In beginning a long retreat, it’s helpful to reflect on the inspirations that underlie our spiritual life and how they shape our aspiration. Our inner life emerges through the simplicity of the retreat environment in contrast to an increasingly complex outside world. By trusting in silence and presence we develop the key skills we need to live wisely in both retreat and daily life.
The First and Second Noble Truths on the nature and origins of Dukkha (suffering) are discussed, with a particular focus on identification and attachment to being (or not being) a particular kind of self.
