Walking the Path without a Trace: A Daylong Meditation Retreat

In this daylong, we welcome you to investigate a point at which all spiritual paths end. Let's call this path “investigation or inquiry into the nature of reality." However, it does not lead us to more thinking, conceiving, verbalizing, etc., but to the the point where thinking stops, in direct, experiential and heart-based understanding.  This topic for the day is universal to all traditions, since it lays bare a common fundamental reality of who and what we are.

Inquiry works to expose our network of lies that we tell ourselves about who and what we are; it is designed to expose something more ancient in us than language itself. A momentary gap in a thought or in consciousness,  a stutter or a hesitation, can lead to permanent shift in identity. 

More importantly, inquiry goes beyond all practices. We begin with practices, in particular, of mindfulness  that train our minds to attend to the objects of the world, and lead us to see through the subject and objects of the world as fabrications that are dependently co-arisen. This is the progressive path taught by the Buddha that gently allows the nervous system to adapt to the recognition of our fundamental reality. 

We ALL encounter a fear barrier in the awakening process. In our tradition, we gently approach our edge and are encouraged to be curious, innocent and creative enough to discover a whole new way of relating to the experience of who we are. 

Come with a sincere longing for your limitless potential. Trigger warnings are due, because this practice can put you in touch with a deep gripping you feel inside to cling to a certain overlay over reality. This heals through inquiry which will allow our hearts to let that gripping go.

This is a potluck. So please bring sufficient portions of a vegetarian dish you can share with 6 monks and about 25 of lay practitioners.