Gazing at the Bodhi Tree (online weekend)

‘​​What one can be sure of is that there was a tremendous sort of inner absorption for a very long period of time. Because, after all, the Buddha had gained Enlightenment which he had been looking for, for so many years, and at last he was there, so all his energy sort of poured into that, just like a waterfall falling from a tremendous height.’ - Sangharakshita, Seminar on the Udana

The Enlightenment of the Buddha was not something that happened in a moment, as if it was a single idea that he had.  Its significance unfolded in many directions, emotionally, cognitively and energetically as he sat under various trees in the grove where he was meditating.  One of the first episodes of his Enlightenment was gazing at the Bodhi Tree with ‘unblinking eyes’ out of gratitude for the shelter it had given him.  On this weekend we will dwell in gratitude for all we have been given, exploring the significance and implications of gratitude.  We will dwell with the significance of the symbolism of the tree of shelter, whose branches reach deep down into the earth, and whose branches tower high in the sky.

This is the only online weekend we will hold this year, the others will be in person in order to maximise people’s opportunities to visit Tiratanaloka Wales before we move.