One Day Mindfull Retreat

   I am writing on behalf of the Georgia Buddhist Vihara to invite you to the next meditation retreat and noble day of silence on Saturday, July 16 from 7am to 7pm.  This one-day vipassana/mindfulness meditation retreat will held at the Georgia Buddhist Vihara.  For this particular retreat session, all meditation instructions, sutta discussions, and Dhamma talks will be conducted in English.  

Below is a tentative schedule of the day's events:

MORNING PROGRAM

7:30am – 8:00am: Observance of Refuge & the Eight Precepts, Buddha Puja ("offerings") and chanting.

8:00am – 8:30am: Breakfast (self-service)

8:30am – 10:00am: Meditation instructions and vipassana meditation

10:00am – 10:30am: Break (coffee/tea) & personal reflection/reading

10:30am – 11:00am: Metta ("Loving-Friendliness") meditation 

11:00am - 11:30am: Buddha Puja

11:30am – 12:30pm:  Lunch (self-service)

AFTERNOON PROGRAM
12:30pm – 1:30pm: Walking meditation

1:30pm – 2:00pm: Break (coffee/tea) & personal reflection/reading

2:00pm - 3:00pm: Vipassana meditation

3:00pm – 5:00pm: Sutta Discussion: Cula-dukkhakkhanda Sutta: The Shorter Discourse on the Mass of Dukkha (Suffering/Unsatisfactoriness/Stress) - Majjhima-Nikaya #14 - What mental qualities must be abandoned in order to free oneself of greed, aversion, and delusion? Can painful austerities be used to purify oneself and burn away the karmic fruit of past misdeeds? Through question-and-answer dialogues with the lay follower Mahanama and with a group of Jain ascetics, the Buddha lays these questions to rest.  Please visit the following link, read the sutta, and print the sutta to bring to the discussion: {Please Click}

5:00pm - 7:00pm  Observance of the Five Precepts & Termination of the Eight Precepts, Buddha Puja, and chanting.

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PLEASE NOTE:

Participants will need to bring (1) a small breakfast food that would go along with oatmeal which will be provided (for example fruits, bagels, etc.) and (2) a lunch dish (preferably vegetarian) to share with the monks and the participants in the retreat as a form of dana (generosity).  It is also customary to bring flowers, candles (tea light), or incense to place on the shrine as an offering. It is also customary to wear white clothing when observing the Eight Precepts, though this is not a requirement.

During this special time, please consider making a monetary donation to the vihara as a form of dana (generosity) so that we can continue to support the monks and to keep the vihara open so that all people are able to practice and learn about the Dhamma (the Buddha's teachings).

I look forward to seeing you on Saturday, July 16 at the vihara.  To confirm that you are planning on attending the retreat or if you have questions about our program, please contact me either by email (justinhowell2112@gmail.com) or by phone at 404/375.0264. 

 You may also plan for future events at the vihara by accessing the retreat and event calendar on the vihara's website.

I hope that you will be able to join us for this day of quiet contemplation and deepening our knowledge of the Dhamma.  May you, your friends, and family members be well, happy, and peaceful……

With metta.....

Justin Howell

 

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Justin Howell
Cell phone: 404.375.0264

"Live as if you were to die tomorrow.  Learn as if you were to live forever."  -M. Gandhi

"You can't lead the people if you don't LOVE the people. You can't save the people if you won't SERVE the people."  - Cornel West