Taught by Howard Cohn September 30 – October 2, 2022 In-Person (location to be announced)
Insight Meditation
Vipassana (insight meditation) is the simple and direct practice of moment-to-moment mindfulness. Through careful and sustained observation, we experience for ourselves the ever-changing flow of the mind/body process. This awareness leads us to accept more fully the pleasure and pain, fear and joy, sadness and happiness that life inevitably brings. As insight deepens, we develop greater equanimity and peace in the face of change, and generosity, compassion, and wisdom become the guiding principles in our lives.
The Retreat
This two-night residential retreat will follow the Buddha's path of cultivating awareness through the practice of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. You will realize that your awareness is your best friend. Sitting and walking in silence, we can befriend ourselves.
We will explore awakening and freedom, the central purpose of the Buddha’s teaching. A committed meditation practice provides the opportunity to realize an unfettered heart and mind, opening the way for genuine happiness. Practice helps us move beyond our usual spiritual or material comfort zone and opens us to a wider view of ourselves and our world. Through Insight Meditation and Loving-kindness, we can release our hearts from constriction and confusion and experience freedom and ease.
The retreat is composed of instructions, sitting meditation, walking meditation, question and answer sessions, and evening Dharma talks, and is suitable for beginners and experienced practitioners alike. Interviews with the teacher will be scheduled as time and numbers permit. Silence is observed throughout the retreat in order to provide an optimal environment for internal work. We will be given instructions for the practice of loving kindness, cultivating friendship toward oneself and all other beings.
Set-up and check-in for participants will be on Friday afternoon, September 30. The retreat ends after lunch on Sunday, October 2. Registration will be open to 40-50 participants, and minimum age to participate is 15 years.
Our Teacher
Howard Cohn is a founding teacher of Spirit Rock Meditation Center in northern California. He has led the Mission Dharma sitting group in San Francisco for over 35 years, been in private practice as a psychotherapist, and led Vipassana retreats worldwide since 1985. He incorporates the influences of Theravada, Zen, Tibetan Dzogchen and Advaita Vedanta in his teaching, with an emphasis on reawakening our intrinsic freedom. Among his many teachers and mentors are Jack Kornfield, Joseph Goldstein, U Pandita Sayadaw, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, Tsoknyi Rinpoche, and the Advaita Vedanta Master H.W.L. Poonja. Howie is known by his students for his kindheartedness and warm sense of humor. In keeping with our ancient tradition of dana (generosity), Howie offers the teachings freely. The opportunity is always available to offer dana to Howie to help him continue his ability to teach the Buddhadharma: HowardCohn.com