*Sit & Dharma Talk – Rich Howard – Refinement of the Mind

Refinement of the Mind   –   Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Community Mentor, Rich Howard

Sometimes we forget that this path of awareness has been described as a “gradual training.” We get impatient or expect our progress to look a certain way and are disappointed when it doesn’t turn out that way. Tonight we will discuss a discourse that likens the refinement of the mind to the purification of gold. The Pansadhovaka Sutta (Anguttara Nikaya 3:100 1-10) makes it clear that this is a gradual training with many steps. We will look at how these steps relate to our householder practice and offer reassurance (if we can avoid comparing mind!) to keep on practicing without expecting results.

Please read the introduction to Text VIII,4 on page 260 of “In the Buddha’s Words” (ed. Bhikkhu Bodhi) and the sutta on pages 273-275. You may find a different translation online at Access to Insight (Pansadhovaka Sutta: The Dirt-washer).

Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha.

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Daylong Retreat with Visiting Senior Teacher, Steve Armstrong

Awareness, Insight and Liberation

Daylong Retreat with Visiting Senior Teacher, Steve Armstrong

The day will focus on integrating the mindfulness meditation instructions of Mahāsi Sayadaw with the practical mindful awareness guidance of Sayadaw U Tejaniya. This event is suitable for both new and experienced meditators. People of all walks of life are warmly welcome.

Steve will offer a clear path for developing clarity of awareness with each arising moment. This leads to stability of mind and the insightful knowledge of liberation. Such knowledge weakens deeply conditioned habits of mind that cause unhappiness, and strengthens conditions for an enduring sense of well-being.

Please plan to bring a lunch so there’s no need to leave the SDC building while at the retreat.

Steve ArmstrongSteve Armstrong has studied the dhamma and practiced insight meditation since 1975. He served for years at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts as Executive Director, Board member and a senior teacher of the annual three-month retreat. As a monk in Burma for 5 years, he undertook the intensive, silent practice of insight and lovingkindness meditations under the guidance of Sayadaw U Pandita, as well as studying the abhidhamma with Sayadaw U Zagara of Australia. He continues his practice under the guidance of Sayadaw U Tejaniya in Rangoon.

He has been leading meditation retreats internationally since 1990 and is a co-founding director and teacher of the Vipassana Metta Foundation dhamma sanctuary on Maui. He was the Managing Editor of the translation committee that in 2016 brought to publication the much anticipated Manual of Insight by Mahasi Sayadaw, previously unavailable to the international meditation community in English.

Registration Details

Those who register and attend this one day retreat will receive an initial priority registration opportunity for the 2018 SIM residential retreat with Steve in a forest retreat center near Foresthill (September 7 to 14.) Pre-registration is required to secure your space at this retreat. Registration is $35.00 per person due before the start of the event. In addition to the registration fee, at the retreat there will be an opportunity to offer dana (in the form of a financial donation) to support the retreat presenter and Sacramento Insight Meditation. You may also offer dana online at the bottom of this webpage.

For the registration fee, we accept checks and cash. No one will be turned away for lack of funds; please contact the registrar for more information. Day-of registration will be on a first-come first-serve basis, contingent on availability of space.

Summary of Important Dates

  • 12/05/2017- Registration opens.
  • 01/24/2018 – Registration fee paid on or before this date.
  • 01/26/2018 – Registrations online closed; come to the retreat on Jan 27 and register in person as space permits.
  • 01/27/2018 – Attend and enjoy the wonderful retreat.

Questions for the Registrar?

Use the form below only if you need to contact the retreat registrar with any questions. Expect a reply within 48 hours. If you are ready to register for the retreat, use the REGISTER button shown above.

[contact-form to=”website@sactoinsight.org, rhowarda@gmail.com” subject=”Question about January Daylong Retreat ({name})”][contact-field label=”Name” type=”name” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Email” type=”email” required=”1″][contact-field label=”Comments/Questions” type=”textarea”][contact-field label=”Yes, subscribe me to the eNews.” type=”checkbox”][/contact-form]

 

Retreat Dana

At the event a “Dana Bowl” will be provided so you may provide additional financial support via cash or check. Or you may submit a donation online using the DONATE button below.

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Introduction to Meditation with SIM Founding Teacher, Dennis Warren

This 45-minute course is suitable for beginners or anyone who would like a refresher. It is offered on the fourth Thursday of every month before the regular sitting and dharma talk. There is no fee.

Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha.

At the bottom of this page, you may enter the number of people planning to attend and select the button “Confirm RSVP“.
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*Sit & Dharma Talk – Steve Armstrong – Awareness, Insight & Liberation

Awareness, Insight & Liberation – with Senior Teacher Steve Armstrong

We will have the rare opportunity this week of hosting Senior Teacher Steve Armstrong for a number of meditation sittings, talks and dialogues.

Steve has been leading insight meditation retreat internationally since 1990; was a monk with U Pandita in Burma for 5 years; served as one of the senior teachers at the annual three month retreat at Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts; and is the co-founder of the Vipassana Metta Foundation dhamma sanctuary on Maui. He continues his practice under the guidance of Sayadau U Tejaniya in Rangoon. Most importantly for SIM, Steve has been a guiding and support presence for our leadership during the last 15 years.

His talk this evening with focus on the meditation instructions of Mahasi Sayadaw and Sayadaw U Tejaniya. He will also discuss the one day retreat he will led for SIM on Saturday, January 27 and SIM’s annual residential retreat in September.

Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha.

 

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*Sit & Dharma Talk – Dennis Warren – Resolving Conflicting, Contradictory or Paradoxical Teachings

Resolving Conflicting, Contradictory or Paradoxical Teachings
Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Founding Teacher, Dennis Warren

It is easy to view our perception that one teaching conflicts with, contradicts or is paradoxical to another teaching as an obstacle to our understanding, insight and progress on the path of practice. This perception is frequently a mis-perception based on uncertainty, confusion and doubt. When properly understood, the skillful resolution of such misunderstandings act as a doorway, rather than an obstacles, to the next level, stage or dimension of practice.

This will be the first in a series of talks and discussions about fundamental issues that shape our understanding of the dharma and practice, and have practical, profound implications for our awakening. This evening will focus on the process, the how, of resolving uncertainty, confusion & doubt regarding teachings that seem to be in conflict, contradictory or paradoxical.

Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha.

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Sit & Dharma Talk – Meg Gawler – Tastes of Freedom: Poems from the Therīgāthā

Tastes of Freedom: Poems from the Therīgāthā” – the poems of awakening of the Buddha’s first female disciples. A central message of this canonical text is that Nibbāna – complete release – is possible for practitioners of all sorts: women or men, lay or monastic, old or young, rich or poor, from all classes of society including slaves, from many different walks of life from the queen to the prostitute, for those gifted in meditation but also for those with wild minds unable to concentrate, and for individuals lost in grief, despair, or even madness. This ancient text was the subject of Meg’s Master’s thesis, which examined how the Therīgāthā might be used by Dharma teachers today to inspire practitioners, particularly in regard to the Third Noble Truth, the truth of freedom.

Meg Gawler began practicing Buddhism in 1968 as a disciple of the Zen Master, Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, including over three years of monastic training. She earned a Master’s in Applied Ecology, moved to Europe, pursued an international career in nature conservation and human development, and began practicing in the Theravāda tradition. She has trained with Gil Fronsdal, Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein, and others. Authorized as a Dharma teacher by Jack Kornfield and then by Gil Fronsdal, Meg teaches retreats in both English and French in Switzerland, and serves as a guest teacher at the Insight Meditation Center and elsewhere. Meg also holds a Master’s in Buddhist Studies, specializing in early Theravāda studies. In addition, she teaches Radiant Heart Qigong in the tradition of Teja Bell.

Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha.

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*Sit & Dharma Talk – Laura Rosenthal – Starting Over

Starting Over
Sit & Dharma Talk with SIM Community Member, Laura Rosenthal

What does this phrase mean and what does it offer us as Buddhist practitioners? We habitually associate the concept of the new year with a “clean slate.” Perhaps we make resolutions, head back to the gym, or make amends for actions we regret. Yet our practice also teaches us that every moment of awareness and wholesome intention is a moment of renewal – at the same time that awareness brings us closer to an understanding of the ways past mental, verbal and physical actions condition present experience. For our first evening together after New Years Day, join long-time SIM participant Laura Rosenthal for a dharma talk and group discussion of this rich topic.

Sacramento Insight Meditation events are sustained by the generosity of instructors in offering teachings freely and on the generosity of students and members of the meditative community in the form of financial support, service and participation in events. With our practice of dana, we support our Sangha.

 

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10/05/2017 “Uposatha: Deepening Practice” with Rich Howard

Uposatha: Deepening Practice
Since the time of the historical Buddha, the days of the full moon and new moon have been special days (and nights!) for Buddhist practice. Laypeople living near a monastery might visit, bring offerings, and stay to listen to a dharma talk and meditate with the monks or nuns. If they cannot participate at a monastery, laypeople can still deepen their practice by meditating for a longer time, chanting, reading texts, or giving in a special way. This October 5 is a full moon day. We will celebrate Uposatha by having our normal sitting and break. After the break, SIM Community Mentor Rich Howard will give a brief description of the observance of Uposatha and answer any questions. We will then have an optional period of chanting, sitting, and walking meditation. We may also have another break for tea or additional sessions of chanting. You may stay as long or as short as you like; Rich will stay until midnight or until the last person has left!

There are several suttas that are specifically recommended for study on Uposatha days. Several alternative translations from Access to Insight are listed below; they are not found in “In the Buddha’s Words.”

If you would like to download this talk, please right click and select “save as” here.

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09/28/2017 “Not Holding to Fixed Views?” with Lori Wong

Not Holding to Fixed Views. How do we bring awareness to our views and implicit biases and open our hearts to see each other?

If you would like to download this talk, please right click and select “save as” here.

Prior to the talk, Lori lead the Introduction to Meditation session. Click below to listen to the questions that she fielded after the session.

If you would like to download this talk, please right click and select “save as” here.

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09/21/2017 “Is Your Meditation Working?” with Diane Wilde

Is your meditation “working?”

Is the same practice suitable for everyone? How do I know if this is the right practice for me?  The important point is: Have you fallen into a practice that is no longer evaluated and has become as “habitual” as many other facets of your life. After a person has been meditating for some time, it’s important that he or she evaluate how the practice is developing. Is it working? Does it need adjustment? Is it even the right practice to be doing? Can it be improved? Some of this evaluation can be done on one’s own, some with a teacher or with friends. Join us for an important discussion.

If you would like to download this talk, please right click and select “save as” here.

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