Conscious Breath, The Gateway to Understanding and Transformation in the Present MomentDecember 4 - 6, 2020
An Online Mindfulness Retreat in the Tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh With Dharma Teacher: Michael Ciborski
Each fall since 2007, Blooming Lilac Sangha has held a retreat led by Dharma teacher, Michael Ciborski. Since we will not be able to meet in person this year, we are having an online retreat with many opportunities to practice together and also space to be off screen.
We will begin on Friday evening with a welcome/introduction session, a Dharma talk, and a meditation period. On Saturday and Sunday, sessions will include meditation, Dharma talks, discussion periods, and other mindful activities separated by personal practice periods offline. See detailed schedule and registration form further below.
With training, conscious breathing becomes a stable base from which we can look deeply into the nature of ourselves, our suffering, our joy, our world. And we can develop the capacity, breath by breath, to let go, heal, transform and renew.
In this online retreat, we will go deeply into the experience of breathing, learning to transform each ordinary moment into one of presence and meaning. We will cover many aspects, including: the basics of breath mechanics, strengthening our breathing, a basic study of Anapanasati (the Buddha’s breath teachings), deepening concentration, and, through contemplation on impermanence and interbeing, the development of meditative understanding. Through all of this our intentions will be to apply the practice of conscious breathing to self-care, emotional health, and the transformation of difficult relationships and life situations.
Retreat is almost full.
email: bloomingLilacSangha@gmail.com to check on availability. You will need to fill out a registration form and email it back to us by Dec. 2. And offer Dana to Michael Ciborski: For this retreat we invite you to act with generosity to support our teacher for this retreat.
Offer dana to Michael by going to: truemiddleway.org. You will see the donate button on the home page. Or you can mail dana via check to: Michael Ciborski, 120 Rose Apple Lane,
Alstead NH 03602. Dana is the practice of cultivating generosity. There is no set fee. Many of us are struggling during this time of great upheaval, so please consider what amount is possible given your situation. As a guide, we suggest $80 - $150. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. SCHEDULE Friday
3:00 - 4:30 pm Individual Consultations with Michael
5:00 pm Group Consultation for OI members
7:00pm - 9:00pm: Welcome and Orientation, Dharma talk, meditation, includes brief Dharma sharing groups for introductions; Meditation and chant
Saturday
9:00 - 11:30: meditation, Dharma talk with 15 minute break of mindful movement, dharma sharing; Mindful eating instructions
11:30 - 12:30: break for mindful lunch
12:30 - 2:30: Deep Relaxation; Mindful movements; meditation, talk, Q&A
3 - 4:30 Individual Consultations with Michael
Late afternoon/Evening: personal practice offline
Sunday
9:00 - 11:30: meditation, 5 MT Recitation, Mindful Movement, Dharma talk,
11:30 - 12:30: break for mindful lunch
12:30 - 2:30: Dharma talk, Dharma sharing, Celebration & Closing |
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Blooming Lilac Sangha ScheduleSundays: 4 pm – 6 pm: Zoom session starts anytime from 3:45 pm on. Please arrive by 3:55 pm. Format: Meditation from 4 pm to 5 pm with twenty-minute sittings and 5-minute walking meditation. We offer a recorded Dharma talk by Thich Nhat Hanh, a reading, or a guided meditation.
Tuesday & Thursday mornings: 7:15 am - 8:15 am: Zoom available starting at 7 am. Please arrive by 7:10 am. Tuesday is silent meditation from 7:15 to 8 am. Thursday offers a guided meditation and walking from 7:15 to 8 am. We enjoy a short reading (3 to 5 minutes) after the meditation. The meditation (silent or guided) goes from 7:15 am – 8 am. Then at 8 am we take turns reading from a chosen book. We are currently reading Thich Nhat Hanh’s book: Good Citizens.
1st & 3rd Thursday evenings: Meditation & Study 6:45 pm. Meditation starts at 7 pm - 8:30 pm. Please arrive by 6:55 pm. We enjoy a short meditation and a longer reading (usually a chapter) together on 1st and 3rd Thursday evenings. ---On the 1st Thursday evening we are reading afresh the book: The Heart of the Buddha’s teaching- Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, & Liberation. The four Noble Truths, The Noble Eightfold Path & Other basic Buddhist Teachings.----On the 3rd Thursday evening we are reading the book: The Art of Living, Peace and Freedom in the Here and Now.
14 Mindfulness Trainings recitations: We will not meet on the 4th Thursday of November or the 4th Thursday of December due to holidays. Instead we will meet on Thursday December 10th: 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm. Please arrive by 6:25 pm.
Zoom information: You may use a phone, smartphone, iPad, or computer. If you have a camera on your smartphone or computer you can have a video connection as well as audio. Computers and laptops should automatically install Zoom as you enter the meeting. If you are using an Apple iPhone/iPad, or an Android device you will need to download and install the app in advance. Email bloominglilacsangha@gmail.com for log-in information. |
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Excerpt from Answers from the Heart by Thich Nhat HanhQ. What can help us take comfort that our loved ones will continue on in other forms after they die?
A. When you look at an orange tree, you see that the orange tree is producing beautiful green leaves, fragrant orange blossoms, and sweet oranges. Those are the things an orange tree has to offer to the world. A human being is like that too. In her daily life she produces thoughts, speech, and actions. Our thoughts may be beautiful, compassionate, and loving. Our speech may also be compassionate, inspiring, full of love and understanding. And our actions may also be compassionate, protecting, healing, and supporting others and ourselves. Looking deeply in the present moment we can see that we're producing thoughts, speech, and actions. In the Buddhist tradition, our thoughts, our speech and our actions are our true continuation.
Once we've produced a thought it will be here for a long time. Once we've said something, our words will remain for a long time. Once we've taken an action, our action can have an effect far into the future. Suppose you produce a thought of compassion and forgiveness. Right away that thought has a healing effect on your body and your mind. It also has an immediate healing effect on the world, and it will continue to have a healing effect into the future. So it's very important to be able to produce a thought of compassion, nondiscrimination, and forgiveness.
Many people believe that after the disintegration of the body there's nothing left. Even many scientists still believe that. But our thoughts, our speech, and our actions are the energies we produce, and they will continue for a long time. We can assure a beautiful continuation by producing good thoughts, speech, and action. You can't destroy a human being. You can't reduce him or her to non-being. Just as it's impossible for a cloud to die, it's impossible for a human being to become nothing. So looking deeply like that into our true nature, looking deeply into the nature of other people around you, you'll have the kind of insight that will liberate you from sorrow, fear, and anger. Non-fear, the insight that there's no birth and no death, is the greatest gift given to us by the practice of looking deeply. |
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