BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Planet Dharma - ECPv6.18.0//NONSGML v1.0//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN METHOD:PUBLISH X-WR-CALNAME:Planet Dharma X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://www.planetdharma.com X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Planet Dharma REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H X-Robots-Tag:noindex X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Edmonton BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:MDT DTSTART:20130310T090000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20131103T080000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:MDT DTSTART:20140309T090000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20141102T080000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:MDT DTSTART:20150308T090000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20151101T080000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:MDT DTSTART:20160313T090000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20161106T080000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:MDT DTSTART:20170312T090000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20171105T080000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:MDT DTSTART:20180311T090000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20181104T080000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0700 TZOFFSETTO:-0600 TZNAME:MDT DTSTART:20190310T090000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0600 TZOFFSETTO:-0700 TZNAME:MST DTSTART:20191103T080000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/London BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20150329T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20151025T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20160327T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20161030T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20170326T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20171029T010000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:BST DTSTART:20180325T010000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0100 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:GMT DTSTART:20181028T010000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Asia/Tokyo BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0900 TZOFFSETTO:+0900 TZNAME:JST DTSTART:20160101T000000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:UTC BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:+0000 TZOFFSETTO:+0000 TZNAME:UTC DTSTART:20130101T000000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:America/Toronto BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20140309T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20141102T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20150308T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20151101T060000 END:STANDARD BEGIN:DAYLIGHT TZOFFSETFROM:-0500 TZOFFSETTO:-0400 TZNAME:EDT DTSTART:20160313T070000 END:DAYLIGHT BEGIN:STANDARD TZOFFSETFROM:-0400 TZOFFSETTO:-0500 TZNAME:EST DTSTART:20161106T060000 END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180727 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180812 DTSTAMP:20260514T105421Z CREATED:20170914T040830Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260514T105421Z UID:10000545-1532649600-1534031999@www.planetdharma.com SUMMARY:Retreat: Buddhas in Action DESCRIPTION:*Early Bird Special until June 26th\, 2018.* \nBuddhas in Action Karma Yoga Retreat: Awakening In Daily Life\nInvest in your growth and unfoldment with this karma yoga retreat with master Dharma teachers Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat. Nestled in the Rocky Mountains\, beautiful and innovative Clear Sky meditation centre offers the perfect locale for deep learning this summer. \nReceive hands-on training in mind\, body and feeling as Doug & Catherine guide you through Karma Yoga and Dharma Training via classes\, assigned exercises and practice in community. You will also discover the powerful holistic clearing technique and other forms of meditation. \nThis summer\, Buddhas in Action is offered July 28-August 11\, 2018. \nWhy Study Awareness in Action?\nWhen we’re in the middle of modern samsaric busy-ness\, the spiritual life can feel out of reach. We want to relate meaningfully with those around us\, but we often feel unfulfilled. Work just leaves us feeling worn out and slightly empty. And sometimes the space between self and other feels like a tremendous gap. \nWe all need to earn a living and deal with day-to-day pressures. The wonderful news is that we can use contemporary spiritual practices at work and in relationship to feel fulfilled while doing so. These different parts of our life can support one another in beautiful ways\, leading to great feelings of meaningfulness\, balance\, and connection. \nOur experience shows that blending study\, meditation\, and what we call “awakening through action”\, profoundly integrates spiritual practice with day-to-day demands. \nTraditionally\, spiritual seekers lived in monasteries or trained with their teacher in remote mountain caves. Throughout both traditions\, meditation and training were supplemented with practical application. \nThis practical application–also called karma yoga or the path of action–helped students learn to embody ever-growing wisdom and awareness moment-to-moment. The idea was always to share these fruits of spiritual practice in meaningful ways with the broader community\, for everyone’s benefit. \nWe’ve spent the last 20 years adapting this tradition of awakening through action to our modern lives\, at home\, in offices\, in conversations\, at our desks\, in meetings\, in bed and in the field. This profoundly practical application can help you find greater joy\, fulfillment\, and calm amidst your busy daily life. \nWhy Use Karma Yoga to Wake Up Your Work & Daily Life? \nBy learning the principles of karma yoga\, you can apply awareness and wisdom to everything you do. Cultivating this practice allows you to transform your work\, home and city life into a connective field of monastic or yogic practice. Your home becomes your monastery\, while your co-workers become your fellow yogis and yoginis. \nThis retreat gives you the building blocks to apply awareness\, compassion\, wisdom\, and strength to each moment. The result is greater fulfillment amid daily life and meaningful connection with others and the world around you. \nKarma yoga has made me aware of how to streamline my energy to a sustainable\, smooth level of work. It has given me invaluable practice on focusing my attention on the task at hand. – Lisa Feder \nPlease note that this retreat and Clear Sky welcome people of all religious backgrounds and beliefs. This retreat is also open to all experience levels. \nWhat might I learn from the retreat?\nEnjoy this interview with Tony A\, who did the retreat last year: \n \nWhy the Actions of “Service?” \nCalling our actions “service” instills the notion that we do it with and for others. Service helps both ourselves and others gain greater clarity and contentment throughout our daily activities. \nBy putting others first\, we give the ego a chance to relax. The result is increased success\, effectiveness\, and fulfillment in our work and relationships. This is a profoundly joyful experience. \nThis approach is highly relevant to the Western lifestyle of the 21st century. This course offers you the opportunity to learn from our experience and take it back home and to work with you. \nKarma Yoga as a practice for unfoldment\, as taught and exemplified by Doug and Catherine Sensei\, has been a hugely transformative power in my life. It has made me into a stronger\, more capable and more visionary human being. – Ruth Levin \nIn this course\, we’ll draw on traditional meditation and yogic practices and philosophy. We’ll also utilize exercises drawn from Namgyal Rinpoche’s Holistic Clearing practice\, Authentic Leadership\, Theory U\, Fifth Discipline\, Five Dysfunctions of a Team\, as well as original exercises we’ve created expressly for Karma Yoga and Dharma Training development. \nWhat Previous Participants Say About This Retreat \n[tmls category=”2183″ layout=”tmls_slider” style=”style2″ image_size=”medium_image” image_radius=”large_radius” text_font_family=”” text_font_color=”#777777″ text_font_size=”14px” name_font_family=”” name_font_color=”#777777″ neme_font_size=”15px” neme_font_weight=”bold” position_font_family=”” position_font_color=”#777777″ position_font_size=”12px” order_by=”date” order=”DESC” number=”2″ auto_play=”true” transitioneffect=”crossfade” pause_on_hover=”false” next_prev_visibility=”tmls_visible” next_prev_radius=”large_radius” next_prev_position=”” next_prev_bgcolor=”#F5F5F5″ next_prev_arrowscolor=”tmls_lightgrayarrows” scroll_duration=”500″ pause_duration=”9000″ ratingstars=”enabled” ratingstarssize=”16px” ratingstarscolor=”#F47E00″ ]\n  \nWhat’s Expected from Me if I Come to This Retreat? \n\nAn open mind and heart\, and a spirit of adventure are excellent things to bring!\nIt’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.\nChanges – including positive ones – require movement\, and movement requires engaged energy. We ask you to engage with us around the teachings and activities that will support your learning and unfoldment around awakening in action.\nWhen 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.\nTo maximize your learning\, we ask that you refrain from reading\, using the internet or listening to music during the course. We make an exception for journaling\, course assignments and dancing during exercises or group celebration – all great resources for integration and growth\nLastly\, our teaching and Clear Sky operate based on the ancient tradition of dāna or generosity. Please learn more about this profound practice before you register. \n\nRegister Now\n*Early Bird Special until June 26th\, 2018.* \n \n\nAbout the Teachers:\n\nDharma Teachers Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat place great value on using every action as your practice for enlightenment. Combined\, they have been practicing Karma Yoga and meditation for more than 60 years. They both received lay ordination from the Canadian-born Ven. Namgyal Rinpoche\, and have shared teachings of liberation worldwide for decades. \nThis retreat is a rare opportunity to immerse yourself in karma yoga learning and practice over a focused two-week period. Doug and Catherine typically teach students one-on-one at various times. It is suitable for their students who are already practicing karma yoga and for beginners alike. Join this retreat for the valuable opportunity to help share these unique teachings in the contemporary world. \nRead more: Full Bios. \n[tmls category=”27″ layout=”tmls_slider” style=”style2″ image_size=”large_image” image_radius=”large_radius” text_font_family=”” text_font_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”16px” name_font_family=”” name_font_color=”#000000″ neme_font_size=”14px” neme_font_weight=”normal” position_font_family=”” position_font_color=”#777777″ position_font_size=”12px” order_by=”date” order=”DESC” number=”1″ auto_play=”true” transitioneffect=”crossfade” pause_on_hover=”false” next_prev_visibility=”tmls_visible” next_prev_radius=”large_radius” next_prev_position=”” next_prev_bgcolor=”#F5F5F5″ next_prev_arrowscolor=”tmls_lightgrayarrows” scroll_duration=”500″ pause_duration=”9000″ ratingstars=”enabled” ratingstarssize=”16px” ratingstarscolor=”#F47E00″ ] \n\nWhy come to Clear Sky – Experience the difference:\n\nKnow what it is to truly unwind\, surrounded by pristine\, tranquil nature.\nEnjoy fresh air and wholesome food\, with an emphasis on organic and locally sourced.\nExperience the support of a community that exists to help you reconnect.\nBe part of a working and awakening community that practices what it teaches.\nYou’ll both reinvigorate and integrate what you learn into your daily life.\nShare the learning and growth with other participants\, making new friends who are also on a path of spiritual unfoldment.\nConnect to the teachings that have enlivened humanity over centuries (regardless of religion).\n\nWhat Previous Participants Say About This Retreat \n[tmls category=”2183″ layout=”tmls_slider” style=”style2″ image_size=”medium_image” image_radius=”large_radius” text_font_family=”” text_font_color=”#777777″ text_font_size=”14px” name_font_family=”” name_font_color=”#777777″ neme_font_size=”15px” neme_font_weight=”bold” position_font_family=”” position_font_color=”#777777″ position_font_size=”12px” order_by=”date” order=”ASC” number=”2″ auto_play=”true” transitioneffect=”crossfade” pause_on_hover=”false” next_prev_visibility=”tmls_visible” next_prev_radius=”large_radius” next_prev_position=”” next_prev_bgcolor=”#F5F5F5″ next_prev_arrowscolor=”tmls_lightgrayarrows” scroll_duration=”500″ pause_duration=”9000″ ratingstars=”enabled” ratingstarssize=”16px” ratingstarscolor=”#F47E00″ ]\n\nWhat else do you need to know?\n\nDāna (Generosity Based Teaching)\n\nDoug & Catherine are teaching this meditation retreat via the ancient tradition of Dāna (generosity)\, an offering from them to the attendees. It is considered of supreme value to your life and thus “beyond price” so it is expected that the student will be equally generous and support the teaching and the teachers by making an offering. \nWhile no offering is too small\, also no offering is too great. The giver benefits by offering as much as they can\, given the individual’s circumstances. Along with compassion\, generosity is considered the root of spiritual progress and\, according to the ancients\, therefore the root of our success in daily life as well. \nFind out more about how you can practice Dāna. We invite you to offer Dāna when you register and via the Dāna bowl available at Clear Sky. \n\nMeditation Retreat Centre Fees (Lodging & Meals)\n\n\nThis meditation retreat will be held at beautiful Clear Sky Meditation Centre. Fees which include lodging & meals start at $1500 CAD. \nSign up before June 26th\, 2018 for significant Early Bird savings. \n\nRegistration\n\nBook early for this meditation retreat. All registrations and inquiries can be made via the Clear Sky Registration page\, by clicking the Register Now button below: \n \n\n*Spaces on this retreat are limited so we recommend registering early to hold a space. Camping is also an option. \nSign up here to be notified about any retreat updates and Planet Dharma news. \nSome Fun!\nLast year we made these playful videos on Karma Yoga\, Dharma Training and Buddhas in Action: URL:https://www.planetdharma.com/event/retreat-buddhas-action/ LOCATION:Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre\, 3567 Cockell Rd\, Bull River\, British Columbia\, V0B1N0\, Canada CATEGORIES:Retreats ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.planetdharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/buddhas-inaction-2017.jpg GEO:49.615543;-115.6300709 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre 3567 Cockell Rd Bull River British Columbia V0B1N0 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=3567 Cockell Rd:geo:-115.6300709,49.615543 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180704 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180709 DTSTAMP:20260822T052558Z CREATED:20170914T040251Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260822T052558Z UID:10000544-1530662400-1531094399@www.planetdharma.com SUMMARY:Astrology & Dharma Course: Awakening Through AstroDharma (Hollyhock) DESCRIPTION:Astrology and Dharma:  Awakening Through AstroDharma \nReady to embrace your unique journey in this lifetime\, and transform this path for the benefit of all beings? The exhilaration of ongoing transformation and empowerment is our birthright. We don’t have to feel frustrated or stuck! AstroDharma\, a combination of Astrology and Dharma\, can help.  \nWith AstroDharma we transform challenges in our life – old mental models\, counterproductive emotional and relationship patterns\, unwholesome habits – by upcycling them into healthier\, more beneficial ones. AstroDharma offers us the tools of timeless Buddhist wisdom applied to help us skillfully navigate our soul map\, our natal astrological chart. \nWhy AstroDharma? Astrology and Dharma Combined\nTranspersonal astrology draws on Jungian principles and Western mythology to understand how unique we each are\, and at the same time how our experiences as humans are universal. Buddhism packs 2500 years of profound consciousness studies to ensure that the transformations in our lifetime are based in loving kindness\, compassion and wisdom. \nAbout this Astrology & Dharma Course\nThis course offered at Hollyhock is designed to help you: \n\nbetter identify patterns in your own astrological birth chart;\nrecognize and develop opportunities and gifts shown in your chart;\nidentify and loosen blocks\, freeing up energy;\nrecognize and transform challenges into strengths. \n\nThe aim is ever deeper self-realization and connection with our higher purpose for this lifetime. You’re invited to dive deeper into the transformational process by working on a specific personal challenge. \nWe’ll take advantage of various modalities for this work: guided visualizations\, journaling\, drawing\, constellation role play\, social presencing theater and found-object mandalas. \n  \nDon’t know anything about astrology or dharma? Don’t worry – Catherine Sensei’s online introduction to Astrology and dharma will provide you with material you need to get going. \n  \n“Hearing Catherine’s interactions with others\, I observe such a strong palpable intention to be of benefit when speaking\, and also to really hear when listening. Both are such rare qualities in the world and clearly the fruit of a life of practice.” \n– Jacob Steele\, Events Organizer\, Banyen Books. \n  \nRelated Content\nBlogs: \n\nTurbo Charge Your Freedom: AstroDharma\nUse AstroDharma to Increase Joy and Integrate the Shadow\n\nInterview with Banyen Books & Sound \n\nOn Integrating Eastern & Western Awakening Traditions\, The Hero’s Journey\, and Dharma-Astrology\n\nAstroDharma Insights Videos \n\nRelationships Through an AstroDharma Lens\nThe Three Most Important Parts of Your Astrology Chart\n\n  \nReady to go? Register for the Course\nRegister early to ensure your program and accommodation choices\, and take advantage of early bird specials: \n \n  \nEarly Bird Specials\n\nIf registered by April 24th you get:\n\nA Personalized Natal Chart Package (20+ pages) with information about your specific astrological make-up\nAccess to an exclusive 1-hour webinar Q&A with the instructor\, Catherine Pawasarat\n$25 discount to the Intro to AstroDharma online course on PlanetDharma.com\n\n\n\nIf registered by May 15th you get:\n\n\nAccess to an exclusive 1-hour webinar Q&A with the instructor\, Catherine Pawasarat\n$25 discount to the Intro to AstroDharma online course on PlanetDharma.com\n\n\n\n\n\nIf registered by June 1st you get:\n\n$25 discount to the Intro to AstroDharma online course on PlanetDharma.com\n\n\n\n\nAbout the Teacher\, Catherine Pawasarat Sensei\nCatherine Pawasarat Sensei has been a student of astrology and dharma for more than 25 years.  She has been a dharma trainer and teacher of the path of awakening since the early 2000s. \nCatherine began her spiritual practices in earnest in her early 20s. At this time she struggled to overcome personal suffering.  She also found it hard to make sense of international environmental and social justice challenges. This struggle led her to became a student of metaphysics\, Western spiritual traditions\, ayahuasca sacraments and Buddhadharma. \nSince 1998 she has trained daily with Acariya Doug Duncan.  This training has been an intensive spiritual apprenticeship that is rare in the modern West. With Doug she is co-founder of Clear Sky Retreat Center in the BC Rockies and Planet Dharma\, and a lineage holder for these teachings. \nCatherine worked as an advocacy photojournalist and studied traditional Japanese arts (including koto\, shamisen\, kyogen) in Kyoto for 20 years\, culminating in her landmark work at GionFestival.org. Throughout the year she travels internationally giving dharma teachings with Doug Sensei. She also offers an introductory online course in astrology.  In addition\, Catherine supports social entrepreneurship for spiritual practitioners at AkasaVision Consulting. \n  \nWhat students say about Catherine’s AstroDharma Course:\n[tmls category=”2128″ layout=”tmls_list” style=”style2″ image_size=”large_image” image_radius=”large_radius” text_font_family=”” text_font_color=”#777777″ text_font_size=”14px” name_font_family=”” name_font_color=”#777777″ neme_font_size=”15px” neme_font_weight=”bold” position_font_family=”” position_font_color=”#777777″ position_font_size=”12px” order_by=”date” order=”ASC” border_style=”tmls_border tmls_solid_border” border_color=”#DDDDDD” ratingstars=”enabled” ratingstarssize=”16px” ratingstarscolor=”#F47E00″ ] \n\nAwakening Through AstroDharma at Hollyhock\, Cortes Island BC\nThis astrology and dharma course will be held at innovative and beautiful Hollyhock Centre on Cortes Island\, BC. \nSince 1982 Hollyhock has been a pioneering human potential education centre. Hollyhock’s founders dreamed of creating a lifelong learning and leadership curriculum to inspire\, nourish and support people intent on service to a better world. Find out more about Hollyhock in this video: \n \nReady to go? Register for the Course\nRegister early to ensure your program and accommodation choices\, and take advantage of early bird specials: \n \nNew to Astrology? Introductory Online Course:\nAre you new to astrology?  Don’t worry.  While a basic working knowledge of astrology is required for this course\, here’s how you can get up to speed. \nSimply enroll in Catherine Pawasarat Sensei’s self-guided Introduction to AstroDharma online course. \nThe course consists of 12 videos that will give you a solid grounding in the exciting foundations of astrology\, plus follow-up activities to help you integrate your learning into your life. \nAlso\, read this article on how astrology and dharma is used to increase joy and integrate the shadow. \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \nSign up here to be notified about any retreat updates and Planet Dharma news. URL:https://www.planetdharma.com/event/astrology-dharma-hollyhock-2018/ LOCATION:Hollyhock\, Manson's Landing\, Cortes Island\, BC\, V0P 1K0\, Canada CATEGORIES:Retreats ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.planetdharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/awakening-astrodharma-hollyhock.jpg GEO:50.0592633;-124.9628721 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Hollyhock Manson's Landing Cortes Island BC V0P 1K0 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=Manson's Landing:geo:-124.9628721,50.0592633 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180511 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180520 DTSTAMP:20260727T060843Z CREATED:20170914T032312Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260727T060843Z UID:10000542-1525996800-1526774399@www.planetdharma.com SUMMARY:Meditation Retreat: Body of Truth & Star Group DESCRIPTION:*Please note\, these retreat dates have changed to May 11-19th 2018*\n \nWestern Mysteries Retreat: Body of Truth and Star Group (at the beautiful and innovative Clear Sky Center)\nImagine being the change you want to see in the world. \nCreative visualization and active imagination are vital to the spiritual path. They improve our relationships with ourselves and others and grow our desire to benefit all beings. \nBy cultivating powerful visualization skills\, we can imagine our desired way of being into existence. As a bonus\, we strengthen the ability to see through and decrease our negative states when they arise. \nThe Power of Western Meditations and Star Group\n \n  \nBuddhist philosophy holds that the waking world is no more “real” than the worlds of meditation or dreams. Therefore our ability to imagine new and more diverse positive arisings is an essential skill for the bodhisattva path. \nDuring this retreat\, we’ll follow Namgyal Rinpoche’s pioneering work with these practices\, drawing on his book\, A Body of Truth\, and the Star Group meditation methodology that he developed. \nWhat to expect:\n\nWe will explore diverse meditations from the Western Mystery tradition. This tradition focuses more on archetypes\, and less on human-centric deities and saints (which are present in traditions like Buddhism and Christianity).\nWe will draw on the use of forms\, elements\, shapes\, movement and color to stimulate transformative energies within us. \nWe will explore a broad spectrum of practices–from meditations on honeycombs to the Great Pyramid and its secret chambers. \nTo create a holistic experience\, we will balance the five elements\, inner and outer\, active and passive energies\, time indoors and outdoors\, alone and in groups.\nYou may discover hidden talents\, and increase your strengths. Negative internal blocks will loosen.\n\nWhat is Star Group?\nDeveloped by Namgyal Rinpoche\, Star Group is a rare and precious practice. Small groups of people meditate together to create a psychic platform where they collectively explore the depths of inner and outer space. Star Group meditation draws on the powers of several minds working together and individually\, increasing the range and power of our exploration\, meditative vision and joy. \nStar Group could be seen as a progression from meditating alone to meditating as a group or collective. This practice provides an outstanding opportunity to draw on meditation as a resource to develop relationship and community skills. \nIntegrating your experiences and energies with others benefits innumerable beings. We invite you to join us to train in becoming more skilled and compassionate for the benefit of all beings. \nRegister Now\n \n\nAbout the Teachers:\n \nWe encourage everyone to find the “teacher within” that we can be. But\, for almost everyone\, we need to apprentice before we can master. Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat apprenticed in the teachings of awakening for decades with their teachers. Between them they have been teaching for more than 30 years. \nTheir explorations and teachings are guided by four principles: spiritual growth\, social connectivity\, economic sustainability and environmental integrity. \nDoug & Catherine teach from various wisdom traditions – including buddhadharma\, Western Mysteries\, modern science\, art and nature – based on broad interests and a non-judgemental approach. We’ve lived and worked overseas for many years\, and a planetary outlook is important to us. So is humour! Read more: Full Bios. \n[tmls category=”20″ layout=”tmls_slider” style=”style2″ image_size=”large_image” image_radius=”large_radius” text_font_family=”” text_font_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”16px” name_font_family=”” name_font_color=”#000000″ neme_font_size=”14px” neme_font_weight=”normal” position_font_family=”” position_font_color=”#777777″ position_font_size=”12px” order_by=”rand” order=”DESC” auto_play=”true” transitioneffect=”crossfade” pause_on_hover=”false” next_prev_visibility=”tmls_visible” next_prev_radius=”large_radius” next_prev_position=”” next_prev_bgcolor=”#F5F5F5″ next_prev_arrowscolor=”tmls_lightgrayarrows” scroll_duration=”500″ pause_duration=”9000″ ratingstars=”enabled” ratingstarssize=”16px” ratingstarscolor=”#F47E00″ ] \n\nWhy come to Clear Sky: Experience the difference:\n\nKnow what it is to truly unwind\, surrounded by pristine\, tranquil nature.\nEnjoy fresh air and wholesome food\, with an emphasis on organic and locally sourced.\nExperience the support of a community that exists to help you reconnect.\nBe part of a working and awakening community that practices what it teaches.\nYou’ll both reinvigorate and integrate what you learn into your daily life.\nShare the learning and growth with other participants\, making new friends who are also on a path of spiritual unfoldment.\nConnect to the teachings that have enlivened humanity over centuries (regardless of religion).\n\n\nWhat else do you need to know?