What is a Meditation Retreat like given by this guiding teacher?

A Meditation retreat with Bhante Vimalaramsi is designed to help the practitioner develop their awareness and observation ability with the goal of taking this new skill into their daily life. The retreat time is a quiet time to observe more closely HOW mind's attention moves and to discover the process that leads to the relief of suffering, anxiety, fear, dread, grief, guilt, depression, and dissatisfaction.

Through this practice of Meditation, as we become more calm, we begin to see clearly what craving and clinging actually are as they were explained precisely in the discourses of the Buddha. We begin to see that the Buddha really did leave us a clear set of instructions with which to see clearly. One sees for themselves how each part of the teachings is inter-connected to the other parts and how they work together as a support structure for the meditation to operate correctly allowing us to see clearly. The meditation practice is the vehicle we use to reach the liberation of the mind.  We experience for ourselves how this path, through practice and commitment can lead to total freedom and peace of mind. The knowledge we discovery is the key to our freedom.

During the retreat we observe noble silence while sitting and walking in Meditation.  This Noble silence is defined for us in the Suttas. During our work periods we continue our meditation practice and throughout all times, in everything we are doing, we continue to practice observing the movements of the mind in each present moment. In this way we actually  exercise the new habits we are attempting to learn while we are living each day. We then carry this new habitual pattern back into our lives following the retreat and continue to develop it. 

This training is not for the cushion alone here in retreat. It is an All the Time awareness we are learning to use. Instead of the retreat being one frame of mind and our lives being another, we begin to see how the practice can be carried over into our everyday lives and how our perspective on things can change making life much , much easier for us. We discover that we now have a new little toolbox for our life. 

We invite you to come and try this approach, discovering for yourself what the Buddha uncovered. We interview daily with the teacher about our progress and listen to Dhamma talks each night.  We share in the work here that is for our daily living and help to build the center as we go.  Together we investigate the direct connection between what the Buddha taught and our actual practice of meditation in life. 

Come and see. 

All levels of experience can practice and grow together in this type of atmosphere and are invited to join in these retreats unless otherwise stated  in a retreat description.