On this renunciant retreat, we have been encouraged to rest back into simplicity. Letting go of the emotional uprisings and self-identification, shift into the presence of embodiment here and now. Here we find the capacity that’s able to be with and not waiver.
We practice to develop skillful reflexes in response to our human condition. Use body as a reference point when unplugging from mind’s unskillful habits and reactions. Meditation is an occasion to sense the quality of ungrasping and letting go.
We can bear witness to each others’ suffering by recognizing genuine spiritual friends or kalyānamitta who share our values and our desire for awakening. Spiritual friends can help us identify our individual pitfalls and support our letting go of these obstacles. It is a joy to share the Dhamma together.
Mind can be useful, but keep it in its place, the world of abstractions. It doesn’t do well in the living organic world. Meet the inconclusive impossibilities of life with heart’s fundamental quality to open and include.
A review of the key teachings – how to practice with body, heart and mind in a way that leads to liberation. Firming up faith, restraining from unskillful habits, exerting the mind in skillful investigations, enjoyment and contentment of the mind.