This retreat is hosted by Big Bear Retreat Center, not InsightLA.
For any questions or support for registering or preparing for this retreat, contact guestservices@bigbearretreatcenter.org.
For more details and to register for this retreat, visit the Big Bear Retreat Center’s website: The Brilliant Weave of the Brahma Viharas and Emptiness
________
Open to both beginning and experienced practitioners.
Registration for this retreat closes on August 17, 2025 at 11:59pm Pacific Time. If looking to join after this date, please inquire at guestservices@bigbearretreatcenter.org.
Experience the power of an open heart in the expanse of awareness. The Buddha taught that we all have the capacity to abide in the four Brahma Viharas (the divine heart states). These are: Lovingkindness, Compassion, Sympathetic Joy, and Equanimity. If we look deeper, we will see the interplay of emptiness with the Brahma Viharas and how they support each other.
Emptiness in Buddhism is the direct experience of seeing through separation – a separate self. Thich Nhat Hanh famously said “we are all here to wake up from the illusion of our separation.”
In this retreat we will weave the heart practices with emptiness to see beyond the prism of separation and into the boundless nature of the awakened heart/mind. This silent retreat will include periods of sitting and walking meditation, daily instructions, dharma talks, Q&A, mindful movement and meetings with the teachers.