Awakening DharmaTeachings of Stephen Snyder
Awakening Dharma
Date: January 27, 2024
Phoenix, Arizona
Information & Registration: Write to Heather Young, Heathercy@gmail.com
Investment: This retreat Offered on a danā (donation) basis. Your contributions are warmly welcomed and sustain the ongoing offering of these practices. You can offer dāna here: awakeningdharma.org/donate
Soothing the Longing Heart
Within each of us is a heart that is longing. It is longing for connection, for truth, and to return home to our deepest nature. The longing is clouded by personality patterns and mistaken conceptual understanding.
In this daylong we will practice being with the longing directly (in all aspects) and opening to time-tested heart practices (the divine abodes or brahmaviharas). Through the specific application of equanimity, self-compassion, self-love, and forgiveness we will reveal the longing more directly and find the methods to satisfy the longing to whatever extent is possible.
Our longing for a return to our deepest nature drives most of us on the spiritual journey or path. Unless we specifically work with the longing and any resistance to the longing we cannot fully open to the objective, universal heart qualities of the brahmaviharas.
The format of this daylong will include:
Date: February 23–29, 2024
Cloud Mountain Retreat Center in Castle Rock, Washington, USA
REGISTRATION INFORMATION TO COME!
INVESTMENT: $420/$510/$600 plus teacher dana
DURATION: 6 NIGHTS, Friday to Thursday
The retreat will include dharma talks on the process of awakening, our resistances, how it unfolds, what changes in us in, and after, awakening.
We will also learn and practice meditations that invite and support awakening, including ample time for questions and comments in the thorough, yet warmly accessible, style of Stephen Snyder.
This retreat will focus on: What is awakening? How does awakening work? What is our true nature? What is a 1st awakening? What happens after a 1st awakening? What other realizations are a potential of the path? What are the similarities and differences in the Zen and Theravada Buddhist models of awakening? Which meditations and practices invite awakening?
Stephen is the author of Demystifying Awakening: a Buddhist Path of Realization, Embodiment, and Freedom (March 2022), Buddha’s Heart, and Stress Reduction for Lawyers. He is the co-author of Practicing the Jhanas. More about these books is available here.
Follow this link to hear Stephen and Rick Hanson in dialogue about Nibbana, the Unconditioned, Awakening, Identity and more.
Date: April 2–12, 2024
Resort Lotus, on island Krk, Croatia.
This resort is within walking distance of a secluded, wild beach. Rooming includes private terraces offering relaxing sea views. With modern amenities, beautiful outdoor areas, a manicured Mediterranean garden, and a large swimming pool, you will have everything you need (and more!) for an unforgettable retreat.
For more information or to register, please email retreat organizer Tomislav Maric at tenshk@hotmail.co.uk.
The Divine Abodes, or brahmavihāras, are ancient Buddhist heart meditations and practices that can reveal and awaken our deepest nature’s heart qualities.
During this retreat, we will learn these meditations and practices and explore common resistances to Equanimity (Upekkha), Compassion (Karuna), Empathetic Joy (Mudita), Unconditioned Love (Metta).
Entering into the Buddha’s heart—our deepest heart—through Equanimity establishes a foundation of connection and acceptance for whatever is in our perception or experience. This foundation is broadened through cultivation of Empathetic Joy—relaxing the perceived boundaries of separation and softening any sense of isolation.
Turning next to Compassion allows us to draw upon the deep acceptance of Equanimity and the undivided
connection of Empathetic Joy and find an ability to extend an inclusive holding for our suffering and the suffering of others.
Finally, we turn to Unconditioned Love—an expression of boundless love for ourselves and all beings. Unconditioned Love can then be transmitted from the deep acceptance of Equanimity, the connectedness of Empathetic Joy, and the deep tender holding of Compassion.
All Buddhist heart practices done to the deepest level of purification and concentration—jhana will be taught, and empowerment offered, at this retreat.
This retreat will be based on Stephen Snyder’s book, Buddha’s Heart. Participants are asked to obtain and read the relevant chapters of the book prior to the retreat.
The format of the retreat will include:
For more information or to register, please email retreat organizer Tomislav Maric at tenshk@hotmail.co.uk.
Date: May 3–9, 2024
Cloud Mountain Retreat Center in Castle Rock, Washington, USA
REGISTRATION INFORMATION TO COME!
INVESTMENT: $420/$510/$600 plus teacher dana
DURATION: 6 NIGHTS, Friday to Thursday
The Divine Abodes, or Brahmavihāras, are ancient Buddhist heart meditations and related practices that reveal and awaken our deepest nature’s heart qualities. During this retreat, we will be learning these meditations and practices and exploring common resistances to Equanimity (Upekkha) and Empathetic Joy (Mudita).
