Greetings,
I hope this message finds each of you doing well. I am writing on behalf of the Georgia Buddhist Vihara to invite you to the next vipassana (mindfulness) meditation retre
Below is a tentative schedule of the day's events:
MORNING PROGRAM
7:00–7:30am - Arrive at the vihara and prepare the space for breakfast
7:30–8:00am: Observance of Refuge and the Eight Precepts and traditional Buddhist chanting
8:00–8:45am: Breakfast (as a group) and clean-up
8:45–10:00am: Guided vipassana ("mindfulness") meditation
10:00–10:30am: Break (coffee/tea)
10:30–11:30am: Metta ("Loving-Friendliness") medita
11:30am–12:00pm: Preparing lunch & traditional Buddhist chanting
12:00–12:45pm: Lunch (as a group) and clean-up
AFTERNOON PROGRAM
12:45–1:30pm: Walking meditation
1:30–2:30pm: Vipassana meditat
2:30–3:00pm: Break (coffee/tea)
3:00–4:30pm: Sutta Discussion led by Ven. Wajirabuddhi Thera. The topic of the discussion will be the CūḷahatthipadopamaSutta (The Shorter Discourse on the Simile of the Elephant's Footprint) - Majjhima Nikaya #27. You can access the sutta that will be used for the discussion online here - https://suttacentral.net/en/
4:30–5:00pm: Termination of the Retreat: Observance of the Five Precepts and concluding chanting
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PLEASE NOTE:
Participants will need to bring (1) a light breakfast food (e.g., fruits, bagels, etc.) and (2) a lunch dish (preferably vegetarian) to share with the resident monks and the retreat participants as a form of dana (offering). It is also customary to bring flowers, candles, or incense to place on the shrine as an offering. It is traditional and customary to wear white clothing when participating in a meditation retreat, though this is not a requirement for attendance.
During this special time, please consider making a monetary donation to the vihara as a form of dana (an offering to the monastic community) so that we can continue to support the monks who make the teachings available to us and to keep the vihara open so that all people are able to practice and learn about the Dhamma.
I look forward to seeing you on Saturday, July 18 at the vihara. I would ask that you RSVP (by email) in order to let us know that you will be joining us so we can adequately prepare for those who will be participating in the retreat. To confirm that you are planning on attending the retreat or if you have questions about our program, please feel free to contact me by email (justinhowell2112@gmail.com).
I hope that you will be able to join us for this day of quiet contemplation, meditation, and sutta study. If you are unable to make this retreat, please know that we will be having regular, day-long vipassana retreats throughout the year. Additionally, I would like to encourage you to join us for meditation, sutta study, and Dhamma discussion on Wednesday evenings from 7:00 to 9:00 pm.
May you, your friends, and family members be well, happy, and peaceful…
With metta,
Justin
