Recent Events (Concluded)

-- 2-week Retreat at Cloud Mountain, Dec. 27 2009 - Jan. 10 2010 This 2-week retreat focused on Purificaion of Mind, which is the true purpose of concentration practice. Some yogis described the retreat as "Jedi warrior training" which captured both the intensity and the transformative potential of our time together. We plan to post yogi comments about this retreat soon. We were delighted to have 30 people from three continents in attendance, and were both impressed and touched by everyone's wholehearted dedication to practice. People who had never meditated more than 1 hour in the past, were both eager and very able to sit for 3 hours at a time--and even enjoy it!   -- Samatha Overview:  Theravada Dhamma Society, Daly City, Ca, November 2009  Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw asked us to present an overview of the Samatha and Jhanas practice to the Burmese Buddhist community near San Francisco, with the Sayadaw in attendance. This was part of a 21 day teaching the Sayadaw gave to this community. We were honored to be asked, and were greeted by about 150 attendees plus 50 more who were listening to live audio and video streaming online. (See photo above.) -- 3-Day Retreat:  Introduction to Concentration, July-August 2009  This retreat was a wonderful experience for us, with a wide range of yogis from people who attended as their first retreat to 30 year veterans. We provided a solid overview of the practice in it's daily aspect as well as it's loftiest potential as purification of mind. People had a chance to experience the differences between this and other practices, and settle into the deep stillness that concentration practice can cultivate.  -- 1-Day Intensive:  The Relationship Between Anatta (no-self) and Jhanas (meditative absorptions)   March 21, 2009   In this day-long, we explored a rarely discussed aspect of concentration practice:  how the meditative absorptions both cultivate and are a result of the experience of no-self. Once relegated to a practice that cultivated bliss states, or could lead to psychic powers, the jhanas potentially possess a much deeper and more worthwhile aspect:  what we call the “thinning of the me.”   -- 1-Day Intensive:  From First Sit to First Jhana--Navigating the Proccess  of Purification of Mind through the Use of Wise Effort, Nov, 2008           This daylong focused on the phase of practice starting with your first sit, and culminating with the potential fruition of the arising of the first jhana. The cxonversation included unique aspects of concentration meditation as it is intended--as a practice designed to purify the mind stream. The eight landmarks of this phase--which some find to be the most challenging segment of the path--is outlined in the new version of our book. -- Theravada Buddhist Society of America, August 2008 We were delighted to be invited by the Theravada Buddhist Society of America to teach at their week-long Buddhist Camp for children. Both of us gave an evening talk to about 80 children and 10 adults, and Stephen taught the jr. high and high school kids for two days during the week. It was a wonderful experience for us, sharing the dharma not only with children, but with children of Burmese heritage. Thanks to the Sayadaw Ashin Osadha and Roland Winn for inviting us. -- Forest Refuge Retreat, July 2008 We were honored to be invited by the Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw to join him in teaching the first week of the 4-month retreat at the Forest Refuge in Barre, Mass. The Sayadaw gave the talk the first night, and we gave the talks the following four nights with the Sayadaw and two other senior monks in attendance. We also held interviews with the yogis for the days that we were there, with Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw and Ven. U Jagara (another experienced monk who is teaching with the Sayadaw) observing the interviews. It was an amazing experience and we learned many important nuances of teaching the practices during our time there. -- Monthly Jhana Practice Group, Held January - June, 2008 The Monthly Jhana Practice Group was held the second Wednesday of each month, from January through June, 2008 in San Rafael, California. These sessions were recorded, and are now available for free MP3 download on the Talks page. This  group was designed both for experienced meditators interested in deepening their concentration practice, and for new meditators beginning concentration practice. The Jhana Practice Group was offerred on a dana basis.

Useful Web Links

www.PaAuk.org An excellent website full of great information about Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw, his teachings, and the monastery. You can download his dana book Knowing and Seeing, which is a detailed description of the jhana practice and vipassana practice as taught by Ven. Pa Auk Sayadaw.   www.CloudMountain.org This beautiful retreat center is located in Washington state, in a rural area between Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon. Cloud Mountain hosts many Buddhist Teachers from around the world, who teach at their center.

www.dharma.org Insight Meditation Society is a Buddhist meditation center based in Barre, Massachusettes. that offers teachings on all of Buddhist practice, including various styles of jhanas practice. www.SpiritRock.org Spirit Rock is a Buddhist meditation center based in Woodacre, California, that offers teachings on all of Buddhist practice, including various styles of jhanas practice. www.InsightMeditationCenter.org The website for the Insight Meditation Center, based in Redwood City, California. IMC offers teachings on Buddhist meditation, including the jhanas.