After examining the nature and importance of samadhi practice, we focus on how to practice samadhi and the main challenges to developing samadhi (and how to work with these challenges).

the Buddha taught that the recognition of arising and passion away (Anicca) is the doorway to freedom. In this talk, we explore impermanence and it’s relationship to dukkha. To let go ov our argument with the reality – with the way things are, to the nature of changing phenomena, opens up to the possibility of ease and freedom: “All things are impermanent/ They arise and they pass away./ To live in harmony with this truth/ Brings great happiness.”

After clarifying further the fundamental practices of our retreat, particularly the three ways of seeing leading to liberating insight, we examine the third way of seeing—seeing anatta (or not-self). We focus less on understanding this way of seeing conceptually, and more on identifying two main ways of practicing—(1) opening to being mindful of the flow of experience, increasingly with a “thinned out” self or lack of self, and (2) noticing and being mindful of when there is a “thick” sense of self.