Saturday Half-day Retreat - On Calm Abiding

For beginners

Our minds will naturally find peace, compassion and wisdom if we give them the opportunity. Meditation practices are ways to allow this to happen. There are many meditation practices, some come within a religious framework and some do not.  Mostly fall into one of two types – ‘calm abiding’ and ‘insight’.

‘Calm abiding’ meditation helps you become more at peace and helps you stay in that state even after you’ve finished the practice.  It can also help you see your life more clearly - and so give the opportunity to make changes and live life in a better way.

In this retreat for beginners, Sister Jinho will introduce methods of calm abiding and invite participants to put the methods into practice during the retreat and bring it back to their life.

Sunday Half-day Retreat - On the 'Discourse on 4 Realizations of the Awakened One'

For intermediate experienced practicioners

The half day retreat is offered for intermediate experienced Dharma practitioners who would like to investigate and reflect on the Dharma collectively. There will be sitting meditation, mindful movement and discussion session. The retreat topic is on the four realizations of the Awaken One:

1. Ignorance leads to birth and death. Bodhisattvas are always mindful to study and learn extensively, to increase their wisdom and perfect their eloquence, so they can teach and enlighten all beings, and impart great joy to all.

2. Poverty and hardship breed resentment, creating harm and discord. Bodhisattvas practice dana, beholding the friendly and hostile equally; they neither harbour grudges nor despise malicious people.

3. The five desires are perilous. Even as laity, be not sullied by worldly pleasures; Think frequently of the three robes, the tiled bowl, and instruments of Dharma; aspire to the monastic life and cultivate the Way with purity; Let your actions be noble and sublime, Showering compassion on all.

4. Birth and death are like a blazing plagued with endless afflictions and suffering. Vow to cultivate the Mahayana mind, to bring relief to all; to take on infinite sufferings for sentient beings, and lead all to supreme joy.

Retreat Information

Venue: Appletree, Ranelagh, Dublin 6. See map and directions here. At the door press bell marked "Appletree Top".

Date: Saturday, January 13th - Sunday, January 14th, 2018

Time: 10.30am - 4.30pm

Fee: Donation basis

Lunch: We will share a vegetarian lunch at about 12 noon on both days. Please bring some food to share if you wish to offer dana to Sister Jinho and fellow participants.

Registration: please click here (or contact us at info@irishsanghatrust.ie)

• In order to make a secure booking, please complete the online booking form.
• Remember to pre-register before evening on the Friday preceding the retreat. Please do not assume there will be space available at the last minute.

On the day:

• Please be seated in the meditation hall at least 5 minutes before the session. Comfortable clothing is recommended. Dressing in layers is also a good idea.
• Please bring some food for a shared vegetarian lunch, if you wish to join us for the midday meal. 
• Refreshments, CDs and Dhamma books are available for free distribution.

Dana

Dana for the teacher. Any donation that we get for teaching will be transferred to Sister Jinho or whatever organizations she wants to.
Dana to Irish Sangha Trust (IST). Any donation made to the IST will be used to cover the cost of the retreat. The organizers of IST are volunteers and do not financially benefit from the IST funds.

Sister Jinho - Chinese Chan (Zen) tradition

Ven. Jinho took ordination in the Chinese Chan (Zen) tradition with Master Sheng Yen in 2000, training intensively in the Dharma Drum Mountain Monastery in Taiwan for six years. Meanwhile, she studied at the Dharma Drum Buddhist University for four years. She works with young adults for their spiritual requests and serve as a Buddhist Chaplain at the Multifaith Chaplaincy Centre of the University of Bristol. She teaches in England, Ireland, Germany, Russia, China and Taiwan.