The Life of Milarepa
DBC Winter Sangha Retreat
Sunday 28th December 2025 – Friday 2nd January 2026
Led by Sadayasihi, Prasannadeva and Varabandhu.
“It would be difficult to find a more powerful incentive to the leading of the spiritual life than this masterpiece of religious biography. As I read it my hair stood on end and tears came into my eyes.”
— Sangharakshita
The 11th-century Tibetan yogi Milarepa—patriarch of the Kagyu school and composer of great songs of awakening—is the subject of one of the most remarkable hagiographies not only in Buddhism but in any religious tradition. The Life of Milarepa recounts his early life and the heinous magical crimes he committed, his search for redemption through a worthy guru whom he finds in the great teacher Marpa, the extreme austerities he endures under Marpa’s tutelage, his going forth as a wandering ascetic, and the joy and beauty of his awakening expressed through spontaneous song.
Rarely has a work of such lofty spiritual depth and potency been expressed with the beauty, literary flair, and accessibility of The Life of Milarepa, making it a truly unique and magical theme for this year’s Winter Retreat.
Through meditation, talks, ritual, and five days of living together as a Sangha, we will immerse ourselves imaginatively in the world of the Himalayas—with its yogis, caves, sorcery, gurus, and awakened masters—exploring the themes of karma, discipleship, going forth, and joyous awakening.
When
5 Nights
Sunday 28th December 2025 – Friday 2nd January 2026
Where
Bru Moytura, Corlisheen, Riverstown, Co. Sligo.
Bru Moytura is a 100-foot wide wooden retreat centre in the foothills of rural Sligo. The ‘brugh’ stems from the Irish notion of a hosting place.
The great circular hall is perfect for meditation, ritual and discussion groups. A beautiful sunlit front room to the south west is the dining zone. Unique geothermal underfloor heating system means that the meditation/yoga-mats will never be cold!
This retreat is for Sangha regulars who have a regular meditation practice of the Mindfulness of Breathing and Metta Bhavana.
The retreat will be led by Sadayasihi, Prasannadeva, and Varabandhu.
We asked previous retreat participants what the highlights were for them. They answered:
All dishes are vegan, but don’t let that put you off. We’ve astounded by many omnivores on our retreats who admitted they had no idea vegan food could be so tasty and filling!
Every meal is cooked from scratch, and there is always enough for second helpings. No one ever goes hungry on our retreats.
Bru Moytura is an aproximately 2.5 hour drive from Dublin City Centre.
If you cannot drive yourself there will be an opportunity to car pool subject to availability.
What to Expect
There are several individual private cubicles in the central area along with bedrooms where the accommodation is shared with at least one other retreatant.
Sharing a room is a meaningful aspect of the retreat. Many find it enriching to live simply alongside others, fostering a quiet sense of connection, mutual support, and community. This spirit of shared living reflects some key elements of Buddhist practice — simplicity, awareness of others, and compassion.
Please be aware there are a number of cats resident at this venue.
You can view photos of the accommodation here.
A €75 deposit per person of this payment is non-refundable under all circumstances.
If you wish to cancel or transfer a booking please notify us as soon as possible at info@dublinbuddhistcentre.org
Cancellation:
- If you wish to cancel your place more than 14 days prior to the retreat starting, a full refund minus the deposit will be offered.
- If cancellation occurs within 14 days of the retreat starting no refund will be available.
Transfers
- At least 14 days before the retreat starts: we will transfer your place to another residential retreat if there are places available on the alternative residential retreat.
- 14 days or less before the retreat starts: we may be able to transfer your place to another residential retreat if there are places available on the alternative residential retreat and we can fill your place on the original retreat.
- If the residential retreat you wish to transfer to costs more than your original booking you will need to pay the difference at the time of transferring in order to secure your place.
- We will refund the difference if the residential retreat you wish to transfer to costs less than the original booking.
- We will only transfer a booking once and no transfer will be possible once a residential retreat has started.
This retreat is for people who are familiar with the meditation practices as taught in our community and, ideally, who have been on retreat with us before.
If you are interested in attending this retreat please info@dublinbuddhistcentre.org for the booking link.Cost
We do tiered pricing, depending on the circumstances.
- €425 waged
- €375 low-waged
- €310 unwaged or student
You can pay a deposit of €75 to secure your place.