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Gone Tomorrow, Here Today: Practicing with the Truth of Aging, Sickness, and Death (in person only)

Program Type:
Teacher:
Time:10:00 am - 5:30 pm
Date:Saturday - September 23, 2023
Sessions:1
Registration for this program is closed.

This program will be held in person at our Center in Cambridge.

Please bring a vegetarian lunch or plan to go out during the lunch break. Masks will be optional.

Both provocative and compelling, Buddhist teachings on aging, sickness, and death convey a truth about our lives so significant that exploring them can enrich our meditation practice and our whole life in profound ways. While there may be a tendency to dismiss or turn away from these existential “truths”, there is an opportunity to use our practice to contemplate them in a manner consistent with the Dharma’s goal of insight and freedom.

  • How does turning towards these truths facilitate greater meaning and purpose in our lives?
  • How might these teachings foster non-attachment and joy?
  • How might we use our practice to cultivate kind and compassionate responses to these inevitable challenges of being human?
  • How do centuries-old Buddhist practices centered around aging, sickness, and death support us in living with more equanimity and fearlessness in the days we have left?

In this workshop, we will explore these questions in depth. We will integrate silent periods of sitting and walking meditation with periods of guided meditation, teacher reflections, and group discussions, as well as time for personal reflection.

This program is open to all, including beginners and experienced meditators, those confronting difficulties associated with aging, sickness, and death, and anyone interested in exploring how the tradition of Dharma practice draws upon these teachings as daily reminders. Everyone is welcome.

This program will not be recorded. Full and partial scholarships are available up to 72 hours before the start of the program.

Chris Crotty, M.A., BCCC, BCPC, is a Buddhist teacher, clinical chaplain and pastoral counselor, and furniture maker. Practicing meditation since 1998, he has taken retreats with Burmese monastics Sayadaw U Indaka and Sayadaw U Tejaniya, scholar-practitioner Bhikkhu Analayo, western monastics of the Zen and Thai Forest tradition, and senior western Vipassana teachers. Chris was authorized to teach Buddhadharma in 2015 by senior teachers in the western Insight (vipassana) tradition, and in 2016 was encouraged to teach vipassana and metta by Sayadaw U Indaka. Chris is the co-spiritual director at The Center for Mindfulness & Insight Meditation Wenham, a faculty member at Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, and an active member of the Center for Spiritual Care & Pastoral Formation (CSCPF).

 

There are no prerequisites for this program. Everyone is welcome.

Workshop

Attending an In-Person Workshop at CIMC (see below for attending online workshops)

  • Please arrive at least 15 minutes early to check-in and to find a comfortable place in the meditation hall.
  • While at the Center all phones, pagers, beeping watches and other electronic devices must remain completely turned off at all times.
  • Parking at CIMC is limited; we suggest taking public transportation to the Center whenever possible.
  • Lunch will not be provided. Participants are invited to bring their own vegetarian meal to the Center or may buy lunch in the neighborhood. A list of local restaurants and food stores will be available.
  • 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.

Attending an Online Workshop

  • We will be using Zoom for this workshop. Before your workshop 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 workshop will be covered at the beginning of the workshop; however, we are not able to provide technical support during the workshop.
  • 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 workshop a few minutes early. This will support the teachers and your fellow participants.
  • Ideally, power off phones and smartwatches for the entire time scheduled for the workshop 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 workshop 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 and further information.