HALF-DAY MEDITATION RETREAT WITH A FOCUS ON LOVINGKINDNESS SATURDAY OCTOBER 8, 2011 2:00 to 6:00 PM
Join the SaraSangha Insight Meditation Group for an afternoon of quiet and calm as we give our attention to "Metta Bhavana," a meditation practice for awakening, developing, and sustaining lovingkindness, the pure, unconditional love found in our own hearts. "Bhavana" means to cultivate or develop, and "Metta" means love, friendliness, or lovingkindness. Concerning the benefits of practicing lovingkindness, the Buddha said, "If the freedom of the mind brought about by love is cultivated and enhanced, always practiced, made one's vehicle and foundation, strengthened, consolidated and properly undertaken, one will be blessed in eleven ways. One sleeps happily, wakes happily, has no bad dreams, is dear to humans, dear to nonhumans, cherished by the gods, protected from fire, poison and weapons, easily concentrated, has a radiant complexion, passes away peacefully, and after death, at the very least, is reborn in heaven." (A.V.342). This retreat will consist of progressive relaxation and instructions for practice using lovingkindness as our meditation object. We will meditate while sitting, standing, walking, and lying down. The retreat will be held in noble silence with some time set aside for questions and group interaction. Our Instructor: Lennart Lopin (alias Bhikkhu Isidatta) was ordained in the Kalugala Forest Hermitage in Sri Lanka when he was 18 years old. As a young monk, he spent three very insightful and hard-working years studying meditation under Ven. K. Nyanananda, in the lineage of Ven. Nyanarama and the Sri Lankan Forest Tradition, which focuses on insight meditation as well as Jhana, or concentration practice. Lennart currently lives as an upasaka (lay practitioner) in Sarasota, Florida. Register: You must register to attend. To reserve your space, please complete the form at http://tinyurl.com/LoveNowSarasota. If you have any questions or need further information, please contact Bridgit at
[email protected]. Where: Trautwein's ATA Martial Arts, 7754 State Road 72 (Clark Road, just east of I-75) in Sarasota. Visit www.karatesarasota.com for directions. Experience/What to Bring: This retreat is suitable for beginners as well as experienced meditators. Floors are padded. Please bring your own meditation cushion, pillow, or blanket for comfort. Chairs are available for those unable to sit on the floor. Fee: All instructions are given free of charge. A $10.00 donation is suggested to help grow and sustain the SaraSangha Meditation Group.
