This event is the online version of a hybrid daylong retreat which will take place both in-person and online. To register for the in-person version of this event, click here.
How do we sustain our practice in overwhelming times? Most of us struggle to find the balance between not applying ourselves enough or striving and trying too hard at times in our meditation and Dharma practice. We go through phases where we may feel really committed and connected to our practice and then something happens in life or we get discouraged and we drop it altogether for periods of time. Maybe we’re feeling really inspired and enthusiastic about practice and we can benefit from learning how to channel this inspiration more effectively. What’s needed is a kind of balanced determination. The teachings on wise effort and the cultivation of viriya can support us. Viriya can be understood as courage, the energy needed to stay present and to continue practicing.
We can think of this as a kind of wholehearted effort. For our energy and effort to be sustainable, we must balance it with patience and trust in the development of our practice, trust in the teachings and in our own capacity to walk the Buddha’s path and to keep going. The word for this trust or faith in Pali is Saddha, which can be translated as “to place the heart upon”. This quality of faith or trust is a confidence that grows over time as we learn how to give ourselves to practicing wholeheartedly. Together, these two qualities can sustain us as we move towards greater freedom. This courageous effort to cultivate mindfulness and clear seeing is so needed in our world today, to meet the various challenges we are facing.
In this daylong retreat we will be developing methods for cultivating and balancing our energy for practice, along with finding our own relationship to saddha, trust or faith. We will create a quiet refuge together to cultivate kind attention to this body and nourish the heart through learning to balance our effort in practice. The day will unfold in noble silence, with periods of guided and silent meditation, walking meditation, gentle mindful movement, a Dharma talk and discussion and time for mindful sharing and connection at the end.
Suggested donation: $85
