With Venerable Pannavati

Description

When the world and it’s inhabitants appears to us as solid, permanent and real, we easily become ensnared and fixated within it’s unfolding. On the other hand, when we can recognize the nature of all that we “see” before us as illusory, impermanent, and nothing more than an interpretation of our mind, the very structure of appearances and our perceptions of them radically change. In this retreat, Venerable Pannavati will be guiding retreat participants in letting go of their defining and differentiating mind and joyfully explore what remains, our true mind.

To accomplish this profound and very accessible shift in perception, the Venerable will share practical teachings and meditations imparted to her over many decades of Dharma study and practice. These relate to observing the principle that the five psycho-physical aggregates (skandhas) composing a human being, as well as all phenomena, are inherently ‘empty’, i.e. devoid of inherent solidity and a 'self'. She will help participants activate the wisdom of the ten illusory “things” to break free from the conceptual mind that keeps us from realizing the empty, yet marvelous nature of true reality.

Retreat Leader
Venerable Pannavati is a former Christian pastor who is a Buddhist nun ordained in both Theravada and Mahayana traditions and also a Vajrayana teacher. Particularly inspired by her final lineage master, she offers authorized lineage teachings, meditations and activities using skillful means. She is known for her ability to make Buddhist teachings understandable to practitioners at all levels of meditative experience.

She is co-founder of Heartwood Refuge, an intentional monastic and lay residential community and the Embracing Simplicity Hermitage monastic order.
Venerable also serves on Buddhist and inter-spiritual leadership boards internationally, having retired from decades of active work in humanitarian projects advocating and serving women’s advancement, education for Dalits (India’s Untouchables) and full ordination for female monastics.

Logistics

The retreat will begin at 9:00 am. Lunch will be provided. We encourage all who can to join in person.

If you cannot attend in person, you may participate online. The Zoom links will be provided once you register, with guidance to help you make the experience at home as close as possible to an experience in the Meditation Hall.

The last day to register and pay for this retreat is November 6 for in-person

and November 14 for online. Unpaid registrations after these dates will be cancelled.

Registering for the one-day retreat does not include any overnight accommodations. For FCM members only, if you are coming from out of town and would like to stay at Great Cloud Refuge on Friday and/or Saturday night, click this link.

Questions?
For more information, please contact Angie at parrish26@gmail.com