Teachers
Phillip Moffitt, Dana DePalma, Ying Chen, Alex Haley
Location
Online
Prerequisite
Completion of one weeklong (5+ nights) online or in-person Nine Bodies Insight retreat or the Naturally Arising Ease, Awareness, and Insight retreat
Description
“We have this unnoticed assumption that we have to contract to move, that we have to effort and strain and tighten to respond to life. But the Dharma is teaching us something else. That responsive energy, when it’s coming from the discerning mind, just moves. It’s natural. There’s no selfing in it. No extra tension. The wisdom knows. The compassion holds. The action happens.” — Phillip Moffitt, November 2024
In this retreat, we will explore the discerning mind — a state that emerges when our practice of non-judging, non-comparing, and non-fixing has stabilized the mind. Utilizing the "as best I am able" practice, we'll learn how to cultivate conditions that allow this spacious, responsive, peaceful state to arise naturally. The discerning mind is distinctively characterized by its freedom from egoic contraction, allowing us to see clearly what is skillful, wholesome, and beneficial. We will learn how to establish ourselves in this state when it arises and how to draw upon the resulting wisdom and compassion in the midst of life's complexities.
The timing of this retreat is intentional to be in the heart of our fall exploration of the discerning mind. You can find a number of related programs before and after the retreat on our events page.
This retreat is for practitioners already familiar with Nine Bodies Insight, including each of the Bodies’ primary characteristics and how to access them, and also familiar with Insight Meditation, including how to work with the hindrances and how to direct and sustain attention. The practices and teachings offered on this retreat will build from these foundations.
The retreat includes two detailed guided meditations per day, teaching sessions, and cohort (small group) practice meetings. Please plan to attend all of these sessions due to our emphasis on learning in community and the progressive nature of these teachings.
The small group cohort meetings will be either Thu/Sat/Mon OR Fri/Sun/Tue at the same time of day – either 12:30 or 2:00 PT. Phillip will not be leading cohort groups; however, he will be offering guided meditations and teachings every day.
The retreat is not recommended for those experiencing intense emotional distress, crisis, or other strong mental challenges.
This retreat is not a training to teach; attending this retreat does not in any way authorize teaching the Naturally Arising practice method, including the specific preliminary practices and the Nine Bodies Insight practice.
Model of Mutual Support
This program is offered in the Buddhist tradition of dāna, which means freely giving. For this retreat, donations to Dharma Ground and teachers are offered separately. The first donation opportunity is at the time of registration and goes to Dharma Ground, the nonprofit organization hosting this retreat. The suggested donation range for the hosting organization is $275 - $850. The second donation opportunity is at the end of the retreat and goes to the teachers. You are welcome to offer any amount you wish below or above this range. Finances need not be a barrier to participation. Any offering is gratefully accepted and is tax-deductible.
Schedule (All Times Listed in Pacific Time)
Wednesday, October 1 - Opening Day
4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Welcome and Opening Session
Thursday, October 2 – Tuesday, October 7 – Daily Schedule
5:30 a.m. Silent Meditation (Main Hall - Optional)
6:30 a.m. Personal Practice (Optional)
8:00 a.m. First Guided Meditation (Main Hall)
9:10 a.m. Walking/Movement Practice
9:45 a.m. Silent Meditation (Main Hall)
10:30 a.m. Walking/Movement Practice
11:00 a.m. Second Guided Meditation (Main Hall)
12:00 p.m. Meal Break (Main Hall Closed for 1 minute for recording processing)
12:30 p.m. Cohort Practice Meetings (for some groups) OR Walking/Movement Practice
2:00 p.m. Cohort Practice Meetings (for some groups) OR Walking/Movement Practice
3:00 p.m. Silent Meditation (Main Hall) + Affinity Groups - Alternating
3:45 p.m. Walking/Movement Practice
4:15 p.m. Silent Meditation (Main Hall)
4:50 p.m. Stretch break
5:00 p.m. Evening Teaching Session (Main Hall)
6:15 p.m. Continued personal practice (Optional) (Main Hall Closed for 1 minute for recording processing)
7:00 p.m. Candlelight Silent Meditation (Optional)
Wednesday, October 8 - Closing Day
6:00 a.m. Silent Meditation (Main Hall - Optional)
8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Guided Meditation and Closing
Please be able to attend all sessions listed in bold