Description
The Buddha’s first discourse provided the backdrop for the whole of his teaching: the centrality of dukkha (unreliability), suffering, and dissatisfaction with our human experience. After establishing this foundation, the Buddha then provided his students and companions with a second window through which to view, understand, and meet the challenges of inner and outer life.
This second perspective is described in the Anattalakkhana Sutta, one of 10,000 suttas attributed to the Buddha. In this sutta we are taught to investigate our experience with three simple questions, giving us a natural way to let go of the causes of unnecessary suffering.
- Is this permanent or impermanent?
- Is this satisfactory or unsatisfactory?
- Is this considered me, mine, or myself?
In this daylong retreat we take the seats of the Buddha’s earliest students and use the Buddha’s own lens for understanding our inner and outer worlds. We can discover for ourselves how this way of knowing, feeling, seeing, and understanding can free our hearts and minds from stress, struggle, and heartache.
The schedule for the day will include alternating periods of sitting and walking meditation, a break for lunch, light instructions offered by the teacher, and a question and response session.
This program is appropriate for beginners and experienced practitioners alike. All are warmly welcome.
Attending an in-person retreat
- 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.
- Please arrive at least 20 minutes early to check in and find a comfortable place in the meditation hall.
- Parking at CIMC is limited; we suggest you take public transportation to the Center whenever possible.
- Retreats are held in silence. Please power off your cell phone, smartwatch, and other electronic devices for the retreat. All phones, pagers, beeping watches, and other electronic devices must remain completely turned off while you are at the Center.
- Please leave your shoes on the shoe shelves on the first floor and keep your valuables with you.
- We provide vegetarian meals at day-long, weekend, and multi-day retreats. We are unable to accommodate special dietary needs, however. If you have dietary restrictions, we invite you to bring your own vegetarian meal. Please note that nuts may be used in our kitchen.
- The meditation halls do not allow food and beverages, including water.
- We strongly recommend you dress in layers since the temperature in the meditation hall varies throughout the day. The hall thermostat is set to a comfortable temperature range; however, it’s best to have a range of clothing options, as individual preferences for warmth or coolness differ widely and cannot be accommodated.
- Masks are optional. Some masks are available at the entrance of the Center.
- CIMC provides zafus (round cushions), zabutons (large mats), meditation benches, blankets, and chairs. At the end of the program, we request that participants brush off their zabutons and plump up their zafus. All other items should be returned neatly to where they belong.
- Hearing Assistive Devices are available in the Meditation Hall. The wireless receiver has a standard headphone jack, and we provide headphones and neck loops.