View Video Invitation from Nikki Mirghafori
We all know that we will die, and yet death is often kept at the margins of awareness. Rather than turning away from mortality, the Buddha invited us to bring the truth of our finitude into wise and conscious reflection. In this retreat we practice the Buddha’s instructions on mindfulness of death (maraṇasati), which call us to live our precious human life with greater presence, clarity, and alignment with what matters most. Turning toward impermanence can soften the heart’s grasping and open us to the deep practice of letting go—offering freedom not only in how we meet death, but especially in how we live. By facing this universal truth, we can cultivate peace, lessen fear, and prepare for dying as a potentially liberative moment. Maraṇasati is a powerful mind training for our whole life: if this fleeting breath were my last, is this the state of heart and mind I wish to be abiding in right now?
Program Format: This retreat includes Dharma talks, guided meditations, silent sitting and walking, sutta study, small group relational practice, large group discussions, and ritual. An essential component of this retreat are daily interactive sessions every afternoon in the Dharma Hall. Outside of these designated periods of relational practices, which include speaking exercises in small groups of size 2-4, the retreat will be held in noble silence to support contemplative depth. All mortals are welcome.