Beyond the Kleśas Retreat - MARCH 2020 - CANCELLED (COVID)
Friday 27 March 2020 – Sunday 5 April 2020 at Vijayaloka Retreat Centre in Minto Heights
Due to the coronavirus, this retreat will no longer be running.
This meditation retreat is an opportunity to immerse yourself in practices that help us to go beyond the kleśas, emotions that hold us back from clear vision and freedom.
The retreat will focus on getting beyond the five poisons that cloud the mind. There are various formulations of the list of five. Here we will use the list of:
Distraction, Ill-will, Greed, Ignorance and Pride.
Meditations followed on the retreat will include: mindfulness, metta, six elements, nidana contemplations and just sitting as practices that counter the tendencies of the five poisons. With sadhana practise, the five stages of our approach to meditation and Dharma life are fully covered.
Dharmananda will lead meditations, and provide talks and notes around the poisons and the practices. Most of the retreat will be in silence, giving an ideal context in which to reflect more deeply on the Dharma:
- Distraction – vipekkha Mindfulness of breathing
- Ill-will – dosa Metta Bhavana
- Ignorance – avidya Contemplation of the Nidanas
- Pride - māna Six Elements
- Greed – lobha Just Sitting
We want everyone to have the opportunity to come on retreat. If you cannot afford the cost, we may be able to help. Please contact us to discuss.
Already Paid a Deposit? Pay Balance NowFrequently Asked Questions
What is the food at Vijayaloka like?
All food will be vegan. If you have any allergies that aren't listed on the booking form, please contact us before booking to ensure we can cater for you.
Can I have a single room?
In order to allow us to accommodate as many people as want to come, we are not normally able to provide single rooms. If you have a very special circumstance which requires a single room for you to be able to attend, please contact us before booking to discuss.
What do I need to bring?
Unless you are coming a long distance we ask that you bring your own sheets and blankets or a sleeping bag (we have plenty of pillows).
It can be surprisingly cold in the early mornings and evenings, and quite hot in the middle of the day, so bring clothes suitable for all weather: we suggest you bring layers as well as a warm jumper or jacket. You'll also need a good sun hat and suitable shoes, especially if you want to walk in the bush. There is a river you can swim in so you may also want to swimwear if you want to swim.
In addition you'll need to bring any toiletries you need including a towel, insect repellent, and sun block. It is also a good idea to bring a torch if you have one and you may also want to bring a notebook and pen.
When does the retreat start and end?
The retreat will begin with dinner on the Friday evening at 6:30pm. You are welcome to arrive any time from 5pm. It is normally not advisable to plan to arrive later than this. If you think you might need to, please contact us before booking.
We will finish on the Sunday afternoon, around 3pm.
Where to Find Us
The retreat is at Vijayaloka Retreat Centre in Minto Heights.
Driving
Vijayaloka's address for use in sat-navs is 36 Howard Road, Minto Heights NSW 2566. Travel time from central Sydney is about one hour.
There is a blue sign at Vijayaloka's entrance. Enter there and then park the car park immediately on your right.
If you are able to offer a lift to others travelling from Sydney, please let us know.
Train
Vijayaloka is very easy to access by train. The closest train station is Minto which is on the T8 Airport Line towards MacArthur and Campbelltown. Travel time is about 50 minutes from Central.
We can normally arrange for those travelling by train to be picked up from the train station. Please indicate when booking if you need to be picked up and aim to be at Minto around 5:30-6pm. We will contact you shortly before the start of the retreat to confirm. Alternatively you can take a taxi from the bottle shop across the road from the station, or an Uber.
If you are travelling from outside Sydney and don't have an Opal card, you can use any contactless credit/debit card to travel on Sydney Trains.