Openness – Spaciousness – Emptiness
an Awakened Heart Sangha Teaching Weekend
with Katie Morrow and Pema Ozer
Friday 14th March to Sunday 16th March 2014
The Retreat Centre, Carmelite Priory, Chilswell, Boars Hill, Oxford OX1 5HB
The Nature of Mind has three inseparable qualities: Openness or Spaciousness, Clarity or Awareness and Sensitivity or Responsiveness....
These terms can be understood on many levels, yet whatever the level, the words themselves suggest qualities that we appreciate in others and wish to have ourselves....
We can discover the path of awakening in any walk of life, in any experience, in any activity, by turning towards all our experience with courage, honesty, genuine interest and a light touch.
(Lama Shenpen in Editor’s Preface to “Openness Clarity Sensitivity” by Rigdzin Shikpo Rinpoche)
The instruction to turn towards all our experience, positive or negative, with an attitude of open, wondering awareness can be both inspiring and disheartening.
We long for certain aspects of the fundamental quality of openness: spaciousness, freedom, ease, simplicity.
At the same time we may fear and distrust other aspects of openness such as emptiness, ungraspability, bleakness, desolation.
Both longing for what we perceive as a lack and fear of what we perceive as a threat are fundamentally unnecessary since openness is our nature.
The way of practice is one of increasing confidence in and alignment with that nature – of Openness Clarity Sensitivity inseparable. We discover with wonder and awe that what we essentially are lies beyond such hopes and fears.
Come and join Katie Morrow and Pema Ozer as we examine the many aspects of the fundamental quality of Openness. Our intention is to engage with the simple yet profound instruction of turning towards our experience both playfully and in depth.
Practicalities: Our weekend starts on the Friday afternoon with arrivals from 4pm. The evening meal is at 6.30pm and the first teaching session is at 7.30pm. We finish with lunch on the Sunday, which is served at 1pm. So we should be finished by around 2.30pm. The weekend is fully catered, with vegetarian food, so there is no need for us to do domestic jobs such as cooking and washing up. All bedding and bed linen is provided as are towels. The accommodation is simple yet warm and comfortable. Single and twin rooms are available. Chairs and some mats/cushions are provided in the shrine room. If you definitely want to sit on the floor it is probably best to bring your own cushion/stool.
Teaching Programme
Come and join Katie Morrow and Pema Ozer as we examine the many aspects of the fundamental quality of Openness. Our intention is to engage with the simple yet profound instruction of turning towards our experience both playfully and in depth
This teaching weekend, open to all, will include teachings, discussions, and plenty of sitting and walking meditation
On the Saturday and Sunday our first session will start at 7am with breakfast at 8.15am. On Friday and Saturday evening our final session will start at 7.30pm and end at around 8.30pm.
Carmelite Priory: The retreat centre where we are staying is adjacent to the Priory where a group of around ten Carmelite Friars live. It is a Roman Catholic order and the friars follow a life of prayer and ministry in the spirit and tradition on St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross.
The priory used to be the home of the poet laureate Robert Bridges.
Booking and Cost
Accommodation:
Single £160 Shared (twin) £140
For the sake of the cohesiveness of the weekend we encourage you to book for the full weekend. However if this is not possible we can offer the following
Non-residential whole programme £110, Saturday only whole programme £70
Sat and Sun whole programme with one night £110
Teaching
You are also invited at the weekend to make an offering for the teachers, who will receive no other payment. An envelope will be provided and you can pay cash or cheque, payable to The Shrimala Trust. Suggested amount: £10-£50.
All bookings for this weekend are to be made online - use the 'book online button below' and pay with credit or debit card
(if need be you can still pay the deposit by cheque - simply fill out the form and when you get to the payment page close your browser - see below)
The online booking system requires you to pay a £50 deposit. You will need a credit or debit card to do this. If you prefer to pay the deposit by cheque send your cheque, payable to The Shrimala Trust, to The Hermitage, Ynys Graianog, Ynys, Criccieth LL52 ONT and submit your online booking form without making an online payment. Put a note in with your cheque saying what event it is for.
Payment of balance
All bookings will be open until the 7th March.
Outstanding balances can either be paid via the payment page on the website, www.ahs.org.uk, or by cheque.
Looking forward to the weekend. Do hope you will be able to join us.
If you have any queries just email me on [email protected]moc.liamg@12deerenaj