Browse Schedule by Category: Retreats / Online Courses
- This event has passed.
Year of Pureland Program for Spiritual Awakening
January 1, 2019 - January 10, 2019
Year of Pureland: Program for Spiritual Awakening
2019 Program for Spiritual AwakeningJoin a group of dedicated practitioners in this year-long program that empowers and supports awakening in the modern age.
Year of Pureland: Program for Spiritual Awakening
How do you deepen your spiritual practice amidst day-to-day demands? Enrich your journey to the Pureland in a program that will support and empower your practice, wherever you are on the path.
Join our global community for a year of online courses, meditation retreats (at home or in person), and mentorship opportunities.
The benefits for participants in our past year-long programs (the Year of Awakening, Year of Victory and Year of Joy have been very clear. For those who engaged in a committed way, this program has been a game-changer for their practice and dedication to the path. The growth we’ve seen in participants has been remarkable.
Meet the Teachers
Catherine Pawasarat
Doug Duncan
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.
Read their FULL BIOS.
This Program Includes Online Courses…
The Pearl Without Price: Why Awaken?
Starts January 21, 2019
This course is for visionaries. For anyone who wants to live a good and happy life, who cares about their community and dreams of a healthier and more harmonious planet. Discover how spiritual awakening in this lifetime is an accessible, compelling and very sane aspiration.
Riding the Dragon: Spiritual Awakening in Modern Life
Starts June 3, 2019
How do we integrate our spiritual practice with the demands of modern life? Explore strategies for up-cycling everyday challenges as fuel for the awakening fire.
Crazy Wisdom: Taking a Walk on the Wild Side
Starts Sept 9, 2019
It takes courage and an open mind to explore the frontiers of awakening. What’s more, this greater range of understanding creates something we all desire: greater degrees of freedom. And freedom ain’t for the faint of heart.
…Meditation Retreats…
WEEKEND FLASH RETREATS
Feb. 15, June 28 & Oct. 5
Integrative home retreats at the end of each online course series. Resiliently align spiritual awakening with your daily life and routine.
INSIGHT RETREAT
March 15-24, 2019
By popular demand, we are offering this ten-day insight meditation retreat at the beautiful and innovative Clear Sky Retreat Center. Set yourself free in the stream of your spiritual journey with much more ease and relaxation.
BUDDHAS IN ACTION
August 9-23, 2019
Our signature fourteen-day retreat at Clear Sky Center that transforms your work, home and city life into a spiritual practice. Discover how active meditation can heal, align and invigorate your body, speech and mind.
And Mentorship:
Master Classes
*for some levels
Deepen your online course experience in weekly Q&A sessions with Doug and Catherine Sensei. Empower your practice by learning from each other’s questions and insights.
Office Hours
Throughout the year
Virtual group Q&A sessions with Doug and Catherine Sensei. No matter how distracting modern life and samsara may be, this regular connection with awakening minds helps ensure that your spiritual awakening prevails.
Online Forum
Share and learn
Connect with our global virtual community. Experience group support to leave the Wasteland behind and enjoy the Pureland as you keep your spiritual practice front and center throughout the year.
What do Program Graduates Have to Say?
There are THREE PROGRAM LEVELS
Choose which commitment level you’d like to take:
Diamond
Commitment- Two weeks of meditation retreat time.
- Retreat interview with Doug & Catherine Sensei.
- Three online courses.
- Three Flash Retreats at home, with virtual support.
- Live streamed Master Classes during Online Courses.
- Cohort check-ins with Ruby Level Participants.
Ruby
Commitment- One week of meditation retreat time.
- Optional retreat interview.
- Three online courses.
- Three Flash Retreats at home, with virtual support.
- Public Office Hours approx. every two weeks.
- Cohort check-ins with Diamond Level Participants.
Sapphire
Commitment- Optional meditation retreat time.
- Optional retreat interview.
- Three online courses
- Three Flash Retreats at home, with virtual support.
