ANNUAL SPRING ZEN RETREAT ON SALT SPRING ISLAND WELCOMES EVERYONE

The Salt Spring Zen Circle, which practices in the Soto Zen lineage of Shunryu Suzuki, author of the classic, Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, will be offering our annual Spring retreat, called sesshin.  The retreat is non-residential, beginning and experienced meditators are most welcome to attend, and free billeting for off islanders is offered.

 

This traditional retreat, held at the beautiful Gatehouse and gardens on Stowel Lake Farm, begins at 7 PM on Thursday April 19th, and ends at 3 PM on Sunday, April 22nd.

 

 

 

Cost is $120 for the entire sesshin, including all meals, plus dana (donation) for teachings by poet and founding teacher of the Salt Spring Zen Circle, Eihei Peter Levitt.  Peter is the author of fourteen books and has been practicing Zen since the nineteen sixties when he lived in San Francisco. As part of the Suzuki Roshi lineage, he is fully authorized to teach and is known for his gentle manner, his humour, and his understanding.

 

We encourage off-island visitors who may want billeting to register early since billeting will be on a first come first served basis.

 

For details and to receive a registration form, please contact Ann at acolburn@verizon.net or call our retreat manager, Rowan, at 250-537-2831.  Rowan may also be reached at rjpercy@shaw.ca

Four Kinds of Liberation:
Insight Meditation with Pascal Auclair
2-day Non Residential Weekend Retreat
Saturday & Sunday, March 24 & 25^th, 2012
9 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Goward House, 2495 Arbutus Road Victoria, BC

Online Registrations Open: Click on Form (Scroll to bottom of the page on this link)

With the intention of fostering freedom and fluidity in our lives, we will investigate aspects of our lives where we get stuck, where rigidity occurs and clinging tends to rule. Pascal will help us explore how we can find more ease by releasing the holds the following have in our lives: pleasure & displeasure, views & opinions, conventions, and the ‘me-I-mine-moi’ sticky-part-of-life. Ehipassiko! Come and see for yourself! This retreat is suitable for beginners as well as those with more experience. Sitting and walking meditations will be alternated.

Pascal Auclair has been immersed in Buddhist practice and study since 1997, studying with revered Asian monastic and lay Western teachers. Pascal is co-founder of True North Insight Meditation Centre (Quebec and Ontario) and teaches in Canada, the USA and Europe. With his warmth and humour, Pascal is a much appreciated teacher.

“Pascal Auclair is a wonderful teacher. His depth of insight, classical training, and creative expression all combine in a wise and compassionate presence. I’m delighted that he is now sharing his dharma understanding.”
Joseph Goldstein, meditation teacher and author, co-founder of IMS, Mass.

Cost: The Buddha’s teachings are considered to be priceless. In keeping with the teachings and spirit of generosity or dana, we offer this retreat on a donation basis. The suggested donation for this retreat is $40 to cover the cost of facility rental, and other organizational expenses. A basket will be placed at the registration table for your donation. Any money collected above the costs of the retreat will go towards other Victoria IMS programmes.

We will also set out another basket for you to offer dana for the teachings and the teacher who has shared them with us.

Please fill in the form at http://victoriaims.org/?p=2923 (Scroll down) Within 2 – 3 days of completing the registration form you will receive more detailed information about the retreat.

Thank you,

Brock Brown, Retreat Registrar
vims1retreat@gmail.com