The Five Stages of Emptiness.

How deeply do you understand—and experience—emptiness? What’s this about “stages”? This retreat focuses on what are progressive stages of meditation on emptiness. There is always another door, until one reaches the final door, the state of total freedom with no state beyond it. We will study, reflect and meditate on the spacious potentiality behind all phenomena, which opens the door to greater freedom and creativity in all of our lives. We can only choose the road less traveled toward a future of better habits and more beautiful possibilities if we can see the actual space for such a road in the first place.

The aim here is to gain experiential, firsthand physiological contact with the descriptions of form and emptiness from Buddhist philosophy and quantum physics. The actual experience of these philosophies and scientific realities are the gateway to applied, practical wellbeing in our modern world.

This retreat is led by Qapel (Achariya Doug Duncan) and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei at Clear Sky Meditation Center in Eastern BC. The teachers founded this center to support students to awaken in this lifetime. We invite retreatants who wish to embark on a week of earnest study, meditation and reflection, and in doing so, welcome those who wish to transform the struggle in their lives.

While we believe any undertaking can be a vehicle for awakening, there’s no substitute for the power of one’s own profound experience of truth, gained through meditation. This is why meditation is one of thefour foundational practices of our teaching.

An online option is also available for those not in Western Canada, to make participation possible from anywhere in the world. However, online participants must attend in a retreat-like setting in their own locations—in silence and free from distractions, including work or family duties.

Texts for this course:

• Progressive Stages of Meditation on Emptiness by Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche (Author), Lama Shenpen Hookham (Translator) 

What’s Expected of Me?

1. An open mind and heart, and a spirit of adventure are excellent things to bring!
2. It’s human to have some apprehensions about doing something new, meeting new people, or going to a new place—particularly when all three happen together. We try to make this as supportive as possible.
3. When exploring our growth edges, it’s natural to feel uncertain and awkward. And it’s very fruitful to transform that emotional tension into creative energy by drawing on your own inner resources—such as inquiry, going with the flow, and self-reflection, just a few of the many kinds of constructive engagement.
4. To maximize your retreat experience, we ask that you refrain from reading, using the internet, phone or listening to music during the course.
5. Students are expected to be silent during the silent parts of the retreat, and participate in all classes, group meditations, activities, and discussions.
6. We ask that you refrain from microdosing or consuming mind-altering substances before or during this retreat and in the days immediately following it.

The Location – Clear Sky Center

• Located in the BC rocky mountains, Clear Sky offers over 300-acres to deepen your practice and reconnect with nature. Founded by Qapel (Achariya Doug Duncan) and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei, the center is home to students from around the globe who are dedicated to co-creating a supportive and innovative space for awakening in our modern world.

• How to get there, what to bring and other FAQ about Clear Sky
• Our teachings and Clear Sky operate based on the ancient tradition of dāna or generosity. As generosity is the basis upon which all spiritual practice flourishes, we recommend that you learn more about this profound practice before you register.

Meet the Teachers

Qapel Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat are Dharma and meditation teachers who founded Clear Sky Meditation Centre, BC, Canada.

Achariya Doug Duncan received lay ordination from Namgyal Rinpoche in 1978, and is a lineage holder in that teaching. Known for his direct, humourous and compassionate engagement with students, Doug embraces various traditions, contemporary psychology, and science, to mentor all beings to a more awakened state.

Catherine Pawasarat has trained daily with Acariya Doug Duncan since 1998 in an intensive spiritual apprenticeship that is rare in the modern West. She received lay ordination from Namgyal Rinpoche in 2003. In addition to Buddhist philosophy and its applications to daily life, Catherine also draws on generative living and the arts. With Doug she is co-founder of Clear Sky Retreat Center in the BC Rockies.