The teachings, practices and realizations of Emptiness have been important themes in Buddhism from the early days of Theravada on through the development of the Mahayana and Vajrayana schools. In this retreat we will introduce and explore the many meanings and implications of emptiness in Buddhist thought and practice through talks, readings, reflections, guided meditations and group discussions.
The Buddha's teaching on Dependent Origination are among his most profound and challenging. This teaching clearly shows how ignorance leads to suffering, and implicit in this is the way out of suffering.
We can be aware of many objects in meditation. It's also possible to turn our attention to awareness itself. The talk explores what happens when we do this. Is awareness findable? Does it come and go? Is it conditioned? And what is the value of meditating like this?
Teachings on the practice of reflections, and duided reflections on what inspired and challenged you in the Emptiness Retreat, and what you will take home with you.
At first glance it might seem the teaching of karma, in which our actions bring results to ourselves, might be in contradiction to the understanding that our experience is empty of a self. However, the two teachings on emptiness and karma actually need each other for liberation to be possible.
