Dilgo Khyentse says about the Four Remainings: ‘They are four ways of leaving things in their natural simplicity.’

This two weeks retreat offers a precious opportunity to receive a full introduction to the Padmasambhava sadhana and engage with the myth that he embodies and the profound teachings that he gave. Born from the heart syllable HRIH from the Buddha Amitabha on the Dhanakosha Lake, Padmasambhava embodies the archetype of the realized Tantric Guru who transforms obstacles into opportunities and has fully awakened to wisdom and compassion. We will be bringing his sadhana to imaginative life, and reciting mantras, invocations and devotional pujas within the supportive context of silence and ritual. We will also be contemplating the profound teachings of his tradition:

Remain with your body like a mountain
Remain with your heart open like a child gazing in wonder out across an ocean
Remain with your mind like a clear blue sky
Remain with your senses like a mirror

The purpose of these teachings is to introduce the natural state of awareness and help us remain,or abide, within its spaciousness. These four instructions relate to the four primary aspects of experience: the body, the emotions, the mind and the five senses. They provide four imaginative symbols that are simple, direct and profound. The approach emphasises allowing the meditative process to unfold in a completely natural and relaxed way without contrivance. Instructions on the recognition of the essential openness, clarity and sensitivity of pure presence will be given.

These two approaches, devotional sadhana and the simplicity of formless meditation, naturally support and complement each other. Together they form the basis of a profound approach to integration, tranquility and illuminating insight.