Retreats

Meditation: The Practice of Being

July 7-9, 2023

There are no pre-requisites for this retreat 

"The truth of the matter is that every time something happens, we become aware of it.  Where do you become aware of it?  We say, "In our mind," and that means in space.  In other words, space becomes aware of its own movement.  This idea, by the way, is basically pointing to ordinary experience by undercutting the quality of experience that is based on ego.  Ego is constantly thinking and talking, constantly making up something about what is happening.  However, from the point of view of meditation, the only thing that is happening is whatever instantly arises in space, and  in that instant, whatever arises has no history.  Therefore, it has no memory, and therefore, it has no future.  And therefore, even in the present, it has no existence.  It is simply pure being, which is like striking a match on a stone-- the flame that occurs is the same as what occurs in space when experece arises: strike! Ssst! Light! Bright! Smell, taste, touch-- everything comes out of that.  Its instantaneous and immediate.  

   "Most people have no idea about this.  In fact, most people think that everything has always been "this way."  and therefore, it always will be "this way."  Therefore, everyone is trapped.  The whole world is trapped in passion, aggression , and ignorance.  It's so tight that you can't escape.  If you move from passion, you get trapped in aggression.  If you move from aggression, you get trapped in ignorance.  If you move from ignorance, you get trapped in passion.  Bascially no one sees the ground out of which all this arises.  The Buddhist teachings point out that the ground is unobstructed space.  That space is, in the ordinary sense, equated with or associated with what we call mind.  Mind is that which knows.  It doesn't know anything in particular;  it is the quality of knowing.  And that quality of knowing is what is illuminated in the paractice of meditation." 

Meditation: The Practice of Being, Vajra Regent Osel Tendzin, Burlington, Vermont.  12/2/87

$195.00 includes room and board

Chokhor Duchen

The "Rain of Wisdom" or Kagyu Gyurtso is a compilation of the spontaneous songs of realization of the Kagyu gurus.  During the four holy days practice centers in the Surmang Kagyu mandala recite the entire book over the course of one day.  It is a profound method for experiencing the blessings , Tibetan ,"jinlap", Sanskrit ,"adhistana."  It is often said that Vajrayana is the path of blessings.

Trungpa Rinpoche was not simply a great teacher he was also a great translator.  In our tradition there are translators and there are lotsawas.  "Lotsawas" are great masters who are able to imbue their translations with the blessings of the lineage.  This text was translated by Trungpa Rinpoche and the Nalanda Translation Commitee.  Reading this text is a profound method of realizing and manifesting these blessings directly for the benefit of all beings.  Because this is the dark age we do three days of recitation not just one!

cost: Free

"In particular, these vajra realization songs of the precious Kagyu, on merely being heard, restore awareness of faith and arouse certaintly of trust.  Experience is tempered, and the confidence of realization is aroused.  In short, they are the essence of the ocean of orders of tantra, the ultimate knowledge of ten million learned and accomplished ones, the heart's blood of a hundred thousand dakinis, the torch illumining the path of liberation,  The very moment fortunate and perceptive disciples hear them, they are completely liberated from all bonds, and only then can become enlightened."

Purnachandra Fleet Rendezvous Penobscot Bay

This retreat is an opportunity to explore the phenomenal world from point of view of non reference point experience.  The sea is by nature groundless and lacking in the usual reference points that  we lubbers rely upon which provides the perfect situation to explore non reference point experience-- the essential aspect of Dzogchen.  

In this case, the form of learning to sail provides the skillful means for entering a world without reference point.  Besides learning the basics of sailing a 30 foot vessel we will be engaging in fundamental shamatha/vipashyana meditation on board.  The sailboat becomes the "practice container."  
     This is a nine day retreat.  For the first few days we will do day sails around Rockland Harbor.  During the later part of the retreat we will do overnight cruises in Penobscot Bay.

At the end, we will rendezvous back in Rockland for Dining in ceremony.

