Venerable’s Shamatha & Vipassana Retreat 2024

HELD AT KAMALASHILA TIBETAN BUDDHIST CENTRE
15-18 November 2024

The Third Annual Shamatha and Vipassana Retreat led so wonderfully by Ayyas Jitindriyā and Jayasāra was held including 60 sangha members, in person from as far away as the USA and interstate, and others via Zoom, attending this very special weekend of dharma teachings and guided meditations. During the sharing in the final session of the retreat, so many expressed how fortunate we all are to have this opportunity to hear such genuine, authentic dharma from two truly exemplary teachers, in such a beautiful setting conducive to such practice. Thank you Ayya las and to all the cooks and those helpers, and to all who attended who made the three days such a memorable experience at Kamalashila Tibetan Buddhist Centre.

---

I want to express my gratitude to Ayya Jayasāra and Ayya Jitindriyā and all at The Drogmi Buddhist Centre for showing me the path to enlightenment. I have been on that path for many years, but I get distracted by the mental highways and byways leading me astray. When I sit with Ayyas Jitindriyā and Jayasāra listening to their wisdom, I see peace, compassion and unconditional love before me and I am again reminded that the path is there and that I can follow it towards the primordial stillness with this step, this breath, this moment and I know that all shall be well… and all shall be well… and all manner of things shall be well. 
~ Patrick

The Shamatha and Vipassana Retreat held at KTBC in Tilba was a truly transformative experience. Set in the tranquil beauty of Tilba’s bushland, the centre provided the perfect environment for deep meditation and reflection. Led by the insightful teachers Ayyas Jitindriyā and Jayasāra, the retreat blended Shamatha and Vipassana practices in a way that was both grounding and enlightening. Some of the meditation sessions began with qigong, helping to prepare the body and mind for the practices that followed. The daily schedule was well structured, with a balance of seated meditation, walking meditation, dharma teachings, and Q&A periods where we could gain personal insights into integrating our own challenges onto the Buddhist path.
One of the most powerful aspects of the retreat for myself was the practice of noble silence. This silence – both in speech and in mind – created a space for deep introspection and allowed the teachings to truly settle. It was a rare opportunity to step away from the distractions of daily life and listen to the quiet voice within. The centre’s facilities were simple yet comfortable, the food was nourishing and delicious making it easy to focus on the practice without distractions. The sense of community was a highlight – there was a warm, supportive atmosphere, and we shared the journey together in a spirit of openness and compassion. The teachers’ wisdom and the serene surroundings allowed me to deepen my practice, bringing clarity, peace, and a greater understanding of my mind. I left the retreat feeling deeply at peace with lasting insight and a renewed commitment to my practice. I am profoundly grateful for this experience and highly recommend it to anyone looking to deepen their meditation in a supportive and nurturing environment. 
~ Geri

I recently attended a three-day meditation retreat hosted by Drogmi Buddhist Institute at their retreat centre. It was quite intense, and I do admit I struggled a little bit at first because we did long hours of meditations daily. For the learnings and experiences I received, it was truly worthwhile. I recall one meditation in particular that seemed to open my mind, quite literally. It was at night, after dinner, the wind had calmed down, the gompa was silent with only cricket noises outside and we had just finished practising some qigong, I was aware of my breathing, relaxing my entire body. I very slowly, felt my head disappearing. It was a weird feeling and I’m not sure how to describe it but it felt as if my skull didn’t exist and so all that was left was my mind being exposed to this vast space. I did feel a bit spooked out – so I reached up with my hand just to feel if my head was still there. It was! This state felt expansive, free, open, unlimiting and clear, as I physically felt the energy from the air coming in from the top. My logical mind jumped in and started analysing this situation. Yet I felt the beauty of simply being. Free from the constant chatter of my mind, free from the constructs and stories I create about myself and the world. Realising that I can let go of trying to solve problems, analyse, and/or control. I felt expansive, as though I was no longer confined to the limits of my own mind. I was just... present. Breathing. Existing. And in that, everything was enough. What struck me was how my logical mind resisted this simplicity. It wanted to do, to fix, to strive. But the more I sat with that vast openness, the more I understood that clarity doesn’t come from forcing answers – it arises naturally when I allow myself to be present. Thanks so much, 
~ Jessie

