A home retreat led by Śuddhāyu and Candradāsa
Hosted By: Śuddhāyu and Candradāsa
Friday, August 7th to Tuesday, August 11th, 2026
Online via Zoom - see session times below
Event Description:
Buddhism began in the wild, and most stories about the Buddha are set outside. His great Awakening happened beneath a tree and, for the rest of his life, he walked in nature from place to place, alive with what he’d discovered, sharing it with others. Many of his discourses were given in forest groves, gardens, and on hillsides.
On this retreat, we will explore some of the mythic imagery and nature themes in the Buddha's story, looking at how these unfold both in his teaching and within the Buddhist tradition, and are deeply relevant to our lives today.
Through meditation, imaginative exploration, ritual, chanting, discussion, and reflection (with time each day away from our devices!), we’ll hear how images and teachings rooted in nature can be deeply connecting, revealing a path we can travel to find our own ground.
Join us—live from places of natural beauty in New Hampshire, USA—to discover how a sense of interconnectedness with nature can enrich your inner world.
On this retreat, we will explore five mythic symbols/stories:
The Bodhi Tree — The Buddha’s quest for Enlightenment is fulfilled beneath what is just a tree, and also the tree. Here, the world above and the world below come together at the mythical center of the universe!
The Milk Maiden — When Siddhartha is at his weakest and most in need of support to survive his austerities, someone appears and offers him (literally!) the milk of human kindness…
The Earth Goddess — She rises from the ground to bear witness to the Buddha’s merit and counter Mara’s challenge. Here we see how we are just part of a vast web of interconnectedness...
The Dragon Prince — After Nirvana is attained, a great serpent shelters the Buddha from an unseasonable storm. The Buddha absorbs his own transformation and the wisdom-treasures of the deep are revealed.
Brahma paying homage — A great god descends from the heavens to request that the Buddha teach to help :those with but little dust on their eyes”...
Attend any or all conversations in Zoom.
This event will be recorded and may be published online for others to access. Only the leader's video will be used except where users consent to appear spotlighted in a public conversation. Private conversations in breakout rooms will not be recorded.
Session Times:
Friday 7th August until Tuesday 11th August
First daily session (1 hr): USA & Canada PST 4:00 am | México CST 5:00 am | USA & Canada EST 7:00 am | IE & UK BST 12:00 noon | Europe CEST 1:00 pm | India IST 4:30 pm | Australia AEST 9:00 pm | New Zealand NZST 11:00 pm
Second daily session (2 hrs): USA & Canada PST 7:30 am | México CST 8:30 am | USA & Canada EST 10:30 am | IE & UK BST 3:30 pm | Europe CEST 4:30 pm | India IST 8:00 pm | Australia AEST 12:30 am (next day) | New Zealand NZST 2:30 am (next day)
Third daily session (1.5 hrs): USA & Canada PST 11:30 am | México CST 12:30 pm | USA & Canada EST 2:30 pm | IE & UK BST 7:30 pm | Europe CEST 8:30 pm | India IST 12:00 midn (next day) | Australia AEST 4:30 am (next day) | New Zealand NZST 6:30 am (next day)
Fourth daily session (1 hr): USA & Canada PST 4:00 pm | México CST 5:00 pm | USA & Canada EST 7:00 pm | IE & UK BST 12:00 midnight (next day) | Europe CEST 1:00 am (next day) | India IST 4:30 am (next day) | Australia AEST 9:00 am (next day) | New Zealand NZST 11:00 am (next day)
Event Registration:
Register at the link below.
Suggested Donation:
Suggested donation for the whole retreat:
$230 / £175 / $330 AUD / €200
Or drop in for $50 / £40 / $75 AUD / €45 per day.
Get one ticket and come to any session you wish!
Like all Buddhist Centre events, this retreat is offered by donation rather than charging a compulsory ticket price. We want to do this because we never want money to be an obstacle to taking part in a supportive community, and we know many people are struggling financially. The amount we suggest reflects the huge amount of work and love that goes into putting on events we hope will benefit everyone attending. If you can, please donate today. Thank you!
About the Leaders:
Śuddhāyu has been teaching meditation and Buddhism and leading retreats since 1998. He has a deep love of the processes of meditation practice, as well as poetry, myth and creative ritual. He currently works full-time for Dharma initiatives as Chair at both Aryaloka Buddhist Center and the Portsmouth Buddhist Center. Suddhayu is also a member of Triratna’s College of Public Preceptors.
Candradāsa is the founder of Free Buddhist Audio and The Buddhist Centre Online. He is also a co-founder and former Chair of the Portsmouth Buddhist Center, and the author of Buddhism for Teens: 50 Mindfulness Activities, Meditations, and Stories to Cultivate Calm and Awareness (Rockridge Press, 2022).
Śuddhāyu and Candradāsa have been close friends in poetry, the Dharma, music and life for 30 years.