October Newsbyte

All Past Tips 
For Calendar and assistant opportunities see below .
Tip o' the Day
Constant Curiosity
Carl Fooks
 

The Calendar for 2019
 

Teachers: Click on names for bio.
Mahasi Monthlong Retreat
Noirin Sheahan
Start dates Sat 2, Sun 10, Sat 16 Nov.
Sun 24th possible for Mahasi devotees
Ends Sat am 30 Nov.

Vipassana means “Seeing clearly”. 
When we see the world as it really is, we will be free from the distress that comes from identifying with a limited view of who and what we are.
During the retreat, we relax from all our usual busyness to give our full attention to present experience. 
We learn to see the world more clearly, and to disentangle the knots of confusion that bind us to emotional turmoil. 
At precious moments, the heart opens and we may sense what it means to be free.
Assistant Nov.Sat.02 - Sat. 16 : Fi Robertson
Assistant Nov.Sat.16 - Sat. 30 : Robert Narayan Taylor
The usual schedule and format, easily modified for beginners. 

The Complete Calendar for 2020
(See website calendar for updates)
 
Teachers: Click on names for bio.
 
Day Retreat
Kick Start/Top up
Saturday 04 January
Bhante Bodhidhamma
Local Assistant : Trevor Flaxman and Mary Ryan
Arrive 09.30. Finish 17.00
Please bring veggie food to share.

Three Month Winter Mahasi
APPLICATIONS START 01 OCTOBER
Bhante Bodhidhamma
Eleven week roll-on, roll-off Retreat.
11 January - 28 March
Finishing Sat 28 March am
Open only to those who have at least one Mahasi Retreat 
either at Satipanya or with another teacher
You are encouraged to stay for more than one week.

Start dates restricted to these Saturdays:  
 11 Jan  -   25 Jan    Assistant : Jim Tibby

 
APPLICATIONS START JANUARY 07
 
Easter Mahasi Retreat
Noirin Sheahan
Sat 11 April Sat. 25 April a.m.
( Possible start Sunday 19 April for Mahasi devotees)
 
Assistant : Needed

Vipassana means “Seeing clearly”. 
When we see the world as it really is, we will be free from the distress that comes from identifying with a limited view of who and what we are.
During the retreat, we relax from all our usual busyness to give our full attention to present experience. 
We learn to see the world more clearly, and to disentangle the knots of confusion that bind us to emotional turmoil. 
At precious moments, the heart opens and we may sense what it means to be free.

The usual schedule and format – see website.
 
Buddha Day
Honouring Our Teacher  and Exemplar
Taking Refuges and Precepts Ceremony 
On Saturday 02 May : Start 10.30 
Morning Meditation at 11.00
Please bring veggie finger communal lunch at noon.

Ceremony starts 13.30
Afternoon Talk : Taking Refuges and Precepts : Procession
Tea and Biscuits 16.00
. 
Vipassana : Metta : Bodycare 
Bhante Bodhidhamma
with Bryan Lester, Reiki Master
Assistant: Needed
Sat 02 – Weds 06 May 
 
Come Friday evening if you want to join in Buddha Day Celebration 

Mahasi Day Retreat
Jenny Birkett
Sat. 16 May
Assistant : Needed
The usual schedule and format – see website.
Especially for beginners.
 
Weeklong Mahasi Retreat
 Guus Went
23 May – Sun. 31 May.
Assistant : Needed

Sayadaw U Pandita's definition of Mindfulness: Mindfulness is the observing power of the mind, which clearly and simply experiences an object, without reacting to it.
We start actively to develop this power with the body as primary object. That makes it possible not to get fully entangled in the hindrances and to come to know something about them. Sitting meditation, walking meditation and daily activities are fully equal in importance. Gradually we come to know other objects of meditation, both internally and externally.
Practical thing: It is useful to take a small notebook and a pen, to make notes of observations after a session or during the day. This will be helpful to make the interview sessions useful and relaxed.

 The usual schedule and format – see website.
 
Mahasi Weeklong Retreat
Carl Fooks
Sat 06 – Sun 14 June
Assistant : Needed
 
The Mahasi system can feel challenging,
and its emphasis on moment-to-moment mindfulness can prove to feel particularly difficult.
Carl teaches a gentle approach to the practice encouraging a skilful and effective orientation
that helps practitioners to commit themselves fully to the practice and the schedule,
and thereby get the most out of the course.
The usual schedule and format – see website.
  
Summer Mahasi Retreat
Eleven week roll-on, roll-off Retreat.
Minimum stay eight nights.
Assistants : Needed (see below)

Noirin Sheahan
Start dates: Saturdays:-
27 June & 11 July
Finishing Sat 25 July
Alternate Sun. possible for Mahasi devotees: 05 & 19 July

Bhante Bodhidhamma
Start dates: Saturdays:-
25 July - 08 & 22 Aug. 05 Sept.
Sun. 13 Sept
N.B. Start restricted to listed Saturdays.
Alternate Sun. possible for Mahasi devotees: 02 & 16 & 30 Aug,
You are encouraged to stay for more than one week.

Assistants : Needed
Starting and ending on following Saturday.
27 June – 11 July : Assistant Needed
11 July – 25 July : Assistant : Needed
25 July – 08 August : Assistant : Needed
08 – 22 August: Assistant : Needed
22 August – 05 September: Assistant : Needed
05 September – 13 September: Assistant : Needed
13 September Finishing Day

Sangha Day : Thiteenth Anniversary
Saturday 12 September
Assistant : Needed
Please bring veggie food to join us for communal lunch at noon.
Ceremony starts 13.30
Talk: To be announced.
 