\n\nDāna (Generosity Based Teaching)\n\nDoug & Catherine are teaching this meditation retreat via the ancient tradition of Dāna (generosity)\, an offering from them to the attendees. It is considered of supreme value to your life and thus “beyond price” so it is expected that the student will be equally generous and support the teaching and the teachers by making an offering. \nWhile no offering is too small\, also no offering is too great. The giver benefits by offering as much as they can\, given the individual’s circumstances. Along with compassion\, generosity is considered the root of spiritual progress and\, according to the ancients\, therefore the root of our success in daily life as well. \nFind out more about how you can practice Dāna. We invite you to offer Dāna when you register and via the Dāna bowl available at Clear Sky. \n\nMeditation Retreat Centre Fees (Lodging & Meals)\n\n\nThis meditation retreat will be held at beautiful Clear Sky Meditation Centre. Fees which include lodging & meals start at $999 CAD. \n\nRegistration\n\nBook early for this meditation retreat. All registrations and inquiries can be made via the Clear Sky Registration page\, by clicking the Register Now button below: \n \n  \n\nNotes: \n[1] Karma Yoga is our practice of awakening in action. It may entail supporting the center and participants in the area of nourishment\, environmental services\, land management or infrastructure. \nSign up here to be notified about any retreat updates and Planet Dharma news. URL:https://www.planetdharma.com/event/meditation-retreat-body-truth-western-visualizations/ LOCATION:Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre\, 3567 Cockell Rd\, Bull River\, British Columbia\, V0B1N0\, Canada CATEGORIES:Retreats ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.planetdharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/BodyofTruth-stargroup.jpg GEO:49.615543;-115.6300709 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre 3567 Cockell Rd Bull River British Columbia V0B1N0 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=3567 Cockell Rd:geo:-115.6300709,49.615543 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180330 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180403 DTSTAMP:20260806T062532Z CREATED:20170927T154052Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260806T062532Z UID:10000546-1522368000-1522713599@www.planetdharma.com SUMMARY:Meditation Retreat: Becoming a Work of Art DESCRIPTION:A Meditation Retreat to Build your Foundations: Easter Long Weekend 2018\n\n“Better to be a work of art than make a work of art.” – Namgyal Rinpoche \nIs the Buddhist body of practice or philosophical canon somewhat new to you? If so\, this course will provide you with fundamental resources around which to develop a practice for the rest of your life. \nEvery meditative practice in our tradition\, at some point\, comes back to the Paramis\, also known as the six perfections. These form a flawless path that carries us straight to spiritual enlightenment. It’s simple\, beautiful\, and powerful. Join us for this three-day weekend to get you squarely and joyfully on this path. \nWhy Becoming a Work of Art?\nWould you rather create one work of art or become a work of art? In a culture that values external achievements\, we often forget the hidden gem inside us. This gem creates bliss\, wisdom\, and radiance\, and it is fiercely worth growing. \nLet your internal works of art flourish during our three-day retreat this Easter Long Weekend. Led by Dharma Teachers Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat\, it is a perfect time to embrace springtime and nurture your inner potential. \nDuring this retreat\, we will study six aspects of consciousness that we may cultivate to become our own inner and outer works of art. These six aspects are called the paramis in Sanskrit\, and have been taught in the buddhadharma for more than two thousand years. \nThis retreat has a powerful experiential meditation component – participants will receive an initiation to the Chenrezi practice.  Chenrezi is a form of ‘arising yoga’ from Vajrayana Buddhism. It is a principle practice of compassion that will give you full mind body experience of the Paramis. \nThe paramis are qualities that we grow to feel internally grounded and to act from a positive\, wholesome place in our relationships with others. They help us reside in a clear\, calm\, and loving place\, while becoming more curious and absorbed with our inner and outer worlds. With these qualities\, happiness and beautiful works of art shine. \n  \nWho is this course for? \nBecause we are active people with busy lives\, it is common to feel like we can’t take the time to get grounded. This affects how we work\, play\, and relate to each other. As the saying goes\, “when you’re up to your neck in alligators\, it’s hard to remember that your original intention was to drain the swamp.” \nThis short course is designed for those of us who feel challenged around making the time. \nWe’ll explore how to cultivate mindfulness as we go about our daily lives. As our relationships and professional lives blossom\, we’re of greater service to ourselves\, our communities\, and the planet. \nThis retreat is intended to create a work of art that is founded in an abundant and durable happiness … even when there are ‘gators nipping at our heels.\n \nNote: These are universal teachings open to people of any faith\, or with no particular faith. \nCourse Outcomes:\n\nLearn to be more generous with ourselves and others\, materially\, emotionally and mentally.\nDevelop a greater sense of ease around thorny emotional issues.\nCultivate greater patience in the face of life’s ongoing challenges.\nOpen more energy through less resistance rooted in fear and mistrust.\nFind greater calm and focus based on a clearer sense of one’s place in the world.\nDiscover a closer connection to the wisdom inside us that arises from the development of the above outcomes.\n\nRegister Now\n \n\nAbout the Teachers:\n \nWe encourage everyone to find the “teacher within” that we can be. But\, for almost everyone\, we need to apprentice before we can master. Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat apprenticed in the teachings of awakening for decades with their teachers. Between them they have been teaching for more than 30 years. \nTheir explorations and teachings are guided by four principles: spiritual growth\, social connectivity\, economic sustainability and environmental integrity. \nDoug & Catherine teach from various wisdom traditions – including buddhadharma\, Western Mysteries\, modern science\, art and nature – based on broad interests and a non-judgemental approach. We’ve lived and worked overseas for many years\, and a planetary outlook is important to us. So is humour! Read more: Full Bios. \n[tmls category=”20″ layout=”tmls_slider” style=”style2″ image_size=”large_image” image_radius=”large_radius” text_font_family=”” text_font_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”16px” name_font_family=”” name_font_color=”#000000″ neme_font_size=”14px” neme_font_weight=”normal” position_font_family=”” position_font_color=”#777777″ position_font_size=”12px” order_by=”rand” order=”DESC” auto_play=”true” transitioneffect=”crossfade” pause_on_hover=”false” next_prev_visibility=”tmls_visible” next_prev_radius=”large_radius” next_prev_position=”” next_prev_bgcolor=”#F5F5F5″ next_prev_arrowscolor=”tmls_lightgrayarrows” scroll_duration=”500″ pause_duration=”9000″ ratingstars=”enabled” ratingstarssize=”16px” ratingstarscolor=”#F47E00″ ] \n\nThis course is open to all experience levels\n\nWe work with beginners and advanced participants alike\, and mold our teaching to the readiness of each student.\nEach student sets the pace and scope of their own development. We do encourage you to stretch your comfort zone so that it becomes broader\, and so you enjoy maximum benefits of the course.\nThe schedule is very accessible (see below for details).\nOur teachers and staff are friendly and well trained\, and have supported many people in becoming ever-evolving works of art.\n\nWhat’s expected from me if I come to this course?\n\nCome with an open and engaged attitude.\n© C. Pawasarat \nParticipate in the program as fully as you’re able.\nFoster and maintain an atmosphere of trust and acceptance in the group-learning environment.\nRefrain from reading\, using the internet or listening to music during the course (except journaling and assigned reading).\nParticipate in Karma Yoga[1] service at Clear Sky (maximum of two hours daily).\nSupport the teachers and teachings through the practice of dāna.\n\nWhy come to Clear Sky: Experience the difference:\n\nKnow what it is to truly unwind\, surrounded by pristine\, tranquil nature.\nEnjoy fresh air and wholesome food\, with an emphasis on organic and locally sourced.\nExperience the support of a community that exists to help you reconnect.\nBe part of a working and awakening community that practices what it teaches.\nYou’ll both reinvigorate and integrate what you learn into your daily life.\nShare the learning and growth with other participants\, making new friends who are also on a path of spiritual unfoldment.\nConnect to the teachings that have enlivened humanity over centuries (regardless of religion).\n\n\nWhat else do you need to know?\n\nDāna (Generosity Based Teaching)\n\nDoug & Catherine are teaching this meditation retreat via the ancient tradition of Dāna (generosity)\, an offering from them to the attendees. It is considered of supreme value to your life and thus “beyond price” so it is expected that the student will be equally generous and support the teaching and the teachers by making an offering. \nWhile no offering is too small\, also no offering is too great. The giver benefits by offering as much as they can\, given the individual’s circumstances. Along with compassion\, generosity is considered the root of spiritual progress and\, according to the ancients\, therefore the root of our success in daily life as well. \nFind out more about how you can practice Dāna. We invite you to offer Dāna when you register and via the Dāna bowl available at Clear Sky. \n\nMeditation Retreat Centre Fees (Lodging & Meals)\n\n\nThis meditation retreat will be held at beautiful Clear Sky Meditation Centre. Fees which include lodging & meals range from $350-$550 CAD. Sign up before February 27th\, 2018 and take advantage of Early Bird savings on accommodation & meals. \n\nCourse Schedule\n\n\n-Friday\, March 30\, 7pm – 9pm \n-Saturday\, March 31\, 7am – 10pm \n-Sunday\, April 1\, 7am – 10pm \n-Monday April 2\, 7am – 1pm \n\nRegistration\n\nBook early for this long weekend meditation retreat. All registrations and inquiries can be made via the Clear Sky Registration page\, by clicking the Register Now button below: \n \n  \n\nNotes: \n[1] Karma Yoga is our practice of awakening in action. It may entail supporting the center and participants in the area of nourishment\, environmental services\, land management or infrastructure. \nSign up here to be notified about any updates regarding this retreat and other Planet Dharma news. \n  URL:https://www.planetdharma.com/event/becoming-work-art-easter-retreat-2018/ LOCATION:Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre\, 3567 Cockell Rd\, Bull River\, British Columbia\, V0B1N0\, Canada CATEGORIES:Public Classes,Retreats ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.planetdharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/becoming-work-of-art2018.jpg GEO:49.615543;-115.6300709 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre 3567 Cockell Rd Bull River British Columbia V0B1N0 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=3567 Cockell Rd:geo:-115.6300709,49.615543 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20180101 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20180102 DTSTAMP:20260904T061322Z CREATED:20171028T015315Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260904T061322Z UID:10000548-1514764800-1514851199@www.planetdharma.com SUMMARY:Year of Joy - 2018 Program for Spiritual Awakening DESCRIPTION:Year of Joy: 2018 Program for Spiritual Awakening\nHow would you like to spend the year cultivating joy? Alas\, one can’t awaken from a state of bliss. But it provides the juice to continue deepening our practice of insight. And it feels fantastic. \nMost of all\, joy is a natural and essential component of the awakening mind. \nBesides cultivating joy\, the aim of this year-long program is to support beings to awaken joyfully in this very lifetime. On y va! Vamos! 行きましょう！ Embora gente! \nTo us\, the teachers\, the benefits for participants in the past two year-long programs (the Year of Awakening and Year of Victory) have been very clear. They have been a game-changer in the practice and dedication to the path for people who’ve engaged in a committed way. The growth we’ve seen in participants has been remarkable. \nAbout the Program Teachers:\n\nCombined\, Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat have been teaching\, practicing and living spiritual awakening for more than 60 years. They’re well versed in Buddhist and Western philosophy and practices\, as well as contemporary psychology\, consciousness studies and art. \nSince Doug and Catherine have lived and traveled extensively overseas\, they also draw on inter- and transcultural experiences. This helps broaden the range and depth of their understandings of spiritual awakening and liberation to an experience that knows no country. \nTo implement these teachings and experiences in the world\, they founded the beautiful and innovative Clear Sky Meditation Centre in BC in 2005. \nTheir engaged compassion\, sense of humor\, adventurousness and combined wisdom will enrich your life with exploration and discovery. More to the point\, this year it will support you cultivating more joy in your life. Click for their full bios: Year of Joy Teachers. \nWhat others say about the Teachers:\n[tmls category=”20″ layout=”tmls_slider” style=”style2″ image_size=”large_image” image_radius=”large_radius” text_font_family=”” text_font_color=”#777777″ text_font_size=”14px” name_font_family=”” name_font_color=”#777777″ neme_font_size=”15px” neme_font_weight=”bold” position_font_family=”” position_font_color=”#777777″ position_font_size=”12px” order_by=”rand” order=”DESC” auto_play=”true” transitioneffect=”crossfade” pause_on_hover=”false” next_prev_visibility=”tmls_visible” next_prev_radius=”large_radius” next_prev_position=”” next_prev_bgcolor=”#F5F5F5″ next_prev_arrowscolor=”tmls_lightgrayarrows” scroll_duration=”500″ pause_duration=”9000″ ratingstars=”enabled” ratingstarssize=”16px” ratingstarscolor=”#F47E00″ ] \n  \nWebinars & Retreats Offered\n\nCommitment to the Year of Joy entails participating in all three webinars below\, plus retreat time\, varying according to the level of your commitment. You’ll benefit from one of these retreats taking place at Clear Sky Meditation Centre. Please see the program description below for details. \nCultivating Joy through Year of Joy Webinars:\n\nDharma in Film (January 29-February 19\, 2018)\nThe Path of Ecstasy: Following Your Bliss (June 4-25\, 2018)\nThe Joy of Sex and Relationship (October 1-22\, 2018)\n\nCultivating Joy through Year of Joy Retreats at Clear Sky Centre:\n\nBecoming a Work of Art Retreat (March 31-April 2\, 2018 and extend your stay to a week)\n\nBody of Truth and Star Group Retreat (May 4-18\, 2018)\n\nBuddhas in Action Retreat (July 28-August 11\, 2018)\nSix Yogas of Naropa\, Dream Yoga & Light Yoga (Dec 7-22\, 2018)\n\n\nTestimonials from Students in Last Year’s Program (Year of Victory)\nI’m so thankful I gave myself this gift of this transformational year long program. The program was captivating and very supportive. It was like a sling shot to the greater clarity\, freedom and understanding I’ve been seeking in life. I’d recommend this program to anyone who is wondering which direction to take in order to live a life with more passion and meaning. \n–Karen Scott\, BC\, Canada \nIt was a fantastic tool to not get completely lost in Samsara throughout the year. Especially because I don’t live in Canada and cannot be with the teachers so often. I felt very connected and supported by the Teachers and Sangha. As a result I became much more aware of my state of mind. I recommend this program to people that are truly interested in studying interconnectedness and the miracle of life. \n–Andrea Netscher\, Germany \nParticipating fully in the Year of Victory gave me an opportunity to stay close to the Teachers and practice throughout the year. As a result I benefited by being “tuned” to the Teachers and to my personal victory. I feel like the confidence I gained in victory over my own preference mind was a direct result of this commitment to the full year program. The harder it seems to find time and make a year long commitment\, the greater the results seem to be when one does. The program is flexible enough if you plan well\, yet structured enough to make sure you don’t get lost during the year. I started in the lower level commitment for the last two years\, but now this year I’m diving into the higher level commitment and can’t wait for it to start. \n–Linda Hochstetler\, ON\, Canada \n\nProgram Benefits & Commitment Levels \nThe Year of Joy program has three commitment levels for how you will approach cultivating joy – Vajra\, Diamond and Lotus levels. \n1. Cultivating Joy at the Vajra Level\nThe vajra level offers a thunderbolt to strike through the illusions of samsara\, clearing the air so that joy can emerge. \nWe appreciate that the basics of daily life can be very demanding for modern people. Add relationship\, career development\, education and so on\, and maintaining a regular spiritual practice can begin to feel very challenging. This is samsara talking! Apply the thunderbolt: we’ve designed the Vajra level to support you to cut through the illusion. \nThe Vajra level of Year of Joy will help include cultivating joy in your spiritual practice. Moreover\, the program will support you to stay connected to spiritual awakening as the foundation of the rest of your life. It will also leave time for the other exigencies of your life right now. This is designed as a bridge to a time–hopefully in the very near future–when you can make a deeper commitment to your spiritual practice. \nVajra Level Benefits and Commitments Include:\n \n\nA commitment to a regular\, engaged practice sustained over 2018. Structure and routine are your friends. When applied to your spiritual practice\, your current practices will stabilize and shift into a higher gear. Your power for cultivating joy will increase.\nOngoing engagement with a community of other committed practitioners\, with whom you connect virtually and in person. It’s easier with others. This will bring new insights into the power of sangha\, and allow you to enjoy its benefits in new ways. Enjoy and learn from cultivating joy together.\n\nMeditation Retreats\n\nA minimum of two one-week retreats during the year. We encourage you to come to Clear Sky. 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 2018 teaching schedule).\nA retreat interview with the teachers. This lineage emphasizes working with 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.\n\nWebinars\, Virtual Support and Home Flash Retreats\n\nParticipation in the three series of webinars (four webinars in each series) 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.\nWhile not required\, we encourage you to participate in the three Flash Retreats that seal each webinar series. Each occurs over the final weekend of every webinar series. These help us apply and integrate the webinar teachings\, so that we connect with the cultivation of joy in our beings\, and embody them in the world. These are done in the convenience of your own home: besides being easily accessible for you\, it also supports your practice of honoring your space and your cultivation of a stronger discipline. In short\, we’d like to support your learning about cultivating joy in the comfort of your own home.\nJoin our regular Office Hours throughout the year\, generally twice monthly. Again\, this supports you in keeping cultivating joy and 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.\n\n2. Cultivating Joy at the Diamond Level \nThe adamantine awakening mind possesses the indestructibility\, clarity and luminosity of this gem. The Diamond Level is for people who are prepared to put a stake in the ground and orient the mandala of life around spiritual awakening at the centre of it. Cultivating joy comprises an essential part of this mandala and one’s daily life. \nDiamond Level Benefits and Commitments Include:\nThe following elements\, which are the same as Vajra Level: \n \n\nA commitment to a regular\, engaged practice sustained over 2018. Structure and routine are your friends. When applied to your spiritual practice\, your current practices will stabilize and shift into a higher gear.\nOngoing engagement with a community of other committed practitioners\, with whom you connect virtually and in person. It’s easier with others. This will bring new insights into the power of sangha\, and allow you to enjoy its benefits in new ways. Enjoy and learn from cultivating joy together.\n\nAdditionally\, Diamond Level includes lengthened retreats and more specialized virtual guidance:\n \nMeditation Retreats\n\nA minimum of a two-week retreat at Clear Sky during the year. You may choose from the three retreats described above. Alternatively you may consult with Doug and Catherine to see whether doing a personal retreat at Clear Sky while they’re in residence would be highly supportive your cultivating joy practice.\nA minimum of one retreat interview with the teachers during each retreat. Take full advantage of suggestions designed to help you in cultivating joy\, speed up your spiritual awakening\, and make both these more beneficial to all beings.\n\nWebinars\, Virtual Support and Home Flash Retreats\n\nParticipation in three series of webinars (four webinars in each series) 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.\nParticipation in the three Flash Retreats that seal each webinar series. There is one weekend-long Flash Retreat per webinar series\, generally on the final weekend. The Flash retreats\, like their name\, are short and sweet and intense. They help us apply and integrate the webinar teachings\, so that we connect with the cultivating joy experience in our beings\, and can embody them in the world. These are intentionally done in the convenience of your own home: besides being easily accessible for you\, it also supports your practice of honoring your space and your cultivation of a stronger personal discipline.\nSpecialised Year of Joy Office Hours: These are Office Hours sessions for Diamond Level Year of Joy students only. These are live\, 60-minute internet conference calls weekly during each webinar series. They provide a small-group opportunity for learning and sharing how cultivating joy can be increased or be more integrated with your life right now.\nWhen YoV Office Hours are not offered\, regular Office Hours support you twice monthly. Keep 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.\n\n  \n3. Cultivating Joy at the Lotus Level\n \nDo you want to cultivate your knowledge and exposure to awakening wisdom in 2018? \nAt the lotus level we encourage you to audit and join in as many of the 2018 Planet Dharma events and retreats as possible. There is no application process for the lotus level. \nRegister for each event\, webinar\, retreat in 2018 on our Dharma teachings schedule page. \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n\nWhat else do you need to know?\nDāna (Generosity Based Teaching)\nDoug & Catherine are teaching this year long program via the ancient tradition of Dāna (generosity). This is an offering from them to participants. It is considered of supreme value to your life and thus ‘beyond price’. So it is expected that the student will be equally generous and support the teaching and the teachers by making an offering. This year’s program offers a unique opportunity to learn about how generosity supports cultivating joy. \nWhile no offering is too small\, also no offering is too great. The giver benefits by offering as much as they can\, given the individual’s circumstances. Along with compassion\, generosity is considered the root of spiritual progress and\, according to the ancients\, therefore the root of our success in daily life as well. \nDāna and the Year of Joy\nRecognize 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. \n\n\n\nWe 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. \nYou will have an opportunity to offer Dāna when you register. You can also give by clicking the Dāna bowl image to the left. Another avenue to practice generosity is via the Dāna bowl available at Clear Sky at the opening of each retreat. This is a powerful way to set your intention for the retreat. As well\, there are ongoing opportunities throughout the year to offer Dāna. We encourage you to reflect how to use Dāna as a core practice throughout the year. How can one cultivate a heart of generosity\, openness and joy? \nProgram Registration Fees (For Course Costs)\nThere is a one-time program fee to cover operating costs during the year. Vajra Level: US$250 / Diamond Level: US$350.\nAt Planet Dharma we believe that finances are one of many creative manifestations of energy exchange. Is your aspiration and other supports for the year-long program and practice of cultivating joy strong? By contrast does the course fee and other financial commitments feel like a challenge? Then please note this in your application and make an offer of alternative forms of exchange. \nRetreat Registration & Fees\nPlease also note that this program’s residential retreats are held at Clear Sky Meditation Centre in BC\, Canada. Registration and payment for lodging & meals for these retreats are made directly to Clear Sky via each retreat’s booking forms. \n\nInvitation for Year of Joy Applications\nFrom Sunday\, 12 November we invite your applications to participate in the Year of Joy\, 2018. We suggest you apply early\, as this highly personalized program has limited places available. Applications will be accepted until December 15\, 2017.\n \n  URL:https://www.planetdharma.com/event/year-joy-spiritual-awakening-2018/ CATEGORIES:Online Courses,Retreats ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.planetdharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/year-of-joy.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20171208 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20171224 DTSTAMP:20180802T042427Z CREATED:20160904T185103Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180802T042427Z UID:10000360-1512691200-1514073599@www.planetdharma.com SUMMARY:Retreat: The Six Yogas of Naropa DESCRIPTION:  \nThis meditation retreat on the Six Yogas of Naropa with Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat will be held at Clear Sky Center\, in BC. \nPrerequisite: All participants are required to have completed one million mantras of the Chenrezi foundation practice in order to attend this retreat. \nAbout the Six Yogas of Naropa\nThe Six Yogas of Naropa are one of the central practices of the Tibetan Kargyu lineage\, to which we belong. It is essentially a path to freedom through the development of deep understanding into the way things and formations arise and pass away. \nThese teachings are grounded in the deep understanding of the fundamental principles and practices of Tantra. To do this work\, you must leave behind all partial views and develop a complete “viewing.” \nBy studying the energy channels of the body\, the bindhus (hormones)\, and the overall functioning of the energy systems\, the Diamond Body emerges. The Diamond Body is a radiant energy body that is no longer subject to the blocks and malformations that are the natural result of conditioned patterns. \nThe radiant result is kundalini energy\, which burns up the amassed undergrowth of our unwholesome patterns\, resulting in the natural liberation of energy\, loving kindness and compassion. \nDuring these two weeks\, we will be focusing on the first two Yogas of Naropa: dumo heat yoga and illusory body yoga. The remaining yogas will be topics for retreats at the end of 2018 and 2019. \nThere will also be a Demchog empowerment during this retreat. \nSpaces on this retreat are limited and filling up quickly\, so please register early. \nRegistrations are now open:\n  \n \n  \nBasic arrival and departure details: \n\nArrivals: December 8\, 2017 **\nDepartures: December 23\, 2017\n\n**International students are strongly encouraged to arrive at least one day earlier to acclimatize. \n  \nSign up here to be notified about any retreat updates and Planet Dharma news. URL:https://www.planetdharma.com/event/retreat-six-yogas-naropa/ LOCATION:Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre\, 3567 Cockell Rd\, Bull River\, British Columbia\, V0B1N0\, Canada CATEGORIES:Retreats ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.planetdharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/6-Yogas-of-Naropa.jpg GEO:49.615543;-115.6300709 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre 3567 Cockell Rd Bull River British Columbia V0B1N0 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=3567 Cockell Rd:geo:-115.6300709,49.615543 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170806 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170821 DTSTAMP:20180802T042613Z CREATED:20160825T235948Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180802T042613Z UID:10000523-1501977600-1503273599@www.planetdharma.com SUMMARY:Summer Retreat: Buddhas in Action DESCRIPTION:© D. Steinbock \nBuddhas in Action Retreat\nAwakening Through Work & Daily Life\nFor those of us with busy lives\, the spiritual life can feel out of reach. We want to relate meaningfully with those around us\, but we often feel unfulfilled. Work just leaves us feeling worn out and slightly empty. And sometimes the space between self and other feels like a gaping hole. \nWe all need to earn a living and deal with day-to-day pressures\, so why not use contemporary spiritual practices at work to feel fulfilled while doing so?  