In coming on retreat at Padmaloka you are entering a semi-monastic practice environment, and an essential part of this is to partake in the spirit of going forth.
The following are requirements to coming on retreat here and if you are unable to undertake them then our retreats may not be suitable for you. To preserve the integrity of retreat conditions, as a last resort, we reserve the right to ask you to leave the retreat if you ignore them and to not take future bookings from you until we are confident that you can undertake them during a retreat.
By booking a Padmaloka retreat, you undertake to support an atmosphere of stillness and contentment for yourself and other retreatants by abstaining from all forms of sexual activity and sexual advancement while you are here.
It is a requirement of our retreats that you switch off all electronic gadgets (Mobiles, tablets, laptops, music players, cameras etc) for the duration of the retreat whether you are on or off the premises. If you can, consider leaving them at home.
We have an emergency telephone number: 01508 538112 which will be checked daily. Please give your family this number in case of emergency. If you need to be contacted immediately with regards to an emergency which cannot wait until the following morning, the community phone number is 01508 538076.
If you usually use your mobile phone as your watch or alarm clock, please buy a timepiece or alarm clock for the retreat. Also, please bring paper copies of any study materials you might need.
If you have any questions about this, or you are unable to be out of contact (e.g. due to the ill health of a loved one), or you need to use an electronic device due to a disability, please contact the Guest Master in advance of the retreat: info@padmaloka.org.uk 01508 538112.
While on retreat at Padmaloka, please do not consume recreational drugs or alcohol, or eat meat or fish, either on or off the premises. If you do need to smoke please do so off the premises and away from the property and neighbouring houses.
All of the food is vegan and we have soy and oat milk available for use with cereal, teas or coffee.
It may not be suitable for those in the earlier stages of recovery from alcohol or drug addiction to attend our retreats, please contact our Guest Master, at info@padmaloka.org.uk, or 01508 538112, before booking if this applies to you.
Please also be aware that:
· You will need to have had a clean break from drugs or alcohol for at least 6 months, without drug assistance.
· Attendance will be decided on a case-by-case basis and we may need to consult with Order Members who know you to decide if is appropriate for you to come on the retreat.
We can provide simple alternative meals at lunch and dinner for those with a restricted medical diet. We do not offer any alternative restricted diet meals at breakfast. If you bring food with you, you may store it in the dining area, but please do not bring meat or fish of any kind.
If you like to go on walks around Padmaloka then bring a set of waterproofs to keep dry from the rain, particularly in the winter months.
We offer the following payment rates for those attending retreats at Padmaloka:
Please use your discretion when selecting a suitable retreat rate for your financial circumstances. These rates are kept as low as possible to allow more men to come on retreat regularly, so please pay as much as you can afford and if you can afford to give even more than the retreat rate you can make a donation here.
If you cannot afford any of the rates listed, you may be able to use the Padmaloka bursary fund - it exists to support those in financial difficulty to come on retreat.
You can contact the guestmaster at info@padmaloka.org.uk, or 01508538112, to enquire about it.
Retreats will need to be paid for in full which includes a non-refundable and non-transferable deposit - £40 for weekends and £70 for longer retreats.
If you change your mind about a retreat within 7 days, we will give you a full refund for the retreat, after that we will refund you the balance of the retreat payment.
We will confirm your booking upon receipt of payment. Please check the details of confirmation immediately - we cannot accept any liability for incorrect booking details unless you notify us in writing within 7 days. No booking is final until payment is received in full. We reserve the right not to accept a booking in which case any payment will be refunded.
Please let us know as soon as possible if you need to cancel your booking, as others may be waiting for a place on that retreat.
In the event of a cancellation, deposits are non-refundable and non-transferable.
Please make sure that you can attend the full duration of a retreat that you book, it can be disorientating to leave a retreat prematurely as they are planned to include periods of assimilation and completion, it can also have a disruptive effect on others attending the retreat.
We do not store card details and we will only share your details with other Triratna institutions to the extent necessary to carry out the activities of Padmaloka Retreat Centre and the Ordination Team.
Once you have booked a retreat with us, we will send you occasional emails. If you want to opt out of these, on receiving an email click the unsubscribe box at the bottom, or simply email us at the address below and we will be happy to ensure that you don't receive any future ones. We will also send you our yearly programme and, in the case of those who have made financial donations to Padmaloka, we will send you information on our fundraising projects. If you do not want to receive these simply email us at the address below. If your contact details change at any time, please let us know. For further information please read our Padmaloka privacy policy
Padmaloka Retreat Centre may on occasion receive and hold further personal/sensitive information about individuals. Such information is held securely and never shared (Except in certain exceptions listed in the privacy policy). This includes information stored to ensure the safety and well-being of those attending Padmaloka and the wider community, including details of health issues or safeguarding information.
For further details, please contact us at info@padmaloka.org.uk
You must be 18 or over to attend our retreats.
If you haven't been on a meditation retreat with us before, please call the Guest Master on 01508 538 112 before booking, to check that the retreat is suitable for you and will enable you to get the most from your stay.
For your welfare and safety please let us know if you have any special needs, disabilities or serious health problems such as diabetes or epilepsy.
Retreats at Padmaloka can be demanding, emotionally and psychologically, they require a degree of resilience to be able to attend and partake in effectively.
If you suffer from a mental health condition, we ask that you contact us before booking a retreat by emailing the Guest Master at info@padmaloka.org.uk, or 01508 538112.
We will do what we can to facilitate your coming to Padmaloka, though please be aware that attendance will be decided on an individual basis and we may need to consult with Order Members who know you to decide if it is in your best interests to come on the retreat.
We take mental health seriously here at Padmaloka, you are welcome to contact our Mental Health First Aider, Satyakirti, to find out more at manager@padmaloka.org.uk, 01508 538112
We aim to create a safe and healthy retreat environment and minimize the chance of any virus transmission whilst on retreat. Hence, we ask you the following:
Retreats at Padmaloka are for men aged 18 or over. However, children do visit occasionally, for example in school groups or as friends, family or neighbours. We take our safeguarding responsibilities seriously, both regarding any visits from those under 18, as well as the adults who attend our retreats.
Alongside our practice of the Buddhist ethical precepts, central of which are the avoidance of harm and to benefit others, we are committed to the practices and protocols of safeguarding and have the following policies in place:
Read the Padmaloka Child Protection Policy
Read the Padmaloka Safeguarding Adults Policy
If you have any questions or concerns regarding safeguarding, you are welcome to contact our Safeguarding Officer, Satyakirti: 01508 538112 safeguarding.padmaloka@protonmail.com
