by Mary Ann | Jun 11, 2011 | Study Resources
by Tommy Harrison
Why go on retreat? It’s a great question. If you talk to your Dharma friends and teachers, you’ll hear a variety of different perspectives. Lots of them will tie back to our human condition, the “busy-ness” of our lives, and how retreats help us tend to our wellbeing. As creatures of habit with that deep sense of self, we dwell on our past and worry about our future – we suffer. We learn there’s ways to understand and release this suffering. Retreats support this liberating process.
One of the things I deeply treasure about going on retreats is what happens between retreats – that thing called “life.” Just a couple of days ago I was reminded about why I go on retreats. My family’s week had been typical. We are a family of six. My wife and daughter left Thursday (6/9) on a well-deserved trip to Savannah with my daughter’s Girl Scout troop. In advance of this, we planned, made our lists, got organized, shopped for those going on the trip, shopped for those staying home, and established a “plan” of what we thought our morning would be like prior to dropping them off for their trip. And then life happened. Things changed and did not go as planned. There was a pet who we found really sick the night before – the kind of sick where you know there’s no coming back to wellness. There were the plans to go to the lake with my 8 year old son – just him and I – a rare treat. This wasn’t meant to be either – the trip to the vet to say good bye to a loved one was more important. There were many things that happened that weren’t planned and some that were. This caused many different feelings, thoughts, and emotional states to arise in the whole family. Life happened.
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by Mary Ann | Jun 5, 2011 | Study Resources
by Peter Carlson
In the last issue of the Orlando Insight Meditation Group newsletter, I wrote an article on why I go on retreats; now it seems appropriate to share some insights on how I managed the retreat experience I just completed. Let me first describe the context: I’ve been on dozens of long retreats, and over the last 10 years or so, they’ve been self retreats, which means that I was by myself, in silent seclusion for the duration, which as from one to two weeks. I don’t recommend that anyone go on a self retreat lasting more than a weekend without the support of a qualified teacher, meaning someone who has a lot of personal retreat experience, as well as being quite familiar with the concepts essential to Buddhist practice.
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by Mary Ann | Jun 5, 2011 | Study Resources
Here are some free downloads that I consulted during my recent 2 week retreat. I found them to be helpful in understanding some of the self-states that arise in life. During the retreat I could make good use of reflecting on my meditation experiences relative to the articles.
I wish you well, Peter Carlson
by Mary Ann | Jun 4, 2011 | Intro to Buddhism & Meditation, Study Resources
Click to listen to audio instructions on the practices Lovingkindness meditation.
Lovingkindness is an important part of Buddhist meditation practice. The wisdom and virtue factors of Buddhist spiritual practice emphasize the importance of creating and sustaining a consciousness that has no intention of ill-will or greed. This can be accomplished through the practice of the four “Divine Abidings” of lovingkindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity. In actuality, the other three abidings are subsets of lovingkindness. It is said that the sincere practice of these meditations will promote good fortune, good rest and good health. In addition, having a mind unclouded by greed or hatred is essential for developing the quality of mindfulness necessary for spiritual attainment. These notes describe specific instructions that will accomplish these harmonious states of mind.
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by Mary Ann | May 13, 2011 | Study Resources
by Peter Carlson
In thinking about the topic for the Wednesday night meditation and discussion group, I reflected on why I go to retreats myself. I begin a two week self retreat in our back yard this Saturday, and I thought it would be useful for me and for the Sangha to talk about the benefits of the intense training that retreats support. The dialogue was recorded and posted through our web site, but I feel inspired to write this article to supplement the talk. The talk included bullet points, and they won’t be included in this article. I hope it is helpful.
Buddhism combines two tracks of spiritual development: conceptual and experiential. The concepts are what we read about and talk about, including the value of ethical behaviors, the importance of truly seeing the conditions of the mind as they constantly change, and so on. The experiential development comes about through meditation, which we are encouraged to practice daily. The purpose of a meditation retreat is to provide a structure for deepening the experiential part significantly. (more…)