These two parts of our life can support one another in beautiful ways\, leading to great feelings of meaningfulness\, balance\, and connection. \nOur experience shows that blending study\, meditation\, and what we call “awakening through action” profoundly integrates spiritual practice with day-to-day demands. \nTraditionally\, spiritual seekers lived in monasteries or trained with their teacher in the remote mountain caves. Throughout both traditions\, meditation and training were supplemented with practical application. This practical application–also called karma yoga or the path of action–helped students learn to embody ever-growing wisdom and awareness moment-to-moment. The idea was always to share these fruits of spiritual practice in meaningful ways with the broader community\, for everyone’s benefit. \nWe’ve spent the last 20 years adapting this tradition of awakening through action to our modern lives\, at home\, in offices\, at our desks\, in meetings and in the field. This profoundly practical application can help you find greater joy\, fulfillment\, and calm amidst your busy daily life. \nWhy Use Karma Yoga to Wake Up Your Work & Daily Life?\n\nBy learning the principles of karma yoga\, you can apply awareness and wisdom to everything you do. Cultivating this practice allows you to transform your work\, home and city life into a connective field of monastic or yogic practice. Your home becomes your monastery\, your co-workers become your fellow yogis and yoginis. \nThis retreat gives you the building blocks to apply awareness\, compassion\, wisdom\, and strength to each moment. The result is greater fulfillment amid daily life and meaningful connection with others and the world around you. \nPlease note that this retreat and Clear Sky welcome people of all religious backgrounds and beliefs. This retreat is open to all experience levels. \nWhy the Actions of “Service?”\nCalling our actions “service” instills the notion that we do it with and for others. Service helps both ourselves and others gain greater clarity and contentment throughout our daily activities. By putting others first\, we give the ego a chance to relax. The result is increased success\, effectiveness\, and fulfillment in our work. \nThis approach is highly relevant to the Western lifestyle of the 21st century. This course offers you the opportunity to learn from our experience and take it back home and to work with you. \nIn this course\, we’ll draw on traditional meditation and yogic practices and philosophy. We’ll also utilize exercises drawn from Namgyal Rinpoche’s Holistic Clearing practice\, Theory U\, Fifth Discipline\, Five Dysfunctions of a Team and original exercises we’ve created expressly for Karma Yoga and Dharma Training development. \nWhat’s Expected from Me if I Come to This Retreat?\n© D. Steinbock \nAn open mind and heart\, and a spirit of adventure are excellent things to bring! \nIt’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. And changes – including positive ones – require movement\, and movement requires engaged energy. \nWe ask you to engage with us around the teachings and activities that will support your learning and unfoldment around awakening in action. \nWhen exploring our growth edges\, it’s natural to feel uncertain and awkward. And it’s very fruitful to transform that 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. \nTo maximize your learning\, we ask that you refrain from reading\, using the internet or listening to music during the course. We make an exception for journaling\, course assignments and dancing during exercises or group celebration – all great resources for integration and growth. \nLastly\, our teaching and Clear Sky operate based on the ancient tradition of dāna or generosity. Please learn more about this profound practice before you register. \nAbout the Teachers\n© C. Pawasarat \nDharma Teachers Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat place great value on using every action as your practice for enlightenment. Combined\, they have been practicing Karma Yoga and meditation for more than 60 years. They both received lay ordination from the Canadian-born Ven. Namgyal Rinpoche\, and have shared teachings of liberation worldwide for decades. \nThis retreat is a rare opportunity to immerse yourself in karma yoga learning and practice over a focused two-week period. Doug and Catherine typically teach students one-on-one at various times. It is suitable for their students who are already practicing karma yoga and for beginners alike. \nJoin this retreat for the valuable opportunity to help share these unique teachings in the contemporary world. \nRead more: Doug & Catherine’s Bios. \n  \n  \n  \n  \nFurther Reading\n[accordions id=”5915″] \n  \nReady for Buddhas in Action?\nInvest in your growth and unfoldment with master Dharma teachers Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat this summer. Nestled in the Rocky Mountains\, beautiful Clear Sky meditation centre offers the perfect locale for deep learning.  Receive hands-on training in mind\, body and feeling as Doug & Catherine guide you through Karma Yoga and Dharma Training via classes\, assigned exercises and practice in community. You will also discover the powerful holistic clearing technique and other forms of meditation. \nStay for the full two week ‘deeper dive’ to take advantage of the option of private interviews with Doug and/or Catherine in the second week\, to pursue more personalized inquiries if desired. \n*Spaces on this retreat are limited so we recommend registering early to hold a space. Camping is also an option. \n  \n\nWhat else do you need to know?\n\nDāna (Generosity Based Teaching)\n\nDoug & Catherine are teaching this meditation retreat via the ancient tradition of Dāna (generosity)\, an offering from them to the attendees. It is considered of supreme value to your life and thus “beyond price” so it is expected that the student will be equally generous and support the teaching and the teachers by making an offering. \nWhile no offering is too small\, also no offering is too great. The giver benefits by offering as much as they can\, given the individual’s circumstances. Along with compassion\, generosity is considered the root of spiritual progress and\, according to the ancients\, therefore the root of our success in daily life as well. \nFind out more about how you can practice Dāna. We invite you to offer Dāna when you register and via the Dāna bowl available at Clear Sky. \n\nMeditation Retreat Dates\, Arrival & Departure\n\nThis meditation retreat runs as follows: \n– Deeper Dive (Full 14 Day Retreat) – Arrival: 4pm Sunday August 6th\, 2017 / Departure: 1pm Sunday August 20th\, 2017. \n– One Week Option (7 Days) – Arrival: 4pm Sunday August 6th\, 2017 / Departure: 1pm Sunday August 13th\, 2017. \n \nWe recommend arriving a day early and staying a day later\, to help transition between your daily life and a more reflective state. We encourage international students in particular to arrive one day earlier to acclimatize.  Sunday\, 13 Aug. is an integration day\, to reflect on one’s learning and allow it to settle more deeply.  Classes finish at 1pm on Sunday August 20th. \n\nExtra Activities & What to Bring:\n\n\n–For week one: Please bring a swim suit\, beach towel\, work clothes that can get dirty and shoes suitable for hiking. \n-For week two: There will be a Vajrapani empowerment. (Vajrapani symbolizes the body of all buddhas of the ten directions and three times and represents enlightened activity. (The Bodhisattva Manjushri represents mind and Avalokiteshvara that of speech).  Please also bring clothes suitable for going out to a meal together \n\nMeditation Retreat Centre Fees (Lodging & Meals)\n\n\nThis meditation retreat will be held at beautiful Clear Sky Meditation Centre. Fees which include lodging (camping or indoors) & meals are as follows: \n– Full Retreat: Super Early Bird CAD$1\,679 until June 6th / Early Bird CAD$1\,779 until July 6th / Regular price CAD$1\,879. \n– First Week only: Super Early Bird CAD$899 until June 6th / Early Bird CAD$949 until July 6th / Regular price CAD$999 \n\nKarma Yoga\n\nKarma yoga during this retreat may entail supporting the center and participants in the area of nourishment\, environmental services\, operational support of Clear Sky Center. This may entail involvement with meal preparation\, serving or cleanup\, the farm and garden\, our sustainable land management\, helping build on-site meditation platforms\, etc. \n\nRegistration\n\nBook early for this popular meditation retreat as spaces are limited. All registrations can be made via the Clear Sky Registration page\, by clicking the Register Now button below. If you have questions about the retreat\, please visit: https://www.clearskycenter.org/contact/ \n \n\nSign up here to be notified about any updates regarding this retreat and other Planet Dharma news. URL:https://www.planetdharma.com/event/summer-retreat-awakening-through-action/ LOCATION:Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre\, 3567 Cockell Rd\, Bull River\, British Columbia\, V0B1N0\, Canada CATEGORIES:Retreats ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.planetdharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/buddhas-inaction-2017.jpg GEO:49.615543;-115.6300709 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre 3567 Cockell Rd Bull River British Columbia V0B1N0 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=3567 Cockell Rd:geo:-115.6300709,49.615543 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170721 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170729 DTSTAMP:20261004T043646Z CREATED:20170402T183921Z LAST-MODIFIED:20261004T043646Z UID:10000377-1500595200-1501286399@www.planetdharma.com SUMMARY:Foundations of Tantra Retreat\, Ontario DESCRIPTION:@ The Dharma Centre of Canada\, Kinmount\, Ontario\nDoug Sensei teaching at the Dharma Centre \nThis week-long retreat at the beautiful and historic Dharma Centre will be an opportunity for you to delve into the Buddhist tantric tradition with Tantra Master Doug Duncan. \nTantra is a weaving of a clear mind and a blissful heart and the image often used to portray the metaphor of these dualities of consciousness is the dance of male/female in union. It is a method for exploring the relationship between our inner mental workings and our outer contact with the everyday world. \nWe will learn how our fears can be harnessed to become a tool for overcoming the anxieties we experience in daily life. The retreat will enable us to develop trust and confidence that conquers fear and establishes freedom to love and explore. \nThe retreat begins with a Green Tara empowerment in Tibetan tradition\, which lays the foundations of the practice. Throughout the week there will be opportunities to develop this practice with guidance through classes\, activities and meditation. \nWhether you are a beginner or a more experienced practitioner\, the week promises to be a deep and transformative one. \nThis meditation retreat is for people who:\n\nAre new to meditation\nAlready meditate\nWant to go deeper into their meditation practice\nWant to find out what tantra is all about\nWant to develop their tantric practice through Green Tara\nWant to empower their lives and change their relationship with fear and love\n\nWhat will be covered in this meditation retreat?\nDuring the week-long retreat you will become more familiar with the four levels of tantra: \nPhoto: aka Tman \nIn Action Tantra\, traditionally the image of a ‘smile’ between male and female is used. A smile is an invitation and a connection. It is relatively low risk and decently far enough away to ensure time to assess if further dialogue is desired or possible. As a karma yoga practice it involves service and generosity in practice. \nRelational Tantra uses the metaphor of ‘holding hands’ as a symbol of closer communication and therefore deeper connection than just a smile. Here dialogue between teacher and student or between one’s actions and one’s psychology is deepened. At this level more honesty is required\, not only between the teacher and student\, but with one’s self as well. \nCompleting Tantra\, requires more vulnerability\, greater trust and deeper courage. The metaphor here would be ‘making out’\, to use colloquial language. Not everything in our ego is nice. The monsters of our shadows and the deeper part of our hurts\, our loneliness and betrayals\, will be unveiled. But\, also the strengthening of our hearts and minds occurs here. \nFinally\, in Union Tantra the illusion of separation between beings evaporates. One comes to realize that only loving kindness and compassion exist in the heart/mind of clarity. We are joyous and equanimous in this level of tantra. And as one might expect from the previous metaphoric images\, union is depicted as the surrender anticipated in sexual union. \nYou will also have the opportunity to attend a Green Tara empowerment and receive guidance in practicing this as a personal meditation. \nHow will this meditation retreat help my life?\nWorking with Doug Sensei on this retreat and exploring the different levels of tantra through the Green Tara empowerment will give you the opportunity to explore how your inner thoughts affect your contact and relationship with the world around you. \nYou will begin to see how fear itself becomes a tool which supports you in your daily life. Once you begin to understand this\, your exploration truly begins and your week at the Dharma Centre is just the start – what you learn and experience there will travel with you long after the retreat. \nSuggested Reading:  Introduction to Tantra: A Vision of Totality\, By Lama Yeshe\, Compiled and Edited by Jonathan Landaw\, Wisdom Publications\, London: 1987. \n\nAbout the Teacher:\n\nDoug Duncan is a Canadian-born Dharma teacher and counsellor who has travelled\, explored and meditated for most of his life. He has studied extensively in the Theravadin\, Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist traditions under the principal tutelage of Namgyal Rinpoche\, as well as other teachers. \nHis desire to see the world and understand it more fully began at a young age – as a child he was repeatedly found wandering and had to be returned home by the police! \nHe teaches at and founded Dharma Japan and the Clear Sky Meditation and Study Center in British Columbia and he is a visiting teacher in the UK and many other countries. His teaching draws on contemporary psychology and science. \nHe is the author of Dharma If You Dare. \n  \nWhat others say about Doug and his teaching partner\, Catherine:\n[tmls category=”20″ layout=”tmls_slider” style=”style2″ image_size=”large_image” image_radius=”large_radius” text_font_family=”” text_font_color=”#777777″ text_font_size=”14px” name_font_family=”” name_font_color=”#777777″ neme_font_size=”15px” neme_font_weight=”bold” position_font_family=”” position_font_color=”#777777″ position_font_size=”12px” order_by=”rand” order=”DESC” auto_play=”true” transitioneffect=”crossfade” pause_on_hover=”false” next_prev_visibility=”tmls_visible” next_prev_radius=”large_radius” next_prev_position=”” next_prev_bgcolor=”#F5F5F5″ next_prev_arrowscolor=”tmls_lightgrayarrows” scroll_duration=”500″ pause_duration=”9000″ ratingstars=”enabled” ratingstarssize=”16px” ratingstarscolor=”#F47E00″ ] \nWhat does is the investment to attend this meditation retreat?\nDāna Practice \nDoug Sensei teaches by the ancient practice of dāna or generosity. Please follow this link to learn more about this profound practice before you register. You can bring your donation when you come to the Dharma Centre – cash and cheques are both accepted. \nCourse and centre costs \nThe full retreat cost (excluding dāna to the teachers) is $760 for Dharma Centre members and $895 for non-members\, which covers course fees\, food and accommodation. (A 50% deposit is required upon registration.) \nThere is a weekend option to attend from Friday night to Sunday afternoon\, including participation in the wongkur\, for $270. \nRegister now as space is limited! \nPayment details:\nYou can register and pay your fees or deposit by visiting the Dharma Centre website here: \n \nOther Course Details:\n\n We ask that people arrive between 4-6pm on Friday\, July 21. There will be a light meal served at 6pm and the retreat will open at 7:30.\n  The retreat will finish at lunchtime on Friday July 28th.\n\nA typical day on your Meditation Retreat*\n\n7.00am: Breakfast\n7:45-8:45am:  Meditation\n9.00-10:30am: Dharma teachings by Doug Sensei\n11.00am: Walk / meditation\n12:30pm: Lunch\n2.00-3:00pm: Group meditation\n3:00-3:30pm: Stretching\n3:30-5:00pm: Dharma teachings by Doug Sensei\n5:30- 6:30pm: Karma Yoga\n7.00pm: Dinner\n8:30-9.30pm: Group meditation\n\n*This is a sample schedule. May be subject to change. \nContact us to find out more:\nEmail –  info@awakenintoronto.org \n  \nSign up here to be notified about any updates regarding this retreat and other Planet Dharma news.\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Receive an audio recording of the Green Tara practice here:\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Green Tara Guided Meditation (Free Audio)\nAdd your information below to receive the guided meditation of Green Tara and other dharma content from Planet Dharma. This Green Tara sadhana is shared by Catherine Pawasarat Sensei. We promise not to spam! \n\n \n CompanyThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.First Name*Email Address*\n \n Sign-up Location\n Listen Now \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Δ URL:https://www.planetdharma.com/event/foundations-of-tantra-ontario/ LOCATION:Dharma Centre of Canada\, 1886 Galway Road\, Kinmount\, \, ON\, K0M 2A0\, Canada CATEGORIES:Retreats ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.planetdharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Foundations-of-Tantra.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Awaken in Toronto":MAILTO:info@awakenintoronto.org GEO:44.7739537;-78.5296539 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Dharma Centre of Canada 1886 Galway Road Kinmount ON K0M 2A0 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1886 Galway Road:geo:-78.5296539,44.7739537 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170519 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170523 DTSTAMP:20180802T042709Z CREATED:20160825T235741Z LAST-MODIFIED:20180802T042709Z UID:10000522-1495152000-1495497599@www.planetdharma.com SUMMARY:Becoming a Work of Art: May Long Weekend Retreat at Clear Sky DESCRIPTION:“Better to be a work of art than make a work of art.” – Namgyal Rinpoche \nWould you rather create one work of art or become a work of art? In a culture that values external achievements\, we often forget the hidden gem inside us. This gem creates bliss\, wisdom\, and radiance\, and it is fiercely worth growing. \nLet your internal works of art flourish during our three-day retreat this May Long Weekend. Led by Dharma Teachers Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat\, it is a perfect time to embrace springtime and nurture your inner potential. \nDuring this retreat\, we will study six aspects of consciousness that we may cultivate to become our own inner and outer works of art. These six aspects are called the paramis in Sanskrit\, and have been taught in the buddhadharma for more than two thousand years. \nThe paramis are qualities that we grow to feel internally grounded and to act from a positive\, wholesome place in our relationships with others. They help us reside in a clear\, calm\, and loving place\, while becoming more curious and absorbed with our inner and outer worlds. With these qualities\, happiness and beautiful works of art shine. \nWho is this course for? \nBecause we are active people with busy lives\, it is common to feel like we can’t take the time to get grounded. This affects how we work\, play\, and relate to each other. As the saying goes\, “when you’re up to your neck in alligators\, it’s hard to remember that your original intention was to drain the swamp.” \nThis short course is designed for those of us who feel challenged around making the time. \nWe’ll explore how to cultivate mindfulness as we go about our daily lives. As our relationships and professional lives blossom\, we’re of greater service to ourselves\, our communities\, and the planet. \nThis retreat is intended to create a work of art that is founded in an abundant and durable happiness … even when there are ‘gators nipping at our heels.\n \nNote: These are universal teachings open to people of any faith\, or with no particular faith. \nCourse Outcomes:\n\nLearn to be more generous with ourselves and others\, materially\, emotionally and mentally.\nDevelop a greater sense of ease around thorny emotional issues.\nCultivate greater patience in the face of life’s ongoing challenges.\nOpen more energy through less resistance rooted in fear and mistrust.\nFind greater calm and focus based on a clearer sense of one’s place in the world.\nDiscover a closer connection to the wisdom inside us that arises from the development of the above outcomes.\n\n\nAbout the Teachers:\n \nWe encourage everyone to find the “teacher within” that we can be. But\, for almost everyone\, we need to apprentice before we can master. Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat apprenticed in the teachings of awakening for decades with their teachers. Between them they have been teaching for more than 30 years. \nTheir explorations and teachings are guided by four principles: spiritual growth\, social connectivity\, economic sustainability and environmental integrity. \nDoug & Catherine teach from various wisdom traditions – including buddhadharma\, Western Mysteries\, modern science\, art and nature – based on broad interests and a non-judgemental approach. We’ve lived and worked overseas for many years\, and a planetary outlook is important to us. So is humour!  Read more: Full Bios. \n[tmls category=”21″ layout=”tmls_slider” style=”style2″ image_size=”large_image” image_radius=”large_radius” text_font_family=”” text_font_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”16px” name_font_family=”” name_font_color=”#000000″ neme_font_size=”14px” neme_font_weight=”normal” position_font_family=”” position_font_color=”#777777″ position_font_size=”12px” order_by=”date” order=”DESC” number=”1″ auto_play=”true” transitioneffect=”crossfade” pause_on_hover=”false” next_prev_visibility=”tmls_visible” next_prev_radius=”large_radius” next_prev_position=”” next_prev_bgcolor=”#F5F5F5″ next_prev_arrowscolor=”tmls_lightgrayarrows” scroll_duration=”500″ pause_duration=”9000″ ratingstars=”enabled” ratingstarssize=”16px” ratingstarscolor=”#F47E00″ ] \n\nThis course is open to all experience levels\n\nWe work with beginners and advanced participants alike\, and mold our teaching to the readiness of each student.\nEach student sets the pace and scope of their own development. We do encourage you to stretch your comfort zone so that it becomes broader\, and so you enjoy maximum benefits of the course.\nThe schedule is very accessible (see below for details).\nOur teachers and staff are friendly and well trained\, and have supported many people in becoming ever-evolving works of art.\n\nWhat’s expected from me if I come to this course?\n\nCome with an open and engaged attitude.\n© C. Pawasarat \nParticipate in the program as fully as you’re able.\nFoster and maintain an atmosphere of trust and acceptance in the group-learning environment.\nRefrain from reading\, using the internet or listening to music during the course (except journaling and assigned reading).\nParticipate in Karma Yoga[1] service at Clear Sky (maximum of two hours daily).\nSupport the teachers and teachings through the practice of dāna.\n\nWhy come to Clear Sky: Experience the difference:\n\nKnow what it is to truly unwind\, surrounded by pristine\, tranquil nature.\nEnjoy fresh air and wholesome food\, with an emphasis on organic and locally sourced.\nExperience the support of a community that exists to help you reconnect.\nBe part of a working and awakening community that practices what it teaches.\nYou’ll both reinvigorate and integrate what you learn into your daily life.\nShare the learning and growth with other participants\, making new friends who are also on a path of spiritual unfoldment.\nConnect to the teachings that have enlivened humanity over centuries (regardless of religion).\n\n\nWhat else do you need to know?\n\nDāna (Generosity Based Teaching)\n\nDoug & Catherine are teaching this meditation retreat via the ancient tradition of Dāna (generosity)\, an offering from them to the attendees. It is considered of supreme value to your life and thus “beyond price” so it is expected that the student will be equally generous and support the teaching and the teachers by making an offering. \nWhile no offering is too small\, also no offering is too great. The giver benefits by offering as much as they can\, given the individual’s circumstances. Along with compassion\, generosity is considered the root of spiritual progress and\, according to the ancients\, therefore the root of our success in daily life as well. \nFind out more about how you can practice Dāna. We invite you to offer Dāna when you register and via the Dāna bowl available at Clear Sky. \n\nMeditation Retreat Centre Fees (Lodging & Meals)\n\n\nThis meditation retreat will be held at beautiful Clear Sky Meditation Centre. Fees which include lodging & meals are as follows: SUPER Early Bird price until April 19: CAD $449.00 / Early Bird Price until May 5: CAD $469  / Regular Price: CAD $529. \n\nCourse Schedule\n\n\n-Friday\, May 19\, 7pm – 9pm \n-Saturday\, May 20\, 7am – 10pm \n-Sunday\, May 21\, 7am – 10pm \n-Monday May 22\, 7am – 1pm \n\nRegistration\n\nBook early for this long weekend meditation retreat. All registrations and inquiries can be made via the Clear Sky Registration page\, by clicking the Register Now button below: \n \n  \n\nNotes: \n[1] Karma Yoga is our practice of awakening in action. It may entail supporting the center and participants in the area of nourishment\, environmental services\, land management or infrastructure. \nSign up here to be notified about any updates regarding this retreat and other Planet Dharma news. \n  URL:https://www.planetdharma.com/event/may-weekend-becoming-work-of-art/ LOCATION:Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre\, 3567 Cockell Rd\, Bull River\, British Columbia\, V0B1N0\, Canada CATEGORIES:Retreats ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.planetdharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/becoming-work-of-art-rectangle.jpg GEO:49.615543;-115.6300709 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre 3567 Cockell Rd Bull River British Columbia V0B1N0 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=3567 Cockell Rd:geo:-115.6300709,49.615543 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20170421T160000 DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20170429T120000 DTSTAMP:20170322T021341Z CREATED:20160825T233920Z LAST-MODIFIED:20170322T021341Z UID:10000521-1492790400-1493467200@www.planetdharma.com SUMMARY:Introduction to Tantra Retreat in the UK DESCRIPTION:UK Meditation Retreat: An Introduction To Tantra\n\nConquering fear\, discovering the freedom to love and explore…\nMeditation Retreat Location: Maitreya House\, Herefordshire\, UK\nThis week-long retreat in rural England will be an opportunity for you to delve into the Buddhist tantric tradition with Tantra Masters Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat. \nTantra is a weaving of a clear mind and a blissful heart and the image often used to portray the metaphor of these dualities of consciousness is the dance of male/female in union. It is a method for exploring the relationship between our inner mental workings and our outer contact with the everyday world. \nWe will learn how our fears can be harnessed to become a tool for overcoming the anxieties we experience in daily life. The retreat will enable us to develop trust and confidence that conquers fear and establishes freedom to love and explore. \nThe retreat begins with a 21 Tara empowerment in Tibetan tradition\, which lays the foundations of the practice. Throughout the week there will be opportunities to develop this practice with guidance through classes\, activities and meditation. \nWhether you are a beginner or a more experienced practitioner\, the week promises to be a deep and transformative one. \nThis meditation retreat is for people who:\n\n  Are new to meditation\n  Already meditate\n  Want to go deeper into their meditation practice\n  Want to find out what tantra is all about\n  Want to develop their tantric practice through the 21 Taras\nWant to empower their lives and change their relationship with fear and love\n\nWhat will be covered in this meditation retreat?