Buddha Nature: A Buddhist Nature-Connection Retreat in the Scottish Borders

The Buddha was born under a tree, and enlightened under a tree. He taught under trees in the forest, and died under two trees. And yet, the opportunity to connect with Buddha, Dharma and Sangha in wild spaces, beneath the soothing energy of trees, can sometimes feel rare.

Tariki Trust is a Buddhist charity based in Scotland. This three-night wild camping retreat is held in our small, deciduous woodlands in the Scottish Borders. Together we will meditate and share our favourite Buddhist teachings with each other, be they traditional sutras or passages from our favourite dharma books. We will cook together, collect firewood together. We will walk silently and mindfully in open green spaces, looking over the rolling hills of the Scottish Borders. We will watch the river flow, contemplating our impermanence; we will meditate together, beneath the trees, just as the Buddha once did.

This retreat is open to everyone. It is a place for people who come from all Buddhist traditions and none, including those from other religions and those with an open outlook on spirituality. All you need is an appreciation for Nature and the Buddha’s wisdom.(Although please note that this is not a training weekend and does not count as hours for Ten Directions students.)

This retreat is offered in the dana economy, which means that you can donate as little or as much as is possible for you. There is a suggested donation of £295 which goes towards food, woodland upkeeping costs and paying our staff, but it is fine to pay less (any amount) if money is a barrier. We also ask those with higher incomes to consider paying more in order to support those on lower incomes. However, no questions are asked about your donation amount or your personal circumstances.

Please note that there are only 11 spaces available on this retreat, so booking early is advised.

Times, location, food and practical information

Location: Abbey Wood, Earlston, Scottish Borders. (Exact location given after booking). Earlston is in the heart of the Scottish Borders: a rural, sparsely populated area that is rich with gorgeous rivers, rolling green hills and enchanting folklore.

Important Accessibility Information. During the retreat we may be walking for some miles in muddy, uphill terrain. An average level of fitness is required. Unfortunately, Abbey Wood and the surrounding area is not accessible for wheelchair users or those with other physical disabilities where walking uphill is not possible, as the woods is up a steep stony track and the camping area is wild. However, if you have another condition or illness and you are not sure if it will affect your ability to engage with the retreat, please email Stephen to discuss this and we will do everything we can to accommodate (within the obvious limitations of the spaces we are using). Email stephen@tarikitrust.org

Times: Arrival is between 3pm - 6pm on the friday evening or by arrangement. The retreat ends around 11am on Monday. We ask people to come and stay for the entire retreat, from Friday evening to Monday morning, in order to get the most out of the group experience.

Facilitators: Stephen McCabe and Caroline Brazier. This event is organised by Buddhist charity Tariki Trust. It can be taken as part of our Ten Directions year-long course in ecotherapy, or as a standalone weekend.

Getting to Earlston: We encourage the use of public transport where possible. The small town of Earlston can be reached by taking the 51 bus from Edinburgh, and we are offering free pick ups from the town centre. The bus takes around 90 minutes and you can find the timetable here. (We provide more details after booking.)

CPD Event: This event counts as Continuing Professional Development for counsellors, therapists and others in helping professions. We are happy to issue CPD certificates once you have attended the entire weekend. Simply message us through Eventbrite after the workshop/series is over and we will email your certificate. This camping retreat counts as 24 CPD training hours and 24 training hours for Ten Directions students who are enrolled on the full course. Although this event is part of the Ten Directions ecotherapy training programme, anybody can book a ticket and take part in this weekend (even if you are not currently training with us).

Food: Breakfast, lunch and dinner (all vegan) will be provided as part of your fee. If you have any food allergies, you can let us know after booking and we will do our best to accommodate this. We will work together a team; there is a rota for preparing meals which everyone is asked to contribute to.

Camping: This retreat comprises three nights of wild camping in a small woodland. There are activities planned from morning until evening, with plenty of time between activities for some silent, solo reflection time of your own. Abbey Wood is a small woodlands of between 2-3 acres and you will need to bring your own (one-person only) tent. This is a truly wild camping experience with no electricity or running water. We have a composting toilet, rainwater for basic washing, and obviously there is plenty of drinking water, but luxuries don’t extend much further beyond this, so please be prepared for no showers etc. We will send you information before the retreat starts detailing everything that you need to bring with you.

Refunds are possible up until thirty days before the event. Regrettably, for organisational reasons (unless in extreme circumstances) we are not able to provide refunds within 30 days before the event begins, as we need to know exact numbers to make appropriate plans.