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The Pratyekabuddha Yana: Shamatha Retreat
Friday, April 18th - Sunday, April 20th, 2008

Lotus Garden is pleased to be hosting Pratyekabuddha Yana: Shamatha Retreat, a weekend retreat lead by Lopön Barbara Ryan.

In order for us to progress on the path of Buddhadharma, it is important to see where our mind is right now. Often there is a gulf between what we think our view and aspiration should be, and what our actual situation is. The study of our own view and aspirations in relation to this gulf is the study of the yanas, or vehicles.

In the tradition of the Ancient Translations, the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism, the traversing of the path is described in terms of nine yanas, or vehicles, plus one pre-Hinayana, non-buddhist yana: the "God and Human Yana".

The path of the pratyekabuddha or solitary realizer will be the focus of the third in this series of studies on the yanas from The Gathering of the Sutras or Düpa Do

As the emphasis continues to shift away from the achievement of happiness and peace that is the mark of the God and Human Yana, the meditator confronts the longing to be free of the cause of suffering, similarly to a meditator in the Shravaka Yana.  It is the means of manifesting this search for freedom that is the fork in the road. The pratyekabuddha meditator chooses the solitary path that goes further into working with their own mind through rigorous investigation into the twelve nidanas, or interdependent links, which perpetuate the wheel of samsara.  Through this skilful method of wanting to find the solution in oneself, the solitary realizer relates directly with the challenges of the Third Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering.

This weekend will facilitate a deeper exploration of the 12 nidanas through the traditional three prajnas: hearing and study of the teachings on the pratyekabuddha yana, contemplation and reflection on the meaning and process of the 12 interdependent links, and shamatha-vipashyana meditation as the method of training the mind in order to gain insight into the Third Noble Truth.

The program is open to all, including new students.

If you have any questions about this retreat, please don’t hesitate to contact us at admin@lotusgardens.org or by phone at 540.778.2405.


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