Meditation Retreat
on
Developing a Focused Mind and Open Heart
(based on the practices of Shamatha and The Four Immeasurables)
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When?
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29th of
June to 7th of July 2013
|
|
Where?
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Männiku Metsatalu in Central
Estonia, 15 kilometers from Viljandi.
http://www.metsatalu.ee/
- a beautiful and inspiring location
|
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Registration?
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Preferably before 31st of
March
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|
Group size?
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Maximum 30 people
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Teacher?
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Glen Svensson
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Course language?
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English
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For whom?
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Anyone interested in learning
methods for living a more peaceful, joyful, and successful life and willing
to devote at least this week for learning about their minds.
The course is open to those who
do not know anything about Buddhism as well as to those who have learned
previously about Buddhist Philosophy – anyone with an
open mind will benefit
|
Would you prefer to go about your life:
1.
Being relaxed rather than being uptight and stressed?
2.
Having a mind that is stable rather than a mind that is agitated and is not
focused at will?
3.
With a clear mind rather than a dull mind constantly needing stimulation?
4.
Being caring, kind, loving rather than being bitter, nasty,
self-centered?
5.
With compassion rather than with resentment and ill will?
6.
Being empathetic rather than being aloof and indifferent?
7.
Having an equally open heart not oscillating between attachment and
aversion?
How does having a
focused mind and an open heart benefit our lives?
Spiritual practice, relationships with kids, friends, partner,
colleagues, and all meaningful endeavours in our lives benefit from sustained
attention.
Can everyone develop these
virtuous qualities?
With 2,500 years of experience, the Buddhist tradition says clearly
yes. Each one of us can cultivate a mind endowed with ease, stability, clarity
and develop loving, compassionate, empathetic, equanimous attitudes for
relating to oneself and to the world at large.
What is the course about?
Shamatha is the
practice of developing single-pointed concentration, developing a calm, clear
and focused mind. This practice is essential if we are to subdue and heal our
agitated and unruly mind, to become masters of our mind.
We will supplement this with the practice of the Four
Immeasurables. Shamatha practice becomes most effective if we combine it with
opening our heart through the practice of loving-kindness, compassion,
empathetic joy and equanimity.
Over 9 days we will become familiar with/and practice various
methods for shamatha and the Four Immeasurables meditations and learn how to
develop an effective daily practice. The retreat is aimed to give us a great
boost and confidence for developing our mind in our everyday life.
Teacher
Glen (originally
from Queensland, Australia) has been a student and practitioner of Buddhism
since 1995 and graduated from the seven-year Masters Program in
Advanced Buddhist Studies of Sutra and Tantra at the Lama
Tsongkhapa Institute in Italy in 2004.
Since 2005, with a teaching style emphasizing clarity and simplicity, he has taught extensively at Dharma Centres in Australia and India where he frequently leads courses on Tibetan Buddhist philosophy and practice. He is based at Tushita Meditation Center in the town of McLeod Ganj (Dharamsala), home-in-exile of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
General Schedule
|
05.45 – Wake up
06.15 – 06.35
– Seven Point Moving Meditation
06.45 – 07.30 – Concentration
Meditation
07.30 –Breakfast
09.00 – 10.00 – Teaching Session
and Meditation
10.00 – 10.30 – Break
10.30 – 11.45 – Teaching Session
and Meditation
12.00 – lunch
14.00 – 15.00 – Teaching Session
and Meditation
15.00 – 15.30 – Break
15.30 – 16.45 – Teaching Session
and Meditation
16.45 – 17.15 – Break
17.15 – 18.00 – Guided Meditation
18.00 – dinner
19.30 – 20.15 – Guided Meditation
20.30 – 21.00 – Q&A session
about Meditation Practice
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The first half of the retreat is planned to include teachings and meditations.
The second half of the retreat is planned to be a meditation retreat
with minimal teachings.
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Practicalities
The course is run as a meditation retreat meaning that
during the week there will be silence – both between the
course participants and with the outside world. No phones, computers, internet,
talking.
The accommodation is in rooms with 2-3 people.
Rooms have private bathroom. Men and women are in separate rooms.
Delicious vegetarian food three times a day is offered.
People should be dressed moderately and loosely so
sitting would be comfortable. Intoxicants that cloud the mind are
prohibited.
The fee for the retreat is €325 that covers accommodation, food,
meditation room, and the teacher’s flight to Estonia.
Participants can leave a donation for the teacher. Limited number of single rooms is available for an extra fee.
In case there is genuine interest to participate but
financial problems inhibit, please contact the organizers. The retreat is not organized for profit but out of the
organizers’ wish to share beneficial teachings with others.
Recommended reading
·
"Attention Revolution
(Unlocking the Power of the Focused Mind)"
- B. Alan Wallace
·
"The Four
Immeasurables (Practices to Open the Heart)"
- B. Alan Wallace
·
"Genuine Happiness
(Meditation as the Path to Fulfillment)"
- B. Alan Wallace
You can also listen to Glen’s 2-day Shamatha course at Tushita: http://goo.gl/27vqj
A 2-day retreat with Alan Wallace: http://goo.gl/Smzm0
More teachings on Shamatha and Four Immeasurables
from Alan Wallace: http://goo.gl/j5b9a
Two month retreats led by Alan Wallace: http://goo.gl/iyvQv (except fall 2012 retreat)
Registration and information:
To register, please contact Teet
Toome
teettoome@yahoo.com
Phone: +37258285869
Ideally register as soon as possible but before 31st of
March!
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