About this Event
Please join awakening enthusiasts and longtime meditation facilitators, Robert Rhyne and Brian Chamowitz, for a free daylong meditation retreat on equanimity, the last of the Perfections, the terminus of the Divine Homes for the Heart, the end stage of the Foundations of Mindfulness and the final of the Buddha's Enlightenment Factors.
Robert offers:
"Equanimity is wisdom's playground before Awakening; it carries a wise heart to a deep surrender with reality. In other words, when we're caught up with things, and identifying as things, we can't see we're not a thing. Freed, we can glimpse our true nature. The Pali word for equanimity ("upekkha") means both "to look upon" and "to have wings over." The true meaning here is the sense of freedom of the observing mind in effortless flight. I also compare it to a grandmother's love. Cultivating equanimity empowered me to sit alone in a Thai monastery on a stormy night and watch an epileptic seizure arise and fall away. Although some debate whether it can alter the course of medical disease, it will alter the course of dis-ease ("dukkha"). Identifying with the observer is an access point which will allow this insight to arise."
**Retreat Schedule:**
8:30 AM - 9:00 AM: Orientation & Introductions
9:00 AM - 9:30 AM: Somatic Exercises to Wake Up & Give Flight to Stuck Energy
9:30 AM - 10:30 AM: Guided Meditation
10:30 AM - 10:45 AM: Break
10:45 AM - 11:15 AM: Walking Meditation
11:15 AM - 12:15 PM: Meal Dāna Offering to Monastics & Potluck Lunch
12:15 PM - 12:45 PM: Walking Meditation
12:45 PM - 1:15 PM: Silent Meditation
1:15 PM - 1:30 PM: Break
1:30 PM - 2:15 PM: Silent Meditation
2:15 PM - 2:30 PM: Break
2:30 PM - 3:00 PM: Silent Meditation
3:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Dhamma Talk and Q & A
4:00 PM - 4:30 PM: Silent Meditation
4:30 PM - 4:45 PM: Break
4:45 PM - 5:30 PM: Sharing Circle & Dedication of Merit
**What to Bring:**
- Vegetarian dish for potluck lunch
- Reusable Water Bottle
- Meditation Shawl
- Comfortable clothing suitable for meditation
This retreat is open to all, regardless of meditation experience. Whether you are new to meditation or a seasoned practitioner, you will find support and inspiration in this day dedicated to deepening our understanding and practice of equanimity.
Donations to the Washington Buddhist Vihara monastic community can be made by check, cash, or electronic payment.
Please RSVP to help us with preparations. We look forward to sharing this special day with you.
May all beings be happy, peaceful, and free from suffering.
Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Buddhist Vihara Society, 5017 16th Street Northwest, Washington, United States
USD 0.00