From a Tibetan Buddhist perspective, our buddha nature is the basic space of our being that is undivided from vast capacities of awareness, warmth, love, compassion, and wisdom. These capacities are always available below our surface consciousness, but often hidden by our habits of thought and reaction. In this retreat, we will learn three modes of practice adapted from Tibetan Buddhism that help harmonize us with those innate capacities. The receptive mode generates a field of care that helps us find access to unconditional qualities of love and wisdom from the depth of our awareness (our buddha nature). In the deepening mode, we let those loving qualities help the mind settle into their source—the non-conceptual openness, simplicity, clarity, and compassionate warmth of our buddha nature. In the inclusive mode, we come from that depth of being to recognize others in their depth, and to include them in those unconditional qualities of openness and compassion. This process also empowers our ability to discern the empty, constructed nature of all our reactions to others that impede our compassion. In this retreat, we adapt this pattern of practice from Tibetan Buddhism, with some assistance from modern psychology, to make it accessible both for Buddhist practitioners and for people of all faiths who have previous contemplative experience and seek an accessible way to cultivate unconditional love and wisdom.
Program Format: Dharma talks that introduce guided meditations, large-group Q&A, and small-group discussion. A meditation handout will be provided.
Retreat Preparation: Please read before the retreat: How Compassion Works by John Makransky and Paul Condon (Shambhala, 2025), or as much of it as possible. Or read Awakening through Love by John.