Browse Schedule by Category: Retreats / Online Courses
Retreats
Wasteland to Pureland Retreat in Germany 2019
with Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat What are qualities that we can grow to feel internally grounded and to act from a positive, wholesome place in our relationships with others? Discover the journey from Wasteland to Pureland in this meditation retreat in Seidenbuch, Germany.Wasteland to Pureland Retreat This retreat will be held in the heart of Germany, in Seidenbuch, 60km from Frankfurt and Heidelburg. This is your opportunity to meet and study with Dharma Teachers and Spiritual Mentors, Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat. They will teaching from awakening principles in their cutting edge new book, Wasteland to Pureland.Why the Wasteland to Pureland Retreat? An Eight Day Retreat in Germany October 17-25, 2019 There is an awakening experience that is vast and beyond words. The path beckons. Are you ready? Why Wasteland to PurelandWasteland to Pureland is a retreat for those wanting to walk a path to increase clarity of heart and mind, and experience greater freedom and fulfillment in life. This is the journey that leads to a state of ultimate care for others as well as oneself. Grounded in the belief that awakening is available to everyone, Doug & Catherine teach us how to reunite with our gifts, to become agents of compassion and transformation, personally, interpersonally and globally. The spiritual path teaches us to access bliss and insight, and to decrease suffering and ignorance. That’s why a healthy spiritual path feels so rich, wonder-filled and generally happy. The Great Happiness arises when bliss and insight come together […]
Six Yogas of Naropa Retreat 2019
Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre 3567 Cockell Rd, Bull River, British Columbia, CanadaThe final exploration in our three-part series, this two-week retreat focuses on Bardo Yoga and Transference of Consciousness Yoga.Six Yogas of Naropa Bardo Yoga There are six bardos, yet you only encounter four during your lifetime. Bardo Yoga is the yoga of the intermediate or liminal state. As it includes aspects of illusory body yoga and dream yoga, it’s recommended that participants have done both of those practices. Transference of Consciousness Yoga Transference of Consciousness Yoga practice helps us prepare for when consciousness leaves this organism at the time of death. Practices include dissolving the sufferings of the six realms into a bindu which travels upwards in the central channel. Also called the yoga of changing places, this yoga speaks to other worlds and maintaining the light of sleep (as in lucid dreaming) or the light after death. As in other yogas, its successful practice relies on practicing the Paramis. About the 2019 Six Yogas of Naropa Retreat Bardo Yoga and Transference of Consciousness Yoga December 6-22, 2019The Six Yogas of Naropa are one of the central practices of the Tibetan Kagyu lineage, to which we belong. These practices form a path to freedom through the development of deep understanding into the way things and formations arise and pass away. Meanwhile, the teachings are grounded in the deep understanding of the fundamental principles and practices of Tantra. PREREQUISITES: Who can attend this retreat? This retreat requires the following three pre-requisites: 1 million Chenrezig mantras completed. 100,000 long Vajrasattva mantras completed 100,000 […]
Mastering the Sixteen Stages of Insight (Meditation Retreat)
Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre 3567 Cockell Rd, Bull River, British Columbia, CanadaThis powerful meditation retreat is to understand and liberate the unconscious mind. By practicing the foundations of mindfulness, we can begin to master the sixteen stages of insight.
Winter Meditation Retreat: The Kasinas
Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre 3567 Cockell Rd, Bull River, British Columbia, CanadaRegistration ends November 20, 2020 Kasiṇa meditation is a concentration meditation (samatha, jhāna) intended to settle the mind and create a foundation for liberation. Important Announcement and Change This is a two week retreat and the Teachers have added a one week option. The Teachers recognize that circumstances may make it difficult for some people to attend both weeks. Attending the full two weeks is ideal. If you choose to take the one week option it is the first week, December 4 - 12, 2020. The teachers will be offering a Chenrezi Wongkur at the beginning of the first week. This empowerment will be streamed live, enabling both online and onsite participation. (Exact time and date to be announced.)Winter Meditation Retreat: The Kasinas Settling the Mind, Cultivating Concentration (Jhāna) The ten kasina are part of the forty kammatthana: objects of meditation. They are described in detail by Buddhaghosa in the meditation section of the Visuddhimagga. Kasina meditation is a concentration meditation (variously known in different traditions as samatha, dhyana, or jhana meditations), intended to settle the mind of the practitioner and create a foundation for further practices of meditation. In the early stages of kasina meditation, a physical object is used as the object of meditation, being focused upon by the practitioner until an eidetic (after-image) image of the object forms in the practitioners mind. In more advanced levels of kasina meditation, only a mental image of the kasina is used as an object of meditation. Experience Acariya Doug Duncan […]
Exploring the Bardo of Now – Meditation Retreat (Online)
Bardos relate to both living and dying, creating and dissolving. In 2020, we collectively had the rug pulled out from underneath us by the COVID-19 virus. During this retreat, we will investigate the bardos and what they can teach us about life and impermanence. *Due to the ever-changing travel restrictions, globally and in Canada, this course is now offered online. Exploring the Bardo of Now During this retreat, we will investigate the bardos and what they can teach us about ordinary life. We’ll draw on Vajrayana Buddhism, contemporary psychology and modern exploration practices to learn how to make peace with the bardos and live more fully in the present moment. Free Infographic: What Happens to Consciousness During the Death Process? Add your information below to receive the infographic. You will also get amazing dharma content from Planet Dharma, directly to your email inbox. We promise not to spam!Why Exploring the Bardo of Now? June 19-25, 2021Why a meditation retreat on the Bardos?Bardos relate to both living and dying, creating and dissolving. Bardos can appear at any time, and may make us feel we have lost all of our stability and reference points. However, they also offer us an opportunity to explore what is dying and prepare for a new birth. Bardo study is relevant to people of all ages, regardless how old they are or how close to dying they are. Who is this retreat ideal for?This retreat is ideal for relatively new students who are interested in exploring Buddhist principles that include both Eastern and […]
Summer Meditation Retreat: Breathing (Online)
Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre 3567 Cockell Rd, Bull River, British Columbia, CanadaA one week meditation retreat on powerful breathing meditation practice. Please note that registration closes July 4th 2021.The meditation on Mindfulness of Breathing is not only suitable for all beings, it is also the direct way to enlightenment.Summer Meditation Retreat: Breathing Breathing. You can't beat it, for life, and as a meditation practice. Breathing meditation is suitable for all types of people. It develops, concentration, calm, bliss and insight - altogether leading to awakening and healing. This meditation retreat will be led by Achariya Doug Duncan Sensei and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei at Clear Sky Meditation Center in Eastern BC, and will now held online, with participation possible from anywhere in the world. 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 the four foundational practices of our teaching. A guiding text for this retreat will be the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta, or discourse on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, which has been described as the most profound discourse the Buddha ever gave on mental development. This simple yet powerful framework will extend your meditation experience to everything from subatomic particles to the vastness of space, and all that’s between. Online Retreat Option Can't fly here? Do the retreat where you are. It most likely won't be possible to retreat at Clear Sky this year. Instead, join us from wherever you are in the world. Basic requirements to do the retreat online: […]
Clear Sky’s Sweet 16th Anniversary with Tantric Empowerments
In Vajrayana Buddhism, initiations, empowerments or wongkur (Tib. དབང་, wang) are considered the spring from which all blessings flow. Join us for three empowerments, during a weekend of joy to celebrate our retreat centre's 16th anniversary. Important Note: Online registrations close by August 10th In person registrations close by August 3rd Celebration & Tantric Empowerments Celebration time! Covid-19 travel restrictions threw a wrench in our plans for Clear Sky's 15th Anniversary and ten day Tantric Deep Dive in 2020, as well as in 2021. We've adjusted the programming so that community can come together from anywhere in the world for a three day celebration instead. It will be online, *and if health restrictions ease, possibly in person as well. To fete Doug Sensei's 72nd year, together with 16 remarkable years at Clear Sky we invite you to join us for three empowerments. These empowerments give you an energetic blessing, and access to practice mantra and visualisation of different transcendental archetypes from the Himalayan schools of Buddhism. Over the weekend, we will celebrate Clear Sky's 16th anniversary - sharing our community's stories from past and present as well as future visions.. The three wongkur empowerments will be interspersed throughout the weekend. Held at Clear Sky, a 21st-century model for innovative awakening, situated in the beautiful B.C. Rocky Mountains. The Empowerments Offered Green Tara Amitayus Vajrapani Hayagriva Garuda These empowerments are open to the general public (live attendance). They are special ceremonies that are best experienced in person. However, if […]
