Buddha taught how all of our problems and unhappiness are rooted in negative states of mind such as anger, attachment, and confusion. Unless we learn practical methods to let go of these negative minds it will be impossible for us to experience real freedom and happiness, and we will find that we are unable to maintain a happy mind when things are not going well for us in life.

On this partially guided retreat, we will engage in meditations to help us develop deep faith in the Three Jewels – Buddha, Dharma (Buddhist teachings), and Sangha (the spiritual community).  By going for refuge to the 3 Jewels we can overcome our negative states of  find, find mental stability, and permanent freedom from our problems. Seeking refuge in the Three Jewels is the essence of the Buddhist way of life.

It’s highly recommended that you attend the day course on Saturday and the guided retreat on Sunday to understand clearly what to do on this mostly unguided retreat.

The prayer booklet we will be using for this retreat is “Essence of Good Fortune”.  It will be made available for you to use at the Centre.

Here are the instructions for the unguided portion of the retreat: Download Instructions