Day of the Dead and Overnight Bardo Immersion
- Fri Nov 1st 2024
- Sat Nov 2nd 2024
- 7:00 pm
- 7:00 am
- Booking required
- £30/£15/donation
Day of the Dead Celebration (7-11pm)
Perhaps the most challenging aspect of human consciousness is awareness and acceptance of death: our own, of those close to us and those further away. Thousands of deaths are occurring in the collective in different parts of the globe in this very moment that you are reading this. And yet it is precisely this sense of preservation that separates us from the fullness of life experience, the freedom, liberation and fullness of awakening we all yearn for and which can drive spiritual aspiration.
To embrace this reality, and to mark the traditional Mexican Day of the Dead, you are invited to gather with other like-hearted seekers in honour and celebrate your ancestors, your deceased loved ones and yourself, in acknowledgment of the beauty and wonder of this extraordinary life experience that we share.
The evening (7pm-11pm) will focus on celebrating those who have gone before us. You are invited to bring photographs and/or objects that used to belong to them to adorn our collective shrine. Most importantly, please bring beautiful memories and personal stories connected to their lives, be they tender, joyful or challenging, to add to a collective ritual and help create sacred space for personal reflection.
Overnight Bardo Immersion (11pm-7am)
If you feel called to delve more deeply into aspects of your own passing, please join us for an overnight immersion experience (11pm-7am). This is a unique opportunity to collectively be with some key aspects of the transition into other realms, of the passage between death and possible rebirth, known by the original meaning of the term bardo.
We will end the exploration with a simple rebirth ritual in the morning, so we can smoothly and beautifully transition from exploring death realms to integrating the jewels we found in the depths of our experience into our everyday lives.
The event is run as a fundraiser in aid of the West London Buddhist Centre with a suggested minimum donation, but with the request that you give what you can to help the Centre survive through a difficult time and continue to be a spiritual home for us and many other seekers in the future.
Led by Alobhin and team.
Those who register for either or both parts will be contacted before and after the event by a member of the team, both as a preliminary step and in order to provide an opportunity for additional support and/or feedback.
Alobhin
The theme of preparing for death and honoring our ancestors and elders has become a prominent feature of exploration for Alobhin. This year, he led the Buddhafield end-of-season retreat on the Bardo with a particular emphasis on the Bardo Thodol; Liberation through hearing during the intermediate state.
He is currently living an itinerant life, supporting Buddhafield fpr much of the summer months including the facilitation of the Aniruddha Project, a four-month Buddhist course exploring dharma practice in a number of outdoor contexts.
Alobhin first came across Triratna Buddhism at a Buddhafield retreat in 1996 and was ordained in 2006.
Booking
The easiest way to book is online - just click the button below.
Please make sure you have read all the details of the event, have made sure you are eligible to attend (eg for 'going deeper' events) and are willing to make any commitments that are required.
Bookings are fully refundable up to 7 days in advance. After that we cannot usually offer refunds.
You can also book in person at the Centre, or by sending a cheque payable to West London Buddhist Centre along with your name, email and phone number and the name and date of the event to:
The West London Buddhist Centre,
45a Porchester Rd,
London W2 5DP
Please include your name, email and phone number with your booking.
