Thailand Meditation Retreat News

May 1 through July 31, 2009
Every year, when the summer monsoons made the roads of northern India impassable, the Buddha suspended his traveling teaching routine and took his closest followers to a protected location where he gave them intensive instruction and guided their practice for 90 days.  This event became known as the Summer Rains Retreat.  In the spirit of this original practice as established by the Buddha, we are holding the first Annual Summer Rains Retreat at the Karuna center in Thailand, beginning May 1.
The practices of the retreat are as laid out by the Buddha himself in the Mahasatipatthana Sutra:  The Four Foundations of Mindfulness (Mindfulness of Body-first month; Mindfulness of Vedana-second month; Mindfulness of Mind-third month; Mindfulness of Object of Mind-third month), The Seven Factors of Awakening (practiced throughout the retreat), and The Four Noble Truths (practiced as the Four Immeasurables, at the very end of the retreat).  There will be live instruction nearly every day, and frequent opportunities for meditation interviews.

You can attend all or part of this retreat.  Contact info@meditate-Thailand.com for details  .Registration deadline is April 1; payment deadline is April 23.  The retreat is limited to 22 attendees at any one time, so don’t wait; email now.

Updated:  25 February 2009

Awareness of breath in Anapanasati:

Now as you progress more and more subtly in this practice of Anapanasati, you become aware of how the breath is conditioning the body, conditioning the feelings.  That’s the first point.  You begin to notice how the different types of breath condition the body and the feelings in different ways.  With the long breath, the body will be very relaxed and at peace.  With the short breath, there will be a lot of emotions – it’s the type of breath that you have when you’re angry or when you have anxiety or depression.  So you learn to take long breaths because this type of breath condition the body, condition the feelings, in a soothing, relaxed manner.

Tonglen:

Tonglen, or taking and sending practice, is done to work on our own minds, our own concepts of suffering, our own concepts of compassion, our own concepts of loving kindness.  It works on our understandings of karmic projections.  It works on our understanding of emptiness.  It works on our pride and other mental afflictions.  Truly, when it is understood, it is a full and complete practice of Buddhism.  Really, it represents everything.