\nDuring the week-long retreat you will become more familiar with the four levels of tantra: \nPhoto: aka Tman \nIn Action Tantra\, traditionally the image of a ‘smile’ between male and female is used. A smile is an invitation and a connection. It is relatively low risk and decently far enough away to ensure time to assess if further dialogue is desired or possible. As a karma yoga practice it involves service and generosity in practice. \nRelational Tantra uses the metaphor of ‘holding hands’ as a symbol of closer communication and therefore deeper connection than just a smile. Here dialogue between teacher and student or between one’s actions and one’s psychology is deepened. At this level more honesty is required\, not only between the teacher and student\, but with one’s self as well. \nCompleting Tantra\, requires more vulnerability\, greater trust and deeper courage. The metaphor here would be ‘making out’\, to use colloquial language. Not everything in our ego is nice. The monsters of our shadows and the deeper part of our hurts\, our loneliness and betrayals\, will be unveiled. But\, also the strengthening of our hearts and minds occurs here. \nFinally\, in Union Tantra the illusion of separation between beings evaporates. One comes to realize that only loving kindness and compassion exist in the heart/mind of clarity. We are joyous and equanimous in this level of tantra. And as one might expect from the previous metaphoric images\, union is depicted as the surrender anticipated in sexual union. \nYou will also have the opportunity to attend a 21 Tara empowerment and receive guidance in practicing this as a personal meditation. \nHow will this meditation retreat help my life?\nWorking with Doug and Catherine on this retreat and exploring the different levels of tantra through the 21 Tara empowerment will give you the opportunity to explore how your inner thoughts affect your contact and relationship with the world around you. \nYou will begin to see how fear itself becomes a tool which supports you in your daily life. Once you begin to understand this\, your exploration truly begins and your week at Maitreya House is just the start – what you learn and experience there will travel with you long after the retreat. \nSuggested Reading:  Introduction to Tantra: A Vision of Totality\, By Lama Yeshe\, Compiled and Edited by Jonathan Landaw\, Wisdom Publications\, London: 1987. \n\nAbout Teachers Doug Duncan & Catherine Pawasarat:\n\nDoug Duncan is a Canadian-born Dharma teacher and counsellor who has travelled\, explored and meditated for most of his life. He has studied extensively in the Theravadin\, Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist traditions under the principal tutelage of Namgyal Rinpoche\, as well as other teachers. \nHis desire to see the world and understand it more fully began at a young age – as a child he was repeatedly found wandering and had to be returned home by the police! \nHe teaches at and founded Dharma Japan and the Clear Sky Meditation and Study Center in British Columbia and he is a visiting teacher in the UK and many other countries. His teaching draws on contemporary psychology and science. \nHe is the author of Dharma If You Dare. \n  \nCatherine Pawasarat  studied languages\, literature and philosophy at Columbia University. She moved to Japan to explore the traditional arts and worked as a journalist\, interpreter and translator. \nAfter a year studying shamanism in the Brazilian Amazon in 1996\, she returned to Kyoto and began an intensive Dharma apprenticeship with Doug. \nIn 2003 she received lay ordination from Namgyal Rinpoche\, just before his passing. She helped found the centres for awakening in Japan and Canada. \nCatherine’s teaching style is all-embracing and inclusive. She draws on her long-held interest and advocacy in working for social and environmental justice. In particular\, she focuses on sustainability within dharma training and the practice of awakening. \nWhat others say about them:\n[tmls category=”20″ layout=”tmls_slider” style=”style2″ image_size=”large_image” image_radius=”large_radius” text_font_family=”” text_font_color=”#777777″ text_font_size=”14px” name_font_family=”” name_font_color=”#777777″ neme_font_size=”15px” neme_font_weight=”bold” position_font_family=”” position_font_color=”#777777″ position_font_size=”12px” order_by=”rand” order=”DESC” auto_play=”true” transitioneffect=”crossfade” pause_on_hover=”false” next_prev_visibility=”tmls_visible” next_prev_radius=”large_radius” next_prev_position=”” next_prev_bgcolor=”#F5F5F5″ next_prev_arrowscolor=”tmls_lightgrayarrows” scroll_duration=”500″ pause_duration=”9000″ ratingstars=”enabled” ratingstarssize=”16px” ratingstarscolor=”#F47E00″ ] \n\nWhat does it cost to attend this meditation retreat?\nDāna Practice\nDoug and Catherine teach by the ancient practice of dāna or generosity. Please follow this link to learn more about this profound practice before you register. You can bring your donation when you come to Maitreya House – cash and cheques are both accepted. \nCourse and centre costs\nThe full retreat cost (excluding dāna to the teachers) is £575\, which covers course fees\, food and accommodation. \nWhichever payment option you choose\, register now as places are limited! \nSend us your £100 non-refundable deposit to secure your place today. \nPayment details:\nPlease arrange a bank transfer to the account listed below email us at dharmaeurope@outlook.com so we can confirm receipt of your payment. \n\nName: M&R\nAccount: 68613180\nSort code: 60 22 25\nIban: GB40NWBK60222568613180\nIban bic or swift: NWBKGB2L\nBank Address: 73 The High Street\, Walton on Thames\, Surrey\, KT12 1DW\, UK\n\n  \nAs I head down the winding lanes\, surrounded by hedgerows\, I feel like I am entering a different world. There is a calmness at Maitreya House which I feel as soon as I arrive. I feel supported and at ease. \n–Zoe\, Calm and Clear Retreat\, UK\, April 2016 \n  \nOther Course Details:\n\n  Please arrive by 4pm on Friday 21st April to allow yourself time to settle in\, meet the other retreatants and have an orientation session\n  The retreat will finish at lunchtime on Saturday 29th April\n  Please advise us if you have any food allergies\n  If you are travelling from overseas\, please aim to arrive a few days before the retreat begins to get over jetlag. Do contact us if you need any additional advice on arranging accommodation and travelling to Maitreya House\n\n\nA typical day on your Meditation Retreat*\n\n7.00am: Breakfast\n7:45-8:45am:  Meditation\n9.00-10:30am: Dharma teachings by Doug and Catherine Sensei\n11.00am: Walk / meditation\n12:30pm: Lunch\n2.00-3:00pm: Group meditation\n3:00-3:30pm: Stretching\n3:30-5:00pm: Dharma teachings by Doug and Catherine Sensei\n5:30- 6:30pm: Karma Yoga\n7.00pm: Dinner\n8:30-9.30pm: Group meditation\n\n*This is a sample schedule. May  be subject to change. \n  \nWhat else to know/bring to the meditation retreat\n\nMaitreya House is a beautiful retreat centre located in a remote part of Herefordshire\, near the English-Welsh border. It comprises a converted cottage and several wooden cabins on a four-acre site overlooking wonderful views to the Golden Valley and Hay Bluff\, an unspoilt rural setting. \nAccess to shops during the retreat will be limited\, so please do make sure you bring any toiletries and medicines that you may need during your stay. \nIn addition\, please bring: \n\n  Sheets\, pillow cases\, duvet covers and a towel\n  Watch or clock\n  Waterproofs\, wellies or walking boots for outdoor activities\n  Slippers or thick socks to wear inside (no shoes allowed)\n  Pen and paper\n  Torch and batteries\n\nPhone and internet access at Maitreya House are limited\, making for an optimal meditation retreat. Tie up all your business before you arrive so that you’ll get maximum benefit from this precious retreat. \nClick for directions and travel information. \nFor more information\, please visit the Maitreya House Retreat Centre webpage. \n  \nContact us to find out more:\nEmail –  dharmaeurope@outlook.com \nTelephone – \n\nZoe            (00 44) 7861 247 357\nJonathan    (00 44) 7891 621 865\n\n  \nThis was my first real retreat. I did not know what being on silent retreat for a week would be like. It turned out that I found peace in the silence. Being in the presence of others with no requirement to engage. The shape of the days interspersed with Doug’s teachings fed my mind and gave focus\, brought questions and deep personal space\, but not alone. \n– Brigid\, Calm and Clear Retreat\, UK\, 2016 \n  \nSign up here to be notified about any updates regarding this retreat and other Planet Dharma news. URL:https://www.planetdharma.com/event/tantra-meditation-retreat-uk-2017/ LOCATION:Maitreya House\, Lower Maes-coed\, Hereford\, England\, HR2 0HP\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Retreats ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.planetdharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Wales-gardens-peek-2011.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Dharma Europe":MAILTO:dharmaeurope@outlook.com GEO:51.9720215;-2.9511638 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Maitreya House Lower Maes-coed Hereford England HR2 0HP United Kingdom;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=Lower Maes-coed:geo:-2.9511638,51.9720215 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170406 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170414 DTSTAMP:20170310T002454Z CREATED:20160825T233555Z LAST-MODIFIED:20170310T002454Z UID:10000519-1491436800-1492127999@www.planetdharma.com SUMMARY:Germany Retreat: Womb\, Karma & Transcendence DESCRIPTION:Join Doug & Catherine Sensei and the Dharma Europe community for a retreat just outside of Frankfurt\, Germany (Seidenbuch (Odw.)).  The theme for this retreat will be Womb\, Karma and Transcendence.  This retreat builds upon the ground breaking work of Namgyal Rinpoche. \nTo know transcendence\, to gain freedom from our karmic patterns\, one needs to know the programming of the womb. This retreat offers you the precious opportunity to reacquaint yourself with your womb experience\, gain freedom from conditioning received in the womb\, and clear lifetimes of karma. \n  \nWhy do a Retreat on the Womb Experience?\nOur particular tradition travels two main paths of liberation: meditation\, and Karma Yoga\, a.k.a. Awakening Through Action. In terms of this action\, our birth and its resultant karma are very active in our daily lives\, though we’re likely to be unaware of their influences. \nIn the process of re-contacting our womb experiences\, we gain insight into how they shape all the actions\, feelings and thoughts we live out every day. Clearing our womb events is tantamount to clearing our lives of the unconscious and self-limiting strictures we place upon ourselves and others. \nThis course is more active (vs. meditative)\, which places it more in the Karma Yoga line. In a sense we can say that all Dharma Training is about becoming more aware of these patterns\, and thereby clearing the womb experience. \n[tmls category=”19″ layout=”tmls_slider” style=”style2″ image_size=”large_image” image_radius=”large_radius” text_font_family=”” text_font_color=”#777777″ text_font_size=”14px” name_font_family=”” name_font_color=”#777777″ neme_font_size=”15px” neme_font_weight=”bold” position_font_family=”” position_font_color=”#777777″ position_font_size=”12px” order_by=”date” order=”DESC” auto_play=”true” transitioneffect=”crossfade” pause_on_hover=”false” next_prev_visibility=”tmls_visible” next_prev_radius=”large_radius” next_prev_position=”” next_prev_bgcolor=”#F5F5F5″ next_prev_arrowscolor=”tmls_lightgrayarrows” scroll_duration=”500″ pause_duration=”9000″ ratingstars=”enabled” ratingstarssize=”16px” ratingstarscolor=”#F47E00″ ] \n  \nWhat does the womb experience have to do with Buddhism or Awakening?\nPhoto: U. Liverpool \nOur mother’s womb is the source point for our body and individuality. As the ego emerges around two years of age and we step into our sense of self\, these all-powerful womb impressions get submerged by our experience of life in the world. \nNevertheless\, the karmic patterns that emerge throughout the rest of our life are rooted in the experiences of the womb. \nUpon awakening\, the Buddha said\, “I have found you\, oh builder: cast down is the ridgepole\, you shall build no more. No longer is this subject to becoming”. \n“The builder” is the combination of the five senses and the ego that is born from their data input\, interpreted in conjunction with the mind. How we meet the world\, via the interpretations of our mind\, gets imprinted through our womb and birth experiences. \nWhat did the Buddha mean about building? And no longer being “subject to becoming?” He was declaring in essence\, that he had “cleared” the previously unconscious patterning of the womb. \nWe call this transcendence. \nThe Buddha may have done it\, but how can we do this?\nAccording to the teachings of Namgyal Rinpoche\, the womb journey consists of four stages. Based on his ground-breaking work\, we’ve continued to develop meditations and exercises to explore each of these stages. \nThe various meditations and exercises – which range from artwork to dynamic embodiment – are undertaken individually\, in small groups\, and larger groups. Through these processes\, we observe and re-experience our womb events\, learning to understand how the building of the ego and our conditioning was shaped at that time. \nAs we become more conscious of this building\, we gain release from unconscious becoming. More importantly\, we are freed from the effects of the karmic patterns. \nThis is the transcendence that is our birthright. \nOK\, but how does my womb experience affect me now?\nPhoto: Dan Harrelson \nClearing our womb experience through meditation and exercises allows it to become what it was meant to be: the basis for well-being\, natural growth and exploration. With a focus on liberation\, teachings in this course address patterns formed in the womb and how these underlie our approach and response to all aspects of our lives. \nAll aspects? Effects from womb patterns include our overall physical and mental health\, our sexuality\, and our views and beliefs\, on everything from philosophy to what kind of place the world is\, to what my life is like\, to the foods we eat. \nWe are built\, shaped and formed by many factors. These factors play out in our current lives\, and the karmic wheel continues to turn. Is it torture or a joy ride? Karma decides\, and karma is built on views\, and views were shaped by our womb experience. \nWe have the power to shape these to lead more joyful\, creative and fulfilling lives\, and to be of greater benefit to others. \nFurther reading\nRead more about why retreat work to gain insight into the womb/ birth experience & karma is some of the Most Important Work You’ll Ever Do. \n  \n\nAbout Teachers Doug Duncan & Catherine Pawasarat:\n\nCombined\, Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat have been practicing the teachings of awakening for more than 60 years. They’re well versed in Buddhist and Western philosophy and practices\, as well as contemporary psychology\, consciousness studies and art. \nDoug and Catherine founded Clear Sky Meditation Centre in BC\, where they are based\, ten years ago. Having lived overseas for many years and traveled extensively\, they also draw on intercultural and trans-cultural experience to broaden the range and depth of their understandings of liberation that they share with others. \nTheir engaged compassion\, sense of humor and combined wisdom will enrich your life with exploration & discovery. Click for their full bios: Womb\, Karma & Transcendence Retreat Teachers. \nWhat others say about them:\n[tmls category=”20″ layout=”tmls_slider” style=”style2″ image_size=”large_image” image_radius=”large_radius” text_font_family=”” text_font_color=”#777777″ text_font_size=”14px” name_font_family=”” name_font_color=”#777777″ neme_font_size=”15px” neme_font_weight=”bold” position_font_family=”” position_font_color=”#777777″ position_font_size=”12px” order_by=”rand” order=”DESC” auto_play=”true” transitioneffect=”crossfade” pause_on_hover=”false” next_prev_visibility=”tmls_visible” next_prev_radius=”large_radius” next_prev_position=”” next_prev_bgcolor=”#F5F5F5″ next_prev_arrowscolor=”tmls_lightgrayarrows” scroll_duration=”500″ pause_duration=”9000″ ratingstars=”enabled” ratingstarssize=”16px” ratingstarscolor=”#F47E00″ ] \n\n  \nRetreat Details\nPlease contact the organizer (Andrea) listed below if you are interested in attending. \nDāna (Generosity Based Teaching)\nDoug & Catherine are teaching this retreat via the ancient tradition of Dāna (generosity)\, an offering from them to the attendees. It is considered of supreme value to your life and thus “beyond price” so it is expected that the student will be equally generous and support the teaching and the teachers by making an offering. \nWhile no offering is too small\, also no offering is too great. The giver benefits by offering as much as they can\, given the individual’s circumstances. Along with compassion\, generosity is considered the root of spiritual progress and\, according to the ancients\, therefore the root of our success in daily life as well. \nFind out more about how you can practice Dāna. We invite you to offer Dāna when you register and via the Dāna bowl available at the retreat. \nCourse fees & accommodation\nThe regular course fee is € 333.33.  If you want to sign up for this extraordinary womb-experience\, you are asked for a down payment of € 111\,11 to secure your place.  This course fee covers travel expenses\, room and lodging for Sensei and Catherine. Dãna to the teachers is not included in this course fee. \nThe prices within the Seminarhotel range depending on your preference of room from € 61\,00 – € 86\,00 per night and full board. This will be paid separately\, directly to the Seminarhotel. You can check the hotel and make your reservation for your choice of room directly through www.seminarhotel-seidenbuch.de. Please be aware that the reservation for the course and the payment for the course-fee is through Andrea: andreaomtare@me.com. URL:https://www.planetdharma.com/event/germany-retreat-womb-karma-transcendence-2017/ CATEGORIES:Retreats ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.planetdharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/WKT-Retreat-Banner-mailings-1.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Andrea ":MAILTO:andreaomtare@me.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170321 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170401 DTSTAMP:20260817T054449Z CREATED:20160825T230039Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260817T054449Z UID:10000357-1490054400-1491004799@www.planetdharma.com SUMMARY:Japan Meditation Retreat on Huayan (Flower Garland Sutra) DESCRIPTION:Meditation Retreat: Huayan – Flower Garland School of Buddhism\nMarch 21-31st 2017\, Zofukuji Temple\, Hyogo\, Japan.\n“If I had a view I could have a flaw\, but emptied of all views\, I am flawless.”  –Nagarjuna \nThrough India\, Tibet\, China and then Japan\, Mahayana Buddhist teachings made their voyage. Along this dharmic journey various sutras and schools came into existence based on the Buddha Shakyamuni’s teachings. \nIn China\, during the Tang Dynasty\, the Huayan or Flower Garland School of Buddhism came into fruition\, which later paved the way for Zen. Known as Kegon in Japan and Hwaeom in Korea\, this teaching is based on the longest sutra in the Buddhist cannon\, the Avatamsaka sutra\, or “Flower Garland” sutra. Said to be Buddha Shakyamuni`s teaching after he became fully enlightened\, the Avatamsaka sutra details the universal Buddhahood of all reality and interconnectedness of all dharmas. \nJoin us in a 10-day retreat with masters Achariya Doug Duncan & Catherine Pawasarat Sensei as we explore this profound sutra at Zofukuji Temple in Hyogo\, Japan\, March 21-31st 2017. \nCourse Outcomes\nWhat will be covered in this meditation retreat?\nThis retreat will explore the deep mysteries of Huayan teachings and the Flower Garland sutra. This 10-day retreat will be filled with many sutra treasures that also apply the number 10. To name a few\, there are books on the ten bodies of the Buddha\, the ten stages of a bodhisattva\, the ten acceptances\, the ten concentrations\, the ten practices\, the ten abodes\, the ten treasures\, the ten dedications and to add many other teachings like\, the four dharmadhatu\, Sudhana`s quest\,  holographic metaphors like Indra`s net\, the hall of mirrors and the golden lion there is no need to wonder why this sutra is also called “the king of sutras.” There are infinite possibilities of exploration and learning with this sutra! \nWhat will this meditation retreat learning do for me?\nImage: © Brendan Ries \nIn the Flower Garland Sutra\, book 39\, “Entry into the Realm of Reality” it tells the story of Sudhana and his search for truth. Sudhana shows a parallel among all spiritual seekers\, it is a hero’s journey and in essence\, it must be done alone. Along the way he learns from fifty-three teachers from all walks of life\, including Manjushri\, that help guide him during his journey toward spiritual awakening.  During the retreat the teachers will help us navigate and understand these teachings so that we can apply them to our own spiritual path and spiritual learning. \nOne main aspect of these teachings is that the search for enlightenment in itself is an indication that enlightenment is already actively present within us.  If we come to understand this more fully\, we can start to embrace the reality that everything we come into contact with or experience in life is an opportunity for learning and growth\, an opportunity to become a happier\, more joyful\, bright\, caring and aware being.  In this retreat we will be guided by the teachers\, and given teachings and practices to develop this mindfulness and awareness to greater personal depths. \nSo what difference does being more aware make?\nAs humans we live in four worlds. We live in an environmental matrix of earth\, water\, air and fire\, upon which all life depends. We live in a social world of interdependence that requires clear communication and compassionate engagement for a balanced and harmonious life\, including our interactions with many other species. We live in an economic world that allocates resources and assigns values. Lastly\, we live in an unseen and unnamed spiritual world. \nTo claim our birthright as human beings\, we need to be skilled in all four worlds\, particularly the last one. This last world of spiritual awakening raises our eyes from the merely mundane\, so we can perceive mysterious and sublime phenomena and qualities. These nourish our souls\, inspire us to gracefully navigate the challenges of the other three worlds\, and generally make life worth living. \nHow will this meditation retreat help my life? \nIn Huayan practice\, the tranquility meditation is used to enable us to deepen our awareness and understanding of the true nature of reality\, which helps us develop inner calm and confidence.  The teachings given offer us a map and a system for greater awareness\, spiritual awakening and unfolding.  This more all-embracing and widely-encompassing awareness can then be applied and integrated into our lives in the world. The integration allows us to take what we learn on the meditation cushion in the retreat back into our day-to-day lives. This enhances and embellishes our sense of accomplishment and confidence in all that we do: our relationships\, our work and how we offer our gifts to the world. Supported by this powerful inner work\, we’re empowered to make a difference in the world during these critical transitional times. More and more we become positive role models of transformation who can wield the tools that support others to join us. \n  \n\nAbout Teachers Doug Duncan & Catherine Pawasarat:\nCombined\, Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat have been practicing Karma Yoga and meditation for more than 60 years. They both received lay ordination from the Canadian-born Ven. Namgyal Rinpoche\, and have shared teachings of spiritual awakening from their Western Canada-based retreat center\, Clear Sky\, and worldwide for decades. \nThey’re well versed in Theravadin\, Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist philosophy and practices\, as well as contemporary psychology\, consciousness studies and art. They are pioneering awakening through action (Karma Yoga) and generosity practices in the West\, and feel proud to base their teachings and meditation retreat center on these radical and profound practices.  They lead several meditation retreats per year. \nDoug & Catherine’s teaching style emphasizes integration\, of right-brain and left brain\, art and science\, East and West\, and the broad spectrum of human experience. They are devoted to integrating the shadow and keeping a keen sense of humor. \n\n\n\n\nThe first time I met Catherine and Sensei at Clear Sky Centre for a one week silent meditation retreat\, at the end I burst into tears. I found home. Dharma Trips around the world with those two cutting edge masters have also allowed me to see the world from a whole new prespective.\nMaya Lewandowsky\nDirector / LaCaravan Dance Theatre\n\n \n\n\n\n\n\n\nDāna (Generosity Based Teaching)\nDoug & Catherine are teaching this retreat via the ancient tradition of Dāna (generosity)\, an offering from them to the attendees. It is considered of supreme value to your life and thus “beyond price” so it is expected that the student will be equally generous and support the teaching and the teachers by making an offering. \nWhile no offering is too small\, also no offering is too great. The giver benefits by offering as much as they can\, given the individual’s circumstances. Along with compassion\, generosity is considered the root of spiritual progress and\, according to the ancients\, therefore the root of our success in daily life as well. \nFind out more about how you can practice Dāna. We invite you to offer Dāna when you register and via the Dāna bowl available at the retreat. \n \n\nWhat else do you need to know?\n\nMeditation Retreat Centre Fees (Lodging & Meals)\n\nThis retreat will be held at Zofukuji Temple\, Hyogo\, Japan. The following retreat fee includes lodging and meals.  Please note that Dana for the retreat is extra.  Retreat Cost: 100 000 JPY \n\nMeditation Retreat Dates\, Arrival & Departure\n\nThis retreat runs from March 21st- 31st\, 2017. \nParticipants must arrive on March 21st by 10 am.  The retreat will finish on March 31st at 3 pm. \n\nRegistration\n\nThere are limited spaces available\, so please register at your earliest convenience.  If there are still spaces available\, final registration will close March 4th. Contact:  Nicole Porter: nicoleporter3@gmail.com. \n\n\nWhat does a typical meditation retreat day look like?\n\nTentative Schedule (Subject to Change) \n\n6:30 am: Wake up\n6:45 -7:15: Meditation – setting the tone for the day\n7:15 – 8:15: Breakfast\n8:15 – 9:30: Dharma talk and description of the exercises to be done\n9:30 -11:30 Group Lead Meditation practice\n11:30 – 12:15 Meditation practice\n12:30-1:30: Lunch\n1:30 – 2:30: Integration (individual time)\n2:30 – 4:30: Meditation practice\n4:30 – 6:00 Optional Moving Meditation Practice or personal meditation practice\n6:00 – 7:15: Dinner\n7:15 – 8:30: Dharma Talk and Group Practice\n8:30 – 9:00: Meditation Practice\n9:30 – 10:00: Meditation to raise a question based on the day’s events\n\nSign up to the PlanetDharma email list to stay informed. \nAnd see more at our Facebook event \nImage: © Brendan Ries URL:https://www.planetdharma.com/event/japan-meditation-retreat-huayan-flower-garland/ LOCATION:Zofukuji Temple\, Miki City\, Hyogo\, Japan CATEGORIES:Retreats ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.planetdharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/BuddhaKoyasanSymbol-ries.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Nicole Porter":MAILTO:nicoleporter3@gmail.com END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20170101 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170118 DTSTAMP:20260806T064434Z CREATED:20160904T181354Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260806T064434Z UID:10000526-1483228800-1484697599@www.planetdharma.com SUMMARY:Meditation Retreat: Body\, Speech and Mind DESCRIPTION:Body\, Speech & Mind Meditation Retreat:\nGrow confidence in the Dharma\, and in oneself as a representative of the Dharma in the world.  \n \nStart 2017 with an in-depth meditation retreat for your spiritual awakening.  Our lineage of modern awakening draws its roots from the cutting edge teachings of Namgyal Rinpoche. Clear Sky Retreat Center is delighted to host this retreat based on Namgyal’s incredible dharma and therapeutic tools for awakening\, drawing on the collection of his teachings\, Body\, Speech and Mind\, transcribed by Cecile Kwiat.  The retreat dates are December 31-January 17th. \nMeditation Retreat Overview\nPhoto by Greg Molkentein \nEver wish there were a manual for how to be the best person you could be? Namgyal Rinpoche’s Body Speech and Mind could be that book: it’s best described as a seminal manual for evolutionary human development and spiritual awakening. \nWhile largely “Buddhist” in content\, Body Speech and Mind is Universalist in intention and humanist in scope. \nThese teachings of spiritual awakening show us how to understand the essence of Mind\, particularly as it manifests in our day-to-day world. In turn we learn how that understanding helps us to unfold as richer\, clearer and more integrated people. It maps out a truly creative path for the awakening of human society. \nAt Clear Sky and through Planet Dharma\, we embody this through our practice and training\, particularly our spiritual Awakening through Action (Karma Yoga) programs. This retreat will cover the theory of as well as solitary and group meditation practice itself\, with a taste of the Awakening Through Action via daily mutual support for the optimal functioning of the retreat. \nWatch Now: Body Speech & Mind Retreat Video: \n \nCourse Outcomes\nWhat will be covered in this meditation retreat?\nThe backbone of both this book (Body Speech and Mind is available at Bodhi Publishing) and this retreat consists of the Satipatthana Sutta\, The Four Foundations of Mindfulness Sutra. \nWhat will this meditation retreat learning do for me?\nTilopa (988–1069)\, Teacher of Mahamudra \nSatipatthana practice both broadens and deepens awareness. It is often called “mindfulness\,” but mindfulness can be passive and unfocused. Our practice pushes the envelope of what “mindfulness” means: it  trains us to be ever more mindful of how we’re feeling\, what we’re doing and how we’re manifesting\, and also to be mindful of being mindful. As such\, we suggest the term intentional awareness: we are not only aware\, but aware of being aware. It is mindfulness with a kick. \nSo what difference does being more aware make? \nAs humans we live in four worlds. We live in an environmental matrix of earth\, water\, air and fire\, upon which all life depends. We live in a social world of interdependence that requires clear communication and compassionate engagement for a balanced and harmonious life\, including our interactions with many other species. We live in an economic world that allocates resources and assigns values. Lastly\, we live in an unseen and unnamed spiritual world. \nTo claim our birthright as human beings\, we need to be skilled in all four worlds\, particularly the last one. This last world of spiritual awakening raises our eyes from the merely mundane\, so we can perceive mysterious and sublime phenomena and qualities. These nourish our souls\, inspire us to gracefully navigate the challenges of the other three worlds\, and generally make life worth living. \nHow will this meditation retreat help my life?\nBody\, Speech and Mind offers us a map\, an atlas\, a schematic and a system for spiritual awakening. Through the four worlds\, it focuses our spiritual aspirations to enliven and enrich\, to strengthen and cherish\, and to guide and predict our awakening—and by implication\, our evolutionary future. This is how we shape our own evolution\, and that of the planet. \nIn retreat we’ll undertake exercises for each of the four foundations of mindfulness: awareness of the body\, awareness of the feelings\, awareness of states of mind\, and awareness of contents of mind. \nThis more all-embracing and widely-encompassing awareness is then applied in all four of our worlds (environmental\, social\, economic and spiritual). \nWe then integrate the awareness cultivated on the cushion with that developed through exercises during retreat. The integration allows us to take what we learn on the meditation cushion back into our day-to-day lives. This enhances and embellishes our sense of accomplishment and confidence in all that we do: our relationships\, our work and how we offer our gifts to the world. \nSupported by this powerful inner work\, we’re empowered to make a difference in the world during these critical transitional times. More and more we become positive role models of transformation who can wield the tools that support others to join us on this transcendental journey of spiritual awakening. \n\nAbout Teachers Doug Duncan & Catherine Pawasarat:\n\nCombined\, Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat have been practicing Karma Yoga and meditation for more than 60 years. They both received lay ordination from the Canadian-born Ven. Namgyal Rinpoche\, and have shared teachings of spiritual awakening from their Western Canada-based retreat center\, Clear Sky\, and worldwide for decades. \nThey’re well versed in Theravadin\, Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist philosophy and practices\, as well as contemporary psychology\, consciousness studies and art. They are pioneering awakening through action (Karma Yoga) and generosity practices in the West\, and feel proud to base their teachings and meditation retreat center on these radical and profound practices.  They lead several meditation retreats per year. \nDoug & Catherine’s teaching style emphasizes integration\, of right-brain and left brain\, art and science\, East and West\, and the broad spectrum of human experience. They are devoted to integrating the shadow and keeping a keen sense of humor. \nWhat others say about them:\n[tmls category=”20″ layout=”tmls_slider” style=”style2″ image_size=”large_image” image_radius=”large_radius” text_font_family=”” text_font_color=”#777777″ text_font_size=”14px” name_font_family=”” name_font_color=”#777777″ neme_font_size=”15px” neme_font_weight=”bold” position_font_family=”” position_font_color=”#777777″ position_font_size=”12px” order_by=”rand” order=”DESC” auto_play=”true” transitioneffect=”crossfade” pause_on_hover=”false” next_prev_visibility=”tmls_visible” next_prev_radius=”large_radius” next_prev_position=”” next_prev_bgcolor=”#F5F5F5″ next_prev_arrowscolor=”tmls_lightgrayarrows” scroll_duration=”500″ pause_duration=”9000″ ratingstars=”enabled” ratingstarssize=”16px” ratingstarscolor=”#F47E00″ ] \n\nThe Benefits of Retreating at Clear Sky\n© C. Pawasarat \nThis meditation retreat takes place at Clear Sky Meditation and Study Foundation near the international airport at Cranbrook\, B.C. \nClear Sky offers 310 acres of pristine mountain wilderness nestled at the foot of the 10\,00-ft Bull Mountain\, surrounded by Crown Land/National Forest\, large ranches and spectacular views of the Steeple and Purcell Mountain ranges. There are many foot trails and meditation platforms amidst the grasslands and pine\, fir and aspen forests. We are pleased to share this property with abundant wildlife. \nIn addition to world-class meditation retreat teachings and your own awakening efforts\, the healing and integration that Clear Sky offers benefits from a healthy ecosystem\, fresh air\, mountain water\, and delicious\, balanced\, omnivorean meals made with organic and local ingredients. \n  \nWhat does a typical meditation retreat day look like?\n\n6:30 am: Wake up\n6:45 -7:15: Meditation – setting the tone for the day\n7:15 – 8:15: Breakfast\n8:15 – 9:30: A Dharma talk and description of the exercises to be done\n9:30 -11:30 Body practice\n11:30 – 12:15 Speech practice\n12:30-1:30: Lunch\n1:30 – 2:30: Integration (individual time)\n2:30 – 4:30: Mind practice\n4:30 – 5:30: Body practice\n5:30 – 6:00: Speech practice\n6:00 – 7:15: Supper\n7:15 – 8:30: Mind practice – a group meditation with Q&A\n8:30 – 9:00: Walk to reflect\n9:30 – 10:00: Meditation to raise a question based on the day’s events\n\n  \n[tmls category=”20″ layout=”tmls_list” style=”style2″ image_size=”large_image” image_radius=”large_radius” text_font_family=”” text_font_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”15px” name_font_family=”” name_font_color=”#777777″ neme_font_size=”15px” neme_font_weight=”bold” position_font_family=”” position_font_color=”#777777″ position_font_size=”13px” order_by=”date” order=”DESC” number=”2″ border_style=”tmls_border tmls_dashed_border” border_color=”#DDDDDD” ratingstars=”enabled” ratingstarssize=”16px” ratingstarscolor=”#F47E00″ ] \n  \n\nWhat else do you need to know?\n\nDāna (Generosity Based Teaching)\n\nDoug & Catherine are teaching this meditation retreat via the ancient tradition of Dāna (generosity)\, an offering from them to the attendees. It is considered of supreme value to your life and thus “beyond price” so it is expected that the student will be equally generous and support the teaching and the teachers by making an offering. \nWhile no offering is too small\, also no offering is too great. The giver benefits by offering as much as they can\, given the individual’s circumstances. Along with compassion\, generosity is considered the root of spiritual progress and\, according to the ancients\, therefore the root of our success in daily life as well. \nFind out more about how you can practice Dāna. We invite you to offer Dāna when you register and via the Dāna bowl available at Clear Sky. \n\nMeditation Retreat Centre Fees (Lodging & Meals)\n\n\nThis meditation retreat will be held at beautiful Clear Sky Meditation Centre. Fees which include lodging & meals are as follows: CAD $1\,499.00: Super Early Bird Program Price until Oct 31 / CAD $1725: Until Nov 31. / CAD $1845: After Nov 30. \n\nMeditation Retreat Dates\, Arrival & Departure\n\nThis meditation retreat runs from December 31st 2016 to January 16\, 2017. \nInternational (as well as domestic) retreatants may arrive on Fri\, Dec 30 to help them overcome jet lag before the retreat begins. Retreatants from North America may arrive on Fri \, Dec 30 or by lunch on Sat\, Dec 31. The retreat runs through Mon\, Jan 16. An extra day at Clear Sky is highly recommended\, in order to transition your energies back to your regular daily life.* \n\nRegistration\n\nBook early for this popular meditation retreat. All registrations can be made via the Clear Sky Registration page\, by clicking the Register Now button below: \n \n\n[tmls category=”86″ layout=”tmls_list” style=”style2″ image_size=”large_image” image_radius=”large_radius” text_font_family=”” text_font_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”15px” name_font_family=”” name_font_color=”#777777″ neme_font_size=”15px” neme_font_weight=”bold” position_font_family=”” position_font_color=”#777777″ position_font_size=”13px” order_by=”date” order=”ASC” number=”2″ border_style=”tmls_border tmls_dashed_border” border_color=”#DDDDDD” ratingstars=”enabled” ratingstarssize=”16px” ratingstarscolor=”#F47E00″ ] \n  \nSign up here to be notified about any updates regarding this retreat and other Planet Dharma news. \n*The Body Speech and Mind meditation retreat image is from the cover of the book Body\, Speech & Mind by Namgyal Rinpoche\, available through Bodhi Publishing. URL:https://www.planetdharma.com/event/meditation-retreat-body-speech-mind-2017/ LOCATION:Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre\, 3567 Cockell Rd\, Bull River\, British Columbia\, V0B1N0\, Canada CATEGORIES:Retreats ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.planetdharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/bodyspeechmindbanner.jpg GEO:49.615543;-115.6300709 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre 3567 Cockell Rd Bull River British Columbia V0B1N0 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=3567 Cockell Rd:geo:-115.6300709,49.615543 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20161216 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20170101 DTSTAMP:20260907T055509Z CREATED:20160113T191903Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260907T055509Z UID:10000344-1481846400-1483228799@www.planetdharma.com SUMMARY:Womb\, Karma and Transcendence Retreat DESCRIPTION:To know transcendence\, to gain freedom from our karmic patterns\, one needs to know the programming of the womb. This retreat offers you the precious opportunity to reacquaint yourself with your womb experience\, gain freedom from conditioning received in the womb\, and clear lifetimes of karma. \nJoin Dharma teachers Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat for this enlightening in-person retreat at Clear Sky Meditation Centre in BC\, Canada. This retreat builds upon the ground breaking work of Namgyal Rinpoche. \nThis retreat is open to all. For participants of the 2016 Year of Awakening program\, this retreat is also part of the program’s foundational curriculum. \n**Update: this retreat is currently full. We invite you to participate in the Body\, Speech & Mind meditation retreat held directly after this retreat (January 1-16th\, 2017). \nWhy do a Retreat on the Womb Experience?\nOur particular tradition travels two main paths of liberation: meditation\, and Karma Yoga\, a.k.a. Awakening Through Action. In terms of this action\, our birth and its resultant karma are very active in our daily lives\, though we’re likely to be unaware of their influences. \nIn the process of re-contacting our womb experiences\, we gain insight into how they shape all the actions\, feelings and thoughts we live out every day. Clearing our womb events is tantamount to clearing our lives of the unconscious and self-limiting strictures we place upon ourselves and others. \nThis course is more active (vs. meditative)\, which places it more in the Karma Yoga line. In a sense we can say that all Dharma Training is about becoming more aware of these patterns\, and thereby clearing the womb experience. \n  \n[tmls category=”19″ layout=”tmls_slider” style=”style2″ image_size=”large_image” image_radius=”large_radius” text_font_family=”” text_font_color=”#777777″ text_font_size=”14px” name_font_family=”” name_font_color=”#777777″ neme_font_size=”15px” neme_font_weight=”bold” position_font_family=”” position_font_color=”#777777″ position_font_size=”12px” order_by=”date” order=”DESC” auto_play=”true” transitioneffect=”crossfade” pause_on_hover=”false” next_prev_visibility=”tmls_visible” next_prev_radius=”large_radius” next_prev_position=”” next_prev_bgcolor=”#F5F5F5″ next_prev_arrowscolor=”tmls_lightgrayarrows” scroll_duration=”500″ pause_duration=”9000″ ratingstars=”enabled” ratingstarssize=”16px” ratingstarscolor=”#F47E00″ ] \n  \nWhat does the womb experience have to do with Buddhism or Awakening?\nPhoto: U. Liverpool \nOur mother’s womb is the source point for our body and individuality. As the ego emerges around two years of age and we step into our sense of self\, these all-powerful womb impressions get submerged by our experience of life in the world. \nNevertheless\, the karmic patterns that emerge throughout the rest of our life are rooted in the experiences of the womb. \nUpon awakening\, the Buddha said\, “I have found you\, oh builder: cast down is the ridgepole\, you shall build no more. No longer is this subject to becoming”. \n“The builder” is the combination of the five senses and the ego that is born from their data input\, interpreted in conjunction with the mind. How we meet the world\, via the interpretations of our mind\, gets imprinted through our womb and birth experiences. \nWhat did the Buddha mean about building? And no longer being “subject to becoming?” He was declaring in essence\, that he had “cleared” the previously unconscious patterning of the womb. \nWe call this transcendence. \nThe Buddha may have done it\, but how can we do this?\nAccording to the teachings of Namgyal Rinpoche\, the womb journey consists of four stages. Based on his ground-breaking work\, we’ve continued to develop meditations and exercises to explore each of these stages. \nThe various meditations and exercises – which range from artwork to dynamic embodiment – are undertaken individually\, in small groups\, and larger groups. Through these processes\, we observe and re-experience our womb events\, learning to understand how the building of the ego and our conditioning was shaped at that time. \nAs we become more conscious of this building\, we gain release from unconscious becoming. More importantly\, we are freed from the effects of the karmic patterns. \nThis is the transcendence that is our birthright. \nOK\, but how does my womb experience affect me now?\nPhoto: Dan Harrelson \nClearing our womb experience through meditation and exercises allows it to become what it was meant to be: the basis for well-being\, natural growth and exploration. With a focus on liberation\, teachings in this course address patterns formed in the womb and how these underlie our approach and response to all aspects of our lives. \nAll aspects? Effects from womb patterns include our overall physical and mental health\, our sexuality\, and our views and beliefs\, on everything from philosophy to what kind of place the world is\, to what my life is like\, to the foods we eat. \nWe are built\, shaped and formed by many factors. These factors play out in our current lives\, and the karmic wheel continues to turn. Is it torture or a joy ride? Karma decides\, and karma is built on views\, and views were shaped by our womb experience. \nWe have the power to shape these to lead more joyful\, creative and fulfilling lives\, and to be of greater benefit to others. \n  \n\nAbout Teachers Doug Duncan & Catherine Pawasarat:\n\nCombined\, Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat have been practicing the teachings of awakening for more than 60 years. They’re well versed in Buddhist and Western philosophy and practices\, as well as contemporary psychology\, consciousness studies and art. \nDoug and Catherine founded Clear Sky Meditation Centre in BC\, where they are based\, ten years ago. Having lived overseas for many years and traveled extensively\, they also draw on intercultural and trans-cultural experience to broaden the range and depth of their understandings of liberation that they share with others. \nTheir engaged compassion\, sense of humor and combined wisdom will enrich your life with exploration & discovery. Click for their full bios: Womb\, Karma & Transcendence Retreat Teachers. \nWhat others say about them:\n[tmls category=”20″ layout=”tmls_slider” style=”style2″ image_size=”large_image” image_radius=”large_radius” text_font_family=”” text_font_color=”#777777″ text_font_size=”14px” name_font_family=”” name_font_color=”#777777″ neme_font_size=”15px” neme_font_weight=”bold” position_font_family=”” position_font_color=”#777777″ position_font_size=”12px” order_by=”rand” order=”DESC” auto_play=”true” transitioneffect=”crossfade” pause_on_hover=”false” next_prev_visibility=”tmls_visible” next_prev_radius=”large_radius” next_prev_position=”” next_prev_bgcolor=”#F5F5F5″ next_prev_arrowscolor=”tmls_lightgrayarrows” scroll_duration=”500″ pause_duration=”9000″ ratingstars=”enabled” ratingstarssize=”16px” ratingstarscolor=”#F47E00″ ] \n\nThe Benefits of Retreating at Clear Sky\n© C. Pawasarat \n\nSurrounded by pristine\, tranquil nature\, you will know what it means to truly unwind.\nEnjoy fresh air and wholesome food\, with an emphasis on organic and locally sourced.\nExperience the support of a community that exists to help you reconnect.\nBe part of a working and awakening community that practices what it teaches.\nExperience in-depth Retreat Work\, Karma Yoga and Dharma Training in a community that has practiced both together for years\, at a center built on these practices.\nYou’ll both reinvigorate and integrate what you learn into your daily life.\nShare the learning and growth with other participants\, making new friends who are also on a path of spiritual unfoldment.\nConnect to the teachings that have enlivened humanity over centuries (regardless of faith orientation).\n\nOur Values\nThe Clear Sky community: \n\nnurtures awakening through compassionate action and commitment to a lineage of authentic exploration;\ncultivates fiscal\, social\, environmental and spiritual sustainability;\nfosters a supportive and challenging team built on trust\, integrity and accountability;\nprovides timeless solutions promoting joyful discovery and growth for those with a heart for change.\n\n\nWhat else do you need to know?\n\nDāna (Generosity Based Teaching)\n\nDoug & Catherine are teaching this retreat via the ancient tradition of Dāna (generosity)\, an offering from them to the attendees. It is considered of supreme value to your life and thus “beyond price” so it is expected that the student will be equally generous and support the teaching and the teachers by making an offering. \nWhile no offering is too small\, also no offering is too great. The giver benefits by offering as much as they can\, given the individual’s circumstances. Along with compassion\, generosity is considered the root of spiritual progress and\, according to the ancients\, therefore the root of our success in daily life as well. \nFind out more about how you can practice Dāna.  We invite you to offer Dāna when you register and via the Dāna bowl available at Clear Sky. \n\nRetreat Centre Fees (Lodging & Meals)\n\n\nThis retreat will be held at beautiful Clear Sky Meditation Centre. Fees which include lodging and meals are as follows: CAD $1\,499.00: Super Early Bird Program Price until Oct 16 / CAD $1625: Before Nov 16.  CAD $1745: After Nov 17. \n\nRetreat Dates\, Arrival & Departure\n\nThis retreat runs from December 16 to 31st\, 2016. \nEarly arrival is strongly recommended for grounding. For international travelers\, we recommend arriving two days early (Dec 14)\, to recover from jet lag. Retreatants not staying on for the Jan retreat should depart the retreat on the morning of January 1st. We will welcome in the New Year together on the evening of Dec 31. \n\nRegistration\n\nBook early for this popular retreat. All registrations can be made via the Clear Sky Registration page\, by clicking the Register Now button below: \n \n\nSign up here to be notified about any updates regarding this retreat and other Planet Dharma news.\n \nImage credit: The course banner image used features a painting by Sonam Senge\, featured on the cover of the book “The Womb Karma and Transcendence” by Namgyal Rinpoche. URL:https://www.planetdharma.com/event/womb-karma-and-transcendence-retreat/ CATEGORIES:Retreats ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.planetdharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/WKT-Retreat-Banner-mailings-1.jpg END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20160808 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20160821 DTSTAMP:20260615T055738Z CREATED:20160126T045111Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260615T055738Z UID:10000348-1470614400-1471737599@www.planetdharma.com SUMMARY:Awakening Through Action Retreat DESCRIPTION:Two-week Deeper Dive: Mon.\, 8 Aug. – Sat.\, 20 Aug.\nOne-week option: Mon.\, 8 Aug. – Sat.\, 13 Aug.[simple_tooltip content=’We recommend arriving a day early and staying a day later\, to help transition between your daily life and a more reflective state. Classes start at 7pm on Monday 8 Aug. and 15 Aug. Sun.\, 14 Aug. is an integration day\, to reflect on one’s learning and allow it to settle more deeply. Classes finish at 1pm on Sat. 13 Aug and 20 Aug.’]  Details[/simple_tooltip]\n\nImportant note on Dāna : \nOur teaching and Clear Sky operate based on the ancient tradition of dāna or generosity. \nPlease learn more about this profound practice before you register. \n  \n  \n  \nOverview\nAction as a Spiritual Path\nWho this retreat is for\nCourse Outcomes\nWhat’s expected of me if I come to this retreat?\nWho are the leaders of this retreat & how do we work?\nKarma Yoga and is it for you?\nWhat does a typical day look like\nWhat kinds of meditation will we do?\nWhy come to Clear Sky?\nCosts & Registration \nRetreat Overview\nHow can we become more self-aware and/or make spiritual progress when we spend the majority of our waking hours at a job\, or figuring out how to make my business successful? To make spiritual progress\, do I need to meditate for months at a time like the Buddha and his monks and nuns? That was 2500 years ago\, so how does it relate to my modern life? \nThese are questions every contemporary practitioner asks. We believe that for many people\, one solution lies in the path of Karma Yoga: yoga means “union through discipline\,” and karma means “action.” \nWe call it Awakening Through Action. \nThis path presents a vehicle for us to grow increasingly self-aware as we go about our daily tasks and functions. \n© D. Steinbock \nA monastery or convent represented the ultimate example of this\, with their cooks and accountants and traders and artists. However we don’t have to live in a monastery or convent to practice Karma Yoga; we can undertake it wherever we work\, including virtually. \nTraditionally\, meditators were meditation professionals: it was a job\, a role\, a responsibility based on predisposition and talent. As mentioned\, other monks and nuns had other predispositions\, and so undertook the other roles and responsibilities that every functioning organization needs: procuring necessities\, training members of the organization\, cleaning\, teaching and studying\, finances\, etc. \nDo you have an image that meditators were the elite cadre of the center? Well\, maybe\, but remember that Deepak Chopra was Maharishi Mahesh Yogi’s assistant\, which must have involved a wide variety of activities besides meditating. \nThe purpose of the monastery or convent and the teachers and trainees therein was to ensure that all these activities took place with moment-to-moment awareness. Moreover\, flexibility and adaptability was an important element: everyone had experience doing every kind of position. The meditators also served and practitioners doing service also did meditation practice. \n\n \nAction as a Spiritual Path\n© D. Steinbock \nAs you can see\, Karma Yoga is the practice of action or service as a spiritual path\, a path as valid as that of meditation practice. The former is practiced while being active\, and the later while being more passive. \nKarma Yoga involves day-to-day activities that are performed with as much attention to our states\, revealing our assumptions\, feelings and attitudes as to the job itself. The idea is to purify the negatives that arise in situ by replacing them with kindness and incisive awareness. \nDharma Training is the actual learning that happens in the context of Karma Yoga. With the help of mentors we learn how our conditioning colors our work and attitudes\, affecting how we relate and work\, and how we interact with those around us. \nDharma Training serves to eliminate inevitable blind spots (we all have them – it’s part of being human) and suboptimal conditioned habits acquired from when we were small children. \nWith this greater self-knowledge\, we naturally become kinder and more compassionate\, with better energy and functionality. This makes us more enjoyable to be with\, more effective\, more tolerant of others and more capable in stressful situations. \nWhy “Service?”\n© D. Steinbock \nBy calling it “service\,” we instill the idea that we do it with and for others\, helping each other get greater clarity and more contentment through our daily activities. You’ll note that we also thereby benefit ourselves! By putting others first\, we give the ego a chance to relax. This greatly increases our odds of being effective and more successful\, and also having a better time and enjoying our work more. \nWe feel this approach is eminently applicable to the Western lifestyle in the 21st century. This is the practice we undertake with our organizations: Planet Dharma and the Clear Sky Retreat Center. This course offers you the opportunity to learn from our experience\, and take it back home and to work with you. \nIn this course\, we’ll draw on traditional meditation and yogic practices and philosophy. We’ll also utilize exercises drawn from Namgyal Rinpoche’s Holistic Clearing practice\, Theory U\, Fifth Discipline\, Five Dysfunctions of a Team and original exercises we’ve created expressly for Karma Yoga and Dharma Training development.\n \nWho This Retreat Is For – People Who:\n\nWould like to transform work into a spiritual practice;\nWould like to turn their job into a spiritual vocation;\nAre motivated by the concept of service;\nAre looking for values-based ways to work well in a team;\nLive and work in a spiritual community;\nAre attracted to Awakening in Action (a.k.a. Karma Yoga or service) as a spiritual path;\nWould like to improve their Karma Yoga skills or their Dharma Training skills\, or further explore the relationship between Karma Yoga and Dharma Training;\nBeginners and people of all (or no) faiths welcome.\n\n \n \nCourse Outcomes:\n© D. Steinbock \nThe objective of the course is to empower you to carry at least a taste\, or more than a taste\, of the Karma Yoga practice for Awakening in Action into your daily life. \nClear Sky Retreat Center has operated on the basis of Karma Yoga for more than a decade. We’ve studied the patterns of what works (and what doesn’t) to accelerate our learning and spiritual unfoldment. \nWe’ll share these patterns and the tools to overcome obstacles and strengthen good practices\, so that you can apply them to your daily life and work as well. \nThe result? A more direct connection between your spiritual practice and what you spend most of your waking hours doing (ie.\, your job and your relationships). \nThat is\, accelerating your own Awakening in Action\, and supporting the same for others. \nWe’re excited about supporting you this way! How about you? \n[tmls category=”24″ layout=”tmls_list” style=”style2″ image_size=”large_image” image_radius=”large_radius” text_font_family=”” text_font_color=”#777777″ text_font_size=”16px” name_font_family=”” name_font_color=”#777777″ neme_font_size=”14px” neme_font_weight=”bold” position_font_family=”” position_font_color=”#777777″ position_font_size=”12px” order_by=”date” order=”DESC” number=”1″ border_style=”tmls_border tmls_dashed_border” border_color=”#DDDDDD” ratingstars=”enabled” ratingstarssize=”16px” ratingstarscolor=”#F47E00″ ]\n \nWhat’s Expected from Me if I Come to This Retreat?\n© D. Steinbock \nAn open mind\, heart and will and a spirit of adventure are excellent things to bring! \nSeriously\, though\, it’s human to have some apprehensions about doing something new\, or meeting new people\, or going to a new place. Particularly if and when all three happen together. We try to make this as supportive an experience as possible. And changes – including positive ones – require movement\, and movement requires engaged energy. \nSo we ask you to engage with us around the teachings and activities that will support your learning and unfoldment around Awakening in Action. \nParticularly when we are exploring our growth edges\, it’s natural to feel uncertain and awkward. And it’s very fruitful to transform that 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 different kinds of constructive engagement. \nTo maximize the most of the learning and integration of that learning\, we ask that you refrain from reading\, using the internet or listening to music during the course. We make an exception for journaling\, course assignments and the dancing we sometimes do during exercises or group celebration – all great resources for integration and growth. \nLastly\, we mentioned that Clear Sky has run for a decade on the practice of [simple_tooltip content=’Karma Yoga is our ongoing practice of Awakening in Action. It may entail supporting the center and participants in the area of nourishment\, environmental services\, land management or infrastructure.’]Karma Yoga.*[/simple_tooltip] Our teaching and Clear Sky also operate based on the ancient tradition of dāna or generosity. Please learn more about this profound practice before you register. \n \n \nWho are the Leaders of this Retreat?\n© C. Pawasarat \nCombined\, Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat have been practicing Karma Yoga and meditation for more than 60 years. They both received lay ordination from the Canadian-born Ven. Namgyal Rinpoche\, and have shared teachings of liberation from their Western Canada-based retreat center\, Clear Sky\, and worldwide for decades. \nThey’re well versed in Theravadin\, Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhist philosophy and practices\, as well as contemporary psychology\, consciousness studies and art. They are pioneering Karma Yoga and generosity practices in the West\, and feel proud to base their teachings and retreat center on these radical and profound practices. \nJoin them to be skillfully supported towards greater empowerment through this straightforward\, dynamic and insightful program. Join this retreat for the valuable opportunity to help share these unique teachings in the contemporary world. \nHow We Work:\nLife is impermanent and unpredictable – everything is always in flux. Developing our practice of Karma Yoga means that we learn to recognize the potential for our spiritual development in anything and everything. In fact\, this kind of flexibility of mind and body comprises one of the benefits of spiritual attainment. \nAs a natural result\, we respond to the people present and our emerging learning by deliberately changing and moving the exercises around. \nThis keeps the program fresh\, somewhat spontaneous and therefore a bit unpredictable. Like life. Our goal is to make our ability to practice Karma Yoga and Dharma Training sustainable throughout the ups and downs of our day-to-day. \nTo this end\, we’ll be teaching about Karma Yoga and Dharma Training in class\, describing them in context and discussing them in group. Outside of classes\, we’ll practice and develop Karma Yoga and Dharma Training in various contexts\, including during our Karma Yoga activities (which most closely simulates how they might be used in daily life) and also through assigned exercises. \nAfter the first week of introduction and overview\, we’ll shift into deeper exploration and practice. As part of this\, the second week will include the option of private interviews with Doug and/or Catherine\, to pursue more personalized inquiries if desired. \nRead on for more details.\n \nWhat is Karma Yoga?\nYes\, we’ve explained a bit about Karma Yoga above\, now let’s give you a little more detail about what it looks like. \n \nKarma Yoga is the path of applied awareness engaged in activity. When performed mindfully\, Karma Yoga reveals and liberates our sense of isolation and separateness\, while enriching our individuality and creativity. \nThe activities of Karma Yoga are engaged in the context of community or virtually\, on one’s own or in teams\, but usually both. With mentors and trained professionals in the field of Karma Yoga\, we learn how to be more effective as an individual and in teams. \nAmong other things\, through Karma Yoga we learn how to: \n\nembrace vulnerability as a positive;\nengage in constructive conflict between individuals and build trust in relationships\, teams and communities;\nbuild clarity by creating and honoring realistic commitments;\nraise our aspirations\, develop skills and capabilities;\npay attention to results and not let our egoism and a “get by” status quo attitude feign as “success;”\nbecome more accountable\, building confidence;\ntransform emotional tension into creative tension;\nincrease clarity around our own personal vision\, and develop the ability to fulfill it.\n\nOne of the huge advantages of doing Karma Yoga and being a Karma Yogi is that it benefits everyone\, including the planet and the environment. We learn to transcend the need for recognition\, and abide in the satisfaction of a job well done\, and even more so in dedicating the merit to the benefit of all beings. \nWhy Would I Want to be a Karma Yogi?\n© D. Steinbock \nA Karma Yogi is a person dedicated to spiritually supporting oneself and other people. S/he trains and practices to purify emotional conflicts and self-limiting views\, yielding greater freedom\, clarity\, joy and peace in our own and others’ lives. In other words\, we become more loving and more compassionate. \nA Karma Yogi is like a superhero. The superhero helps others physically\, with superhuman powers. But unlike the superhero whose powers result from an accident or aberration\, the Karma Yogi builds them through consciously training. The superhero is an entertaining fiction; Karma Yogis are real\, with skillsets and special abilities that any of us can learn. Karma Yogis make the world a beautiful place to be. \nIs Karma Yoga for You?\nWe have four aspects operative in our lives: our bodies (the physical)\, our feelings (emotional)\, our minds (cognitive) and our integrated\, multi-dimensional being (spiritual). The training is focused on “purifying” and transforming the first three areas\, so that we may have ongoing\, real-time access to the fourth. \nBy “purifying\,” we mean that Karma Yoga helps us to remove blocks that may manifest in painful physical\, emotional or psychological patterns from our conditioning. \nThis is a normal part of the human condition\, which is why the Buddha’s First Ennobling Truth is “Life is struggle.” And we can learn how to move beyond the struggle\, by liberating these blocks. The results are less hurt\, anxiety\, worry or depression and a more open mind and heart\, meaning more friendliness\, love\, compassion and joy. That’s a life worth living! \nHere are some examples of how we approach Karma Yoga: \nMind Training \nA lot of meditation and consciousness training focus on this. It’s powerful and important\, but not so useful unless it’s conjoined with additional types of training (see below). \nWe are shaped by our environment and culture\, and the messages of what’s true and what isn’t appear early in the molding of our psyches. The mind is the habitat\, and habit\, of views\, opinions and beliefs. \n© C. Pawasarat \nGenerally speaking\, these “positions” go unexamined in most of our lives\, and therefore can create havoc with our wellbeing. For instance\, racism\, sexism and species-ism (“humans have the right to do whatever they want to the planet and other species”) are all mental positions that have done so much harm\, because they were not properly investigated as mere views\, rather than “truths” or presumptions. \nWhile the superhero fights against “evil\,” the Karma Yogi struggles with limiting views of who they can be. To prevail\, s/he must sacrifice old views of himself. As part of our mind training\, we see what views arise during different situations. We examine these views\, what they’re based on\, and the results of having them. \nBody Training \nAnd our mind is so influenced by our body\, and vice versa! \nClassically yoga\, prostrations and other similar activities were used to make us more aware of our bodies. Meditation allows us to see how the body responds to stimuli when still. We use these methods\, and also extend them to activities like movement/dance and different kinds of service. \nDuring this physically-oriented training\, we focus on our bodies and note any tensions or blocks that disturb our energy fields. Anyone can do this anywhere\, but usually the demands of our jobs or families tend to make us forget to pay attention to how the body is reacting. \nThe idea is to learn how to do this in a retreat context\, and cultivate the spiritual connection explicitly in a safe environment. Then we’re more able to do it implicitly or discreetly\, as appropriate\, at work and at home. \nIn other words\, at Clear Sky we get better at doing this without the pressures of daily life. Then we can take it to the “battlefront” of life\, where the Karma Yogi (as the superhero in disguise as you) gets to show her stuff! \nFeeling Training \nIn some ways this can be the most challenging training. One reason for this is because we think of ourselves as separate beings. Consequently\, we always feel alone and vulnerable to some degree\, so we protect ourselves and we armor our hearts for safety. \nThe results include hypersensitivity to criticism\, anxiousness\, depression or worry when things aren’t going our way. This is the superhero’s Kryptonite or Achilles’ heel\, neutralizing their superpowers. For the Karma Yogi\, it’s any of the array of painful feelings that are part of the human experience. \nThe feeling training aspect of Karma Yoga helps us to observe our reactions to these feelings more objectively. The result is that we gain the freedom of choice\, to move from pain-based reaction to conscious response. \nHow’s that for exciting? \n\n \nWhat Does a Typical Day Look Like?\nOur daily schedule includes: \n© C. Conroy-Low \nMeal times conducted in silence\, with awareness directed towards the nature of “nourishment” and the act of serving oneself and others\, and eating. \nThe proverbial – and actual – chop wood\, carry water\, cleaning dishes will be an active\, enlivening experience. You’ve never had this experience cleaning dishes! \nWe have three meals a day. \nDaily group meditations allow us to gather and reflect as a group in silence\, on a theme related to the other activities of the day. We will also use the meditation to raise inquiries for ourselves\, and to yield insights about what we’re learning. Some meditations will include time for Q & A and discussion. \nTalks on Karma Yoga will address principles\, theory\, and various exercises to practice\, or [simple_tooltip content=’Karma Yoga may entail supporting the center and participants in the area of nourishment\, environmental services\, operational support of Clear Sky Center. This may entail involvement with meal preparation\, serving or cleanup\, the farm and garden\, our sustainable land management\, helping build or site meditation platforms\, etc.’]Karma Yoga activities*[/simple_tooltip]  to follow. We will also have sessions for facilitated discussion and time for Q & A. We’ll also take advantage of group review\, such as regarding lessons learned\, challenges that may arise\, how to adapt what we learn to use at home\, etc. \nApplications: Practice makes perfect\, so we’ll build on each day’s new discoveries to apply what we’re learning\, using more [simple_tooltip content=’See the section above on How We Work.’]engaged exercises*[/simple_tooltip] or a Karma Yoga activity. This helps ensure you’ll be able to replicate what you’ve learned in your life back home. \n© C. Pawasarat \nIntegration time: We respect the importance of this modality! You may use it to take walks around the exquisite Clear Sky property\, engage in your own movement practices\, rest\, reflect\, journal\, etc. \nBased on the emerging group dynamic the schedule may change from day to day\, excepting the group meditations and meal times\, which anchor our practice. \nAs mentioned above\, the first week will introduce basic principles\, theory and practice and overview. The second week will allow us to work more specifically on patterns we’ve identified we’d like to shift\, with deeper exploration and practice. As part of this\, the second week will include the option of private interviews with Doug and/or Catherine\, so that participants have the opportunity to make more specific inquiries pertaining to their particular situation.\n \nWhat Kind of Meditation Do We Do?\nPhoto © Catherine Pawasarat \nThere are many kinds of meditation\, each one useful for a different purpose. Typically\, they fall into one of two categories: calming bliss\, or insight.\nWithin the first category\, there are meditations such as movement\, visualization\, mantra\, devotion\, energy (i.e.\, chakras) and breathing. \nIn the insight category\, there are meditations such as vipassana (insight)\, mahamudra\, Dzogchen\, Zen and breathing. \nNotice that breathing falls in both groups! This is one good reason why it is a popular and useful meditation for many. \nIn this course we will draw on various meditation techniques. One that we are especially pleased to share with you for this course is the Holistic Clearing Meditation\, an original creation by our teacher\, Namgyal Rinpoche. The Holistic Clearing meditation represents a new and unique stream in spiritual practices that is especially suited for modern life. \nThe Holistic Clearing meditation bridges the gap between our own strengths\, weaknesses\, and lacks\, and then balances us to be more effective in our personal and interpersonal lives. \nIt is also a supportive and fully liberating self-contained practice that you can easily do on your own when you return home.\n \nWhy Come To Clear Sky: Experience the Difference:\n© C. Pawasarat \n\nKnow what it is to truly unwind\, surrounded by pristine\, tranquil nature.\nEnjoy fresh air and wholesome food\, with an emphasis on organic and locally sourced.\nExperience the support of a community that exists to help you reconnect.\nBe part of a working and awakening community that practices what it teaches.\nExperience Karma Yoga and Dharma Training in a community that has practiced both together for years\, at a center built on these practices.\nYou’ll both reinvigorate and integrate what you learn into your daily life.\nShare the learning and growth with other participants\, making new friends who are also on a path of spiritual unfoldment.\nConnect to the teachings that have enlivened humanity over centuries (regardless of faith orientation).\n\nOur Values\nThe Clear Sky community: \n\nnurtures awakening through compassionate action and commitment to a lineage of authentic exploration;\ncultivates fiscal\, social\, environmental and spiritual sustainability;\nfosters a supportive and challenging team built on trust\, integrity and accountability;\nprovides timeless solutions promoting joyful discovery and growth for those with a heart for change.\n\n \n© B. Fung \nOther points about the retreat: \n\nWe recommend arriving a day early and staying a day later\, to help transition between your daily life and a more reflective state. \nClasses start at 7pm on Monday 8 Aug. and 15 Aug.\nSun.\, 14 Aug. is an integration day\, to reflect on one’s learning and allow it to settle more deeply. \nClasses finish at 1pm on Sat. 13 Aug and 20 Aug.\nKarma Yoga may entail supporting the center and participants in the area of nourishment\, environmental services\, operational support of Clear Sky Center. This may entail involvement with meal preparation\, serving or cleanup\, the farm and garden\, our sustainable land management\, helping build or site meditation platforms\, etc.  \n\n \n\nReady for Awakening through Action?\nInvest in your growth and unfoldment with master Dharma teachers Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat this summer.  Nestled in the Rocky Mountains\, beautiful Clear Sky meditation centre offers the perfect locale for deep learning.  Receive hands-on training in mind\, body and feeling as Doug & Catherine guide you through Karma Yoga and Dharma Training via classes\, assigned exercises and practice in community. You will also discover the powerful holistic clearing technique and other forms of meditation. \nStay for the full two week ‘deeper dive’ to take advantage of the option of private interviews with Doug and/or Catherine in the second week\, to pursue more personalized inquiries if desired. \nDāna Practice \nDoug & Catherine teach by the ancient practice of dāna or generosity. \nPlease learn more about this profound practice before you register. \n  \n  \nWhat does it cost to stay at the centre? \n\nTwo-week retreat ‘Deeper Dive’: (8 – 20th August)\n\nEarly bird price (Register by July 9): $1625 / Regular price: $1745 \n\nOne-week retreat option: (8- 13 August)\n\nEarly bird price (Register by July 9: $949 / Regular price: $999 \n \n\nGot a question about the retreat?\n[contact-form to=’registrar@planetdharma.com’ subject=’Awakening Through Action Retreat Question Form’][contact-field label=’Your questions:’ type=’textarea’/][contact-field label=’Your Email Address’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][/contact-form]\nSign up here to be notified of updates about this and other Planet Dharma courses\, posts and events. URL:https://www.planetdharma.com/event/awakening-through-action-retreat/ LOCATION:Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre\, 3567 Cockell Rd\, Bull River\, British Columbia\, V0B1N0\, Canada CATEGORIES:Retreats ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.planetdharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/Awakening-Through-Action-Banner-1.jpg GEO:49.615543;-115.6300709 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre 3567 Cockell Rd Bull River British Columbia V0B1N0 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=3567 Cockell Rd:geo:-115.6300709,49.615543 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20160603 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20160607 DTSTAMP:20170224T004025Z CREATED:20160126T044814Z LAST-MODIFIED:20170224T004025Z UID:10000347-1464912000-1465257599@www.planetdharma.com SUMMARY:Weekend Retreat: Assets Beyond Measure DESCRIPTION:Want to have an even better life in six easy steps? Sages like the Buddha have taught us how to do it\, and it’s been proven over 2500+ years of testing. \nOkay\, it’s not possible to do it in “six easy steps\,” because the work in each step takes time and effort. But nevertheless there are just six steps! These six steps are called “Assets Beyond Measure” or “paramis” in Sanskrit. \nThese are qualities we grow to feel better in ourselves and to act from this positive\, wholesome place in one’s relations with others. \nBut … isn’t happiness enough? Why would anyone want to go beyond happiness? \nThe short answer is that happiness is a result\, not a cause. In other words\, if I am in a clear\, loving place\, investigating and curious\, while being calm and absorbed\, then happiness is the most likely result. \nWhat’s more\, happiness is incredibly fickle: that is\, it is impermanent and subject to disappearing. “Beyond happiness” means to look behind the feeling and find its source. The sources of happiness are these very Assets Beyond Measure! \nIntroducing a weekend retreat: \n How to Go Beyond Happiness: Gaining Assets Beyond Measure\nPhoto © Catherine Pawasarat \nThis is a short course to help busy people learn how to get rooted in these timeless and universal principles\, amidst all the challenges of modern life. \nSounds simple\, right? It is simple. Except that\, because we are active people with busy lives\, we feel like we can’t take the time to get grounded with these foundational assets. \nThis affects how we work\, play and relate to each other. As the saying goes\, “It’s hard to remember when you’re up to your neck in alligators that your original intention was to drain the swamp!” \nThis is a short course specifically designed for those of us who feel challenged around making the time.  We’ll be sharing how to cultivate mindfulness in conjunction with the Assets Beyond Measure while we go about our daily lives. \nThis means that we learn ways to embed them in whatever time we have available. Then our work and relationships blossom\, and we’re of greater service to ourselves\, our communities and the planet. \nThis creates more\, and durable\, happiness … even when there are ‘gators nipping at our heels. \nNote: These are universal teachings open to people of any faith\, or with no particular faith. \nCourse Outcomes:\n\nLearn to be more generous with ourselves and others\, materially\, emotionally and mentally.\nDevelop a greater sense of ease around thorny emotional issues.\nCultivate greater patience in the face of life’s ongoing challenges.\nOpen more energy through less resistance rooted in fear and mistrust.\nFind greater calm and focus based on a clearer sense of one’s place in the world.\nDiscover a closer connection to the wisdom inside us that arises from the development of the above outcomes.\n\nWho we are:\nWe encourage everyone to find the “teacher within” that we can be. But\, for almost everyone\, we need to apprentice before we can master. Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat have apprenticed in the teachings of awakening for decades with their teachers\, and have been teaching for almost as long. \nOur explorations and teachings are guided by four principles: spiritual growth\, social connectivity\, economic sustainability and environmental integrity. \nWe teach from various wisdom traditions – including modern science\, art and nature ­­– based on broad interests and a non-judgemental approach. We’ve lived and worked overseas for many years\, and a planetary outlook is important to us. So is humour! \nIn 2004 we opened our retreat center\, Clear Sky\, located in the Canadian Rockies just north of the Montana/Idaho border\, easily accessible by car or plane.Clear Sky is a non-profit\, charitable organization supported by open programs\, membership\, and other generous supporters and partners. \nWe knew many people desired a permanent physical location with a multi-faceted\, non-denominational\, approach to awakening. In essence\, Clear Sky exists as a nurturing space and crucible to help people become more “awake.” \nWe offer world-class awareness and mindfulness training. We specialise in revealing and integrating the shadow\, something that is easy to sidestep in spiritual practice. We offer direct relationships with teachers and trainers that address every aspect of our being. The goal: to awaken in this lifetime. \n  \n[tmls category=”21″ layout=”tmls_slider” style=”style2″ image_size=”large_image” image_radius=”large_radius” text_font_family=”” text_font_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”16px” name_font_family=”” name_font_color=”#000000″ neme_font_size=”14px” neme_font_weight=”normal” position_font_family=”” position_font_color=”#777777″ position_font_size=”12px” order_by=”date” order=”DESC” number=”1″ auto_play=”true” transitioneffect=”crossfade” pause_on_hover=”false” next_prev_visibility=”tmls_visible” next_prev_radius=”large_radius” next_prev_position=”” next_prev_bgcolor=”#F5F5F5″ next_prev_arrowscolor=”tmls_lightgrayarrows” scroll_duration=”500″ pause_duration=”9000″ ratingstars=”enabled” ratingstarssize=”16px” ratingstarscolor=”#F47E00″ ] \n  \nHow We Work:\n \nLife is impermanent and unpredictable – everything is always in flux. Developing these Assets Beyond Measure requires that we “go beyond.” So we respond to the people present and our emerging learning by deliberately changing and moving the exercises around. \nThis keeps the program fresh\, somewhat spontaneous and therefore a bit unpredictable. Like life. Our goal is to make “winning” these assets sustainable throughout the ups and downs of our day-to-day. \nTo this end\, we’ll be teaching about the Assets in class\, describing them in context and discussing them in group. Outside of classes\, we’ll practice and develop the Assets in various contexts\, including during our karma yoga activities (which most closely simulates how they might be used in daily life) and also through assigned exercises. \nIn case more details are helpful\, here’s one example: \nThe first of the six Assets Beyond Measure is generosity. We’ll begin by reflecting on why generosity qualifies as an Asset Beyond Measure. \nWe’ll practice giving\, receiving\, and not giving\, not receiving\, during this course as experiments that allow us to perceive the varying effects\, results and feelings. Here are some of the reflections that may arise: \n\nHow do we feel when we give?