Life, Death and Enlightenment, Wisdom from the Buddha's Final Days

<p data-key="52"><img alt="reclining Buddha at Parinirvana" src="https://aryaloka.org/sites/default/files/civicrm/persist/contribute/ima…; style="width: 700px; height: 420px;" /></p>

<p data-key="52">The Mahaparinibbana Sutta chronicles the final months of the Buddha&rsquo;s life, from his first realization that he is sick to his final moments at Kusinara. It even offers a glimpse of the way his death is handled by his close disciples, caught as they were in the political winds of a nascent Buddhist community.</p>

<p data-key="54">Full of episodes, encounters and teachings, sometimes magical, always deeply human, the Sutta offers a gripping story and a treasure chest of spiritual riches.</p>

<p data-key="56">Over the course of a weekend Nagabodhi and Vimalachitta will take us into the heart of the story and give us a glimpse of the way an awakened being meets his end. They&rsquo;ll even transport us to Kusinara itself and set us down among the Buddha&rsquo;s disciples so we can witness the Buddha&rsquo;s death beneath those flowering trees.</p>

<p data-key="58"><strong data-slate-leaf="true">Schedule for both days: 10am to 1pm EST on Zoom</strong></p>

<p data-key="60"><strong data-slate-leaf="true">Vimalachitta&nbsp;</strong>has been teaching meditation for 30 years in Triratna - including 13 years of full time teaching at the London Buddhist Centre. In the last 10 years she has also worked as a Mindfulness Trainer in corporate and educational settings, as well as courses, classes and retreats for the general public. She trained in Mindfulness for secular contexts with Breathworks, Breathing Space and Bangor University.</p>

<p data-key="63"><strong data-slate-leaf="true">Nagabodhi</strong>&nbsp;has been a member of the Triratna Order since 1974. Shortly after joining the Order he set up Windhorse Publications, our publishing wing, directed it&rsquo;s growth, and edited our communities in-house, magazines for the next 25 years. He has also been involved as a trustee, chair and president of several Triratna centres over the years, and was a founding trustee and one-time chair of the Karuna Trust, a project that raises funds for social and Dharma projects in India. As a president and preceptor his work has been based in the UK the Netherlands, USA, Australia and New Zealand. Nagabodhi has twice lived in communities with Sangharakshita, and travelled with him throughout an extended lecture tour in India&mdash; an experience he chronicled in his book, Jai Bhim - Dispatches from a Peaceful Revolution.</p>

<p data-key="66">&nbsp;</p>

<p data-key="67" 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data-slate-leaf="true">Aryaloka</strong>&nbsp;continues to run all events online and by donation &ndash; your generosity is making it possible for Aryaloka to stay afloat while we wait for regular programming to resume. Please give what you can, though if you can&#39;t afford to make a donation, do let us know and we&#39;ll sign you up for free. If you&#39;d prefer not to book through Eventbrite you may email info@aryaloka.org to make other arrangements. You&#39;ll receive a Zoom link a few days before the retreat.</p>