brahm, Ajahn Brahmali has a relaxed approach to meditation, to allow for finding your own pace and joy in practice. Below is a rough schedule for an idea of what to expect, and includes talks, guided meditations, sutta classes, Q&A and (not listed) group interviews with Ajahn Brahmali. Ample time will be available for relaxing and walking in the countryside, as you please.
Day One (1st July)
Arrivals between 3.00pm and 6pm
6pm Light Supper
7.30pm – 8.20pm Introduction talk (silence begins!)
8.30pm – 9pm Guided meditation
9pm Rest
Days Two To Seven (2nd to 7th July)
(please note that days 2-7 may be subject to slight alteration)
6am Group meditation
7.30am Breakfast
9am Morning talk
10am – 12pm Own practice
12pm Lunch and rest period
2pm Guided meditation
3.30pm Sutta study
4.30pm – 5.30pm Own practice
5.30pm – 7pm Drinks, rest period
7pm – 8pm Group meditation
8.15pm – 9.30pm Anonymous Q&A from “the box”
Day 8 (8th July)
6am Group meditation
7.30am Breakfast
9am Closing talk and loving kindness meditation
10.30am Discussion and meeting each other (silence lifts!)
12pm Lunch
Departures by 2pm
Accommodation and facilities
Happily, there is space to accommodate everyone in a twin (or larger) room sharing with just one other person. Standard twin rooms all contain wash basins, and have nearby toilet and bathroom facilities. En-suite twin rooms have private toilet and bathroom facilities.
Disabled access
One disabled access en-suite twin room is available, and there are a further four ordinary en-suite twin rooms on the ground floor. In the application form you will be asked to specify your choice of either an en-suite twin or standard twin room. Please also let us know if you require disabled facilities or a ground floor room and we will do our best to meet your needs. The meditation hall is a few steps below the ground floor and has disabled/wheelchair access.
Meeting rooms and lounges
The largest hall will be used as our main meditation hall. A carpeted hall is available for walking meditation, and the very comfortable sun lounge provides the perfect cosy space for very relaxed meditation or just chilling-out with a cup of tea. Breakfast, lunch and drinks will be provided in the dining room next to the lounge. There is a yet another, smaller meeting room, which can be used for group interviews with Ajahn Brahmali.
Outdoor areas and Private Forest
You can also practice walking meditation in the garden area outside the building or in the Centre’s privately-owned forest just opposite. The village is surrounded by hills and fields which invite long walks for exercise, or just a peaceful amble to enjoy the views.
Food and drinks
Food will be simple vegetarian with a vegan option. Tea and coffee is available around the clock. During this retreat we will abstain from eating in the evening, to support the deepening of meditation practice. Please therefore note that only breakfast and lunch will be provided.
If you require food in the evening for medical purposes, please ensure that you bring along simple snacks that are easy to store in your room, such as flapjacks, as there is no cooking facility available.
Costs
The total cost of the retreat, per person, is as follows:
£430 based on staying in a standard twin room
£490 based on staying in an en-suite twin room.
Please note that this covers food and lodgings only. Ajahn Brahmali is kindly coming all the way from Perth to England to help us establish a monastery and there will be opportunity to donate towards that aim at the retreat.
If you would like to contribute to the costs for accommodating Ajahn Brahmali and Ven Canda, you can donate here, reference ‘monastic costs.’
We can offer some financial assistance to those of limited means through our bursary fund. Should you need to make use of this fund, you may be required to share a larger room with up to two others.
You are welcome to donate to our bursary fund here.
Getting There
The nearest train station to The Nightingale Centre is in Hope. Please note that there are three different villages named Hope in England: you will be coming to Hope (Derbyshire).
The nearest international airport is Manchester.
Overseas travellers should fly to Manchester and take a train to Hope.
Domestic travellers can take a train to either Manchester or Sheffield and then a train to Hope.
From London, the most cost effective option is travelling by bus to Sheffield and then another bus or taxi to the Centre. Click here for information on how to go by bus.
Alternately, you can take a taxi directly from Manchester, Sheffield or Chesterfield all the way to the Centre. As the retreat approaches you can coordinate with other participants via a lift share spreadsheet, so that you can arrange to share taxi’s.
From Hope, two taxi companies offer a special rate for those travelling to The Nightingale Centre:
Penny’s Cars 07917 710771 or 01433 659363
NICE private hire 07710 609 699 or 01433 623427
IMPORTANT : Please note that the retreat starts and ends on a Sunday, for your convenience in taking time off work. On Sundays the trains run only every two hours (from both Manchester and Sheffield) to Hope, so please time your connections carefully.
Driving:
Further information about the location, can be found here.
Note: Please do not contact the Nightingale Centre directly as the staff only have the capacity to liaise with the booking’s group leaders.
Any further enquiry can be directed to bookings@anukampaproject.org
Application Procedure
Congratulations, you made it here!
Next steps:
1. Please ensure you have read all the above information carefully first and then fill in the application form below. At this stage you will not be required to make a payment.
2. After submitting your application form, you should receive email confirming that we have received your application within a couple of minutes. Please check your junk mail inbox if you do not receive it. You can also add our email address bookings@anukampaproject.org as a contact to prevent emails from us going into the junk folder, and if it is not there please contact us.
We are now taking waiting list applications. When a place becomes available we will let you know the type of room and ask for payment to confirm your place. If you are not able to take the room, we will offer it to the next person on the list.
This payment is refundable minus £150 until 31st April 2018. Please note that from 31st April no refund will be given, unless someone on our waiting list would like to take the ticket. In this cases, you will be refunded minus £150. Whilst we will make every effort to offer your ticket on, this cannot be guaranteed.
Bookings
Bookings are closed for this event.