Dates: May 23 – 26, 2019; 10:00am – 4:30pm
Sliding Scale: $300 – 800. Code SA1M19.

Description:
Free copy of Bhikkhu Analayo’s Satipatthana: The Direct Path to Realization included. We will refer to this book in the course.

The Buddha taught that there is a direct way for alleviating suffering and discovering peace, wisdom and happiness, and that is through cultivating the Four Foundations of Mindfulness or Satipatthana. In this course Sally Armstrong will explore this liberating teaching that forms the basis for Insight Meditation practice. The course is taught over four days and participants will develop awareness of these foundations in their meditation practice, and learn to integrate this awareness into all aspects of life.

The first day will explore mindfulness of body – how body awareness serves as a vehicle for awakening. In the second day, we will bring attention to the realm of “feeling-tone” (vedana), the sense of pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral, that supports a non-reactive presence to the ups and downs of life. The third day will focus on developing a wise relationship to emotions and mind-states, and on the fourth day we will investigate Dharmas – different qualities, practices and teachings that support awakening.

There will be practices and reflections given during each day for continuing this mindful exploration at home.

We recommend reading the sutta on the Four Foundations of Mindfulness before attending, which can be found in the Majjhima Nikaya, Sutta #10 or online at http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.010.than.html. (There are many different translations of this sutta. You might want to read a few as they sometimes convey different meanings.)