lotusinthemud

mindfulness talk 1: dharmavidya's teachings, summer 2011

 

off to amida france for the amida order intensive retreat

Tomorrow morning (Wednesday) I'll be driving down to London with Kuvalaya. We'll stay at Sukhavati. Then we'll set off in Padma's car, with Modgala, on Friday morning, via the ferry and off to Amida France, taking a couple of days so the journey is part of the fun. Then, a week with friends and an opportunity to meet members of the team that I only know via skype, phone and email - so looking forward to this

Gosh, it's a long time since I was there - the summer of 2005, the summer of the London bombings - I was overwhelmed by text messages when I was finally able to get a signal on my mobile, to tell me that my son Simon was safe. Safe from what? I hadn't heard the news, so rushed to the landline for clarification. (Like many Londoners, Simon has a history of being nearby bombings - IRA, Al Qaeda. London commuters are used to the Underground being shut because of bomb warnings. I lived in London through the 70s, when we were all on high alert and no journey was undertaken without vigilance.)

It was also the year of the death of the sister of one of my Order, so she and I travelled to Ottawa together. It seemed so long ago, but casting my mind to those days, I could almost be back there.

So much has happened in the intervening years, both for me and also Amida France - I wonder what changes I'll see when I get there!

amida france, summer of 2011

There's a very full and varied programme throughout July, August and into September at our beautiful retreat centre in the middle of France:

Website: Amida France

July 4-8: Anjin Sesshin Retreat

July 11-15: Becoming More Alive through Words & Movement

July 18-22: Teachings: Mindfulness & Pureland Buddhism

July 25-29: Women Together/Familie Week (English/Dutch)

Aug 1-5: Arts & Family Week (English/Dutch/Francais)

Aug 8-12: Buddhist Psychology Summer School

Aug 15-19: Earth to Earth: Facing Grief & Finding Healing in Nature

Aug 22-26: Volunteer Week

Aug 29-Sept 2: Rivers & Forests: Walking retreat (English/Francais)

Sept 5-9: Women, Food & Bodies Week

Why not just stay for the whole summer :-)

amida france - courses, spring and summer 2011

Amida France website

Come and share our vision. Come and join us in creating a Pure Land.

Amida France is set in 30 acres of beautiful French countryside. It is in the heart of France in an area which you have probably never heard of because it is off the main tourist routes. Beautiful and undiscovered.

Amida France is a place to unwind, to encounter nature, to heal, to find your creativity, to deepen your practice, to discover the rich spirtuality of Pureland Buddhism. It is a friendly place where there is often lively discussion over meals or shared time working on building or arts projects. It is also a place for  discovering silence in the woods and fields.