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The greatest gift is the
gift of the teachings
 
Retreat Dharma Talks

Maraṇasati: Contemplating Death - Awakening to Life

The Buddha highly valued and taught Mindfulness of Death (maraṇasati) as a preparation for our own death and a doorway to awakening. He encouraged maraṇasati practice as a way to cultivate the qualities needed to live an awakened life, such as appreciation of the preciousness of human birth/life; insight into impermanence and change; freedom from rigidity and clinging; and equanimity with the difficulty of human existence.

This retreat will be grounded in the traditional practices of mindful awareness and compassion. The instructions will be woven together with an understanding and recognition of the impermanence and change that occur naturally in every moment of our lives. We will utilize the skills of awareness and investigation in our sitting practice, with some guided visualization and a period of contemplative inquiry each day.

2025-10-25 (8 days) Spirit Rock Meditation Center

  
2025-10-26 Buddhism and Death (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 57:56
Eugene Cash
Exploring the Normalcy of Death in Buddhism. Looking at the many ways Buddhism understands death: Death of the body; The life and death of each moment; Becoming harmonious with Death as part of Life; Death as a Doorway to the Deathless,
2025-10-29 Anathapindika's Gift to Us (Retreat at Spirit Rock) 48:10
Eugene Cash
The talk explores the sutta, The Advice to Anathapindika. The sutta reveals how Anathapindika bestowed the teachings of non-clinging and letting to those of us who ar householders. The talk concludes with a current story of a near death experience that embodies the realization of the goodness of the dharma.
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