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Taking Refuge, Taking Care (in person)

Program Type:
Teacher:
Time:10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Date:Saturday - July 16, 2022
Sessions:1
Clear

This program will be held in person at our center in Cambridge with CIMC’s Covid protocols in place (see below). Registration is limited to 48 participants and will close at 4:00pm on Thursday, July 14. Late and walk-in registration will not be available.

In challenging times such as these, taking refuge and taking care are essential for our well-being and the well-being of the world. In taking refuge, we find a place of rest. In taking care, we learn to trust the unfolding of our lives.

In this workshop, we will practice mindfulness and pausing. We will contemplate both false refuges and true refuges. Learning to pause, taking care of our bodies, hearts, and minds, and taking refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, we may discover the capacity to meet hardship compassionately with an inner steadiness. We come to see that our happiness, sorrow, and awakening are linked to the happiness, sorrow, and awakening of all beings.

Taking refuge in the Buddha, we reflect on the inspiration of the Buddha's life, we remember our own innate goodness as well as the goodness of others. We commit ourselves to our own capacity for awakening.

Taking refuge in the Dharma, we reflect on the Buddha's teachings and undertake practices to cultivate wisdom, compassion, and skillful action. We seek to free ourselves from greed, aversion, delusion which prevent greater clarity and understanding. Thus, we walk the path of awakening in our life, resolving to live in accordance with what is true.

Taking refuge in the Sangha, we reflect on the power of community and remember that we are not alone. We align ourselves with the community of people moving in the direction of awakening and we recognize our interconnectedness. Together, we may begin to heal centuries of oppression and trauma with a true sense of interdependence with each other and the planet.

This program is appropriate for both new and experienced meditators. Our day together will include sitting meditation, talks, and time for discussion and questions. Everyone is welcome.

Please bring your own vegetarian lunch to enjoy in our garden or building during our lunch break.

Full and partial scholarships are available.

CIMC’s Covid protocols:

  • All participants must be fully vaccinated and document their Covid vaccination status via CrowdPassprior to arrival. You will be required to do so upon registration for the program.
  • Masks must be worn while inside the meditation center, except while eating and drinking.

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

Workshop

  • Please arrive at least 15 minutes early to check in and to find a comfortable place in the meditation hall.
  • 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; however, please give yourself a range of clothing options, as individual preferences for warmth or coolness differ widely and cannot be accommodated.
  • Please be sure to leave shoes on the shoe shelves on the first floor, and to 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.
  • While at the Center all phones, pagers, beeping watches and other electronic devices must remain completely turned off at all times.
  • Some people who practice at the Center have chemical sensitivities or environmental illnesses and experience adverse reactions when exposed to scented products. CIMC is a refuge. Out of compassion for those with 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.