Padmaloka Buddhist Retreat Centre
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Padmaloka Buddhist Retreat Centre (UK), Lesingham House, Surlingham, Norfolk, is a Buddhist retreat centre for men. The centre is part of the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order (FWBO), a Buddhist movement that aims to make the teachings of the Buddhism available in the modern world. Padmaloka, originally known as Lesingham House, was first established in 1976 by Sangharakshita, the founder of the FWBO and of the Western Buddhist Order (WBO). Padmaloka soon became the FWBO's first permanent retreat centre. The name Padmaloka means 'Realm of the Lotus' in Pāli, padma meaning lotus, and loka meaning realm, place, or abode.
Padmaloka is run by a resident community of thirteen men. Some members of the Padmaloka community are full time teachers and retreat leaders. Others look after the day-to-day running, such as gardening, cooking, administration, and maintenance. The community engage in work as spiritual practice, very much in the spirit of the Zen tradition. This involves the practice of mindfulness; being aware of oneself, of the work itself, and of other people.
There are two main focuses of worship at Padmaloka, the shrine room and the stupa. The stupa contains some relics of Dhardo Rimpoche. Rimpoche was a teacher of Sangharakshita. Its inscriptions read Cherish the Doctrine. Live United. Radiate Love[1] - which was Dhardo Rimpoche's motto.
Padmaloka is a vegetarian establishment.
Address: Padmaloka, Lesingham House, Surlingham, Norwich, NR14 7AL [2]
