On the eve of SIM’s second online annual retreat, let us consider retreat practice in general and online retreat practice in particular. What is unique about online retreat? Are there distinct advantages to in-person retreats? What can we do to make the most of an online retreat? Please be prepared to share your retreat experience – online or in person – in the era of pandemic isolation.
Is Movement “Meditation”? An Exploration
You hear people say “running is my meditation.” Or maybe yoga, biking, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, kayaking, archery, dancing, golf, swimming or gardening. Or how about aerobic exercise and weight lifting?
Are people who talk this way talking about the same thing? Or different things? Can we be in movement, even vigorous movement, and simultaneously be in “meditation”?
During this evening we’ll explore whether movement, in its many different forms, is “meditation.” If the answer is “Yes,” what allows movement, or a particular activity, to become meditation? If the answer is “No,” why not? And a pivotal question: can movement be meditation when done by one person, but not when done by another person? What if the person is a world class Olympic athlete?
This will be a practical dive into a rich and wonderful field of exploration. There is a wealth of commonalities, and valuable practice and life lessons, that emerge from an investigation of the relationship between movement and meditation.
An Auspicious Day
Zoom Chat
Bhaddekaratta Sutta (MN 131)
For many, sight is the primary connection to the outside world. We marvel at a sunset, smile at an infant, react to a political poster. These sights can bring pleasure or anger, connection or revulsion. But are we aware of the act of seeing itself? “Why have we never noticed seeing?” asks Sayadaw U Tejaniya. We will explore the differences between looking and seeing and its implications for our formal meditation and daily life practice.
Here is how we grow spiritually: We develop a Conceptual Model of the teachings of the Historical Buddha, their underlying psychology and supporting practice methods; we test that model through trial and error in living so it becomes an Experiential Model; then, we internalize it so it becomes an Intuitive Response.
A pivotal aspect of this growth process is fully integrating the understanding and experience of “Consciousness.” In Buddhist practice, Consciousness is not an idea, abstract theory or philosophical term. It is a concrete and defining experience.
Opening to this experience through specific practice methods is what allows us to access qualities of mind and heart like expansiveness, spaciousness, a deep experience of rest rather than struggle, and a pervasive sense of inter-connectedness.
During this evening, we’ll explore specific elements of the meditation process that lead to these experiences as well as ways to explore the experience of Consciousness in daily life.
Two books that Dennis mentioned are
Zoom Chat
* In Love with the world: A monk’s journey through the bardos of living and dying by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
* Interconnected: Embracing Life in Our Global Society by The Karmapa, Ogyen Trinley Dorje
Grief: Meditation practice with loss and change
Change is a constant in life but for many of us the last year has brought more intense and radical change, much of it unwelcomed and challenging. There is so much suffering these days due to loss and grief. Rates of depression, anxiety, addiction and suicide are at an all time high. Tonight we will explore using our meditation practice tools to find relief, understanding and acceptance of our losses and to use grief as a doorway into deeper insights. Jeff shares some personal stories of loss and sorrow and liberation from the healthcare frontlines of the pandemic. He discusses many useful practices to work with our individual and collective grief and suffering.