For more information contact Captain Tashi Armstrong, Purnachandra.  (207) 607-3392

Quintessential Trungpa Rinpoche:  Shamatha-Vipashyana Meditation: "Touch and Go"

September 1-3, 2023

There are no prerequisites for this retreat

"A common misunderstanding is that the meditative state of mind has to be captured and then nursed and cherished.  That is definitely the wrong approach.  If you try to domesticate your mind through meditation--try to possess it by holding on to the meditative state-- the clear result  will be regression on the path, with a loss of freshness and  spontaneity.  If you try to hold on without lapse all the time, then maintaining   your awareness will begin to become a domestic hassle  It will  become like painfully going through housework.  There will be an underlying sense of resentment, and the practice of meditation will become confusing.  You will begin to develop a love-hate relationship toward your practice, in which your concept of it seems good but, at the same time, the demand this rigid concept makes  on you is too painful.

So the technique is based on touch and go  You focus your attention on the object of awareness then, in the same moment, you disown that awareness and go on. What is needed here is some sense of confidence--confidence that you do not have to securely own your mind, but that you can tune into its process spontaneously."  Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche

The Quintessential Teachings of Trungpa Rinpoche series are a set of weekend retreats suitable for beginners and advanced students which engage the pith oral instructions of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.  In this retreat we will engage the fundamental instructions on Dzogchen and Mahamudra practice given by Trungpa Rinpoche to his direct students.  

As beginners one often comes at practice with a mind conditioned by certain assumptions.  Generally we attempt to sustain a fabricated concentratiion by focusing on a technique.  But in this case one needs to develop a fundamental awareness which knows when you are present directly and then we let go of  any attempt to hold on to a fabricated concentration.  This is both the development and realization of "knowing the one" or "resolving the nature of mind."  It is not about feeling "good" particularly or pushing away thoughts so that we can achieve a "thought-free state."  It is realizing that this moment of knowing when we are present in a way which is not conditioned by our habitual reactions is the ultimate reference point -- the ultimate nature of our awareness.

The weekend will consist of talks by the resident teacher and the Practice of "mixing mind with space" the essential training of Dzogchen practice.  There will be group discussion and individual meditation interviews.

Cost  $195.00

Includes room and Board 

Quintessential Trungpa Rinpoche:  Shamatha-Vipashyana Meditation: "Touch and Go"

October 6-8, 2023

There are no prerequisites for this retreat

"A common misunderstanding is that the meditative state of mind has to be captured and then nursed and cherished.  That is definitely the wrong approach.  If you try to domesticate your mind through meditation--try to possess it by holding on to the meditative state-- the clear result  will be regression on the path, with a loss of freshness and  spontaneity.  If you try to hold on without lapse all the time, then maintaining   your awareness will begin to become a domestic hassle  It will  become like painfully going through housework.  There will be an underlying sense of resentment, and the practice of meditation will become confusing.  You will begin to develop a love-hate relationship toward your practice, in which your concept of it seems good but, at the same time, the demand this rigid concept makes  on you is too painful.

So the technique is based on touch and go  You focus your attention on the object of awareness then, in the same moment, you disown that awareness and go on. What is needed here is some sense of confidence--confidence that you do not have to securely own your mind, but that you can tune into its process spontaneously."  Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche

The Quintessential Teachings of Trungpa Rinpoche series are a set of weekend retreats suitable for beginners and advanced students which engage the pith oral instructions of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche.  In this retreat we will engage the fundamental instructions on Dzogchen and Mahamudra practice given by Trungpa Rinpoche to his direct students.  

As beginners one often comes at practice with a mind conditioned by certain assumptions.  Generally we attempt to sustain a fabricated concentratiion by focusing on a technique.  But in this case one needs to develop a fundamental awareness which knows when you are present directly and then we let go of  any attempt to hold on to a fabricated concentration.  This is both the development and realization of "knowing the one" or "resolving the nature of mind."  It is not about feeling "good" particularly or pushing away thoughts so that we can achieve a "thought-free state."  It is realizing that this moment of knowing when we are present in a way which is not conditioned by our habitual reactions is the ultimate reference point -- the ultimate nature of our awareness.

The weekend will consist of talks by the resident teacher and the Practice of "mixing mind with space" the essential training of Dzogchen practice.  There will be group discussion and individual meditation interviews.

Cost  $195.00

Includes room and Board