Padmaloka Buddhist Retreat Centre
Encyclopedia
Padmaloka Buddhist Retreat Centre is a Buddhist retreat centre for men, located at Lesingham House
in Surlingham
, Norfolk
, England
. The centre is part of the Triratna Buddhist Community, formerly the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, which aims to make the teachings of the Buddha http://www.fwbo.org/buddhism/buddha.html and Buddhism
more accessible. The name Padmaloka means 'Realm of the Lotus' in Pāli
, padma meaning lotus
, and loka
meaning realm, place, or abode
.
, the founder of the Triratna community, and became its first permanent retreat centre.
of 13 men. Some are full-time teachers and retreat leaders. Others look after Padmaloka's day-to-day running, such as gardening, cooking, administration, and maintenance. The community aims to engage in work as a spiritual practice by bringing mindfulness to the tasks, and to that of the other retreatants.
The centre runs a busy annual programme, with retreats ranging from a weekend up to two weeks in length. Some are open for all men to attend, while some are only for those seeking ordination into the Triratna Buddhist Order and others only for those who have been ordained.
One feature of the centre is the Padmaloka stupa
. This is said to contain relic
s of Dhardo Rimpoche
, one of Sangharakshita's teachers. Its inscriptions read Cherish the Doctrine. Live united. Radiate lovehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/90664717@N00/290885159/in/set-72057594133885668/ - which was Dhardo Rimpoche's motto.
Lesingham House
Lesingham House is in Surlingham, Norfolk, England.-History:The earliest records of Lesingham House go back to a Thomas Wode who died in 1588 . The inventory of his goods at the time of his death indicates that his house had at least nine rooms and a stable in Surlingham...
in Surlingham
Surlingham
Surlingham is a village and civil parish in South Norfolk situated on the Broads. It lies approximately 6½ miles south-east of Norwich on the south bank of the River Yare between Bramerton and Rockland St Mary. In the 2001 census it contained 266 households and a population of 637...
, Norfolk
Norfolk
Norfolk is a low-lying county in the East of England. It has borders with Lincolnshire to the west, Cambridgeshire to the west and southwest and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the North Sea coast and to the north-west the county is bordered by The Wash. The county...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. The centre is part of the Triratna Buddhist Community, formerly the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, which aims to make the teachings of the Buddha http://www.fwbo.org/buddhism/buddha.html and Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
more accessible. The name Padmaloka means 'Realm of the Lotus' in Pāli
Páli
- External links :* *...
, padma meaning lotus
Nelumbo nucifera
Nelumbo nucifera, known by a number of names including Indian Lotus, Sacred Lotus, Bean of India, or simply Lotus, is a plant in the monogeneric family Nelumbonaceae...
, and loka
Loka
Loka is a Sanskrit word for "world". In Hindu mythology it takes a specific meaning related to cosmology.-Hindu tradition:In the Puranas, and already in the Atharvaveda, there are fourteen worlds, seven higher ones and seven lower ones , viz...
meaning realm, place, or abode
Abode
Abode may refer to:*House, a human-built dwelling with enclosing walls, a floor, and a roof**Right of abode*World of Two Moons aka Abode, a fictional Earth-type planet featured in the comic book Elfquest...
.
History
Padmaloka was established at Lesingham House in 1976 by SangharakshitaSangharakshita
Sangharakshita is a Buddhist teacher and writer, and founder of the Triratna Buddhist Community, which was known until 2010 as the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order, or FWBO....
, the founder of the Triratna community, and became its first permanent retreat centre.
Community
Padmaloka is run by a resident communityCommunity
The term community has two distinct meanings:*a group of interacting people, possibly living in close proximity, and often refers to a group that shares some common values, and is attributed with social cohesion within a shared geographical location, generally in social units larger than a household...
of 13 men. Some are full-time teachers and retreat leaders. Others look after Padmaloka's day-to-day running, such as gardening, cooking, administration, and maintenance. The community aims to engage in work as a spiritual practice by bringing mindfulness to the tasks, and to that of the other retreatants.
The centre runs a busy annual programme, with retreats ranging from a weekend up to two weeks in length. Some are open for all men to attend, while some are only for those seeking ordination into the Triratna Buddhist Order and others only for those who have been ordained.
One feature of the centre is the Padmaloka stupa
Stupa
A stupa is a mound-like structure containing Buddhist relics, typically the remains of Buddha, used by Buddhists as a place of worship....
. This is said to contain relic
Relic
In religion, a relic is a part of the body of a saint or a venerated person, or else another type of ancient religious object, carefully preserved for purposes of veneration or as a tangible memorial...
s of Dhardo Rimpoche
Dhardo Rimpoche
Dhardo Rinpoche was the 12th in a line of tulkus from Dhartsendo on the eastern border of Tibet who hailed from the Nyingma Gompa in Dhartsendo called Dorje Drak . The 11th tulku rose to the Abbot of Drepung and during the 1912 invasion of Tibet by China was the most senior of the retired abbots...
, one of Sangharakshita's teachers. Its inscriptions read Cherish the Doctrine. Live united. Radiate lovehttp://www.flickr.com/photos/90664717@N00/290885159/in/set-72057594133885668/ - which was Dhardo Rimpoche's motto.