I was fortunate to attend the recent Shamatha and Vipassana Retreat held at beautiful Kamalashila Tibetan Buddhist Centre. Ayyas Jitindriya and Jayasara guided us through three days of meditation and Dharma talks, each day focusing on a different tradition, reading from masters of their own Thai Forest tradition, then Dzogchen and finishing with Zen. It was a delight to sit in meditation and let these teachings sink into my heart. I felt overwhelming gratitude towards the Ayyas for what they chose to offer and the skilful way this was done, at times with great humour. I found the retreat enlightening and incredibly restful, leaving with a quieter mind, more clarity and a lightness of heart. A big thank you to all the Drogmi volunteers who helped make this possible and served us such delicious meals. 
~ Amanda

Attending my third retreat with Jitindriyā and Jayasāra continues to develop and support me, navigating through the challenges of life with openness, presence and responsiveness. We all benefit from the depth and rich knowledge of the Ayyas, their generosity and love support us all. This retreat was profoundly important and beneficial for me, during a particularly difficult period of life. I am deeply grateful to our teachers and the beautiful support of the surroundings at Drogmi. I highly recommend this retreat to anyone wishing to learn to meditate or deepen self-enquiry. Love and peace to all, 
~ Gwynne 

“From all kinds of flowers, seek teachings everywhere.” Namkai Norbu Rinpoche, from the formal retreat notes. Glorious flowers – as there were many to be found in the teachings, the gardens and forest at the three-day Shamatha-Vipassana silent retreat held at KTBC. Practising noble silence held us in a calm and attentive atmosphere. The Tibetan gompa, which I had not been inside before, held 55 or so meditators – a mix of old, young and in-between, first-timers, middle-timers and long-timers. Our teachers, Ayyas Jitindriyā and Jayasāra, from the Thai Forest tradition, presented dharma talks, guided meditations, qigong practice, and profound readings from three traditions: Forest (Theravada), Dzogchen (Vajrayana) and Zen (Mahayana).

I learnt and received so much through the clear and brilliant teachings on the nature of buddha-mind, and how to work with our minds right here and now. We were encouraged to be present to the teachings by not taking notes. Dutifully and with relief I took no notes. For me one of the deepest teachings for my meditation practice was noticing the way the nuns themselves sat – a soft stillness, a being-ness that wasn’t forced or rigidly upheld. An at-homeness or perhaps even homelessness in the body. These observations continue to support my sitting practice back home. And another very tiny thing – each meditation ended with a barely audible vibration of a small gong, a delicate clear note. Gentle and undemanding. I also learnt things from other attendees, such as the woman I shared a room with, about becoming conscious of having habitual responses to family members whom we perceive as difficult… hmm that has stayed with me. The teachers’ humorous teasing of one another sometimes with robust Australian inflections, reminded us that we are all without exception so earthily human. In a discussion about “people who annoy us” we learnt that one Ayya (annoyingly) will not properly screw the lids back on food jars which of course leads to minor catastrophes. The accused responded that she was practising open awareness! Regular Q&A sessions sometimes overwhelmed me with information but mainly elucidated all those queries we have in our minds. There were questions, difficult ones, about current geo-political realities and karma. My western mind still struggles with some of those ideas at the same time being stretched to see a wider view. 

Was it for one day or two that the wind was roiling around the treetops, throwing off whole boughs of leaves to the ground? Where do birds go in such winds? Then the showers of rain, then still times with welcome sunshine. Ayya Jayasāra commented that our minds can be like the weather. Getting up in the night, tall trees up lit by the brightest November full moon, I came across a wallaby mother and her pouched young one sipping at the well. 
~ Jan