Entering into the Buddha’s heart, our deepest heart, through Equanimity allows a foundation to be established of connection and acceptance for whatever is in our perception or experience. This foundation of acceptance is broadened through cultivation of Empathetic Joy, by relaxing the perceived boundaries of separation and softening any sense of isolation.
Beginning with Equanimity supports a deep acceptance of reality just as it is coupled with a relaxing sense of soothing ease. Turning next to Empathetic Joy allows us to expand our undivided connection with others as we soften any sense of separation through unrestricted joy for another’s happiness.
Equanimity is a heart feeling-tone of perfect balance. It is a knowing, a trust, that everything we witness is unfolding perfectly within the wisdom of the universe. Empathetic Joy is the unrestrained, unqualified joy for another’s happiness and success.
This retreat will be based upon Stephen Snyder’s book Buddha’s Heart. Participants are asked to obtain and read the relevant chapters of the book prior to the retreat.
The format of the retreat will include:
Date: October 4–10, 2024
Cloud Mountain Retreat Center in Castle Rock, Washington, USA
REGISTRATION INFORMATION TO COME!
INVESTMENT: $420/$510/$600 plus teacher dana
DURATION: 6 NIGHTS, Friday to Thursday
The Divine Abodes, or Brahma Viharas, are ancient Buddhist Heart meditations and related practices that reveal and awaken our deepest nature’s heart qualities. During this retreat we will be learning and practicing the meditations, practices, and common resistances to Compassion (Karuna) and Loving-Kindness (Metta).
Compassion allows us to reveal within us an ability to extend an inclusive holding for our suffering and the suffering of others. Loving-Kindness is an expression of a boundless unified connection and love for ourselves and all beings. Loving-Kindness can then be expressed from the deep acceptance of Compassion.
Compassion provides a deep, loving support to “be with” suffering and disease. Compassion allows us to meet the ever-present unsatisfactoriness and suffering of the world. Being deeply with our human condition allows us to see causes and conditions giving rise to our suffering while releasing outdated beliefs that keep us hooked in a cycle of suffering. Turning next to Loving-Kindness allows us to receive, and share, unconditioned universal pure love for ourselves and all beings.
Compassion is a heart feeling tone of deep support for what is. It is an ability to offer support for the struggles and sorrows of life with a kind holding, knowing that all suffering is an opportunity to grow as a person while deepening our spiritual practices. Loving-Kindness is the unrestrained, unconditioned flow of love filling us as we become a fountain of unconditioned love.
This retreat will be based upon Stephen Snyder’s book Buddha’s Heart. Participants are asked to obtain and read the relevant chapters of the book prior to the retreat.
The format of the retreat will include:
Date: October 20–26, 2023
Cloud Mountain Retreat Center in Castle Rock, Washington, USA
INVESTMENT: $420/$510/$600 plus teacher dana
DURATION: 6 NIGHTS, Friday to Thursday
The Divine Abodes, or brahmavihāras, are ancient Buddhist heart meditations and related practices that reveal and awaken our deepest nature’s heart qualities.
During this retreat, we will be learning these meditations and practices and exploring common resistances to Equanimity (Upekkha) and Empathetic Joy (Mudita).
Entering into the Buddha’s heart, our deepest heart, through Equanimity allows a foundation to be established of connection and acceptance for whatever is in our perception or experience. This foundation of acceptance is broadened through cultivation of Empathetic Joy, by relaxing the perceived boundaries of separation and softening any sense of isolation. Turning next to Compassion allows us to draw upon the deep acceptance of Equanimity and the undivided connection of Empathetic Joy to find within us an ability to extend an inclusive holding for our suffering and the suffering of others. Finally, we turn to expressing Loving-Kindness which is an expression of boundless love for ourselves and all beings. Loving-Kindness can then be expressed from the deep acceptance of Equanimity, the connectedness of Empathetic Joy and the deep holding of Compassion.
We will focus in this retreat on Equanimity and Empathetic Joy. Beginning with Equanimity supports a deep acceptance of reality just as it is coupled with a relaxing sense of soothing ease. Turning next to Empathetic Joy allows us to expand our undivided connection with others as we soften any sense of separation through unrestricted joy for another’s happiness.
Equanimity is a heart feeling-tone of perfect balance. It is a knowing, a trust, that everything we witness is unfolding perfectly within the wisdom of the universe. Empathetic Joy is the unrestrained, unqualified joy for another’s happiness and success.
This retreat will be based upon Stephen Snyder’s book Buddha’s Heart. Participants are asked to obtain and read the relevant chapters of the book prior to the retreat.
The format of the retreat will include: