Journey to Enlightenment

Easter Long Weekend Sutta Retreat with Bhante Akāliko

The Buddha believed in our ability to realise liberating truths here and now. He also described the path to Nibbana as a gradual process that can take lifetimes. Sometimes the goal of enlightenment can feel out of reach一our enthusiasm fades, and we lose confidence in our spiritual path. So how can we reinvigorate our meditation practice to prioritise the journey without losing sight of the destination?

Join Bhante Akāliko for this Easter long weekend sutta retreat and learn how to develop a daily practice that keeps our momentum moving towards enlightenment.

Bhante Akāliko

Akāliko Bhikkhu is an Australian monk in the Theravada forest tradition. He is the spiritual director of Little Dust and founder of Rainbodhi LGBTQIA+ Buddhist Community. Bhante Akāliko is also the spiritual advisor of Central West Buddhists and a chaplain at Western Sydney University. He sits on the boards of the Buddhist Council of NSW and the Federation of Australian Buddhist Councils.

Bhante Akāliko went forth as a monastic in 2016 and received full ordination with Ajahn Brahm at Bodhinyana monastery in 2017. He lived for several years with Bhante Sujato at the Monastery at the End of the World in Sydney and now lives as a wandering monk, looking for a place to settle and shake off the dust.

Venue and Cost

Vejjasala, located just outside the village of Wingello in the Southern Highlands of NSW, is the retreat centre of the Association of Engaged Buddhists (AEB). The name, Vejjasala, means a place for healing.

The cost for the retreat includes food, with three vegetarian meals per day. Please indicate if you have any allergies or dietary requirements. We will do our best to facilitate any medical requirements (e.g. celiac) but may not be able to accommodate all requests.

The cost for the retreat is $375. This covers food and accommodation.

Payment to the teacher is made by donation (dāna) after the retreat.

Full details about Vejjasala, accommodation options, directions, and information about what to bring can be found on the website: https://engagedbuddhists.org.au/vejjasala-retreat-centre/

There is a train station in Wingello, however trains do not frequently stop there. We will attempt to organise carpooling. Please indicate on the signup form if you require a lift or are able to offer lifts to others.

Vejjasala is a safe and inclusive space for LGBTQIA+ people.

COVID

• We require that all attendees conduct a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) within 24 hours of attending the retreat. Take a photo of your result and email to office@engagedbuddhists.org.au in order to be able to attend the retreat.
• All attendees must be fully vaccinated and send a screenshot of vaccination status along with RAT test results per the above. This is to ensure the safety of all members attending the retreat.

Adequate social distancing, hand-washing and other sensible measure should be followed by all attendees.

It should be noted that participants attend these retreats entirely at their own discretion and should consider their own risks and responsibilities in regard to COVID. While reasonable efforts will be taken in regard to providing a safe environment, the Association takes no responsibility for individuals’ behaviour or health consequences arising from attending a retreat. If you are experiencing any symptoms, please do not attend the retreat and notify the organisers at office@engagedbuddhists.org.au.

Refund Policy

PLEASE NOTE: Bookings may be cancelled at no charge 14 days prior to the event however as catering materials need to be purchased in advance by the Association, bookings cancelled less than 14 days prior to the event will incur a 50% fee, unless the space is able to be filled by another retreatant, in which case a full refund (minus booking fees) will be issued.

Enquiries

If you have any questions about the retreat, please contact Kynan Tan on kynantctan@gmail.com

Registration

If there are any issues with registration, head to the Ticket Tailor Event.