Weekend Retreat 
Carl Fooks
Fri. 25 – Sun. 27 September
Assistant : Needed
The Mahasi system can feel challenging,
and its emphasis on moment-to-moment mindfulness can prove to feel particularly difficult.
Carl teaches a gentle approach to the practice encouraging a skilful and effective orientation
that helps practitioners to commit themselves fully to the practice and the schedule,
and thereby get the most out of the course.
See usual weekend  Schedules

Insight Dialogue
Anne Michel
 Sat.17 – Sat. 24 a.m. October
 Assistant : Needed
Insight Dialogue – created by Gregory Kramer http://www.metta.org – brings the mindfulness and tranquility of traditional silent meditation practice into our interaction with others.
Depending on conditions inside us and around us, our perceptions of others and ourselves, we can open the heart with wisdom or create and sustain habitual patterns of stress and reactivity.
Insight Dialogue Practice allows us to face the complexity of our relationships with mindfulness.
Such experience softens our fears of relationship and diminishes our struggle to be seen or to escape the moment of contact.
Trust and calm can settle in us, anchored in wisdom and compassion.
It is a very good complement to the Vipassana practice, allowing both concentration and relationship habits to deepen.
The retreat is open to both beginners and long-term practitioners
 
 Mahasi Monthlong Retreat
Noirin Sheahan
Start dates Sat 31 Oct. and 14 Nov.
Mahasi devotees can join on Sundays 08 or 22 Nov
Ends Sat am 28 Nov.
Assistant Sat 31 Oct.  - Sat. 14 Nov. : Needed
Assistant Sat.14 Nov. - Sat. 28 Nov.: Needed

Vipassana means “Seeing clearly”. 
When we see the world as it really is, we will be free from the distress that comes from identifying with a limited view of who and what we are.
During the retreat, we relax from all our usual busyness to give our full attention to present experience. 
We learn to see the world more clearly, and to disentangle the knots of confusion that bind us to emotional turmoil. 
At precious moments, the heart opens and we may sense what it means to be free.

The usual schedule and format – see website.
 
 

Constant Curiosity
Carl Fooks

At the end of a retreat, it’s common for people to wonder how they can continue the practice once they return to normal life. It’s also common for people to observe that the instructions don’t easily map to daily life, I mean, how are we supposed to go slow and note everything while running for the bus or negotiating a business deal?!

For me, though, this is to mistake the form of the practice for the heart. The instructions while we’re sitting are to watch whatever arises within the field of awareness in a way that does not control or manipulate, judge or question and, without any interference whatsoever, simply allow it to arise and pass away. The great Thai lay teacher, Upasika Kee, calls this “unentangled knowing”. This is the heart of the practice. When we have a difficult emotion arise, we contact it in the body - feel the feelings in the feelings”—and then watch it in this way of unentangled knowing.

The Buddha’s first two noble truths tell us that there is suffering (dukkha), and that this is caused by craving (tanhā). We are constantly dissatisfied with our experience and feel a compulsion to fiddle and faff about with it, trying to make it somehow better. We want things to be other than they are.

The instructions, on retreat, are to simply watch this as described above, but the problem is how to do this in normal daily life. By this, I don’t mean on the cushion, where the instructions are exactly the same, but when walking down the road, or immediately after a verbal collision with an ornery work colleague.

The way to bring the heart of the practice into everyday life is to nurture a curious, investigative attitude that takes interest in how we are suffering, to see what we’re clinging to so that we may then observe it from this place of unentangled knowing.

When you find yourself struggling with a difficult emotion, ask yourself what you are clinging to; what do you want to be different, to be other than it is? Don’t just accept the first answer, dig in.

Imagine you find yourself angry with someone. Ask yourself, “What’s causing this anger?” Your answer may be “They’re an unsavory character!” Nope! Keep digging! Remember, nobody can make us feel anything; we ‘choose’ how we respond. “Okay, it’s because their attack brought about a feeling of injustice.” Better, but dig in further! “Okay, this feeling of injustice is because I feel unrecognised and disrespected.” Even better, but you can go further! “Feeling unrecognised and disrespected makes me afraid that I am worthless.” Excellent, but how does that make you feel? “This feeling of worthlessness, that I resent, has an underlying feeling of needing to be appreciated, liked, accepted and loved.” That’s brilliant! Get in touch with that feeling, feel it in the body, and then try to just accept it being there, allow its energy to dissipate without any interference whatsoever.

Of course, all of this is hard. You may find yourself unable to dig all the way to the bottom. That’s fine, just find the answer that feels the most real to you and sit with that. Of course, the sitting with it is hard too. This is where the sitting practice pays dividends. It’s why it’s called practice! The more we practice, the easier this becomes, and the mindfulness we develop helps us to catch these moments without the angry retort in the first place.

As you develop this, keep it going at all times; be constantly curious! When you find yourself reacting strangely to an advert, investigate. When you find yourself tightening in a meeting, investigate. Positive or negative; seeing lovers kiss, babies cry, dog poo on the floor, flowers in bloom, strewn rubbish, children happily playing, whatever it is, investigate. Dig in and see if you can come to an equanimous and compassionate accommodation with whatever it is you uncover. The wonderful thing about this is that you don’t need to be on the cushion to do it. You can do it at anytime, anywhere.
 

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SATIPANYA  BUDDHIST TRUST
www.satipanya.org.uk   
Directors - Jim Tibby    Richard Benjamin   Maureen Tibby   Mike Regan
Limited Company Number 05924965 Registered Charity Number 1116668
Satipanya, White Grit, Minsterley, Shropshire  SY5 0JN
T: 0044 (0)1588 650752  
  info: info@satipanya.org.uk