- Public Office Hours approx. every two weeks.
Here’s the fine print:
Diamond
Meditation Retreats
- A minimum of one two-week retreat or two one-week retreats, led by Doug and Catherine Sensei in 2019. We encourage you to come to Clear Sky Center. This allows you to take advantage of the blessed Buddha field that many beings’ practices have been cultivating in this extraordinary place. The centre embodies very modern manifestations of spiritual awakening. If this isn’t possible, you may do a retreat elsewhere in the world, led by Doug and Catherine Sensei (see the 2019 teaching schedule).
- A retreat interview with the teachers. This lineage emphasizes working directly with teachers. This is so they can provide instructions that are completely customized to your particular needs and path of spiritual unfoldment. They’ll share the practices you can do to awaken most speedily and effectively. Take greatest advantage of this with interviews, at least one during your retreat(s).
Ruby
Meditation Retreats:
- One-week retreat with Doug and Catherine Sensei. We encourage you to come to Clear Sky Center. This allows you to take advantage of the blessed Buddha field that many beings’ practices have been cultivating in this extraordinary place. The centre embodies very modern manifestations of spiritual awakening. If this isn’t possible, you may do a retreat elsewhere in the world, led by Doug and Catherine Sensei (see the 2019 teaching schedule).
Sapphire
Meditation Retreats:
- Optional
Online Courses, Flash Retreats and Virtual Support
- Benefit from participating in the three online courses (four online classes in each course) throughout the year. Stay connected with the awakening mind and grow your spiritual awakening and learning all year long. This offers you new opportunities to integrate spiritual awakening with your daily life and routine. Check the schedule to add the dates to your calendar.
- Engage with the weekly Year of Pureland Master Class during each online course, at 3pm MT each Saturday (four consecutive Saturdays). Master Classes only take place during the three online courses. Live attendance at these online check-ins is mandatory for diamond-level participants. Check the schedule to add the dates to your calendar.
- Participate in the three Flash Retreats that seal each webinar series. Each occurs over the weekend after the final class of each webinar series, and is supported with the final Master Class. These Flash Retreats help us apply and integrate the online teachings, establishing us more firmly in the Pureland state, empowering us to hold this space more resiliently as we go about our daily lives, thereby benefiting all beings. Since it’s easier with others and sangha is one of the Triple Gems, we recommend doing this together with your local community of practitioners. If this is not possible you may do them in the convenience of your own home: this is meant to support your practice of honoring your space and your cultivation of a stronger discipline. Check the schedule to add the dates to your calendar.
- Between the online courses, diamond-level participants are expected to demonstrate a commitment to regular, engaged attendance at Office Hours throughout the year. Again, this supports you in making progress in leaving the Wasteland behind and spending more and more time in the Pureland, with your spiritual practice front and center throughout the year. No matter how distracting modern life and samsara may be, this regular connection with awakening minds helps ensure that your spiritual awakening prevails.
- Between online courses, diamond-level participants will also attend periodic cohort check-ins along with ruby-level participants. These are another opportunity to keep the learning and growth going throughout the year.
- When possible, we encourage you to engage with your local sangha or community of practitioners around these online courses and office hours, whether through weekly teachings or discussion groups.
Online Courses, Flash Retreats and Virtual Support:
- Benefit from participating in the three online courses (four online classes in each course) throughout the year. Stay connected with the awakening mind and grow your spiritual awakening and learning all year long. This offers you new opportunities to integrate spiritual awakening with your daily life and routine. Check the schedule to add the dates to your calendar.
- Participate in the three Flash Retreats that seal each webinar series. Each occurs over the weekend after the final class of each webinar series. These Flash Retreats help us apply and integrate the online teachings, establishing us more firmly in the Pureland state, empowering us to hold this space more resiliently as we go about our daily lives, thereby benefiting all beings. Since it’s easier with others and sangha is one of the Triple Gems, we recommend doing this together with your local community of practitioners. If this is not possible you may do them in the convenience of your own home: this is meant to support your practice of honoring your space and your cultivation of a stronger discipline. Check the schedule to add the dates to your calendar.
