About the retreat:
The focus of the retreat is continual contemplation and meditation, interspersed with periods of instruction, personal study, and interview with the instructor. The retreat schedule and format is quite manageable, and we aim to practice in a relaxed but diligent style.
Meditation sessions will consist of 20 minutes sitting, 10 minutes walking, and 20 minutes sitting again, followed by a simple tea practice for 20 minutes. This will be followed by another 50-minute session of sitting and walking.
The first session after breakfast will include a guided meditation focusing upon the Four Thoughts that Turn the Mind, drawn from the Great Stages of the Path (Lamrim Chenmo). The morning ends with time for yoga to keep our body relaxed and at ease.
The overall aim of the retreat is to develop personal experience of Three Principal Aspects of the Path—Refuge, Bodhicitta, and Correct view—by coming face-to-face with how things actually exist. This is the meaning of Vipassana.
The atmosphere should be one of commitment to mindfulness, by relaxing into simply being present with our experience, along with an attitude of courtesy towards others in the retreat. Whatever experiences arise—good or bad, happy or sad, pleasant or unpleasant—we try to allow our discursive thoughts and moods to pass, like the traceless path of a bird moving through the clear open sky.
One session is set aside for individual study or personal practice after lunch. This session may be done in your personal space or room and can be used for those with sadhana commitments to complete.
The overall inspiration of the retreat is the vision of the unified intention of the Three Vehicles, for there is no Buddhist vehicle where the practice of mindfulness is not the core and vipassana is not the objective. Hence there should be no concept of separation in terms of the vision and practice that everyone is sharing.
The format is retreat, which means there are boundaries. The physical boundary includes the location, where everyone commits to stay for the duration of the retreat unless there is some unexpected serious reason to leave. Everyone also shares the boundary of speech—silence. Please respect the practice of silence. This also means no phones, email, or internet. The boundary of the mind is the common commitment to the vision of the workability of the mind, and the discipline of continual mindfulness during meditation and post-meditation. It is suggested that couples stay separately during the retreat in order to create the conditions for silence.
There is no need for apprehension about the retreat. It is for everyone, both those new to the practice of mindfulness as well as long-term practitioners. However, it requires a commitment to the project of meditation—of training our mind—and respect for the physical and verbal boundaries. When it comes to meditation, all Buddhist traditions share the same practice of familiarising oneself with freedom from the grip of conceptual construction and integrating this in the post-meditation through the skilful means of compassion.
The instructor will actively support students and will be available as needed for anything related to practice. The instructor will give group instructions in the evenings, and everyone will be assigned an interview with the instructor for personal guidance.
This retreat will provide a clear perspective on the core of Buddhist meditation practice, offering an opportunity to experience the path in the peace of the retreat itself, and also as a preparation for post-retreat engagement of wisdom and compassion in our everyday world.
Silence
The purpose of retreat is to truly connect with the practice of mindfulness. Silence has been adopted in retreat since the Buddha first began to teach some 2,500 years ago. It is a tried and tested way to aid the development of mindfulness.
Sometimes we might get stuck on the thought that we cannot actually progress towards enlightenment, but that is just an obstructing thought. When we practice, we might not experience full enlightenment right away, but we can certainly diminish our confusion and catch a glimpse of our own Buddha-nature through mindfulness and awareness. We keep silence to help this practice of mindfulness and awareness.
We should also keep in mind that all of us have busy lives, and having time for retreat is a very special opportunity to effectively address the quintessential core issue of our lives—the clarity of our awareness which is the source of our wisdom and compassion. It is something that really deserves priority in our lives. Silence is one way of really making sure that mindfulness becomes the focus in the few days we have in retreat, and keeping silence contributes to having a sense of attainment when we go home.
Also, we are a community of practitioners with mindfulness as our common objective, and while we are here, we need to respect others in our community. Not keeping silence forces others into speaking, or suggests to others that it is alright. So please keep silence also out of respect for others and for what they are doing.
As retreatants, we all work towards our common goal. So, on behalf of the seeds of innate wisdom that are being cultivated, and on behalf of all sentient beings that stand to benefit from the successful harvest of wisdom and compassion, a fellow gardener thanks you from the bottom of his heart!
About our Retreat Leader:
Ben Isbel is a mindfulness teacher with over 25 years’ experience spanning both traditional Buddhist meditation techniques and contemporary psychological approaches to mindfulness. Ben has studied in both the Theravadin and Mahayana Buddhist traditions and holds a B. of Psychology (Honours) and a PhD in the neuroscience of mindfulness.
Ben began training in the Burmese Vipassana tradition before spending many years studying with Tibetan lamas from a range of different traditions. He has completed the FPMT Basic Program at Chenrezig. As a neuroscientist and contemplative researcher, Ben developed a model of mindfulness and used neuroimaging techniques to show how mindfulness training can improve cognition, mood, and well-being. Having left academic research, Ben now focuses on developing innovative methods to present the essential core of the Buddha’s teachings in a way that is accessible and engaging.
Daily Yoga Sessions:
Erin Lee will provide an hour of gentle meditative yoga exercise each morning between 11.00 and 12.00
The schedule for the entire retreat will be uploaded here soon.
Registration and Donations
The suggested donation for this ten-day retreat is $400. A donation of $400 covers our costs and helps sustain the Centre so we can continue offering teachings to the wider community.
However – you are welcome to offer whatever amount you feel comfortable with.
Your donation helps keep the Centre open and running. It supports operational costs, facilities, and the ability to offer teachings.
A donation of $300 makes a meaningful contribution toward maintaining our space.
A donation of $200 helps us cover our most basic costs.
Please note: all donations are non-refundable and go directly to supporting the ongoing operations of the Centre.
Of course you are always free to offer more if you wish – please give as generously as you are able to benefit other students at Chenrezig Institute!
There will be no online registrations or registrations for single days during this retreat.
Accommodation and meals are of course available through our website:
If there are any issues booking food or accommodation email info@chenrezig.com.au