Dashu and I are preparing some materials for the retreat starting on 31st August and ending on the morning of Weds 11th September.
We will be working through the five stages of meditation on emptiness using recorded teachings from Lama Shenpen, transcribed talks and meditation instructions. There will be plenty of opportunity for silent practice and also time for discussion and question and answer sessions.
Lama Shenpen is continuing to need a complete rest so we cannot expect her to be involved in the retreat, however it is possible that she may be able to answer some of our questions at some point.
To prepare for the retreat it would be good to have read the small book by Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche called ‘Progressive Stages of Meditation on Emptiness’, translated by Lama Shenpen Hookham. It is available from Wisdom Books. We will be looking at the book during the retreat along with the other materials so there will be the opportunity to look at it in greater depth.
Each view could be studied and practised for much longer than we have available on this 10 day retreat, so this can be seen as an introduction to a lifelong process of deepening our meditation practice.