- As a ruby-level practitioner, between the online courses you’ll maintain a strong connection with the Pureland consciousness via our regular Office Hours throughout the year, generally twice monthly. Again, this supports you in making progress in leaving the Wasteland behind and spending more and more time in the Pureland, with your spiritual practice front and center throughout the year. No matter how distracting modern life and samsara may be, this regular connection with awakening minds helps ensure that your spiritual awakening prevails.
- Between online courses, ruby-level participants will also attend periodic cohort check-ins along with diamond-level participants. These are another opportunity to keep the learning and growth going throughout the year.
- When possible, we encourage you to engage with your local sangha or community of practitioners around these online courses and office hours, whether through weekly teachings or discussion groups.
Online Courses, Flash Retreats and Virtual Support:
- Benefit from participating in the three online courses (four online classes in each course) throughout the year. Stay connected with the awakening mind and grow your spiritual awakening and learning all year long. This offers you new opportunities to integrate spiritual awakening with your daily life and routine. Check the schedule to add the dates to your calendar.
- Participate in the three Flash Retreats that seal each webinar series. Each occurs over the weekend after the final class of each webinar series. Sapphire level participants will be able to access online check-ins during the retreats to support their practice. These Flash Retreats help us apply and integrate the online teachings, establishing us more firmly in the Pureland state, empowering us to hold this space more resiliently as we go about our daily lives, thereby benefiting all beings. Since it’s easier with others and sangha is one of the Triple Gems, we recommend doing this together with your local community of practitioners. If this is not possible you may do them in the convenience of your own home: this is meant to support your practice of honoring your space and your cultivation of a stronger discipline. Check the schedule to add the dates to your calendar.
- As a sapphire-level practitioner, between the online courses you’re invited to maintain your connection with the Pureland consciousness via our regular Office Hours throughout the year, generally twice monthly. Again, this supports you in making progress in leaving the Wasteland behind and spending more and more time in the Pureland, with your spiritual practice front and center throughout the year. No matter how distracting modern life and samsara may be, this regular connection with awakening minds helps ensure that your spiritual awakening prevails.
- When possible, we encourage you to engage with your local sangha or community of practitioners around these online courses and office hours, whether through weekly teachings or discussion groups.
Program Details
Who Can Apply?
If you have participated in previous Planet Dharma courses, retreats or classes, or have worked with Doug and Catherine in other ways, you are invited to apply for this program.
The deadline to apply is Christmas Day, December 25, 2018, but we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. We will let you know whether the program is a good fit and whether you are accepted into the program by January 10th, 2019. The first online course in the program starts on January 21, 2019.
Dāna, Generosity
Doug & Catherine Sensei are offering this year long program based on the ancient practice of Dāna, generosity. Recognize that in your commitment to the program, you are also making a commitment to a healthy and conscious practice of dāna. Before applying, we encourage you to review if you are in a financially sustainable situation. Are you able to support your exploration and dāna throughout the year? We believe that financial health is unique for each person and each situation. It is also very important for a healthy spiritual practice and life.
To support you in a healthy and sustainable dāna practice for the Year program, we have created a Dana Sustainability Calculator. We recommend you do the Dana Calculator and Heart-based practice exercises ahead of your application.
We also invite you to explore more about how you can practice Dāna. This is one of the pillars of Buddhist spiritual philosophy and the process of enlightenment.
Program Registration Fee
There is a one-time program fee* for each level, to cover operating costs during the year:
- Diamond Level – 350 USD
- Ruby Level – 250 USD
- Sapphire Level – 200 USD
*We believe that finances are one of many creative manifestations of energy exchange. If your aspiration to take this program is strong but the course fee and other financial commitments feel like a challenge, please note this in your application and make an offer of alternative forms of exchange.