\nWhen we don’t?\nDo you feel stronger or weaker?\nDoes it make a difference if you give to someone you like\, compared to someone you don’t?\nIs “giving” just about material things\, or can we emotionally and mentally generous?\nMight giving sometimes be enabling or co-dependent\, such as in a “purchase” of love?\nDoes generosity’s near companion\, compassion\, inform of us when acceptance (a kind of generosity) may be unwholesome and when it isn’t?\nIs listening always generous?\nAre passivity or aggressiveness sometimes generous and sometimes not?\n\nWe’ll engage is scenarios that enact and demonstrate these various perceptions\, for each of the six Assets Beyond Measure we’ll develop in this course. Better still\, it will be fun. \nHow do I know I’ll feel comfortable?\n\nWe work with beginners and advanced participants alike\, and mold our teaching to the readiness of each student.\nEach student sets the pace and scope of their own development. We do encourage you to stretch your comfort zone so that it becomes broader\, and so you enjoy maximum benefits of the course.\nThe schedule is very accessible (see below for details).\nOur teachers and staff are friendly and well trained\, and have supported many people to reach “beyond happiness” for something more lasting.\n\nWhat’s expected from me if I come to this course?\n\nCome with an open and engaged attitude.\nParticipate in the program as fully as you’re able.\nFoster and maintain an atmosphere of trust and acceptance in the group-learning environment.\nRefrain from reading\, using the internet or listening to music during the course (except journaling and assigned reading).\nParticipate in Karma Yoga[1] service at Clear Sky (maximum of two hours daily).\nSupport the teachers and teachings through the practice of dāna.\n\nSample Daily Schedule:\n\n6:30 Wake up\n6:45 – 7:15 Meditation\n7:15 – 8:15 Breakfast\n8:15 – 9:45 Talk on the theme of Assets Beyond Happiness\n10:00 – 11:30 Exercises[2] from the talk (on developing these assets alone and in groups)\n11:30 – 12:30 Integration time: walk or reflection\n12:30 – 1:30 Lunch\n1:30 – 2:00 Rest\n2:00 – 3:30[3] Karma Yoga: an opportunity to practice the Asset currently under discussion in an active working situation\, so that you may be sure of being able to replicate what you’ve learned in your life back home.\n3:30 – 5:30 Exercises: combining what we’ve learned from the class\, exercises and karma yoga activity\, we adjust and deepen our exploration of the Asset.\n5:30 – 6:00 Integration time: walk or reflection\n6:00 – 7:15 Supper and clean up\n7:15 – 8:30 Group meditation\, ending with Q & A about the day and discussion of any points or difficulties encountered\n8:30 – 9:30 Integration time: walk\, reflection or journaling.\n9:30 – 10:00 Integrative / creative meditation\n10:00 – Bedtime\n\nWhy Come To Clear Sky: Experience the difference:\n© C. Pawasarat \n\nKnow what it is to truly unwind\, surrounded by pristine\, tranquil nature.\nEnjoy fresh air and wholesome food\, with an emphasis on organic and locally sourced.\nExperience the support of a community that exists to help you reconnect.\nBe part of a working and awakening community that practices what it teaches.\nYou’ll both reinvigorate and integrate what you learn into your daily life.\nShare the learning and growth with other participants\, making new friends who are also on a path of spiritual unfoldment.\nConnect to the teachings that have enlivened humanity over centuries (regardless of religion).\n\nFrom Us to You:\nWe look forward to meeting you and sharing some of the jewels of humanity’s search for meaning. In this age of superheroes as an archetype\, this course will bring you into closer contact with the true superhero motif within yourself. That superhero is awake\, compassionate and loving because s(he) lives immersed in the Assets Beyond Measure you’ve developed. From this perspective\, there are no battles to be fought: the enemy – hurt\, anxiety\, loneliness\, etc. – have already been defeated. \nWe offer this course as a potentially grand step forward in your ongoing growth and learning – see you here. \n \nNotes: \n[1] Karma Yoga is our practice of awakening in action. It may entail supporting the center and participants in the area of nourishment\, environmental services\, land management or infrastructure.\n[2] See the section on How We Work on this page.\n[3] The time of day will vary depending on the form of service. \nCourse Schedule: \n\nFriday\, June 3rd\, 7pm – 9pm\nSaturday\, June 4th\, 7am – 10pm\nSunday\, June 5th\, 7am – 10pm\nMonday June 6th\, 7am – 1pm URL:https://www.planetdharma.com/event/weekendretreat-assets-beyond-measure/ LOCATION:Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre\, 3567 Cockell Rd\, Bull River\, British Columbia\, V0B1N0\, Canada CATEGORIES:Retreats ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.planetdharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/AssestsBeyond.jpg GEO:49.615543;-115.6300709 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre 3567 Cockell Rd Bull River British Columbia V0B1N0 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=3567 Cockell Rd:geo:-115.6300709,49.615543 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20160401 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20160409 DTSTAMP:20170224T004042Z CREATED:20160131T002234Z LAST-MODIFIED:20170224T004042Z UID:10000509-1459468800-1460159999@www.planetdharma.com SUMMARY:Calm and Clear\, UK Retreat with Doug Duncan Sensei DESCRIPTION:Calm and Clear Retreat at Maitreya House in the UK \nInviting Insight\, Bliss & Wisdom into our lives Fri. April 1 – Fri. April 8 \nWould you like to feel more calm and clear? How do you imagine it would affect your quality of life? Calm and Clear is a kind of meditation method\, and it applies to the day-to-day. Although it’s a text and practice rooted in Vajrayana Buddhism\, the applications can apply just as well in the office\, at home\, in recreation and even in our personal and professional relationships. Imagine bringing a sense of calmness and clarity to all of those places! \nThis has been called “analytical meditation” because it focuses on insight\, our mind’s incredible ability to understand. Its partner\, sammatha\, is also known as bliss meditation; it’s considered the great healer\, because when bliss is present\, it supersedes all mental and physical anguish. \nThese are not empty promises: as we all know\, bliss can be interrupted and difficult to regain. Therefore\, we need to understand the nature of what interrupts the bliss\, which means developing more insight. We also learn the supporting conditions of mind that can re-establish the bliss\, and reveal a kind of bliss we didn’t recognize before. \nWhat kind of bliss is that? You may be asking. This is the bliss of a calm\, clear\, awake luminosity of consciousness\, which generates both bliss and insight. Combined\, we call them wisdom:  Wisdom is generated when bliss conjoins with clarity and focuses on a question or investigation of some kind. \nThis retreat/advance takes place over one week on the Welsh borders (Fri.4pm\, April 1 – Fri 4pm\, April 8) at historic Maitreya House\, set in a beautiful and homey pastoral environment surrounded by hedgerows and working small-scale farms.\nThe daily schedule is approachable for both beginner and advanced practitioners. \nFor further information contact:\ndharmaeurope@outlook.com\nJonathan 07891 621865 or Zoe 07861 247357\nVenue: Maitreya House\, Lower Maescoed\, Hereford HR2 0HP\n(Nearest stations Abergavenney and Hereford) \nAlso check out Doug Duncan Sensei’s London public talk on April 11th click here for details. \nRetreat organization fees: \n\n£500 early bird rate (Full payment required by Feb. 15th) or £600 for payments received after Feb 15th. This includes course fees\, food and accommodation; Dāna for the teacher is extra.\n£100 non-refundable deposit required to secure a place.\n\nRetreatants can also join Doug on a trip to Winchester (8th-11th April – details on application). \nTranslation available into German (and into French if requested in advance) \nDāna\nPlease click for more about offering Dāna. \nRegister Now\nIf you are interested in attending\, please contact the organizers as soon as possible.  Email: dharmaeurope@outlook.com URL:https://www.planetdharma.com/event/calm-and-clear-retreat-with-doug-duncan-sensei/ LOCATION:Maitreya House\, Lower Maes-coed\, Hereford\, England\, HR2 0HP\, United Kingdom CATEGORIES:Retreats ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.planetdharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/calm-clear-uk-retreat-2016-sensei.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Dharma Europe":MAILTO:dharmaeurope@outlook.com GEO:51.9720215;-2.9511638 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Maitreya House Lower Maes-coed Hereford England HR2 0HP United Kingdom;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=Lower Maes-coed:geo:-2.9511638,51.9720215 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20151218 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20160117 DTSTAMP:20260606T055137Z CREATED:20150702T030702Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260606T055137Z UID:10000333-1450396800-1452988799@www.planetdharma.com SUMMARY:One Month Residential Retreat: Mahamudra and Visuddhimagga DESCRIPTION:Photo © Greg Molkentein \nJoin Dharma Teachers Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat for their popular winter retreat at Clear Sky Centre in Eastern BC. This year’s retreat will be four weeks in duration\, and will cover Mahamudra and the Visuddhimagga (Path of Purification). \nWe highly recommend you attend the entire one month retreat. There will also be the option to attend 2 weeks if one month is not possible. This retreat fills up fast\, in which case preference will be given to those retreatants attending for the full month. \nRetreat Details\n-Mahamudra: Dec 19 – Jan 1\, 2015\n-The Path of Purification: Jan 2 – Jan 16\, 2016\n-Mahakala Wongkur: Jan 2\, 4pm. \nMahamudra\n(Fri.\, Dec. 18\, 2015 – Fri.\, Jan. 1\, 2016) \nHave you noticed that life is in constant motion? In fact\, the whole universe is one continuous movement of everlasting change. \n“Maha” means “great\,” while “mudra” means “seal” or “mark\,” as well as “movement.” Mahamudra practice is watching the moving mind or consciousness in all its aspects – including sensation\, feeling and thoughts – going through its changes. \nAnd it’s important to note that the still mind also exists\, as the consciousness that watches these changes; Mahamudra practice observes that as well. \nWhat are the difference and similarities between the moving and still mind? How do they relate? How can the mind said to be moving and still at the same time? \nCome join us for our Mahamudra retreat to explore the mind in motion and the mind at rest. \nIs there a mind that can observe both the stillness and the movement? If so\, what is it like in all its manifestations? How and why does it change? Stay at rest? \nWe may feel that we have good days and bad days\, “up” moods when we’re happy and dark moods when the world or other people aren’t doing what we’d like. On completing this retreat and returning to our daily lives\, we will be much less ruffled and disturbed and buffeted by the events of our daily life. We’ll have discovered that what we are going through are simply weather changes – the weather of the mind. \n Course Outcomes\nPhoto © C. Conroy-Low \n• Learn how to develop and grow our understanding of Mahamudra.\n• Learn to contact and understand the nature of the mind that is unaffected by troubling thoughts and emotions.\n• Develop a greater sense of calm and focus.\n• Increase the amount of bliss available to us.\n• Recognize\, identify and build on the strengths and positives already in our lives.\n• Access more energy and focus to accomplish our aims and meet our aspirations.\n• Enjoy a greater sense of freedom\, spontaneous joy and clarity in our daily life. \nExpectations and Inspirations\nTo succeed with this practice\, participants will:\n•   Show up early for classes and participate in all scheduled teachings\, group meditations and other activities scheduled during the course.\n•   Foster and maintain an atmosphere of trust and acceptance in the community of practice that has gathered for this course.\n•   To stay focused on the retreat outcomes\, refrain from reading materials not related to this course\, while using note-taking and journal writing as a means of recording reflections.\n•   Engage mindfully in daily scheduled Karma Yoga (“Path of Service”) practices at Clear Sky\, as part of one’s spiritual practices during retreat. \nOptional reading: \nThe Mahamudra: Eliminating the Darkness of Ignorance.* \nBy the Ninth Karmapa. \nIf you’d like to read this book to support your retreat experience\, we recommend you bring it to the course and read it during the course. \n*The above book hyperlink is to an older edition of the book that Doug and Catherine Sensei are using.  Feel free to buy the newer edition\, however page references will be different. \nDāna\nThis retreat is offered by Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat on the basis of dāna\, or generosity practice. Learn more about dāna. \nVissudhimagga: The Path of Purification\n(Fri.\, 1 Jan – Sun.\, 17 Jan 2016) \nBuilding on the Mahamudra retreat\, the Visuddhimagga or Path of Purification empowers us to maintain our newfound insights when the mind gets more involved with all the different moving parts – including sensations\, feelings\, states of mind and other people – that we encounter in our daily lives. We’ll begin the retreat with an energizing Mahakala wong kur and sadhana practice. \nThe fifth-century Visuddhimagga is a foundational text examining Buddhist meditation techniques and doctrine\, designed to lead to enlightenment. \nAnd in order to get there from here\, we train ourselves to secure the mind/body continuum in wholesome states while we are living and working in the world. To this end\, we first need to develop this ability in our contemplative practice. \nThis is one of the primary functions of meditation: the world and our day-to-day lives simply move too quickly to be able to establish wholesome states there initially. Meditative or contemplative training forms the basis or platform\, from which we launch our wholesome states into our daily lives. \nThe spiritual path has three phases: purification\, illumination and beatification. After the purification has been undertaken\, illumination and beatification naturally follow. In this sense\, the major work of the spiritual path is purification. The illumination of enlightenment and the supreme happiness or blessed state (called “beatification” in centuries gone by) are the inevitable harvest of the rich psychic composting and seeding undertaken with purification. \n© D. Steinbock \nThis retreat (we prefer to call it an ‘advance’) provides tools and methodology to help us maintain a clear mind and an open heart out there in the busy\, complicated and often confusing world. \nRetreatants are cordially invited to a soiree after the retreat end\, at Sensei and Cata’s on Sunday\, 17 January. We recommend it as a way for retreatants to transition back into daily life and socialization\, and as a testing ground for maintaining our wholesome retreat states in active situations. We also recommend it for having a good time. \nCourse Outcomes\n• Learn the Buddhist philosophical basis for “ethical behavior.”\n• Learn how to integrate ethics\, meditation and knowledge for improved quality of life and creative productivity.\n• Experience a range of meditation techniques to broaden our experience and understanding of the Path of Purification.\n• Discover the difference between knowledge and information\, and what transforms these into wisdom.\n• Complete a body of purification practices.\n• Personally experience the connection between purification and illumination\, which inevitably leads to a beautiful state of wellbeing. \nExpectations and Inspirations\nTo succeed with this practice\, participants will:\n•   Show up early for classes and participate in all scheduled teachings\, group meditations and other activities scheduled during the course.\n•   Foster and maintain an atmosphere of trust and acceptance in the community of practice that has gathered for this course.\n•To stay focused on the retreat outcomes\, refrain from reading materials not related to this course\, while using note-taking and journal writing as a means of recording reflections.\n• Engage mindfully in daily scheduled Karma Yoga (“Path of Service”) practices at Clear Sky\, as part of one’s spiritual practices during retreat. \nOptional reading:\nThe Path of Purification: Visuddhimagga.\nBy Bhadantacariya Buddhaghosa\, translated by Bhikkhu Ñanamoli. \nIf you’d like to read this book to support your retreat experience\, we recommend you bring it to the course and read it during the course. \nHardcopy:  The Path of Purification: Visuddhimagga \nFree downloads: The Path of Purification: Visuddhimagga \nDāna\nThis retreat is offered by Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat on the basis of dāna\, or generosity practice. Learn more about dāna. URL:https://www.planetdharma.com/event/one-month-residential-meditation-retreat-at-clear-sky-centre/ LOCATION:Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre\, 3567 Cockell Rd\, Bull River\, British Columbia\, V0B1N0\, Canada CATEGORIES:Retreats ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.planetdharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/winter-2009-mahamudra-retreat380x253.jpg GEO:49.615543;-115.6300709 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre 3567 Cockell Rd Bull River British Columbia V0B1N0 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=3567 Cockell Rd:geo:-115.6300709,49.615543 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20151120 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20151123 DTSTAMP:20260820T051739Z CREATED:20151031T231813Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260820T051739Z UID:10000499-1447977600-1448236799@www.planetdharma.com SUMMARY:Hero's Journey Retreat: Kinmount\, Ontario DESCRIPTION:For most of us\, the ego is locked in a life-and-death struggle with the shadow. We’re continually pulled back and forth between the excitement of exploration on the one hand\, and the fear of abandonment and rejection on the other. \nWhat is the ‘Hero’s Journey’?\nThe Hero’s Journey is the courageous path the hero/ine undertakes to assimilate ego and shadow\, tapping into inner\, previously unknown gifts to triumph over lifelong challenges. The results blossom as the harmonious union of light and dark that characterizes a truly healthy\, integrated human being. Exquisitely humbled by the process\, we offer all that we have learned to benefit all beings in our lives. \n \nKinmount Weekend Retreat Details\nThis retreat will help you gain greater self-confidence and a deeper appreciation of everyday life by embarking on the Hero’s Journey. \nThe weekend will include teachings\, exercises and guided meditations to shepherd us through the fearless\, meditative and experiential path of the Hero’s Journey. \nLocation: Dharma Centre of Canada\, Kinmount\, ON\nTime: Fri 20th (evening) – Sun 22nd\, November 2015\nCost: $400 (for food and accommodation)\, plus dana for the teacher \nThe Dharma Centre of Canada can be reached at: info@dharmacentre.org \n \nThe Teacher\nAchariya Doug Duncan Sensei is a Canadian-born Dharma teacher. Known for his compassionate insight\, remarkable sense of humor\, and life-changing advice\, Doug Sensei leads retreats and courses designed to guide individuals to attain their fullest potential as human beings. He has been teaching at centres around the world for more than 20 years and is the founding teacher of Dharma Japan and the Clear Sky Meditation & Study Center in BC. His principal teacher was Venerable Namgyal Rinpoche and he has received teachings from numerous Tibetan masters\, including HH the XVIth Karmapa\, Kalu Rinpoche\, and Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. Doug Sensei draws from diverse sources including Sufi\, Taoist\, Jungian and Western Mystery traditions. \n—– \nMore about the Hero’s Journey:6 Benefits of the Hero’s Journey by Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat \nOn Integrating Eastern & Western Awakening Traditions\, The Hero’s Journey\, and Dharma-Astrology\, an Banyen Books interview with Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat URL:https://www.planetdharma.com/event/heros-journey-retreat-kinmount-ontario/ LOCATION:Dharma Centre of Canada\, 1886 Galway Road\, Kinmount\, \, ON\, K0M 2A0\, Canada CATEGORIES:Retreats ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.planetdharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/HerosJourneyKinmount.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Awaken in Toronto":MAILTO:info@awakenintoronto.org GEO:44.7739537;-78.5296539 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Dharma Centre of Canada 1886 Galway Road Kinmount ON K0M 2A0 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=1886 Galway Road:geo:-78.5296539,44.7739537 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20151025 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20151031 DTSTAMP:20260820T052611Z CREATED:20150104T024528Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260820T052611Z UID:10000492-1445731200-1446249599@www.planetdharma.com SUMMARY:Hero's Journey\, Inner Alchemy at Hollyhock DESCRIPTION:For most of us\, the ego is locked in a life-and-death struggle with the shadow. We’re continually pulled back and forth between the excitement of exploration on one hand\, and the fear of abandonment and rejection on the other. The Hero/ine undertakes the courageous journey to assimilate ego and shadow\, tapping into inner\, previously unknown gifts to triumph over lifelong challenges in the guise of opponents. The results blossom as the harmonious union of light and dark that characterizes a truly healthy\, integrated human being. Exquisitely humbled by the process\, we offer all that we have learned to benefit all beings in our lives. This program features teachings\, exercises and guided meditations to shepherd us through the fearless\, meditative and experiential path of the hero’s journey. \nVideo: Hero’s Journey Retreat\n \nFor further insight and inspiration\, read Doug and Catherine’s recent article on Transforming Demons to Allies and Six Benefits of the Hero’s Journey. \nWhat others say about our retreats\n[tmls category=”32″ layout=”tmls_list” style=”style2″ image_size=”large_image” image_radius=”large_radius” text_font_family=”” text_font_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”16px” name_font_family=”” name_font_color=”#000000″ neme_font_size=”15px” neme_font_weight=”normal” position_font_family=”” position_font_color=”#000000″ position_font_size=”12px” order_by=”date” order=”DESC” border_style=”tmls_border tmls_dashed_border” border_color=”#DDDDDD” ratingstars=”enabled” ratingstarssize=”16px” ratingstarscolor=”#F47E00″ ] \nDāna\nThis program on the hero’s journey is offered on the basis of dāna\, or generosity practice. Learn more about dāna. \nLocation & Registration\n\nThis program is presented at beautiful Hollyhock retreat center on Cortes Island in BC.  Please visit the Hero’s Journey course page for registration\, accommodation and meal fees at Hollyhock. There is a generous discount currently available for meals & accomodation.   Scholarships are also available: apply at Hollyhock’s Scholarship Program. URL:https://www.planetdharma.com/event/heros-journey-inner-alchemy-at-hollyhock/ LOCATION:Hollyhock\, Manson's Landing\, Cortes Island\, BC\, V0P 1K0\, Canada CATEGORIES:Retreats ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.planetdharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/heros-journey-flying.jpg GEO:50.0592633;-124.9628721 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Hollyhock Manson's Landing Cortes Island BC V0P 1K0 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=Manson's Landing:geo:-124.9628721,50.0592633 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20150807 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20150823 DTSTAMP:20260806T064555Z CREATED:20150122T070541Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260806T064555Z UID:10000497-1438905600-1440287999@www.planetdharma.com SUMMARY:Retreat on the Tarot DESCRIPTION:Image credit:N0cturbulous \nWhile Buddhism\, Sufism\, shamanism and other traditions offer us outstanding tools for our spiritual unfoldment\, they also require learning about foreign philosophy\, culture\, and sometimes even language. The tarot’s archetypes are something that all Westerners have grown up with since infancy (even if we didn’t realize it)\, and thus they are more easily accessible. The Tarot archetypes – such as the Fool\, the Empress\, and the Chariot – allow Westerners to do depth work and find greater meaning in our lives\, relatively easily. \nThe Tarot claims unique status as part of the Western Mystery tradition. It offers a powerful and concise path of liberation that draws on our own life experiences as Westerners and our native intelligence to help unfold the deeper wisdom and understandings of our mystical life.\nIn this two week-long retreat\, participants learn to use the 22 cards of the major arcana of the Tarot deck as a resource for reflection\, visualization and self-discovery. \nEach card embodies the characteristics of an archetype\, aspects of which exist within each of us\, and each card contains symbolism through which transformation can occur. In this retreat\, daily teachings focus on the knowledge base of the tarot tradition\, which leads us into deeper meditation on the archetypes and energies therein. Through these teachings and meditations\, we discover what aspects are stronger and weaker in our being\, ultimately teaching us how to integrate them more fully into our daily lives. Exercises incorporate art\, music and movement to help us contact the patterns of our being through sensing\, feeling and insight. \nLearning outcomes\nBy completing this course participants will: \n•   Receive daily teachings based on Tarot archetypes.\n•   Become familiar with the 22 Tarot cards of the major arcana and their main characteristics.\n•   Practice using meditation techniques using the Tarot cards for self-discovery.\n•   Reveal and relate deeper patterns from within our being to the major archetypes.\n•   Explore techniques in loosening patterns of thought and action.\n•   Enjoy the benefits of a week-long meditative practice of about 5-8 hours a day\n•   Enjoy the surrounding wilderness at Clear Sky Center.\nExpectations and inspirations\nTo awaken most speedily\, participants will: \n•   Arrive early and participate in all scheduled teachings\, group meditations and other activities scheduled during the course.\n•   Foster and maintain an atmosphere of trust and acceptance in the community of practice that has gathered for this course.\n•   Refrain from reading\, but use journal writing as a means of recording reflections.\n•   Make constructive use of additional time during the week for contemplation and spiritual unfoldment.\n•   Participate mindfully in daily scheduled Karma Yoga (“Path of Service”) practices at Clear Sky.\n \nDāna\nThis retreat is offered by Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat on the basis of dāna\, or generosity practice. Learn more about dāna. \nLocation & Registration\nJoin us for this mythical journey at Clear Sky Center in eastern BC\, Canada\, amidst supportive and nurturing 310 acres of natural beauty.  