Awakeness Now
There is an aliveness and awakeness that we can recognize at any moment. It’s an openness to our full being - in body, senses and awareness. It points to what we really are, outside of conceptual fabrications. In recognising and opening to a spacious yet embodied presence, here and now, we may discover a timeless awareness-emptiness that is inseparable from loving, compassionate energy.
We’ll explore all this through sitting meditation, experiential ‘lookings’ and by discovering our own direct experience as awareness, simplicity, intimacy and aliveness. These four awakened qualities are the essence of the wisdom of the five Buddhas and offer a very hands-on 'map' of our immediate experience, pointing to what has been here all along, unnoticed.
Tejananda lived full-time at a retreat center in Wales until recently, and has taught meditation and led retreats for over 30 years, without losing his commitment to push the edge of his practice and teaching. He will guide us in embodied practice, based in the direct experience of the living energy of our body and being. Embodiment means realizing our undivided wholeness, our natural positivity and our intrinsic capacity to see dharma truth directly - all through being open to the energy of the body, and by becoming attuned to its actual nature.
Experience
The retreat is for people with experience of meditation wishing to go deeper into meditation and insight. You should be comfortable being in silence with others for extended periods of time. If you're not sure please feel free to email us.
The Gift of Silence
We will be mostly silent except for teachings, meditation reviews and mindful communication. It's a rare chance to take a break from making conversation and to see what happens when we really let ourselves be. We will provide an emergency number so that you do not need to check your phone. If you don't feel comfortable putting your device/s aside please consider not attending.
Health and Safety
We ask everyone to take reasonable precautions to protect against infection in the days leading up to the retreat. Please check all our requirements here.
If you consider yourself at increased risk you should not attend.
We recommend that you don't travel long distance since there is always the risk of cancelation or illness in these uncertain times, but if you do, please be sure you have refundable tickets and/or a back-up place to stay.
Food and Work Periods
All food is vegan, with eggs and dairy options on the side. To simplify cooking and cleaning in silence we have a cook to organize lunch and dinner, and everyone on the retreat chooses a task that they can do every day - either preparing breakfast, chopping vegetables, or cleaning dishes. If you have a preference please let us know in advance. There is also a clean up session that we all share at the end of the retreat.
Free Time
There will be plenty of free time to hike or stroll around the area or relax.
Dharmadhara
Is a rustic residence with a very beautiful shrine room, located in Lake County – about 2.5 to 3 hours North of San Francisco. The main building has a kitchen, dining room, sitting room with wood burning stove, 7 small dorms, some with 2 beds, some with 3 beds, 3 indoor toilets and 2 showers. There are no private rooms. Please be prepared to share and bring good earplugs. If you do not feel comfortable sharing a room with others you may prefer to camp. There is plenty of space for tents, and the weather is usually fine in June.
Travel and Carpooling
We encourage carpooling and if you would like us to help you find a ride please let us know on your registration. If you are driving and can offer rides, please also let us know. Thank you!
I'm sorry that we cannot arrange airport or train station pickups.
Timing and Cost
The retreat is nine nights, beginning 5pm Saturday June 8, and ending Monday June 17 at noon.
The cost is $730 to $990 for nine nights, including shared accommodation, breakfast, lunch and dinner, tea, coffee and snacks.
There is no weekend option - please register only if you know you are able to stay the whole time.
Registration and Payment
Registration deadline May 25.
To register enter the amount you wish to pay in the Event Donation box and click add to cart. You can pay in full now ($730 to $990), or reserve your place with a $200 deposit and pay the rest by May 25. In the event that we need to cancel we will refund all payments. If there is a waiting list and you have not paid a deposit we will do our best to contact you but if we don't hear back we will give your place to someone else. Deposits are non-refundable after the registration deadline.
Please pay the highest amount you are able within the range of $730 to $990. This helps us to cover the cost of the retreat leader, the cook, and others needing help with costs.
If you need to request a rate lower than $730 please email us at info@sfbuddhistcenter.org and we will send you an application.
When you get to the checkout you will have the choice to pay now through paypal/credit card, or pay later. (If you click pay now and don't actually pay now, your registration won't go through - contact us if you have any problems.) If you choose pay later please send your check, payable to San Francisco Buddhist Center - Triratna, to SFBC, 37 Bartlett Street, San Francisco, CA 94110. You can also pay by Venmo - @SFBuddhistcenter.