The Buddha said keeping the company of like-minded friends is one of the most important way to cultivate wholesome qualities in ourselves and that good friends are "the whole of the holy life." In this Waking Up Together retreat we explore why this is so and why Sangha is considered a "jewel", one of the Three Refuges in the teachings.
The two aspects of mindfulness, general comprehension and bare attention. General comprehension understands our purpose, the refuge of why we are being attentive contextualizes our attention and knowing with wisdom and caring.
Honoring the defenses that have kept us alive and offering our love to those spaces that can't open yet. The capacity to offer love can come from contemplating our generosity, the ways we are ethical and the beautiful qualities of awakened beings.
