The Ashtavakra Gita: The Essence of Non-Duality – Mandali Retreat Center, Quarna Sopra

The Ashtavakra Gita: The Essence of Non-Duality is a non-duality retreat led by Rupert Spira at Mandali Retreat Center in Quarna Sopra, in the Verbano-Cusio-Ossola province of Italy. It is a themed retreat, a format built around one teaching and given time to go deeply into it, and this one takes the Ashtavakra Gita as its subject. It suits people drawn to Advaita and the direct path of non-duality, and those who want to spend several days in a teaching-centred setting rather than a general wellness stay.

What to Expect

Mandali describes its themed retreats as a deep dive into a specific theme or teaching, led by expert teachers. Here the teaching is the Ashtavakra Gita, a classic text of non-duality, and the guide is Rupert Spira. The retreat belongs to Mandali's themed programme, which ranges across topics from the Path of Love to non-duality to Buddhism, and is distinct from the centre's in-house Mandali Experience retreats.

About Rupert Spira

Rupert Spira is a teacher of non-duality who returns to Mandali for several retreats. Alongside this one, the centre hosts his retreats Transparent Body, Luminous World: The Tantric Path of Non-Duality; I Am: The Divine Name; and The White Radiance of Eternity: Non-Duality through Poetry. Each takes a different doorway into the same understanding, so this retreat can be a first meeting with his work at Mandali or a continuation of it.

The Setting

Mandali Retreat Center sits in Quarna Sopra, in the hills of northern Italy. The centre runs retreats throughout the year and describes its spaces as curated for deep insight, so that what surfaces during a stay can carry into everyday life. Guests can look at the centre's rooms and its travel advice before planning how to arrive.