Order/GFR
Women’s National Order Gathering
Friday 8 March 2024 – Monday 11 March 2024
The National Order Gathering for Dharmacāriṇīs from around Australia.
3 nights.
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Order/GFR
Order Study Retreat: The Essence of Wisdom and Compassion
Sunday 12 February 2023 – Friday 17 February 2023 at Vijayaloka Retreat Centre in Minto Heights
This retreat is open only to Order members.
In the mid 1970s Bhante led a seminar on The Door of Liberation, a recently published anthology of texts drawn from the Tibetan tradition. This included the Kadampa Precepts, teachings from Atisa and his immediate disciples, which we will be exploring over this retreat. The Kadampa Precepts are not like our ten precepts. Rather pithy teachings from Atisha and his immediate disciple to their close disciples.
Atisa, who sits on our Refuge Tree, was a leading figure in the eleventh century revival of Buddhism in Tibet. 1500 years after the Buddha we find him seeking to lay out what is most essential in the Dharma in a world where Buddhism had become lost and confused. Another 900 years on we find Sangharakshita drawing on Atisa's teachings as he tries to open up the Dharma in a very different culture to members of the Order he had just recently founded. Almost fifty years on again we return to Atisa and to that seminar to see what inspiration and guidance we can find there.
Saddhaloka was ordained on the first Tuscany retreat in 1981. After serving as Chair of the Norwich Buddhist Centre, he then worked for 20 years with the Ordination Team at Padmaloka. In 2015 he moved to Adhisthana where he is now part of the Dharma Team and works with the Adhisthana Teaching Community.
More questions? Get in touch
Frequently 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?
Vijayaloka has two single rooms that can be allocated to people with special requirements. If you require a single room to be able to attend, please contact us before booking to ensure availability.
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 bushwalk. There is a river that you can swim in, so you may also want to bring swimwear.
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 after the NOG ends on the Monday afternoon. You are welcome to arrive any time. 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.
