We are delighted to confirm there will be 2-day New Year retreat led by Venerable Canda
Friday 2nd January 10 – 4.30 and Saturday 3rd January 10 – 4.30
At Whirlow Spirituality Centre, Whirlow Grange Close, S11 9SY
Online tickets are available. In- person tickets are now fully booked but there is a waiting list**Please choose the supported ticket option if you wish to be placed on the waiting list. This is a reduced rate but is open to everyone.
You are invited to join a two-day, non-residential silent meditation retreat devoted to the cultivation of loving-kindness (mettā) ~ the boundless friendliness taught by the Buddha as one of the four divine abidings. Through Dhamma reflection, guided meditation and discussion, we will learn how to cultivate goodwill toward all beings including ourselves and discover how this simple yet profound practice can steady the mind, soften the heart and nurture joy and genuine connection.
Loving-kindness is not a secondary or sentimental practice, but a direct expression of wisdom ~ a way of seeing clearly that all beings seek happiness and freedom from pain. As the heart becomes more open and inclusive, joy arises ~ not as fleeting emotion, but as the quiet happiness of understanding. In this way, mettā becomes both the foundation and the fruit of practice: a radiant mind grounded in wisdom and joy, able to meet the world with compassion, courage and peace.
On this retreat we will have periods of stillness and walking meditation as well as meditation instructions and reflections. There will also be opportunities for questions and discussion with the teacher.
This retreat is suitable for beginners and those wishing to refresh their practice.
Please be aware that the Whirlow Spirituality Centre is not in the city centre. In the event of ice or snow the venue may become inaccessible. If this is the case, the retreat will be offered online .
Biography
Ven Canda began meditating in 1996 with SN Goenka and practiced intensively in India for many years. In 2006 she was ordained in Burma as a Buddhist nun and in 2012 went to Australia to train further with Ajahn Brahm and receive full (bhikkhuni) ordination.
Ven Canda’s teachings emphasise kindness and letting go as a way to deepen samadhi (stillness) and empower the path to Enlightenment. Her approach is warm, engaging and richly informed by the pragmatism and compassion of the early Buddhist texts.
In 2016 Ven Canda founded Anukampa Bhikkhuni Project with Ajahn Brahm – a UK charity aimed at establishing Britain’s first Forest Monastery where women can take full bhikkhuni ordination. In 2023 the charity procured a beautiful property in a secluded hamlet near Oxford, now known as ‘Anukampa Grove’, where people of all ethnicities, backgrounds and genders come to practice.
You can read more about this pioneering project here: www.anukampaproject.org
Tickets
Attendance is in person and online.
There are several different ticket prices – the standard rate is for those who can contribute the full ticket cost, the supported ticket offers a reduced rate for those who can contribute something towards the cost of the event, and the sponsor rate is for those able to make an additional contribution. In addition, there are a number of freely given tickets available for those unable to make a financial contribution at this time.
The suggested donation for each ticket will go towards the running of Sheffield Insight Meditation (Eventbrite fee of £0.49+ 6.5% will be taken from within the total donation).
Please read the next paragraph to learn more about Dana.
To book your place on the retreat, please click the button below.
Dana
Dana can be translated as cultivating generosity or giving. The teachers who lead our retreats receive their travel costs and ‘out-of-pocket’ expenses but do not receive any payment for their teaching. However they are happy to receive voluntary contributions from participants in the events they lead. These offerings are traditionally called dana. Most of our teachers depend on dana for most or all of their livelihood.
Our teachers are following an ancient tradition, offering teachings freely just as they received them freely from a previous generation of teachers. In this way the dharma (the teachings of the Buddhist tradition) is not made an object of commerce, and the relationship between teacher and student is based upon trust, freedom, and mutual generosity.
If you attend one of our events and appreciate what the teacher has offered, we warmly invite you to make whatever contribution you feel appropriate. If you do so, you will be making a vital contribution to their livelihood and helping them to continue teaching on this generous basis, particularly in situations where people cannot afford to pay anything.
As a fully ordained Buddhist nun, Venerable Canda does not handle money directly. Donations can be offered during and after the retreat to her charity, Anukampa Bhikkhuni Project (www.anukampaproject.org/donate), which supports Venerable Canda’s requisite needs and helps cover the running costs of Anukampa Grove.