Samatha-Vipassana Half-day Meditation Retreat & Potluck

Date: Saturday, February 4th, from 10:30am to 2:30pm+
Location: Heart of Wisdom Zen Temple, 6401 NE 10th Ave, Portland, OR 97211

Cost: Gift economy / aka donation (please note half-day retreat if you send a donation)
RSVP: email me!
COVID Policy: Test required (see below)

Feel free to shoot over any questions you may have!

Event Summary

Co-led by myself & Asher Wallis, this retreat will explore the central meditative practice of Buddhism: samatha-vipassana.  Sometimes considered two distinct practices, samatha or calm-abiding, is the mode of meditation that allows us to calm & center our minds, while vipassana or insight meditation, is the mode that looks more deeply into what’s happening so as to build wisdom & insight.

In this half-day retreat, we’ll explore these two practices on their own merits, but also how they intersect and work together to form a timeless approach to meditation that takes us deeper and deeper into inner freedom.

 

Logistics

The meditation portion of the day will go from 10:30am to 2:30pm, and then at 2:30, we will have a potluck lunch and time for informal socializing with each other.  

The meditation portion will feature some short talks, a few periods of sitting meditation around 40 – 45 minutes long, and indoor walking meditation.

You are welcome to leave at 2:30pm or stick around for the potluck; though, of course, it would be great if you were able to join the potluck!  If you’d like to stay for the potluck, but it feels stressful to bring something, please don’t worry about it and come anyways!!

We don’t anticipate capacity issues, but it would still be helpful to have a sense of how many people are coming, so please let us know if you plan to come. 

 

Covid

We will be asking everyone to take a COVID test the morning before coming to the retreat.  As we will all be tested, masks will be optional.  Of course, please stay home if you are actively sick.

 

Cost

Offered on the gift economy (aka, generosity or donation).  

Your presence is the biggest gift, though if you’re able, monetary contributions are always appreciated.  Donations can be made in person, or electronically to Asher or David (if sending electronically, please note “half-day retreat” and we will split the donations).

 

Facilitator Bios

David is a former Buddhist monk, who completed an intensive 21-month Vipassana Meditation retreat in Myanmar with his core teacher, Sayadaw U Tejaniya. He currently works as a Buddhist & meditation teacher for the 10% Happier app, Pause Meditation, and the Path of Sincerity Sangha.

Asher is a long-time Buddhist practitioner, who has spent a big chunk of every year for the past 15 years on silent meditation retreat. He is particularly interested in the Early Buddhist discourses (suttas). He works as a grief counselor in private practice and leads various Buddhist/meditation groups several evenings a week. Visit his website for more info.