Upcoming Wisconsin retreat

The details and registration information for the retreat with Ayya Medhanandi are now posted on our website at: http://madisonmeditation.org/retreats/ayya-medhanandi.html

The retreat is from May 21-24, 2017 at Pine Lake Camp in Westfield, Wisconsin.

Also online is our latest newsletter http://madisonmeditation.org/newsletters/index.html which includes a wonderful, lengthy interview with Ayya about her path to becoming a bhikkhuni and the women's monastery she's begun in Ontario, Canada.  It is an insightful view on the issue of women in Theravada Buddhism and a lovely example of Ayya's teaching and approach to the Dharma.  

The newsletter and the website also have been updated to include details on a 4-week Introductory Meditation class beginning in April, our Kalyana Mitta study groups, half-day sittings, upcoming retreats, a city wide Dharma list, and more, so check us out at http://madisonmeditation.org/

Best wishes for your practice!

Retreats and Resources

Online resources:

Buddhanet offers a wealth of resources from basic Buddhist study materials to a directory of the worldwide Buddhist community.

Ashoka, the eDharma Learning Center hosts retreats and classes online.

Sounds True's Neuroscience Training Summit, begins Monday, March 20, with videos and bonus resources from Rick Hansen, Dan Siegel, Linda Graham, Michael Taft, Kelly McGonigal, Peter Levine, Steve Porges, and Janina Fisher. You can register here to watch it for free.

JOT (Just One Thing) a free online newsletter that suggests a simple practice each week for more joy, more fulfilling relationships, and more peace of mind.

The Twin Cities Vipassana Collective offers retreats at Koinonia Retreat Center in South Haven, MN.

The Tergar Meditation Community of Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche in Minnepolis also offers retreats throughout the year including online retreats.

March 15 Liberation Park

La Crosse area Friends meditating & exploring on Wednesdays

upcoming sessions:  March 15th at Wesley UMC 

March 15th -- Wesley UMC at King & 8th
(see important details below).

We will meet for a silent meditation, short Dhamma talk, and conversation on topics of spiritual interest.

Location information -- Important!  The church doors will be locked. The evening's hosts will arrive early to set up and meet you at the door. Please use the 721 King Street entrance, where one of us will be waiting to greet you. Knock if you don't see anyone. There will be plenty of parking on the street. The church also has parking space off of 8th St. 

Meditation starts at 6:30 pm. Please arrive 5-10 minutes before then. The "Lounge" where we will be meeting has many chairs. If you prefer to sit on the floor, please bring your own mat and cushion.

Dāna (donations, gifts, free-will offerings) to sustain Liberation Park and support our work are most welcome.

This link is to a sample sutta/teaching outlining the path and its factors.

A sampler of Santikaro's talks from La Crosse and elsewhere are posted at http://liberationpark.org/audio/index.htm

March 5 Session cancelled

The Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche Sangha session scheduled for Sunday, March 5 has been cancelled due to illness. The group will next meet on Sunday, April 2.

Liberation Park February 15

Liberation Park upcoming sessions:  February 15th & March 1st at Wesley UMC  

 

February 15th -- Wesley UMC at King & 8th Streets (see important details below).

Folks here and in other sanghas are continuing interest in the theme of "Weathering Life's Storms" and so am I. In keeping with our focus on the noble eightfold path of practice, we can reflect on how these two perspectives intertwine and strengthen each other. While facing whatever storm may be brewing and blowing inside or out, we also keep an eye on the deep potential for liberation from GAHFD.*
Following up on our first session of the year -- anumodana -- I will offer a guided meditation in appreciation. This is another way to ground ourselves, especially when the news coming at us is "bad." Appreciation balances other tendencies, such as envy and over-criticalness. A pleasant plus is that it tends to be joyful, though that isn't "the goal."
Following up from our last discussion, let's consider khanti, patient endurance and tolerance. Buddha described khanti as "the supreme crucible," tapas, the spiritual fire or austerity that incinerates "defilements" (GAHFD*). In preparation, please reflect on these questions:

• When you are perturbed, provoked, or having a button pushed, how are you able to settle and avoid harmful retaliation?
    
• Once skillfully contained, how do you endure the inner heat or turmoil?
   
• Are there particular perturbations, provocations, and buttons that require your most special care?

We will discuss such questions and related observations in the second half of the session.

* GAHFD is my current acronym for the kilesa, the volitional, reactive, destructive emotions such as greed, anger, hatred, fear, delusion, pride, and shame. (Note: Some of these -- anger and fear -- also have a non-volitional counterpart that is simply a biological response to threat and danger.)

Location information -- Important!  The church doors will be locked. The evening's hosts will arrive early to set up and meet you at the door. Please use the 721 King Street entrance, where one of us will be waiting to greet you. Knock if you don't see anyone. There will be plenty of parking on the street. The church also has parking space off of 8th St. 

Meditation starts at 6:30 pm. Please arrive 5-10 minutes before then. The "Lounge" where we will be meeting has many chairs. If you prefer to sit on the floor, please bring your own mat and cushion.

Dāna (donations, gifts, free-will offerings) to sustain Liberation Park and support our work are most welcome.

Doug McGill continues to post daily reflections from U Tejaniya. They are short, pithy, and often brilliant. A good way to return attention to core practice concerns. Click here to subscribe.

Next sessions:  March 1st and March 15th.

Free Pema Chodron downloads

Here are your downloads of Chapters 1 and 6 of Practicing Peace by Pema Chödrön. Download e-book This PDF file will either open in your web browser or launch in an application like Adobe Acrobat. Choose File > Save As in your web browser to save the PDF to your device.     Download audiobook This large 30MB file may take a little while to download depending on the speed of your Internet connection. Once the download has finished, double click the file to open the ZIP archive and you will find MP3 audio files that you can listen to with your favorite audio player. We’ll also be sending you a weekly quote from Pema called Heart Advice and periodic announcements about Shambhala books and online courses. We hope you find them informative, and rest assured, you can manage your e-mail preferences or unsubscribe at any time using the links in the footer of all our e-mails. Enjoy Practicing Peace, Shambhala Publications P.S. Receive 30% off and free shipping when you purchase 2 or more books from the collection entitled Enduring Wisdom for Changing Times, which includes selections from Pema Chödrön and other Shambhala Publications authors.

Liberation Park - Chicago Retreat

Mindful, natural breathing brings us to a grounded space in the center of our bodies. This grounding is superb for observing life with peacefulness, stability, and clarity. By reflecting on the nature of the breath, we can expand our awareness to encompass everything else. This retreat will explore the qualities of awareness centered in our bodies, on the breath, and on non-judgmentally opening to the space around us. Register for Retreat Here  

 

Thursday evening talk: Revealing Reality through Mindful Inquiry

  Explore the crucial role of inquiry within the spiritual path as we learn to pay more attention, focus on what's important, and look even more deeply within.