The Radiant Quality of Loving Kindness

You are warmly 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.

Venerable Canda first encountered the Dhamma in India in 1996 and went on to meditate and serve on numerous Vipassana retreats, before ordaining in Myanmar in 2006. In 2012, she moved to Australia where she received full bhikkhunī ordination under the guidance of her teacher Ajahn Brahm.

For the past ten years, Ven. Canda has been leading a UK charity dedicated to establishing a monastery where, for the first time in the nation’s history, women can train as fully ordained members of the Saṅgha. In March 2024, this cherished vision began to take shape with the acquisition of a suitable property in the secluded hamlet of Boars Hill near Oxford. Whilst the monastery, Anukampa Grove, serves primarily as a residence for bhikkhunīs, it also welcomes people of every gender identity, race, sexual orientation, and background to visit or stay as guests, providing an opportunity to deepen practice within an inclusive, loving community.

Alongside this work, Ven. Canda teaches widely and spends several months each year on silent retreat. Her teachings draw deeply from the Early Buddhist texts and emphasise loving-kindness and letting go as essential supports for developing samādhi (stillness) and the liberating wisdom that follows.

Sample talk:

Mindfulness of Death Leads to Bliss!

The event will take place in-person at Whirlow Spirituality Centre, Whirlow Grange Close, S11 9SY. The venue has beautiful grounds and is wheelchair accessible.

Please be aware that this venue 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 .

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).

Your ticket pays for the costs of the retreat but does not cover a payment for the teachings. You will be invited to offer a donation (dana) to support the livelihood of the teacher. Please see more detail about this below.

Booking

We request that people book places for themselves. If you are booking for yourself and somebody else you must make a separate booking for each person, with an email address for each.

We expect a high level of interest in this retreat, so please book in good time and let us know if you need to cancel. Initial booking is for both days. We may open up to a single day booking option nearer the time, if we have space.

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.

Cancellation and Refunds refunds will be offered for cancellation up to the day before the event. Tickets can be cancelled automatically through Eventbrite (The eventbrite fee will not refunded). If you find that you are no longer able to attend, please cancel as soon as possible, to free up a place for someone else. Thank you.

Link to Sheffield Insight Meditation website

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