30 October - 1 November 2026
This retreat is an invitation to explore two of the world’s great stories of homecoming, allowing them to illuminate one another – and to illuminate our own lives:
- Jesus’ parable of the prodigal son in the Gospel of Luke
- The Buddha’s parable of the son in the Lotus Sutra, one of the great texts of Mahayana Buddhism.
Arising in different cultures and spiritual traditions, both stories tell of leaving home and returning home, of losing touch with the truth of who we are, and of the journey of awakening. Both invite us to explore timeless questions concerning our deepest identity, the nature of reality, and what it truly means to come home.
This is an experiential retreat. Rather than comparing Christian and Zen Buddhist thought and practice from the outside, the invitation is to encounter the truth of these parables from the inside, opening to their complementary wisdom in an atmosphere of shared silence and exploration.
Together we will explore both the striking similarities and illuminating differences between these two parables, allowing each tradition to deepen our understanding of the other while inviting us more deeply into our own spiritual lives.
The retreat will be guided by two experienced teachers, one presenting from the Christian contemplative tradition and one from the Zen Buddhist tradition, offering a genuine dialogue between the two paths.
Through a flow of teaching, extended periods of meditation, and opportunities for shared reflection and structured conversation, we will explore questions such as:
- Who are we? What is our deepest identity?
- How do we lose touch with who we truly are – with Reality – and wander away from home?
- How is this estrangement healed? What is the path of awakening and return?
- What do we discover when we finally come home? About our home, about ourselves?
For both Jesus and the Buddha, the spiritual journey is a journey of awakening – to the truth of who we are, to what has always been true.
Who is this for?
Whether you are rooted in the Christian tradition, the Zen tradition, both, or neither, you are warmly invited to join us as we explore two of the world’s most profound stories of coming home to the home we never truly left.
This retreat is offered as a shared journey. It has been carefully crafted to be relevant and accessible to anyone searching for truth and peace, regardless of their faith or beliefs. We warmly welcome people who are completely new to meditation or have been practising for many years. Participants will arrive with different levels of experience and this is part of the richness of the retreat. The rhythm of teaching, silence, and shared reflection is designed to support this diversity, offering space to listen, to ask questions, learn from others and to be accompanied along the way.
What to expect
Being on retreat is a precious opportunity to be still and to be silent — to step back from conversation and distraction, and to practice living simply and peacefully. It allows us to cultivate the gift of peaceful awareness as we devote ourselves more fully to the depth-dimension of faith and life.
The core focus of the retreat is silent meditation practice.
- We will practice bringing peaceful awareness to all our daily activities – while sitting, while walking or eating, when we are simply enjoying a glass of water. We will practice living each moment deeply.
- The practice of silence will commence when the retreat begins at 4pm on the Friday and continue until lunch on the Sunday, with a few structured opportunities for conversation and shared reflection as described below.
- Although the practice of silence may be new to some, most people find this a powerful and wonderful experience. Maintaining a quiet and peaceful environment – walking, moving, and doing things quietly – is important for our practice and a gift we can offer to each other.
When are there opportunities for conversation for people who’d like them?
- Small discussion groups interspersed throughout the weekend, hosted by Chris, provide an opportunity for up to seven people to meet and explore together a question or two about their meditation practice, or how practice relates to what they have heard during a talk or to daily life. We can learn so much sharing with and listening to others.
- The last session of each day will be an opportunity for conversation together – to reflect on the content of the talks and what we have experienced through the day.
- There will be conversation during Sunday lunch. Also, you’re warmly invited to arrive early for lunch on Friday or stay after the retreat to connect with fellow retreatants.
Practical information
A detailed timetable for the retreat will be sent to everyone attending a week before it begins (or is available on request sooner). The retreat starts on Friday at 4pm with an orientation talk, followed by a period of silent meditation before dinner. Talks across the weekend will be balanced with periods of sitting meditation, walking meditation, time for private practice, shared reflection and enjoyment of the beautiful surroundings. The retreat will finish at 3pm after lunch and a closing conversation on Sunday.
Saturday and Sunday begin at 6:30am with meditation practice. Early morning meditation is a wonderful way to greet the day together. Many people find this session especially meaningful, but if it is difficult for you for any reason, please don’t worry. It is always enough to do what we can — or what our life allows.
Venue, accommodation, meals and costs
Ripon College Cuddesdon is an Anglican theological college set in beautiful parkland just outside Oxford. With its peaceful gardens, simple chapel, and rhythm of prayer, it offers a deeply grounding environment for reflection and retreat. The quiet beauty of the surroundings and the college’s long tradition of spiritual formation make it an ideal setting for contemplative practice and shared silence. Prices include all teaching, accommodation and meals and are between £300 – £330 depending on your room choice.
Event leader
Chris Whittington is the Founder of The School of Contemplative Life. He was introduced to contemplative practice during several years of formation when he lived at the Benedictine monastery of Prinknash Abbey in England. Chris’ monastic teachers taught meditation as a universal wisdom found within all the great spiritual traditions, a pathway to peace and solidarity with people of all faiths and none. Chris regularly delivers talks, workshops and retreats and has introduced the practice of meditation in the Christian tradition to thousands of people in the UK and abroad. Chris is the author of The Missing Peace – Meditation as a Spiritual Path to Peace, Community and Oneness published by Canterbury Press.
Janet Williams has been a student of Zen for over 30 years, and has taught Buddhism in a range of academic and practitioner settings. She has studied with Zen Masters Gudo Wafu Nishijima, Robert Jinsen Kennedy, Eido Mike Luetchford and Dave Keizan Scott. She is currently Vice Principal of St Hild College in Yorkshire, where she is responsible for Anglican ministerial formation and leads the St Hild Centre for Christian Spirituality. Her academic interests include Christian and Buddhist spiritualities, with a particular focus on the apophatic tradition. Among her publications are Denying Divinity: Apophasis in the Patristic Christian and Soto Zen Buddhist Traditions (Oxford, 2000) and Seeking the God Beyond: A Beginner’s Guide to Christian Apophatic Spirituality (SCM, 2018).
Testimonials
“From start to finish, the retreat was incredible. The schedule was ideal: a mix of lectures, meditation, silent meals and private practice. This was my first experience of The School of Contemplative Life and I drove 9 hours on a gut instinct to attend. It was worth every minute. This is the kind of teaching I have been searching for! Thank you for making it possible. I feel relieved and excited to have landed on a path I can trust. I know I can learn, develop and grow under such guidance. Post-retreat, I feel a sense of inner peace and calm that is new.. .a wonderful beginning.”
“There is so much that I valued about this retreat and so many things I will be taking forward: being given the opportunity to practise meditation multiple times through the day, the teaching, the peace, the fellowship with others, learning to train my mind.”
Terms
In accordance with our Terms and Conditions (available in full here), our events should be understood as only providing spiritual guidance and advice to help participants deepen their own meditation practice and understanding. Many people report subjective improvements in general wellbeing through meditation practice. However, if you or anyone you intend to book a ticket for suffer from any mental, emotional or physical health conditions, please ask your medical practitioner if it is advisable for you/them to attend an event with us.
All our paid-for events are priced to cover costs (rather than make a profit) so they are as accessible as possible. However, if you are struggling to make ends meet, please don’t hesitate to email us and ask for information about our bursary scheme.
Booking
Costs include all retreat resources, accommodation and meals:
Retreat and accommodation in an ensuite room £330
Retreat and accommodation in a standard room with shared bathroom: £300
For any queries please call 01865 874404 or email [email protected]