The Wheel of Life, or Bhavachakra, is a complex mandala depicting Buddhist notions of repetitive cycles of craving, rebirth and the Path that leads to Liberation. When we engage and embody this teaching we see how it lies at the heart of both Dharma practice and our personal Recovery from addiction. This practice offers the potential for deep insights into our own repetitive cycles of craving and how we can wake up to living in deeper meaning and freedom.
Each day will include Guided Meditation instruction, Buddhist Psychology, Compassionate Inquiry, and Recovery meetings. Through deep meditation practice and inquiry, we see how thoughts and feelings arise and we gain a deeper capacity of freedom of choice in our response.
The retreat is open to newer and more experienced practitioners, those who are in recovery from addictions, and compulsive obsessive behaviors, in it’s broadest definitions including stinking thinking, the internet, sex and love and addiction, and all those who want to explore and transform their own habits of craving and aversion.
There will be times of noble silence on the retreat. We hope you will be able to join us in in this waking up to our freedom.
Schedule (All times are in Pacific Time) Time Zone Converter
Day 1 – Friday
3:00 – 5:00 Introductions and Welcome
Day 2 – Saturday
7:00 – 7:55am Silent Sit
8:00 – 9:30am Ignorance and Formation
9:30 – 10:00am Break
10:00 – 12:00pm Consciousness and Name & Form
12:00 – 2:00pm Lunch Break
2:00 – 2:50pm Guided Meditation
3:00 – 5:00pm Sense Faculties and Contact
5:00 – 6:00pm Break
6:00 – 7:00pm 8-Step Recovery Meeting
Day 3 – Sunday
7:00 – 7:55am Silent Sit
8:00 – 9:30am Feeling Tone and Craving
9:30 – 10:00am Break
10:00 – 12:00pm Clinging/Grasping and Becoming
12:00 – 2:00pm Break
2:00 – 2:50pm Guided Meditation
3:00 – 5:00pm Birth, Old Age, and Death
5:00 – 6:00pm Break
The daily rhythm of a retreat usually involves alternating periods of sitting and walking meditation, nature walks, meals and tea, as well as practice meetings, dharma talks and rest periods. The first sitting usually begins before breakfast. Each morning the teachers offer continuing meditation instructions for the day. The whole retreat is a succession of mindfulness training, breathing practices, deep awareness of the body and environment, meditations on the nature of feelings, and awareness of mind are from the Buddhist Insight Meditation tradition. There will be an opportunity at the end of the the retreat to give dana to the teachers. Thank you for your support!
