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CIMC@BCBS Residential Retreat: Dharma-Informed Activism for These Times

Program Type:
Teacher:
Time:12:00 am - 11:59 pm
Start Date:Friday - March 17, 2023
End Date:Tuesday - March 21, 2023
Registration for this program is closed.

This coming spring, March 17 – March 21, CIMC will offer a residential retreat with Thanissara at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies (BCBS) in Barre, MA. This special program is an opportunity for CIMC sangha members to come together in collective exploration and strengthen their capacity to act skillfully and effectively in today’s world. :

Engaging the Call for ReLOVEution: Dharma-Informed Activism for These Times

Facing significant interconnected social, political, economic, and environmental crises, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and defeated even as we are trying to make a difference. With reactive currents in our psyche running in different directions, we need to fully acknowledge how we’re doing. In the first noble truth, meeting directly “how it is” clears space to help us clarify our intentions. As we respond ever more to this call for and from the future, the invitation of this truth can also help us discern empowered ways forward, individually, and collectively.

Thanissara will lead us on an exploration of intentional, heart-centered approaches rooted in the practices of the Bodhisattva and informed and inspired by sacred activists past and present. How might we choose a path of love within a balance of inner wellbeing and engaged activism?

This inquiry will be supported by Insight Meditation, Dharma reflections, psycho-spiritual process work, devotional and ceremonial practices, embodied movement and breath practice, the use of mantras, chants, music, journaling, dream-sharing, and shared inquiry sessions. Everyone is welcome.

To learn more and register, please click here. (Registration is through BCBS, not via CIMC’s website). Space is limited.

Thanissara began practice in the Burmese school of U Ba Khin in 1975. She spent 12 years as a Buddhist nun in the Forest Tradition of Ajahn Chah. She has facilitated meditation retreats internationally over the last 30 years and has an MA in Mindfulness-Based Psychotherapy Practice. She is co-founder, with Kittisaro, of Dharmagiri Sacred Mountain Retreat in South Africa, and Sacred Mountain Sangha in California, which runs a two-year Dharmapala Training.

Retreat

Attending an In-Person Retreat at CIMC (see below for attending online retreats)

  • Please arrive at least 20 minutes early to check-in and to find a comfortable place in the meditation hall.
  • Retreats are held in silence. Please power off your cell phone, smartwatch, or other electronic devices for the duration of the retreat.
  • Parking at CIMC is limited; we suggest taking public transportation to the Center whenever possible.
  • CIMC provides vegetarian meals at day-long, weekend, and multi-day retreats. We are unable to accommodate special dietary needs. If you have dietary restrictions, we invite you to bring your own vegetarian meal. Please note that nuts may be used in our kitchen.
  • Food and beverages, including water, are not allowed in the meditation halls.
  • We strongly recommend you dress in layers since the temperature in the meditation hall will vary throughout the day. The hall thermostat is set to a comfortable temperature range; however, please give yourself a range of clothing options, as individual preferences for warmth or coolness differ widely and cannot be accommodated.
  • Please leave shoes on the shoe shelves on the first floor and keep your valuables with you at all times.
  • CIMC provides zafus (round cushions), zabutons (large mats), meditation benches, blankets, and chairs for your use. At the end of the program, we request that participants brush off their zabuton and plump up their zafu. All other items should be returned neatly to where they were found.
  • CIMC is a refuge. Out of compassion for those who may have chemical sensitivities, please avoid using scented products—lotions, deodorant, after-shave, hair products, perfume, clothes laundered with scented detergent, or dryer sheets—before you come to the Center.
  • Retreat Meal Dana: In keeping with tradition, we invite you to sponsor a retreat meal as a simple and meaningful act of generosity. You will have the option to share a dedication of your generosity, perhaps to someone in your life, to a special occasion, or to an aspiration. Please contact the office for more information on offering Meal Dana for this retreat.

Attending a Retreat Online

  • Sitting a retreat at home and online is certainly different from coming to a meditation center. Tending to your comfort and giving yourself a quiet, private sitting and walking space (if possible, in the environment you are in) will help keep your attention focused and support your practice and learning. Plan to bring as much simplicity and ease to your day as possible. The schedule of the retreat is structured to support your well-being and practice with regular breaks and time for mindful movement.
  • We will be using Zoom for this retreat. Before your retreat begins, be sure to download Zoom and familiarize yourself with using the program, including the chat feature. Specifics about how we will be using Zoom during your retreat will be covered at the beginning of the retreat; however, we are not able to provide technical support during the retreat.
  • We ask that you treat our virtual meditation hall as if we were together in person, in the same room. The teachers and other yogis benefit greatly from your full presence and careful attention.
  • Join each session of the retreat a few minutes early. This will support the teachers and your fellow retreatants.
  • Please maintain noble silence as much as possible for the duration of the retreat and take any necessary steps to limit external distractions such as incoming emails, texts, or other interruptions so that we can maintain the integrity of our practice together. Close all programs on your computer other than Zoom and turn off all notifications on your devices.
  • Ideally, power off phones and smartwatches for the entire time scheduled for the retreat on each day. Please don’t check your devices during breaks. We suggest that you put an “away” message on your email and voicemail and leave your devices in another room during your retreat hours.
  • Please keep your video on during our time together as much as you can. This supports a sense of connectedness and sangha.
  • Closed Captions for CIMC Programs are generated through “live streaming” via Rev.com. CIMC programs are not live-streamed to any other platform for any other use.
  • You will receive a welcome email from CIMC a day or two before your program that will include the zoom link, retreat schedule, and further information.