This will be a simple meditation and reflection retreat with a substantial amount of silence. We'll bring the theme to life with talks, poetry, film, images, ritual and an exploration of the world around us.
wabi sabi
Wabi Sabi is an aesthetic, which finds beauty and truth in our simple, ordinary experience. It originated in Japan in the 16th century when the term 'wabi' referred to poverty and 'sabi' to loneliness. At that time, while hermits were living this poor and lonely life, a cultural shift happened and this simplicity of living took the place of luxury as the highest and subtlest aesthetic.
I first became interested in Wabi Sabi about 10 years ago when I made a connection between this tradition and the teachings on the three laksanas. It has now become, for me, a kind of aesthetic metaphor for the spiritual life.
the 3 laksanas
The dharmic backbone of this retreat is the laksanas. Bhante teaches that by going deeply into our experience of the laksanas, our experiences of impermanence, insubstantiality and painfulness, we will find doorways to insight. These doorways are the vimoksa mukhas, the doorways to freedom. In the last few years I have been exploring these through my own meditation and reflection and on retreat with others.
Wabi sabi shows us this same process. What we find is not a transcendent, angelic beauty, but the ordinary beauty of the world around us. Beauty where we least expect to find it, in the softness of worn stone steps, the dents in an old tin plate, the scar on my knee, the lonely sound of the rain. The so-called 'marks' of conditioned existence become a source of melancholic beauty, which hold the key to reality.
This way of approaching the teachings on the laksanas means that transforming our experience isn't about moving away from life; it's about going more deeply into it. It is in the depths of conditioned existence that we find these doorways to freedom.
If you'd like to read more about wabi sabi you'll find an article here articles and talks.
Abhayaloka
This summer I finally figured out why Abhayaloka is my favourite retreat centre. I thought maybe it was because of the sauna down by the lake, or maybe the quirky furniture and homeliness of the place. But no. I think the main thing I love is the light. It is a wooden building in the middle of the forest, the forest is mainly birch trees and the leaves shake in the slightest breeze. Therefore all the light that comes into the building is flitered through these shimmering leaves, making the walls and floors alive with light and shadow.
This retreat is happening over midsummer, a very important time in Finland. Strange light nights, in the sauna and swimming in the lake by the light of the midnight sunset
practical details
cost
We will be hiring Abhayaloka for this retreat. The cost for the retreat will be €300 and will include coach travel between Helsinki to Abhayaloka. We'll have also have two cooks on the retreat so work duties will be light.
travel
Travel wise you can fly from the UK to Helsinki for around £85 return with EasyJet. Or fly to Tallin for around £69 return with either EasyJet or Ryanair.
tallin - city of culture 2011
Tallin is the capital of Estonia and is the European City of Culture for 2011 see their website for events. The crossing from Helsinki to Tallin is very easy, it takes 2 hours on a large boat (with ballroom dancing) and costs -26€ see Tallink, or 1.5 hours and -36€ on a smaller boat (no dancing) see Lindaline. If you wanted to combine the retreat with a visit to Tallin you might like to fly into Helsinki and then out of Tallin, or vice versa. The last time I was there the cost of hotels, food etc was a lot less in Estonia than Finland.
booking
To book a place please email me and I will ask you to send a deposit of €100 or £100 and give you more details about the retreat. Feel free also to email for any more information. You can contact me on info@vajradarshini.com .