Visit the registration page for fees charged by the center for food and accommodation. \n  \n  URL:https://www.planetdharma.com/event/retreat-on-the-tarot/ LOCATION:Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre\, 3567 Cockell Rd\, Bull River\, British Columbia\, V0B1N0\, Canada CATEGORIES:Retreats ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.planetdharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/TheWorld-n0cturbulous.jpg GEO:49.615543;-115.6300709 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre 3567 Cockell Rd Bull River British Columbia V0B1N0 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=3567 Cockell Rd:geo:-115.6300709,49.615543 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20150731 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20150806 DTSTAMP:20260907T061316Z CREATED:20150519T031525Z LAST-MODIFIED:20260907T061316Z UID:10000332-1438300800-1438819199@www.planetdharma.com SUMMARY:10 Year Anniversary Celebrations at Clear Sky Retreat Center DESCRIPTION:We’d love to have you join us as we celebrate Clear Sky retreat center’s tenth year running programs. We’ll be celebrating the past efforts and contributions of our members\, appreciating what we have now\, and welcoming in the future. \nTen years of learning together\nFriday\, July 31st: Arrivals. \nWelcome\, orientation\, & dinner. \nSaturday\, August 1st:  Clear Sky Annual General Meeting.  \nAnyone who has attended our past AGMs knows that learning together\, fun and joy are paramount. The day of the AGM usually involves team frisbee in the morning\, followed by highlights of the year and reports from board members after lunch and a celebration into the evening. \n  \n  \n  \nSunday August 2nd: Kalachakra Wong Kur.  \nThe teachers will offer a Kalachakra initiation in the profound\, fun\, and vibrant Tibetan tradition of empowerments.  The rest of the day will be dedicated to the Kalachakra practice.  Read more about Wong Kurs. \n  \n  \nMonday\, August 3rd: Meditation Platform Building and Group Activities \nThe prototype has been built\, sponsored and co-created by Catherine Sensei. It already has the paws up from Sultan\, and we think you’re sure to love them too.  To take this opportunity to sponsor a small meditation platform on the property. Find out more on the Clear Sky website. \n  \n  \n  \nTuesday\, August 4th: Activities with Evangelos & Maya \nDetails coming soon. \nWednesday\, August 5th: Departure Day \n\n \nWhy not continue your stay afterwards? Join the Tarot retreat led by Catherine and Doug Sensei\, starting August 7th. \n  \n  URL:https://www.planetdharma.com/event/10-year-anniversary-celebrations-at-clear-sky-retreat-center/ LOCATION:Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre\, 3567 Cockell Rd\, Bull River\, British Columbia\, V0B1N0\, Canada CATEGORIES:Retreats ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.planetdharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/Cata-meditation-platform-2015.jpg GEO:49.615543;-115.6300709 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre 3567 Cockell Rd Bull River British Columbia V0B1N0 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=3567 Cockell Rd:geo:-115.6300709,49.615543 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20150704 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20150712 DTSTAMP:20170224T004505Z CREATED:20150122T065800Z LAST-MODIFIED:20170224T004505Z UID:10000496-1435968000-1436659199@www.planetdharma.com SUMMARY:Holistic Clearing Retreat DESCRIPTION:Holistic Clearing – A Modern Liberative Practice\n \nJoin this retreat to learn a simple and transformative four-step approach that has amazing power to free us from persistent and tenacious blocks. Holistic Clearing offers a supportive and fully liberating self-contained practice. It is an original creation by Namgyal Rinpoche\, representing a new and unique stream in spiritual practices. In particular this meditation is designed to help us face and overcome paralysis\, any sense of being “stuck.” This practice empowers us to become unstuck\, to flow naturally and gracefully in sync with the energy of the universe that we call the awakened mind. The Holistic Clearing meditations are designed to purify\, balance and strengthen our transcendent natures\, the optimal manifestations of our being. Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat continue this lineage of authentic teachings. Let them skillfully guide you through this straightforward\, insight-style program that empowers us to luxuriate in greater freedom and joy in our lives. Join this retreat for the valuable opportunity to help share these unique Namgyal teachings in the contemporary world. \nCourse Outcomes\n•   Recognize\, identify and build on the strengths and positives already in our lives.\n•   Use your strengths to support your growth in other areas.\n•   Learn how to move beyond our strengths\, to develop our potential further and in more integrated ways.\n•   Recognize and clear elements of your persona that stand in the way of greater freedom and clarity.\n•   Identify and grow completely new areas of our own potential.\n•   Access more energy and focus to accomplish our aims and meet our aspirations.\n•   Balance all of the above.\n•   Continue the practices at home after course completion.\nExpectations and Inspirations\nTo succeed with this practice\, participants will: \n•   Show up early for classes and participate in all scheduled teachings\, group meditations and other activities scheduled during the course.\n•   Foster and maintain an atmosphere of trust and acceptance in the community of practice that has gathered for this course.\n•   Refrain from reading materials not related to this course\, while using journal writing as a means of recording reflections.\n•   Make constructive use of additional time during the week for contemplation and spiritual unfoldment.\n•   Participate mindfully in daily scheduled Karma Yoga (“Path of Service”) practices at Clear Sky.\n\nFurther reading:\nWhy holistic clearing is so unique and important: The Benefits of Holistic Clearing. \nDāna\nThis retreat is offered by Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat on the basis of dāna\, or generosity practice. Learn more about dāna. \nWhat others say about Doug & Catherine\n[tmls category=”20″ layout=”tmls_slider” style=”style2″ image_size=”large_image” image_radius=”large_radius” text_font_family=”” text_font_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”16px” name_font_family=”” name_font_color=”#000000″ neme_font_size=”14px” neme_font_weight=”normal” position_font_family=”” position_font_color=”#777777″ position_font_size=”12px” order_by=”rand” order=”DESC” number=”3″ auto_play=”true” transitioneffect=”crossfade” pause_on_hover=”false” next_prev_visibility=”tmls_visible” next_prev_radius=”large_radius” next_prev_position=”” next_prev_bgcolor=”#F5F5F5″ next_prev_arrowscolor=”tmls_lightgrayarrows” scroll_duration=”500″ pause_duration=”9000″ ratingstars=”enabled” ratingstarssize=”16px” ratingstarscolor=”#F47E00″ ] \nLocation & Registration\nJoin us for the Holistic Clearing Retreat at Clear Sky Center in eastern BC\, Canada\, amidst supportive and nurturing 310 acres of natural beauty. \n \n  \n Photo credit: Cara Conroy-Low URL:https://www.planetdharma.com/event/holistic-clearing-retreat/ LOCATION:Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre\, 3567 Cockell Rd\, Bull River\, British Columbia\, V0B1N0\, Canada CATEGORIES:Retreats ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.planetdharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/BF130813-131119.jpeg GEO:49.615543;-115.6300709 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre 3567 Cockell Rd Bull River British Columbia V0B1N0 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=3567 Cockell Rd:geo:-115.6300709,49.615543 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20150417 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20150425 DTSTAMP:20170224T004505Z CREATED:20150122T062758Z LAST-MODIFIED:20170224T004505Z UID:10000494-1429228800-1429919999@www.planetdharma.com SUMMARY:Karma\, Womb and Transcendence DESCRIPTION:Probably the most important work to do in this lifetime in relationship to getting in contact with how you were made\, shaped and formed… By doing the retreat you’re bringing that which was unconscious into the conscious mind – which is hugely important for your liberation.  — Doug Duncan & Catherine Pawasarat \nAll of our tendencies and potentialities come from the womb experience. It literally shapes and forms us – before we were conscious. The exercises and practices in this retreat will bring these patterns to consciousness\, and only then can you be liberated from them. \nThis retreat will be taught by Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat at Clear Sky Meditation Center. The retreat will include individual and group exercises and meditations. It will be a challenging topic\, suited to those looking for a liberating experience. \nHear more about the retreat from teachers Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat:\nhttps://youtu.be/C7Z6B4-p_F8 \n What others have said about this retreat:\n\n[tmls category=”19″ layout=”tmls_list” style=”style2″ image_size=”large_image” image_radius=”large_radius” text_font_family=”” text_font_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”18px” name_font_family=”” name_font_color=”#000000″ neme_font_size=”15px” neme_font_weight=”bold” position_font_family=”” position_font_color=”#000000″ position_font_size=”12px” order_by=”date” order=”ASC” number=”1″ border_style=”tmls_border tmls_dashed_border” border_color=”#DDDDDD” ratingstars=”enabled” ratingstarssize=”16px” ratingstarscolor=”#F47E00″ ] \nCan you imagine what gems of insight await you?\n \nCourse prerequisites:  Completion of the Online Course\, A Year of Dharmic Astrology. \nRecommended reading: The Womb\, Karma and Transcendence by Namgyal Rinpoche\, available from Bodhi Publishing \nImage credit: Top image is a painting by Sonam Senge\, from the cover of the book “The Womb Karma and Transcendence” by Namgyal Rinpoche. URL:https://www.planetdharma.com/event/karma-womb-and-transcendence-retreat-2015/ LOCATION:Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre\, 3567 Cockell Rd\, Bull River\, British Columbia\, V0B1N0\, Canada CATEGORIES:Retreats ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.planetdharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/WombKarmaPainting_Sonam_Senge.jpg GEO:49.615543;-115.6300709 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre 3567 Cockell Rd Bull River British Columbia V0B1N0 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=3567 Cockell Rd:geo:-115.6300709,49.615543 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20150313 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20150321 DTSTAMP:20230615T064901Z CREATED:20150104T030641Z LAST-MODIFIED:20230615T064901Z UID:10000493-1426204800-1426895999@www.planetdharma.com SUMMARY:21 Taras Meditation Retreat DESCRIPTION:Join us for a week-long retreat where we will study\, contemplate and immerse ourselves in “Tara” – an archetype of support and nourishment\, protection and encouragement.  Tara is a female bodhisattva\, a being who delays their own Buddhahood or entry into nirvana in order to assist and alleviate the suffering of others. She is known as a saviouress and as the “mother of liberation” from suffering.  View the introductory video about the 21 Taras below. \nIntroduction Video with Doug & Catherine on the 21 Taras:\n \nWhat are the benefits of the practice of Tara?\nIn contemporary parlance we’d say Tara supports us as we transcend unwholesome states and integrate psychological shadow material. \nThe following are some of the benefits traditionally associated with the Tara practice: \nHas the power to dispel poisons such as toxic unwholesome states of being \nGuards us from both mental and physical dis-ease \nDispels conflict\, including unpleasant dreams \nLiberates “hosts of troublesome spirits” and “raised corpses” \nAbout the 21 Taras\nTara – her name also means “star” – has 21 primary emanations\, each of which performs a different kind of emancipating activity. As the female Bodhisattva of Enlightened Activity\, Tara manifests in four ways\, one for each of the four kinds of enlightened activity: pacification\, augmentation\, subjugation and wrath. \nWhite Tara represents the enlightened activity of pacification\, including the overcoming of sickness\, causes of untimely death\, and obstacles to success in one’s life or one’s spiritual practice. \nYellow Tara performs the enlightened activity of increasing the positive qualities conducive to a long life\, peace\, happiness and success in one’s spiritual practice. \nRed Tara undertakes the enlightened activity of power\, or overpowering external forces that cannot be tamed through the first two activities. This would include\, for example\, removing obstacles to sickness\, untimely death\, etc.\, and establishing conducive conditions for one’s spiritual practice. \nBlack Tara performs the enlightened activity of wrath. This involves using energetic methods to accomplish enlightened purposes when they cannot be accomplished through other means. \nEach of these four Enlightened Activity Taras is associated with an additional four Taras\, every one of which helps us to alleviate one of the 16 fears that humans are subject to according to the classic Buddhist canon. \nWong Kur / Initiation\nThe retreat will include at least one Tibetan-style empowerment (Wong Kur). \nDāna\nThis retreat is offered by Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat on the basis of dāna\, or generosity practice. Learn more about dāna. \nWhat others say\n[tmls category=”26″ layout=”tmls_list” style=”style2″ image_size=”large_image” image_radius=”large_radius” text_font_family=”” text_font_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”16px” name_font_family=”” name_font_color=”#000000″ neme_font_size=”15px” neme_font_weight=”normal” position_font_family=”” position_font_color=”#000000″ position_font_size=”12px” order_by=”date” order=”DESC” border_style=”tmls_border tmls_dashed_border” border_color=”#DDDDDD” ratingstars=”enabled” ratingstarssize=”16px” ratingstarscolor=”#F47E00″ ] \n Location & Registration\nThis retreat is held at Clear Sky Center.  Visit the Clear Sky 21 Tara Retreat page for registration\, accommodation & meal fees. URL:https://www.planetdharma.com/event/21-taras-meditation-retreat/ LOCATION:Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre\, 3567 Cockell Rd\, Bull River\, British Columbia\, V0B1N0\, Canada CATEGORIES:Retreats ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.planetdharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/greentaracrop350x337.jpg GEO:49.615543;-115.6300709 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre 3567 Cockell Rd Bull River British Columbia V0B1N0 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=3567 Cockell Rd:geo:-115.6300709,49.615543 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20150212 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20150221 DTSTAMP:20170224T004505Z CREATED:20150122T064306Z LAST-MODIFIED:20170224T004505Z UID:10000495-1423699200-1424476799@www.planetdharma.com SUMMARY:The Hero's Journey Retreat at Clear Sky Center DESCRIPTION:The Hero’s Journey\nThis popular retreat offers a powerful mythical journey experience. Accepting the challenge of the Hero’s Journey will leave you with a healthier\, strengthened ego – one more fully integrated with the ‘shadow’ and thus accessing more energy and less susceptible to stress. \nIntroducing the shadow\nWhat do we mean by ‘shadow’? Our shadow aspects are the unconscious patterns and views that affect our behavior\, decisions and intentions to the extent that we’re not acting consciously for the benefit of ourselves or others. For most of us\, the ego is locked in a continual struggle with the shadow: it determines whether we like or dislike people\, situations and things\, without realizing why or being conscious of our responses. \nIn terms of lifetime patterns\, we may be undermining our relationships\, blocking our growth\, and limiting our spiritual unfoldment and thus our ability to benefit others. \nOr: we can choose to take a look at what’s really going on under the surface. Negative emotions like anxiety and depression are rooted in the ego’s need to ‘object’-ify our experience. We attempt to cling to things. Since all things have an impermanent nature\, this inevitably leads to struggle and dissatisfaction. Once we commit to the challenge to release the energy locked in there\, imagine the fountain of energy that becomes available to us then! \nEnter the Hero\nIn this retreat\, support your inner hero or heroine to undertake a courageous journey through the archetypes. The aim: not to destroy the shadow\, but to integrate it with the ego – releasing a healthy\, or awakening\, human being. \nWhen you explore and meditate on archetypes in place of your objects\, you provide a halfway house for your object addiction. In this way\, the Hero’s Journey slowly reveals to you the essential nature of reality – the ground of being. These insights are only accessible through direct experience – also known as ‘pure perception.’ \nDāna\nThis retreat is offered by Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat on the basis of dāna\, or generosity practice. Learn more about dāna. \nWhat Others Say\n[tmls category=”32″ layout=”tmls_list” style=”style2″ image_size=”large_image” image_radius=”large_radius” text_font_family=”” text_font_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”16px” name_font_family=”” name_font_color=”#000000″ neme_font_size=”15px” neme_font_weight=”normal” position_font_family=”” position_font_color=”#000000″ position_font_size=”12px” order_by=”date” order=”DESC” border_style=”tmls_border tmls_dashed_border” border_color=”#DDDDDD” ratingstars=”enabled” ratingstarssize=”16px” ratingstarscolor=”#F47E00″ ] \nLocation & Registration\nJoin us for this mythical journey at Clear Sky Center in eastern BC\, Canada\, amidst supportive and nurturing 310 acres of natural beauty. Visit the registration page for fees charged by the center for food and accommodation. URL:https://www.planetdharma.com/event/the-heros-journey-retreat-2015/ LOCATION:Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre\, 3567 Cockell Rd\, Bull River\, British Columbia\, V0B1N0\, Canada CATEGORIES:Retreats ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.planetdharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Fool-Card.jpg GEO:49.615543;-115.6300709 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre 3567 Cockell Rd Bull River British Columbia V0B1N0 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=3567 Cockell Rd:geo:-115.6300709,49.615543 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20141219 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20150117 DTSTAMP:20170224T004505Z CREATED:20140929T043908Z LAST-MODIFIED:20170224T004505Z UID:10000491-1418947200-1421452799@www.planetdharma.com SUMMARY:Meditation Retreat: Enlivening the Mystical Life DESCRIPTION:Are you longing for a greater sense of the mystical in your life?\nIt awaits us\, as part of the human birthright of awakening. This four-week retreat from December 19 addresses four stages of the mystical life\, and may be attended in its entirety or for particular stages: \n1) Building an Unassailable Spiritual Aspiration (Dec 20 – 26)\nLike any stable creation\, our spiritual life needs to be built on a strong and sound foundation. During this stage we lay or strengthen the groundwork for the fundamentals of the spiritual life. Highlights include teachings and meditations on impermanence and the preciousness of this human birth\, as well as cornerstones of spiritual aspiration such as generosity and others means of generating merit. \n2) Abiding with the Divine (Dec 27 – Jan 2)\nCompassion and loving kindness are two of the indescribably precious “divine abidings\,” where fully awakened beings spend all their time! We go in depth to craft our practice of building\, maintaining and growing these prized assets\, so that we spend more and more of our time there. This stage also reveals how we can continue to fertilize their growth while we go about our daily lives\, a crucial component to the virtual monastery. \n3) Catalyzing Growth Through Universal Archetypes (Jan 3- Jan 9)\n\nWe all live by creating and sustaining images and appearances – we have to appear somehow! This stage examines a variety of historical archetypes of how we humans have modeled ourselves around the world and over the centuries. What are the differences and similarities between Superman\, Apollo and Manjushri or between Athena\, the High Priestess and Prajnaparamita? More importantly\, how do we use each and all of these to catalyze psychic transformation in ourselves in order to help us lead more transformative\, productive\, and spiritually enriched lives? \n4) The Highest Attainment (Jan 10- Jan 16)\nSpacious\, clear radiant consciousness is the birthright of the human being. It’s ours for the taking! This stage is about how we get there\, and what we do when we get there. While we are exploring the “open clear sky mind” (yes we named our center after this state) through the stages of emptiness\, we pass through many ancient traditions\, including insight\, Mahamudra\, Dzogchen and Zen. We’ll practice these techniques in retreat in order to better manifest these in our day-to-day lives. Ask yourself: would you enjoy more spaciousness in your daily life? \nInterested in the retreat?\n\n \nDoug and Catherine offer their teachings by Dana.  For Lodging Pricing and Registration\, please visit the Clear Sky Meditation Center Website. URL:https://www.planetdharma.com/event/meditation-retreat-enlivening-the-mystical-life/ LOCATION:Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre\, 3567 Cockell Rd\, Bull River\, British Columbia\, V0B1N0\, Canada CATEGORIES:Retreats ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.planetdharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/winter-2009-mahamudra-retreat380x253.jpg GEO:49.615543;-115.6300709 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre 3567 Cockell Rd Bull River British Columbia V0B1N0 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=3567 Cockell Rd:geo:-115.6300709,49.615543 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20141026 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20141101 DTSTAMP:20170224T004505Z CREATED:20131229T143450Z LAST-MODIFIED:20170224T004505Z UID:10000481-1414281600-1414799999@www.planetdharma.com SUMMARY:Hollyhock Teachings\, Cultivating Awareness\, 2014 DESCRIPTION:Reclaim the personal power that’s every human’s birthright by growing mindfulness habits\, thereby liberating your finest qualities and decreasing obstacles to your best manifestations in the world. Together we explore receptive and active exercises\, solo and in small groups\, supplying useful tools for practice throughout the year in both daily and exceptional situations. \nConnect three times daily to hear teachings and play with creative visualization\, movement\, meditation\, speech/writing and artistic exercises. Become empowered to unveil mindful ease via the different senses and various parts of the brain. Rediscover your strengths and develop your weaker areas. Cultivate a more balanced\, holistic life full of the natural pleasures of relationships\, work\, humour and joy. \nFor more details and registration information\, please refer to the Hollyhock course page. \nLearn more about Hollyhock here. \nNew on the Hollyhock website\, our article “Spiritual Healing”. URL:https://www.planetdharma.com/event/hollyhock-cultivating-awareness/ LOCATION:Hollyhock\, Manson's Landing\, Cortes Island\, BC\, V0P 1K0\, Canada CATEGORIES:Retreats ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.planetdharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/Hollyhock.jpg GEO:50.0592633;-124.9628721 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Hollyhock Manson's Landing Cortes Island BC V0P 1K0 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=Manson's Landing:geo:-124.9628721,50.0592633 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20140801 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20160131 DTSTAMP:20211216T174557Z CREATED:20131229T142327Z LAST-MODIFIED:20211216T174557Z UID:10000480-1406851200-1454198399@www.planetdharma.com SUMMARY:Personal Retreats at Clear Sky Center DESCRIPTION:Achariya Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat Sensei founded Clear Sky Retreat Center to offer spiritual practitioners the opportunity to speed up our spiritual unfoldment via living and working in an awakening conscious community and through personal and group retreats. \nTake advantage of private meditation retreat cabins to learn to better understand your own – and thus others’ – minds and hearts. To use others’ realization to further your own\, and vice versa\, see the in-person dharma retreats elsewhere on our website. \nParticipating in “awakening in action” through living and working in awakening community is another option\, as part of the Three Month Intensive karma yoga program. \nWe shall not cease from exploration And the end of all our exploring Will be to arrive where we started And know the place for the first time. \nT.S. Eliot — “Little Gidding” (the last of his Four Quartets) \nWhat others say\n[tmls category=”18″ layout=”tmls_list” style=”style2″ image_size=”large_image” image_radius=”large_radius” text_font_family=”” text_font_color=”#000000″ text_font_size=”16px” name_font_family=”” name_font_color=”#000000″ neme_font_size=”14px” neme_font_weight=”normal” position_font_family=”” position_font_color=”#777777″ position_font_size=”12px” order_by=”rand” order=”DESC” number=”1″ border_style=”tmls_border tmls_dashed_border” border_color=”#DDDDDD” ratingstars=”enabled” ratingstarssize=”16px” ratingstarscolor=”#F47E00″ ] URL:https://www.planetdharma.com/event/clear-sky-centre-canada-year-long-retreat/ LOCATION:Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre\, 3567 Cockell Rd\, Bull River\, British Columbia\, V0B1N0\, Canada CATEGORIES:Retreats ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.planetdharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/SanctuaryFromSEPctclrdDgmrkd0424.jpg GEO:49.615543;-115.6300709 X-APPLE-STRUCTURED-LOCATION;VALUE=URI;X-ADDRESS=Clear Sky Meditation & Study Centre 3567 Cockell Rd Bull River British Columbia V0B1N0 Canada;X-APPLE-RADIUS=500;X-TITLE=3567 Cockell Rd:geo:-115.6300709,49.615543 END:VEVENT BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART;VALUE=DATE:20140509 DTEND;VALUE=DATE:20140519 DTSTAMP:20170224T004735Z CREATED:20140413T105957Z LAST-MODIFIED:20170224T004735Z UID:10000488-1399593600-1400457599@www.planetdharma.com SUMMARY:Guatemala: Annual Meditation Retreat DESCRIPTION:“Kasinas\,” “mandalas” and “psychedelia” are all different words referring to tools for the development of the mind. Kasinas comprise part of the ten recollections taught by the Buddha; they are known to develop calm and concentration while also leading to bliss. Using meditative objects — such as the four elements\, colors and breathing — together we unlock the power of the here and now\, opening the mind to its natural state: clear\, radiant\, spacious wonder.\nA traditional Tibetan empowerment (or “Wong Kur”) for White Tara will be offered during this silent retreat. White Tara represents our connection with the transcendental\, and is also known for her compassion\, serenity\, and ability to confer healing and longevity.\nThis silent meditation retreat is beneficial for all levels of practitioner\, from the beginning meditation student to advanced practitioners. It includes two daily teachings with Sensei plus an opportunity for personal interviews as well as three daily group sits and time for personal practice. There will be a one hour yoga class each day with our beloved and skillful teacher\, Rae Ishe. \nVilla Sumaya has generously priced this retreat to make it accessible to all practitioners.\nPlease contact Lizzy or visit Villa Sumaya website for more details. URL:https://www.planetdharma.com/event/guatemala-annual-meditation-retreat/ LOCATION:Villa Sumaya Retreat Center\, Lake Atitlan\, Guatemala CATEGORIES:Retreats ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.planetdharma.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Group-teaching-11VillaSumaya.jpg ORGANIZER;CN="Lizzy":MAILTO:Lizzy@villasumaya.com END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR