WHAT WE DO
Due to ongoing construction work at the Amaravati monastery, we plan to hold a one-day family retreat in the second half of 2022 at Amaravati. Please refer to the bookings page for details.
OUR APPROACH
We provide an opportunity for families to gather and explore ways of living and the Buddha’s teaching through formal practice, creativity, and cultivating an atmosphere of friendship. The retreats are run in unison with parents who attend the events and members of the Amaravati sangha.
The Five Buddhist Precepts are used as a guiding principle and agreement on how we’re going to live and be together, fostering a sense of safety and community. We welcome people of all faiths at our family weekends and camp, and we request everyone to follow the precepts.
The precepts are:
Not harming any living being, which also means being kind to each other and looking after one another.
Not stealing but being contented and sharing things.
No sexual misconduct but being honest in a relationship.
Not lying but speaking with honesty and kindness.
Not taking drugs or alcohol but keeping your mind alert.
Click here to find out more about the Five Buddhist Precepts.
Evening Puja, Family Camp 2017
““I think at the heart of the Family Camp has been the experience of community, both for parents and children.
One of our precious Family Camp songs is We Are All One Family, and although this is ostensibly about the human race, it feels very much also about the extended family of families who come to spend time together at a Buddhist monastery.”
Dan – family camper.”
Puja giggles, Family Camp 2017
Pindapat, Family Camp 2017
What is a Typical Family Camp at Amaravati like?
A mixture of quiet and noise, good company, friendship, time to reflect, activities to do and time to explore. On the family retreats, all the generations are represented from the very young to the not so young and all shades in between. The days are not silent, though there is space set aside for quiet meditation and reflection. We share the space, the tasks such as housekeeping, washing up and learn also simply by seeing what comes up in this shared environment and how we react to that. The quiet open beauty of the monastery immediately creates a sense of spaciousness; for the children who have space to play and explore and for the parents who have the space to explore this living practice.