Attending Buddhist retreats

[Scaryfeet]

Hi all

I follow Theravada Buddhism, well I used to, lately I've let it slip and am not as happy as a consequence. I know what I need to do to rectify this, but I wanted to ask peoples' experience of Buddhist retreats. I'd love to attend a weekend or perhaps even a week long one, but I've never even been to a monastery (aside from coffee outside a Kadampa monastery and I was warned to stay away from that school).

The few Theravada monasteries in the UK seem to have huge waiting lists, and not being able to drive is an issue. Would I still benefit from attending a monastery of a different school?

Many thanks, and look forward to reading your different experiences.

I've been on a few Buddhist retreats and would recommend them. Friendly, relaxing and not as intense as I expected. It's a fair few years ago, before DD etc. when I had a more interesting life .

In the UK I've been to Manjushri a couple of times, which is Kadampa. It's in Barrow on Furness and easy to get to by train.

Why were you warned away from the Kadampa school?

Thanks for your reply. Ignore my change of username, I'm the same person! I'm not entirely sure, I was told that it was like a cult. I didn't ask any questions and did some digging around and found lots of people saying they were pressured into donating money and similar things. I'd love for them to be wrong, because my nearest monastery is Kadampa, a 7 mile bike ride away which would be ideal.

Just to say I stopped my involvement with Kadampa when they started asking for money to pay off some loans. Also I found it offputting that they believe in lots of different buddhas which, when you get deeper into it, they seem to treat more like Gods to be worshipped - which is not really what I wanted my experience of Buddhism to be about.

Members of the New Kadampa Tradition (IKBU) have demonstrated against His Holiness The Dalai Lama for the last 20 years in a dispute over a 'protector diety' called dorje shugden. This diety is regarded by the NKT as a Buddha. The Dalai Lama is clear that this is not true, that it is dangerous to get involved with shugden. This is a minority practice that the NKT are trying to promote. Google 'dorge shugden controversy/protest' if in doubt.

I've been through the New Kadampa Tradition and come out of the other end.

What I took away from many years' involvement is this:

1. The Buddhist philosophy is mind-blowing and a real eye opener. Definitely it has transformed how I experience life in a positive way.

2. But I never could stomach the religious calling aspect of it so ultimately there was a parting of the ways.

3. And I've discovered I'm not a fan of any organised religion. Do not support any groups and do not agree with faith schools.