Led By: Samayasri & Ananta
Friday, November 17th at 6 p.m. to Monday, November 20th, 2023 at 1 p.m.
In Person at Dharmakaya Center for Wellbeing
191 Cragsmoor Road, Cragsmoor, NY 12420
Event Description:
Join us for a long weekend exploring the road or roads to freedom. What does freedom look like? How is it different for different people? What steps can I take to become free? We will look at how the Buddha was motivated to find freedom beyond the mundane nature of this world, beyond the extremes of pleasure and pain. We’ll also look at what freedom means for us in its different manifestations, and how our freedom is integrally bound up with the freedom of others.
Led by Samayasri and Ananta, this 3-day residential retreat is offered in the context of meditation, reflection, and community as key aspects of practice to support freedom and awakening.
Event Highlights:
Instruction and support from highly experienced teachers
A thoughtful balance of meditation, yogic practices, contemplation, ritual, and rest periods
A supportive and friendly community of practitioners
Access to individual meditation support if needed
Q&A with teachers
Delicious all-vegetarian meals with locally-sourced ingredients
Option to extend stay on Personal Retreat
Extensive library of dharma books
Expansive wooded grounds with beautiful walking paths, flora, and fauna
Single rooms for all (option for couples to share)
Experience:
OPEN TO ALL.
Meditation: This retreat will be most suitable for people with meditation experience. Beginner instruction will not be offered during the retreat, but individual support will be available as needed.
Mindful Movement: No experience needed, very accessible.
Schedule (subject to change):
Friday, November 17
3:00 PM — Check-in begins
6:00-7:00 PM — Dinner
7:00-9:00 PM — Group Introduction
Welcome, Introductions & Dedication Ceremony
Saturday, November 18 to Sunday, November 19
6:30-7:00 AM — Breathing (yogic practices)
7:00-7:50 AM — Refuges & Precepts, First Sit
7:50-8:00 AM — Leg Stretch
8:00-8:30 AM — Second Sit
8:30-9:30 AM — Breakfast
10:00 AM-12:00 PM — Morning Practice & Teaching Session
12:00-1:00 PM — Lunch
1:00-3:00 PM — Personal Time
3:00-4:00 PM — Breath & Body (yogic practices)
4:00-6:00 PM — Afternoon Practice & Teaching Session
6:00-7:00 PM — Dinner
7:30-9:00 PM — Evening Practice & Devotion
Monday, November 20
6:30-7:00 AM — Breathing (yogic practices)
7:00-7:50 AM — Refuges & Precepts, First Sit
7:50-8:00 AM — Leg Stretch
8:00-8:30 AM — Second Sit
8:30-9:30 AM — Breakfast
10:00-11:30 AM — Morning Practice & Teaching Session
11:30- AM- 12:00 PM — Closing Circle
12:00-1:00 PM — Lunch
1:00 PM — Checkout and Departure
Accommodations:
The Dharmakaya Center for Wellbeing is located in scenic Pine Bush, NY in the Catskill Mountains and offers private rooms with healthy and delicious vegan and vegetarian meals. The grounds are beautifully curated and feature walking paths, along with an outdoor pavilion.
About the Leaders:
Samayasri is an experienced Order Member in Triratna who has served as Chair of the NY-NJ Sangha for many years. She also serves as President of the San Francisco and Vancouver, BC Sanghas. Samayasri is a dedicated practitioner, teacher, and leader. She has taught meditation for over 20 years and has a deep commitment to her ethics and confession practice. Her practice directly informs her career in global humanitarian & development organizations, within which she has learned to face deeply into suffering.
Ananta has practiced within the Triratna Buddhist Community for 25 years. He has spent over three years on retreat. He was Ordained in 2007 and is a leading teacher of Triratna New York and of the Triratna US & Canada Men’s ordination training team.
He is the CEO of Karuna USA, a Buddhist-inspired international nonprofit tackling poverty and discrimination in South Asia, and formerly led global youth empowerment initiatives with the United Nations. He is a certified Mindfulness teacher with Brown University.
STAY SAFE DURING COVID-19: To allow for ease and peace of mind during the retreat and transport to the retreat, the Council of Triratna NY-NJ will follow the CDC guidelines on infection prevention current at the time of the retreat. All who attend will be expected to present a negative COVID-19 test result taken on the day the retreat begins prior to admission to the retreat.
Event Registration:
Register at the link below.
Pricing:
PER PERSON PRICE: All rooms are single occupancy with a double bed; discounts may be available for couples willing to share a room. Prices are all-inclusive of teachings, accommodations, and meals.
Sliding scale : $540-$750 Scholarships are available for sangha members
These fees only cover the costs of the retreat and do not include transportation or (optional) dana. Please choose an amount that works for you, bearing in mind that any contribution above the base fee allows us to more easily support those in need of scholarships. Some rooms have private bathrooms; these will be allocated based on need.