Retreat with Venerable Gyalten Samten
Saturday, March 9th: 10 am – 5 pm
Retreat Topic: Karma, A Natural Law
Join the Way of Compassion Dharma Center on Saturday, March 9th, for a full day retreat exploring the topic of Karma with Venerable Gyalten Samten. On it’s most superficial level, Karma refers to our tendencies to act, speak, and think in the ways that we do. These actions of body, speech, and mind are based on previous behavioral patterns and quite simply put, are the habits and tendencies that we have come to know and persist. Neuroscience has been describing this through neural pathways and the phrase “neurons that fire together wire together.” 
Everything we think say or do matters and impacts others and the world around us. For this reason alone, we need to be conscious and aware of our actions with the aim to live a life that does not bring harm to ourselves or others.
In a Buddhist worldview, Karma moves to from this surface level description of and moves deeper. On the night of his Enlightenment, Shakyamuni Buddha discovered the natural law of Karma, a pattern of regularity that corresponds actions to their results. The Buddha discovered how these patterns are related from one rebirth to another and how our actions that we do every day are the main cause for our future happiness or suffering.
Just as in the natural law of gravity, the Buddha discovered the natural law of Karma. The Buddha taught that it doesn’t matter if we believe in Karma or not, it is simply the way things are. The Buddha spent the rest of his life teaching the path to freedom from suffering that is rooted in engaging in virtuous actions (Karma) and avoiding nonvirtuous actions (Karma).
Join Venerable Samten as she unpacks the natural law of Karma during this precious 1-day retreat. We will be spending most of the day in teaching or meditation so we encourage you to dress comfortably. We have chairs, blankets, cushions, back jacks, and benches for you to use, but if you prefer your meditation setup please feel free to bring it.
*We will be observing Noble Silence for the duration of the retreat. This lovely practice is a freedom from the habitual chitter chatter of the day and allows the mind to settle and become balanced to receive these precious teachings. This practice encourages us to only use our speech if something important needs to be asked or said.
*Venerable has recommended that participants not leave for lunch so that you can let the mind settle and absorb the teachings. For those who are interested, we are going to have a Potluck lunch. Please bring a vegetarian dish to share with the group. We will have coffee and teas available throughout the retreat.
Schedule:
9:00 am: Doors Open
10:00 am: Morning Session: Teaching and Meditation
1:00 pm: Potluck Lunch
2:30 pm: Afternoon Session: Teaching and Meditation
5:00 pm: Retreat Ends
Location:
The Way of Compassion Dharma Center is located in the Third Street Center in Carbondale Colorado.
520 South 3rd Street, Suite #36
Carbondale, CO 81623
COST: By Donation
Please register by filling in the box with the names and number of participants and clicking on the ‘Donation’ button. If you would like to register without donating online, please contact Aaron. aaron@wocompassion.org
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We offer Dharma freely, and everyone is welcome regardless of their ability to pay. Our Dharma Center and the programs we host rely solely on donations from our community. May all sentient beings quickly be free from suffering and find lasting happiness!
