Events
An Online Retreat, Friday 6 to Sunday 15 October 2023
The Way of Insight
In this retreat we will practise mindfulness and explore its application to the discovery of insight. For the Buddha, “insight” means seeing into the three universal characteristics of impermanence or change (anicca), pain or dis-ease (dukkha) and not-self (anattā). These characteristics reveal a world entirely different from the one we have taken for granted as “real” or “normal.” In this new world we discover what the Buddha calls Dharma, the way life actually flows, and learn to live flourishing lives that benefit both us and those around us.
Retreat Fees
The fees cover our expenses and build a fund for future events.
Full time attendance (includes one-on-one interviews with Patrick) $250.
Full time without interviews (for experienced practitioners only and with prior approval) $200.
Weekend only (without interviews) $50.
Attendance at nightly dharma talks is free, with a Zoom link provided to those who register for them.
Dāna
Your fee does not pay for Patrick’s teaching. In Buddhist tradition, the dharma is felt to be of such great value that it cannot be bought or sold: it can be transmitted and received only as gift. This is dāna, which means “giving” or “gift.” In this spirit, Patrick offers his teaching as a gift. His students return his gift in the form of financial support, and Patrick lives on these gifts. Details for giving dāna to Patrick will be provided at the conclusion of the retreat, or can be found on the dāna page of his website.
Registration & Further Information
To register, go to our Retreat Shop.
If you have any questions, contact our Retreat Manager, Alex.
And finally, you can download your schedule here. Select the schedule that fits your time zone. If your time zone is not supported, contact Alex through the link above.
Peace Amidst Chaos: Mindfulness Meditation with Patrick Kearney & Emma Pittaway
Kuan Yin Meditation Centre, Lismore, Saturday 28 - Sunday 29 October 2023
In this two-day residential workshop will will focus on working with the mind. People meditate to discover “inner peace,” but often find that the mind “gets in the way.” We will explore ways of working with the mind in meditation with thought, emotions and awareness itself. This approach is not about subduing the mind but finding peace and wisdom within the chaos. Suitable for beginners and those familiar with vipassanā (insight) meditation.
Emma Pittaway is a regular teacher at the Kuan Yin Meditation Centre. Inspired by the Buddha and his followers, who lived and meditated in the forest, she draws on the natural world to support her practice, and teaches an open “natural awareness” approach.
Single day: $10 + dāna (donation for teachers)
Both days: $20 + dāna (donation for teachers)
Bookings and enquiries: emma.wilddharma@gmail.com.
A Residential Retreat at Jhana Grove Meditation Centre, Friday 10 to Sunday 19 November 2023
Calming Body, Settling Heart
Mindfulness is a physical practice, and our relationship to body lies at its centre. When we are fully present to the six senses, when we accept ourselves as sentient bodies, then our heart settles and insight arises. As the Buddha said, describing his own practice before his awakening, “my body was calm and peaceful; and my heart was settled and unified (MN 4 Bhayabherava Sutta Fear & Dread).” This attainment led to the Bodhi Tree. In this retreat we will practise intimacy with the felt reality of our human condition.
This retreat is held in the Serpentine Hills, southeast of Perth, WA. The centre is spacious, comfortable and very conducive to practice.
Information & booking: The retreat is hosted by the Perth Insight Meditation Group (PIMG). Keep an eye on their website for when registrations open.
A Residential Retreat at Blue Mountains Insight Meditation Centre, Sunday 3 to Sunday 10 December
Practice Directed and Undirected - Co-taught with Emma Pittaway
The Buddha taught directed and undirected practice as twin aspects of satipaṭṭhāna, establishing mindfulness. In directed practice we aim mind at an object and hold it there. In undirected practice we pull back, so mind is neither aimed nor held. When this happens, the Buddha says the practitioner is happy and their mind is unconstricted, freed (SN 47.10 The bhikkhunis’ quarters). In this retreat we will explore both directed and undirected practice, as essential aspects of the craft of meditation.
Emma Pittaway has trained primarily in the lineages of Mahasi Sayadaw and Shwe Oo Min Sayadaw, her teachers being Patrick Kearney and Sayadaw U Tejaniya. She has practised for over twenty years in Burma, Thailand, India, Nepal and Malaysia, as well as here in Australia. Inspired by the forest lives of the Buddha and his followers, Emma draws on the natural world to support the development of wisdom. She studies the early teachings of the Buddha and seeks to apply them in a way that supports flexibility and independence in meditation. Emma began teaching in 2019 and is a regular teacher at the Kuan Yin Meditation Centre in Lismore. Her primary teacher and mentor is Patrick Kearney.
Registration & Further Information
For more information about this retreat, contact BMIMC. For information, go to the BMIMC website.