Silence Behind the Noise: A Monastic Retreat

The sound of silence is an ever present quality that we can learn to recognize and attune to. Although we refer to it as a "sound," it may be perceived as vibration, as luminosity, or a high-pitched frequency. By sensing into this quality via any of these three channels, we can discover the mind’s innate capacity to settle and open. Throughout this retreat, we will be exploring different ways this practice can be experienced, allowing our systems to take a break from chronic overstimulation by resting into the silence behind the noise.

The retreat is offered in keeping with the 2,600-year-old Buddhist monastic tradition. Providing the experience of five days in the monastic life, this retreat has some qualities not usually found on other retreats, such as daily periods of devotional chanting and an adherence to the Eight Precepts (which includes not taking solid food between midday and the following dawn). This retreat will also include group sitting and walking meditation, individual practice, practice meetings with teachers, and Dharma talks.