Awakening DharmaTeachings of Stephen Snyder
Awakening Dharma
Date: April 2–16, 2023
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.
~ A two-week deep practice retreat in beautiful Croatia ~
If you feel the Flame of Awakening burning brightly this is the retreat for you.
This two-week retreat will start with Innate Goodness and Breath Awareness meditations (anapanasati) focusing awareness while resting in warm-hearted deep peace. From this focused and peaceful consciousness, we will venture into the territory of awakening.
This teaching will be offered through
This retreat is suitable for both experienced meditators as well as those new to meditation or retreat.
Date: April 21–27, 2023
Cloud Mountain Retreat Center in Castle Rock, Washington, USA
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 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deeply with our human condition allows us to see causes and conditions giving rise to our suffering while releasing outdated beliefs that keep us hooked in a cycle of suffering.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 new 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: July 21–27, 2023
Cloud Mountain Retreat Center in Castle Rock, Washington, USA
MORE INFORMATION, REGISTRATION NOT YET OPEN
INVESTMENT: $420/$510/$600 plus teacher dana
DURATION: 6 NIGHTS, Friday to Thursday
In this retreat we will orient toward, and open to, the territory of profound emptiness/ absence – Cessation. Cessation is the ceasing of all materiality and mentality – Nibbana itself. We will do specific group and guided meditations which will invite us to open to qualities of Cessation and potentially Cessation itself.
EXPERIENCE PREREQUISITE: At least two silent, residential, 7-day Buddhist meditation retreats. Please include specifics of your retreat experience to verify that you meet these requirements on your registration form.
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. Follow this link to hear Stephen and Rick Hanson in dialogue about Nibbana, the Unconditioned, Awakening, Identity and more.
Date: October 20–26, 2023
Cloud Mountain Retreat Center in Castle Rock, Washington, USA
MORE INFORMATION, REGISTRATION NOT YET OPEN
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 new book Buddha’s Heart, which was published in November 2020 and is available on Amazon. Participants are asked to obtain and read the relevant chapters of the book prior to the retreat.
The format of the retreat will include: