The greatest gift is the
gift of the teachings
 
Retreat Dharma Talks at Spirit Rock Meditation Center

Refuge, Resilience, Presence, and Love In Our Times

Taking the themes of refuge, resilience, presence, and love, we will explore an intentional, heart-centered approach rooted in the Dharma and the Bodhisattva Path. We’ll explore what it means to walk a path that balances inner well-being while meeting the challenge of our planetary emergency.

Within a mindful, contemplative, silent container, supported by Insight Meditation and Dharma reflections, we will draw from teachings and practices that touch into timelessness, the cultivation of agility and resilience, and opening into the heart medicine of love and compassion.

The retreat is informed by a synthesis of Theravāda and Mahāyāna practices, in particular centered within the Quan Yin Dharma door. This includes the use of mantras, chanting, and ceremony. The retreat concludes with a Quan Yin Compassion Ceremony. In addition to Dharma talks, meditation instructions, and gentle, somatically-based Yoga sessions, there will be small group meetings with the teachers.

2023-11-18 (9 days) Spirit Rock Meditation Center

  
2023-11-19 Dharma Talk: Mindfulness, the Path to the One 61:41
Kittisaro
Relationship of mindfulness to Samadhi: Mindfulness of Breathing
2023-11-20 Dharma Talk: The Taste of Peace (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 49:55
Thanissara
Ever present peace. Entering the stream of the Dharma. Essential potential within obstructions.
2023-11-21 Morning Sitting with Instructions: The Hindrances as Nature (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 58:29
Djuna Devereaux
Ajahn Chah taught there are two kinds of peace: the peace of calm and the peace of wisdom. With peace of calm we can turn toward the hindrances and sense how they manifest somatically and in the mind/heart. We may come to know the hindrances as dhamma or nature.
2023-11-21 Dharma Talk: Going From No to Yes: The Four Noble Truths (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 49:25
Dawn Mauricio
Working with the Four Noble Truths in your practice.
2023-11-22 Morning Sitting with Instructions: Working With Thinking (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 56:06
Adam Stonebraker
Perspectives on thinking, choice, and allowing the natural process to unfold.
2023-11-22 Dharma Talk: The Great Return (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 65:41
Kittisaro
Radical reflection — returning to the root. Contemplation of impermanence as a potent key leading to dispassion, and the heart returning to its on unshakeable nature; mantra as mind-ground practice
2023-11-23 Morning Sitting with Instructions: The Two Fundamental Roots; Contemplating Conditions and the Unconditioned. (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 48:42
Kittisaro
Kondañña's breakthrough contemplating guest/dust. As space is to form and silence is to sound, so is awareness to all phenomena.
2023-11-23 Dharma Talk: Anattā : The Thatagatha has Gone Beyond a Position 55:19
Gullu Singh
This talk explores the Buddha’s teaching of Anattā (Not-self) and ways to practice with the world experience or perception of self and how we can notice with mindfulness how this sense of self ebbs and flows with conditions. The Buddha also suggested beneficial ways to engage the self such as to use conceit as a tool to generate faith.
2023-11-24 Dharma Talk: Beyond Separative Consciousness in These Times (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 53:09
Thanissara
Beyond the walls of the mind. Power of clear intention. The unique potential within humanity
2023-11-25 Guided Quan Yin Compassion Meditation (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 31:42
Thanissara
Suffusing the world with healing light
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