May our communication with one another be Sangha
Bringing the Dharma to life
May our communication with one another be Sangha
Bringing the Dharma to life
17th - 21st September 2026
'Magnificent, Master Gotama! Magnificent, Master Gotama! Master Gotama has made the Dhamma clear in many ways, as though he were turning upright what had been overthrown, revealing what was hidden, showing the way to one who was lost, or holding up a lamp in the darkness for those with eyesight to see forms.'
- Vatthupama Sutta
How does our interaction with Dharma transform us? How do we make decisions? How do we go for refuge as integrated beings? How do we go beyond separate self in our communication? How do we be Sangha for ourselves and each other? How do we bring the whole of ourselves to the path?
This retreat is about helping each other find our passion and our path so we can lead the most effective Dharma life possible. Saraha, Dhammaloka and Tarayogini will introduce a method of reflective dialogue, an overlapping, an interweaving, of meditation and communication. This can be practised in pairs, in small groups or alone. There will be instruction, plenty of time to practice and plenary sessions.
This retreat is for anyone who wants to deepen their Dharma practise. Bring an alive question, bring your love of the Dharma or just bring yourself.
“Better than a thousand meaningless words is one word on hearing which the heart becomes calm”
-Dhammapada
Saraha
I love the Dharma when I see it meet and transform our messy depths. The Sangha refuge invites us into connection, harmony in the freedom of Enlightenment. Open to the sky and in touch with the earth, who will you become? How will we live? Homeless by choice, if I’m not looking after my ancient mum I’ll be traveling between various communities or on retreat.
Tarayogini
Only by gifting myself time and space to surrender to the Dharma have I been able to connect with myself and others in a curious, playful, open, caring, vulnerable way. Deepening my reflection practice has provided a grounding which at times enables me more and more to see through our differences to experience and witness the sameness of our human condition.
Dhammaloka
I'm an old man with a love for philosophy (Gendlin, Ueda, Heidegger …) and dialogical practice. What I particularly cherish as Sangha are those moments when we meet in our fragile and curious uniqueness and at the same time sense into the groundlessness of our shared Buddhanature. Risky, rare and beautiful.
Timings
Please arrive between 3pm and 5pm on the first day. Dinner is served at 6pm. The retreat will finish by midday on the last day.
Travel
The nearest railway stations are Bridgwater and Taunton. We are about 1h 15min from Bristol by car.
The 15 bus leaves Bridgwater at 16:50 during college term dates and stops at the Plough Inn in Holford. We are a 15min walk from there.
Please get in touch for further advice with public transport, or for help arranging lifts / carpools.
Make sure to put "Coach House 2, Alfoxton Park" into Google Maps. Other variations will take you to Alfoxton House nearby which is not us. Otherwise use grid reference 51.165187, -3.220080.
The What3Words for our car park are ///soup.candy.huddling
Accommodation
This is a camping retreat - bring a tent or live-in vehicle. Toilets, showers and a sauna are available. Warm and waterproof clothing are advisable, along with gloves and boots or wellies. You may also wish to bring a torch and hot water bottle.
We have limited accommodation indoors for those with specific needs. Please let us know when you book if this is the case for you.
Food
Delicious vegan meals will be provided throughout the retreat.
We are committed to Alfoxton being a fully accessible venue and are working hard to achieve this. However, while the renovation work continues, visitors with specific mobility or accommodation needs may experience barriers to accessing all areas of the building and land.
If you have any questions or concerns, just get in touch, and please inform us of any significant dietary or accessibility requirements before submitting your booking request.
Alfoxton Park is a charity and works on the principle of Dana or a 'gift economy'. Read more about Dana here.
A £108 deposit will secure your place on this event. You will be invited to make a donation to Alfoxton when you attend.
If you are an Triratna Order member and need financial support to pay a retreat deposit, you can apply for a grant from the Abhayaratna Trust.
All of our events are alcohol and drug free.
During the meditation retreats we ask you to turn off your mobile phones and other devices and not contact people outside of the retreat.
For all other events and workshops we ask you to be mindful of the use of devices and stay present, in order to make the most of your time here.
Check our FAQ page or send us an e-mail at events@alfoxtonpark.org.uk