Walking the Buddha’s path to freedom: five-day study-and-practice retreat

This five-day dharma study and practice retreat offers a rare opportunity to explore the Ānapānasāti Sutta, the Buddha’s teaching on mindfulness of breathing. This sutta brings together the path and fruit of dāna (generosity), sīla (ethical practice), samādhi (meditation) and pañña (wisdom). 

The sutta is an exploration of the process of experiencing tranquillity through the body and collecting the mind (samādhi) through strengthening mindfulness. It also outlines how, by cultivating skilful factors, we can use our capacity for inquiry to release the mind from all stress. These two factors of calming and inquiry are mutually supporting. Experiential teaching will be supplemented by sutta study to show the direct way to the heart’s liberation.

The retreat will be grounded in noble silence, to support your deepening understanding and integration. The schedule includes: shared enquiry into core texts and teachings; guided and silent sitting and walking meditation; relational practice, using the guidelines of Insight Dialogue*; optional individual meetings with the teachers; and a period of optional, gentle mindful movement.

This retreat is best suited to people with an established insight meditation or mindfulness practice. 

*For more information about the practice of Insight Dialogue, please see https://insightdialogue.org/relational-practices/insight-dialogue/

Teachers:

Willa Thaniya Reid trained in the Thai Forest Tradition of Ajahn Chah, which harmonises with her affinity for the natural world and for reflective practice grounded in the Buddha’s suttas. She was a monastic for 18 years, eight years as senior nun of Cittaviveka. She teaches internationally and is based in New Zealand, where she co-founded with Elizabeth a center for Dhamma enquiry in Kihikihi. She has a Masters of Counselling, and clinical pastoral training. 

Dr Elizabeth Day trained as a buddhist monastic within the lineage of the Thai Forest Sangha.  She is committed to presenting the clarity of the core Buddhist teachings, and bringing these alive for minds shaped by contemporary democratic paradigms. Elizabeth co-founded a centre for Dhamma practice in Kihikihi, New Zealand with Willa, and teaches retreats in NZ and the USA. She has a PhD in phenomenology and inter-subjectivity; practices relational Gestalt psychotherapy; and is a senior academic in universities in New Zealand and Australia.

Jill Shepherd began practicing insight meditation in Thailand in 1999, and since that time has lived and worked at several meditation centres and monasteries in the US, Australia, England, and Thailand. She recently spent seven years on staff at the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Barre, Massachusetts, and is a graduate of the IMS / Spirit Rock teacher training program in the US, under the guidance of Joseph Goldstein and Gil Fronsdal.

Retreat practicalities

Ethical Conduct: A core aspect of the Buddha’s teaching is the importance of living by ethical guidelines known as the Five Training Precepts. While on retreat, all participants are expected to undertake these extended guidelines:

1. To refrain from harming any living beings – not to kill or intentionally hurt any person or creature.

2. To refrain from taking what is not freely given – not to steal or 'borrow' without the consent of the giver, and to accept what is offered.

3. To abstain from sexual activity during the retreat.

4. To practice Noble Silence and to refrain from harming by one's speech – not to lie, gossip or use harsh or hurtful language, and not to use mobile phones, laptops and other electronic devices during the retreat.

5. To abstain from using alcohol, recreational drugs and other intoxicants that cloud the mind and harm the body. (This does not apply to prescription medicines.)

Accommodation: The rooms are all single rooms, with shared bathrooms. Women and men are housed separately.

Food: The centre will provide simple vegetarian meals for the retreat. Please indicate on the registration form if you have any food allergies or medical dietary needs.

NOTE: the venue requests a surcharge of $15 for any person requesting gluten-free, dairy-free or vegan meals. If you need any of these options, please bring cash with you to pay the surcharge on the first night of the retreat

Mobile phones: In support of your own and others' meditation practice, please don’t use mobile phones or any other electronic devices during the retreat.

In the event of an emergency, family members or friends can call the St Francis retreat centre on 09 625 6651

Retreat fees and cancellation policy: The retreat fee covers only the cost of food and accommodation, plus a small contribution to the teacher's travel expenses. The teaching is freely offered, and there will be an opportunity to offer dana* to the teachers at the end of the retreat.

To reserve a place on the retreat, you will need to pay the full retreat cost to the bank account information which will be included in your confirmation email from Humanitix, within one week of booking.

The retreat fee is refundable - minus a $50 administration fee - up to one month before the retreat begins.

If you cancel after that time, the retreat cost will be forfeited and used to help subsidise low-income tickets.

If we have to cancel the retreat because of Covid-19, you will get a full refund.

*Dana: In most Buddhist traditions the teachers are not paid to teach. Instead, the teachings are given on a ‘dana’ basis – dana being the Pali word for generosity or giving freely – so there will be an opportunity to offer a donation for the teaching at the end of the event.