News

June Retreat News

Summer is almost ending and we wanted to give a quick update and a heads up for some local retreats happening soon. The TCVC summer retreat with Kamala Masters and Bonnie Duran was wonderful – the summer trees, animals, storms, and lake (as well as the awesome Koinonia staff!) supported our retreat as we were skillfully guided through the dhamma by Kamala and Bonnie. At the end of the retreat, Kamala presented TCVC with a gift of the recently published Manual of Insight written by one of her teachers, Mahasi Sayadaw. As said on the Widsom Publications website,  “Manual of Insight is the magnum opus of Mahasi Sayadaw, one of the originators of the Vipassana movement that has swept through the Buddhist world over the last century. The manual presents a comprehensive overview of the practice of insight meditation, including the foundational aspects of ethical self-discipline, understanding the philosophical framework for the practice, and developing basic concentration and mindfulness. It culminates with an in-depth exploration of the various types of insight and spiritual fruits that the practice yields.”

We were filled with joy at this gracious gift (accepted here by board member Naomi Baer) as well as the teachings Kamala and Bonnie offered to us throughout the week, and we already are looking forward to our winter retreat with Rebecca Bradshaw and Chas DiCapua!

Other (non-TCVC) Retreats in the Midwest

Chicago

Acceptance and Compassion
Practicing with Life’s Milestones & Challenges

Fall Retreat: October 13th, 2016 to October 16th, 2016
With Santikaro Upasaka
Sponsored by Insight Chicago Meditation Community

Dates:
11:00AM Thursday, October 13th 2016 – 12:00PM Sunday, October 16th 2016

http://insightchicago.org/insight-chicago-fall-retreat-2016/

Ohio

Seven Day Vipassana Retreat (with 2-day Option)

Spring Retreat: May 5th, 2017 to May 12, 2017
Two day option from May 5th to May 7th
With Rebecca Bradshaw and Candace Cassin
Sponsored by Yellow Springs Dharma Center

For any questions, or additional information, please read the 2017 Yellow Springs vipassana retreat flyer here or contact the Yellow Springs Dharma Center Retreat Committee at ysdharma.org@gmail.com

Retreat Updates

We’ve still got plenty of space available for the June 17–26 retreat: “The Deepening of Love, Awareness and Wisdom” with our teacher Kamala Masters assisted by Bonnie Duran. We’re sorry to inform you that Vance Pryor won’t be assisting on this retreat, but hopefully he’ll come again another time.

We have a wait list for singles, but on May 20 (the registration due date) we’ll be confirming singles on the wait list if we don’t fill with doubles. We expect there to be single rooms available for people who have not yet registered also.

Click here to view the Grassroots Dhamma newsletter with the registration form. TCVC offers scholarships for up to half the cost of the retreat. If there are any questions you have or concerns about attending the retreat, we encourage you to talk to Matthew Buzzard, the registrar. Matthew can be reached at 612-810-7703 or retreats@tcvc.info.

The spirit of this retreat aims to strengthen our ability to maintain a continuous quality of awareness, not only on retreat but also in our daily life. We’ll explore the Four Foundations of Mindfulness with an emphasis on awareness of the qualities of mind. Sayadaw U Tejaniya’s teaching of Mindfulness of Mind will be offered along with one of his books, which participants may read during the retreat as a support for their practice.

Article by Bonnie Duran

Whether or not you’re interested in the retreat, check out this article by Bonnie Duran Mistaking a Stick for a Snake Bonnie talks about how she came to practice meditation and also gives a very interesting explanation of the causes of racism–how our perceptions may lead us to a distorted view–and how mindfulness can help us avoid putting these distorted conceptual overlays over what’s really happening.

Other retreat opportunities in the Upper Midwest

After the retreat this June, TCVC won’t have another retreat until next February when Chas DiCapua and Rebecca Bradshaw will teach at Koinonia Retreat Center. So we thought we’d share some other excellent retreat opportunities available in the Upper Midwest.

Common Ground Meditation Center offers half-day and day-long non-residential retreats at their center in Minneapolis, four residential meditation retreats per year at Holy Spirit Retreat Center in southern Minnesota, and ongoing opportunities for independent retreat practice at Praire Farm in western Wisconsin. Most retreats are led by Mark Nunberg, the guiding teacher. http://commongroundmeditation.org/

Madison Vipassana offers residential retreats with Theravada teachers, including Ajahn Succito, Sharon Salzberg and James Baraz this year, at various locations in eastern Wisconsin. http://madisonmeditation.org/

Insight Chicago Meditation Community offers non-residential day-long retreats along with residential retreats in the greater Chicago area. http://insightchicago.org/

Liberation Park provides facilities for practitioners undertaking personal retreats guided by Santikaro in the Thai Forest tradition near Norwalk, Wisconsin. http://www.liberationpark.org/

Arrow River Forest Hermitage is a monastery and meditation center in northern Ontario, Canada. Short and long term retreats are guided by resident bhikku Ajahn Punnadhammo. http://www.arrowriver.ca/

Mid America Dharma offers non-residential and residential retreats in Kansas City and other locations in Missouri and Illinois. http://www.midamericadharma.org

Yellow Springs Dharma Center hosts an annual Vipassana Retreat led by Rebecca Bradshaw in Milford, Ohio. http://www.ysdharma.org/our-traditions/vipassana/

Wishing you well,
TCVC