Mucalinda the Cobra King (in person 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 those trees was the Mucalinda Tree, and it was here that the Buddha was sheltered from the rains.  The Buddha was wrapped around him seven times by a great cobra King, with his hooded head like an umbrella above the Buddha.  This, Sangharakshita says, represents the powerful psychic energies that surge up in meditation.  On this weekend we will explore meditation and the integration of energies from the depths and the heights.