Easter Shamatha and Mindfulness Retreat

HELD AT KAMALASHILA TIBETAN BUDDHIST CENTRE
14-17 April 2022

“I left the Easter Shamatha and Mindfulness Retreat with a sense of peace, calm and clear instructions for a regular practice.”
Jane P.

“As an older student, it is extremely beneficial to receive Shamatha and Mindfulness teaching instructions yet again and again, to clarify how you are travelling on the path. Khenpo la offered very clear teachings on mindfulness and meditation about the interdependent nature of causes and conditions. 

“The negative mind will no doubt bring negative outcomes, therefore mindfulness meditation is extremely rewarding, for through this discipline the wisdom mind can arise, then can dispel the three types of sufferings (suffering of suffering, suffering of change, suffering of conditional phenomena). 

“A few aspects that truly resonated with me – through the practice of the four mindfulness meditations:

1. Mindfulness of body (the body is made up of a pile of flesh, bone, blood, look at it without attachment).
2. Mindfulness of feeling (if you can look at one’s feelings without judgement, otherwise sufferings arise).
3. Mindfulness of mind (there are numerous kinds of minds, and mind is very illusive, so don’t get attached to anything, nothing is truly existent).
4. Mindfulness of phenomena (here refer to uncompounded phenomena, realisation of this free us to attachment of any existence).

“We began the guided practice: 

1. Prostration a method to purify our body then we sit on the cushion, with correct seven-point meditation posture.
2. Exhale to clear old air from our body and veins, helps to clear the mind.
3. Motivation doing meditation to overcome afflictive mind.
4. When mind is calm one can feel one’s presence.
5. During meditation if mind wander away, bring it back, by remembering mind is safer here than wandering off.
6. Mindfulness is part of Vipassana and is part of phenomena, it sees phenomena as own nature. Vipassana is mindfulness insight meditation to phenomena rising meditation. 

“Thank you Khenpo la, may all your students on this retreat minds flourish unceasingly for the happiness of all beings.”
Serene

“This retreat like the first retreat I attended has recharged my batteries. It feels like medicine for my soul. Your community’s effort to provide a safe sanctuary, filled with peace as a vessel for clear instruction from Khenpo is truly inspiring, plus the added bonus of delicious food makes it an experience I want to return to again.​”
Leanne