Bi-annual Retreat for College Students & Teachers

 “Meditation is not to get out of society, to escape from society, but to prepare for a re-entry into society. Only when our mind is at peace can we help bring peace to society. Meditation helps us take care of our mind and our body, and prepares us to remain in society, because we are aware that if we leave society, we will not be able to help change it. This is our hope for peace.”

Every year our monastery holds two weekend retreats for college students from UCLA and CHAPMAN University, and other universities as well. The visit to the monastery has become part of these courses each semester with unit credits. It is our objective to establish a relationship with the educational institutions in a nonsectarian spirit. We would offer meditation techniques as a way to cope with stress within ourselves and our relations to others. We learn to stop and recognize the wonderful elements that already exist in the present moment and not to be too carried away with the future, and learn to nourish the peaceful energy within ourselves so we may better serve. Meditation can help us recognize, handle, and understand deeper the workings of our mind. This is crucial in the psychological and spiritual life of a young adult discovering who they are and their inter-connection to the world. There will be lectures on meditation related to the theme selected for that retreat. We will also practice sitting and walking meditation, and eating and breathing in mindfulness. We will attend topical work shops, discussion groups, and other special activities. We invite you to join and support our young practitioners whether you are in college or not, or maybe you know of a student who might be interested.

For this spring, we offer:

EAT
Mindful Consumption for the Body & Mind
Retreat for college students of all ages.
April 18-20, 2008
(revised dates)

We will learn the basic practices of Buddhist meditation - stopping, calming, and dwelling in the present moment - to help us touch the wonders of life. We will slow down our pace and learn the art of total relaxation so that we can really enjoy a ‘spring break’. We will look deeply at the different ways that our mind and body are affected by our individual and collective environment by examining the teachings on the Four Kinds of Nutriments taught bythe Buddha. We will study and explore the basic functions of our conscious and sub-conscious mind by examining how our thinking, speaking, and acting are influenced by what we expose ourselves to. (Other activities: mindful walking, yoga, group sharing, silent meals...) Open to students of all universities.

Registration is now available for this retreat. To register, please download registration form or register ONLINE.