The Greater Mandala of Aesthetic Appreciation 2027

The Greater Mandala of Aesthetic Appreciation is a ten-day silent meditation retreat for women in the Triratna Buddhist Order, led by Moksanandi and Vijayamala at Taraloka Retreat Centre in Bettisfield, Wales. It takes Sangharakshita's teaching on the "greater mandala of uselessness" as its theme and invites a long, quiet look at what it means to live without needing to justify yourself by being useful.

The teaching comes from Sangharakshita's commentary on the Ratnagunasamcayagatha, The Collection of Verses on Precious Qualities, where he speaks of the greater mandala of aesthetic appreciation or, more provocatively, "complete uselessness". It is offered as an antidote to the driven, pressured and anxious habits of modern life, and as a different way into the Bodhisattva Ideal. It also encourages living with appreciative awareness rather than appropriative awareness.

What to Expect

The retreat is held mainly in silence, within a residential community. The days are shaped by teaching, guided meditations and evening devotional practice, so the study and the sitting inform one another. Meditation reviews are available for anyone who wants to look closely at their practice with another person.

The teaching asks for a particular kind of attention. Sangharakshita's own words give the tone: "don't be ashamed of sitting around and doing nothing. Glory in it." The aim is not to achieve anything, but to let spontaneity and a sense of inner satisfaction take the place of effort and pressure.

About the Leaders

Moksanandi and Vijayamala lead the retreat. Both are leading it for fellow Order members, in a setting where familiarity with the Triratna tradition can be assumed.

The Setting

Taraloka is a retreat centre in Bettisfield, Wales, run on generosity. Rooms are shared by two to four people, centrally heated, not en-suite, and close to toilets and showers. Ground floor rooms can be requested. Mattress and camping options are offered as alternative accommodation types when booking. Single rooms cannot be booked online and are currently waitlisted, so enquiries go by email or phone to the centre.

Meals are vegan. Wheat free, gluten free, nut free and no chilli options are available.

Taraloka asks only a booking fee to attend. At the end of the retreat there is a chance to give a donation, with suggested amounts for waged and unwaged guests. These are suggestions only, and giving more, less or nothing is genuinely fine. What people give helps someone else who could not otherwise afford to come.

Before You Go

This retreat is open to women ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order. It assumes an established meditation practice and familiarity with the Triratna tradition. It is taught in English.

Included are the teaching and guided meditations, evening devotional practice, meditation reviews, shared accommodation and vegan meals. Travel to and from the centre is not included, and neither is the end-of-retreat donation.