With this body and capacity, you transform the ordinary and enter the sacred. With this effect and reward, you go beyond buddha and beyond ancestors. Through this cause and condition, you pick up dirt and turn it into gold.
–Dogen, 'The Reality of All Things
What is the sacred? How can we understand the inner disquiet and urgency that can both spark and sustain a true spiritual path? Dharma practitioners naturally focus their attention on the practice of the Dharma: their meditation, Dharma study, chanting and bowing, metta practices and so on. This is the essential activity of practice. Yet, running within, underneath and all throughout one’s Path is a subtle and intangible yearning, the essence of one seeking a way in. An old master said, “Is there anyone who can take to the road and return home?” We may speak of this subtle heart as our motivation, our aspiration, our deep yearning, but words always fall short of expressing it fully. It is the source of the vital spirit – the spiritual imperative – that gives life and direction to a sincere and ongoing practice. It is the unnameable impulse to free ourselves from within the constriction of samsara.
In this daylong retreat, we’ll explore this subtle and wondrous inner world through an exploration of the path of the Mystic as described across religious traditions which testifies to the universal nature of the seeking mind that arises within those individuals who yearn for a life beyond the pain and confusion of a self-clinging existence. We’ll explore how we may each recognise this within ourselves and then let it flow into our daily practice. What are the various practices and subtle workings of mind and body that both express and help manifest the wisdom and compassion of a Dharma life? When you register you’ll receive two readings for reflection, to stir the one within who wants to know.
Cost: $100, including a vegetarian lunch with gluten free and vegan options.
Venue: Fairfield House, Nelson.
Health precaution: If you have cold or flu symptoms, please do not attend. A full refund of the retreat fee (but not transport costs) is offered to anyone who needs to cancel for health reasons.
–Dogen, 'The Reality of All Things
What is the sacred? How can we understand the inner disquiet and urgency that can both spark and sustain a true spiritual path? Dharma practitioners naturally focus their attention on the practice of the Dharma: their meditation, Dharma study, chanting and bowing, metta practices and so on. This is the essential activity of practice. Yet, running within, underneath and all throughout one’s Path is a subtle and intangible yearning, the essence of one seeking a way in. An old master said, “Is there anyone who can take to the road and return home?” We may speak of this subtle heart as our motivation, our aspiration, our deep yearning, but words always fall short of expressing it fully. It is the source of the vital spirit – the spiritual imperative – that gives life and direction to a sincere and ongoing practice. It is the unnameable impulse to free ourselves from within the constriction of samsara.
In this daylong retreat, we’ll explore this subtle and wondrous inner world through an exploration of the path of the Mystic as described across religious traditions which testifies to the universal nature of the seeking mind that arises within those individuals who yearn for a life beyond the pain and confusion of a self-clinging existence. We’ll explore how we may each recognise this within ourselves and then let it flow into our daily practice. What are the various practices and subtle workings of mind and body that both express and help manifest the wisdom and compassion of a Dharma life? When you register you’ll receive two readings for reflection, to stir the one within who wants to know.
Cost: $100, including a vegetarian lunch with gluten free and vegan options.
Venue: Fairfield House, Nelson.
Health precaution: If you have cold or flu symptoms, please do not attend. A full refund of the retreat fee (but not transport costs) is offered to anyone who needs to cancel for health reasons.
|
Enquiries: Gwitha Kaido Nash, 021-121-8133, [email protected]
|
|
|
Geoffrey Shugen Arnold, Roshi is the Head of the Mountains and Rivers Order, abbot and resident teacher of Zen Mountain Monastery. Shugen has been in full-time residential Zen training since 1986; he received dharma transmission from Daido Roshi in 1997. He has visited New Zealand to lead Zen Buddhist retreats and workshops for many years, and currently offers a programme in Nelson each July.
|
If you have questions about this retreat please contact us:
Gwitha Kaido Nash
021-121-8133
[email protected]
Gwitha Kaido Nash
021-121-8133
[email protected]
