Mandala of the Five Buddhas: Transformation through Wisdom and Compassion

Mandala of the Five Buddhas: Transformation through Wisdom and Compassion, April 25-29

On this four day retreat we will explore the symbolism of the five archetypal Buddhas and their respective Wisdoms through meditations, readings, discussions, pujas, and art creation.

The symbolism of each Buddha is vast, comprehensive and multi-faceted, including forms, gestures, colors, mantras, spatial directions, time of day, elements, human qualities that we possess and the tendencies that hold us back.

The mandala as a whole represents the integration of wisdom and compassion and is a path that can transform mind and body.

The teachings of the Mandala of the Five Buddhas are central in Lama Govinda’s text, The Foundations of Tibetan Mysticism. Sangharakshita also highlighted this teaching in several of his books including the Creative Symbols of Tantric Buddhism.  

Please join us on this magical journey of self-discovery and insight.
 

Led by Karunadevi (see below), Viriyalila and Dayapradipa

Karunadevi is our guest teacher from San Francisco. Born and raised in Iowa as a Methodist and migrating to California in 1967, Karunadevi realized she was a Buddhist in 1980 when friends introduced her to the Buddhist teachings of Lama Govinda.   

In 1988 she met Manjuvajra, chair of Aryaloka Retreat Center in New Hampshire, who was giving a talk and workshop at Stanford University.  On April 8 of that year,  she, Alan Sponberg (now Saramati), and his wife Jean (now Varasuri) hosted the first weekly meditation and study group in Menlo Park, south of SF.  This was the origin of what would become the San Francisco Buddhist Center (SFBC). Since 1991 it has resided officially in San Francisco as the SFBC.  She also started working to found the Daly City Youth Health Center in 1988 and became its director for 10 years when it opened in 1990.  

In 1993 Urygen Sangharakshita ordained her into the Triratna Buddhist Order.  She then became mitra convenor for the SFBC and also began working with ordination training for women in the US and Canada.

In 2004 she became a private preceptor.  In 2011 she became a Public Preceptor and has conducted public ordinations in Spain, the US and Mexico. In November 2023 she officially retired from this role. 

Currently she lives with her husband Acarasiddhi in Brisbane, a small town just south of SF.  She has two grown children and 2 grandchildren.  Recently she turned over coordination of the ordination training process to other experienced Dharmacharinis and continues to serve as mentor, preceptor, and kalyana mitra for those who want to deepen their going for refuge.


This retreat is residential and meals/housing are included in the price. Please see the note below about donations for teachers.  You can access helpful information about attending retreats at Aryaloka here.

A Culture of Generosity and Support
In the tradition of passing on the Dharma freely, our Dharma retreat and workshop facilitators offer their work without charge and are not paid. We recognize the value in what they do and want to thank them for their time, energy and wisdom. A financial gift can help support our facilitators to afford them the opportunity to lead. Please consider making a donation towards their support. There is often a cash collection and a thank you card that is passed on the retreat, though one can also make a donation directly to facilitators with a check, and some use money transfer services such as PayPal or Venmo. Thank you for your generosity.
 

How are we coming together safely?

• Please take a Covid-19 rapid test on the day of the event (Aryaloka does not provide this test). A negative rapid test is required for entry; please take a photo of your test results and present at the door. 
• If you know you have been exposed to Covid-19 or if you have had Covid-19 within a five day period of the event’s start-time, we ask that you not attend in-person.
• Masks are optional unless otherwise stated. Please wear a mask if you have recovered from Covid-19 and are still between days 6 and 10 from your first positive test.
• If you have cold or flu symptoms, we ask that you do not attend in-person. 
• We have installed new air purifiers with virus-destroying technology!

Zoom options are available for some events. Transfer of fees or refunds are also available for illness or illness-preventative related absence. 

Please email info@aryaloka.org if you have any questions about our safety protocols. 
 

At Aryaloka, we strive to make our programs available to everyone regardless of their financial circumstances. Our fee structure allows you to pay according to your means. 

The Event Rate is our actual fee for the event. It is for people paying their rent or mortgage, and who can afford occasional or regular leisure expenses such as dining out. Any payment above the advertised fee is a tax-deductible donation. 

The Mid-Level Reduced Rate is for those who are paying their mortgage or rent, though experience a consistent tightness in budget that makes extras like leisure activities or unexpected expenses difficult or impossible. 

The Base-Level Reduced Rate is for those without an income or with an income low enough that making ends meet is a challenge. 

Those whose circumstances are not included above can email the office to make other arrangements. info@aryaloka.org