Dear Friends, the Wild Geese invite you to a New Year gathering in a beautiful location just outside of Dunkeld beside the beautiful river Tay. The Wester Caputh venue is a privately run hostel situated in the local countryside between Dunkeld and Blairgowrie. We have held Interbeing retreats here in the past and found this to be a peaceful and nourishing environment.

This retreat will offer the opportunity to come together at a very special time of year when we can enjoy the stillness of the winter season and practice within the nurturing environment of our Sangha body. To help us engage with the present moment and to reap the full benefits of our practice the retreat will be mostly held in silence. Although challenging at times, silence can be a precious support to deepening self-understanding and increasing our awareness of Sangha sisters and brothers from a different perspective. There will, of course, be opportunities for sharing during daily dharma discussions.

Although a key purpose of this retreat is to offer an opportunity for exploration of the self and a deepening of mindfulness practice, emphasis is placed on Sangha or community building as a keystone to effective practice. According to Thay the Sangha is the root of everything, a dynamic cell through which the qualities of harmony, peace and understanding can be realised through shared mindful endeavour. These merits, when experienced within community, provide the nourishment that enables the Sangha to grow in loving awareness.

Following the Buddha’s instruction we use the Dharma as our guide. From this perspective we are all Buddha’s in waiting and no one is singled out as leader. The fact is, we cannot survive without the combined skills and knowledge of each individual member. So please come with the expectancy and knowledge that you will be an integral part of the formation and look forward to taking part in practice sessions, preparing and cooking meals, participating in light tasks, and mindfully sharing bedroom space.

Please download this book flier for more information, contacts and how to book.

Location of Wester Caputh