Dzogchen Meditation Retreat – Opening to the Clear Light of the Mind (Online & UK Residential)
Maitreya House Lower Maes-coed, Hereford, England, United KingdomAugust 21-31, 2021 Beneath the confusion and distraction of our minds, the Mind itself is empty, spontaneous and compassionate. The practice of Dzogchen helps us cut right through the confusion to this original, pure and luminous nature of Mind. This retreat, with meditation masters Acharya Doug Duncan And Catherine Pawasarat Sensei, is for any meditator looking to go deeper to the essence of practice. Dzogchen The Natural State The Three Words that Strike the Vital Point is one of the principal teachings of the practice of Dzogchen, the Great Perfection. Patrul Rinpoche’s Special Teaching of the Wise and Glorious King, with commentary, is treasured as one of the most crucial instructions in the practice of Dzogchen. It’s pith teachings give simple yet deeply profound guidance on directly recognizing the mind’s innate purity and clarity. In the confusion of our times, a myriad of teachings and techniques surround us. The direct teachings of Dzogchen offer a refreshing clarity.Opening to the Clear Light of the Mind Dzogchen Meditation Retreat (Online/ UK Residential / At Clear Sky) 21 – 31 August 2021 **See ‘Covid-19 Retreat Modifications’ below photos: Online and UK Residential Retreat (Updated June 20, 2021)“How wonderful! Nothing whatsoever, a glaring openness. An openness that is penetrating; a penetrating openness that is indescribable … Direct recognition within yourself; that is the first vital point.” -- Patrul Rinpoche from The three words that strike the vital point, a root text expounding Garab Dorje’s teachings on Dzogchen – the Great Perfection. […]
Baltic Sea Region Dharma Trip 2021
Bring your dharma to the road, or in this case, the water! Join Doug and Catherine Sensei for a cruise of the Baltic Sea Region, from Stockholm to Amsterdam in September 2021.Baltic Sea Region Dharma Trip A Dharma Voyage, from Stockholm to Amsterdam Bring your dharma to the road, or in this case, the water! Join Doug and Catherine Sensei for a twelve day cruise of the Baltic Sea Region, in September 2021. Dharma trips provide an opportunity to spend precious time with your teachers and sangha outside of more familiar contexts. On Dharma trips, you are constantly moving, seeing and experiencing new things. This takes us outside of our comfort zone, and provides a rich environment for growth. You might even discover things about yourself you never knew, and find new ways of being and communicating. Where will we visit on this trip?Including our departure and destination ports, there are stops in 10 cities on this trip. They include: Stockholm (Sweden), Helsinki (Finland), St Petersberg (Russia) (2 nights), Tallin (Estonia), Riga (Latvia), Copenhagen (Denmark), Berlin (Germany), Malmo (Sweden), Oslo (Norway), Amsterdam (Netherlands). Enjoy some photos of these destinations below:Baltic Sea Region Dharma Trip 2021 FAQsThis is a cruise around the perimeter of the Baltic Sea, beginning in Stockholm and ending in Amsterdam. It’s called “Castles to Cobblestones.” See the webpage for this cruise: Oceania Cruises.Including our departure and destination ports, there are stops in 10 cities: Stockholm, Sweden Helsinki, Finland, St Petersberg, Russia (2 nights) Tallin, Estonia Riga, Latvia Copenhagen, Denmark […]
Seven Rays of Healing with Medicine Buddha (Online + CS & Germany Residential)
Haus Sonnentau Am Hochmoor 16, Lautertal (Odenwald), Schannenbach, GermanyThis retreat is an opportunity, for any meditator, of any level, to go deeper to the essence of healing. Through the Seven Rays of Healing (from the Western Mysteries traditions) and sense based meditations, discover how to experience deeper foundations of vitality and health. Seven Rays of Healing Retreat How can we heal? How can we feel healthy and whole? Every wisdom tradition around the world holds that true healing comes through an understanding of the nature of reality. Part of this entails learning to discern between—and dance together with—both absolute reality and relative reality. The true challenge of a human life is to be able to live, work, love, and dance in both relative and absolute reality at the same time. One or the other takes the foreground or background as appropriate. The system of the Seven Rays of Healing helps us understand the true nature of relative reality, while bridging to absolute reality. Then we are ready to experience absolute reality, primarily through the methodology of meditation. What are the Seven Rays of Healing? The Seven Rays of Healing use the chakra system of ancient India combined with aspects of Theosophical philosophy. This system helps us understand the different ways we manifest in the world. Moreover, it helps us learn how to reorient our approach and engagement with the parts of our lives represented by the seven rays, to embody greater love, compassion and understanding. In other words, it helps us learn to realize our spiritual essence. Using meditation, creative, […]