The concept of an "Urban Retreat"

[retrofuturist]

Greetings,

Something interesting I just received from the FWBO-oriented Melbourne Buddhist Centre via e-mail.

You are invited to come and attend the International Urban Retreat

that will be held at the Melbourne Buddhist Centre from 20 to 27 June.
The Urban retreat is open to anyone who knows the Metta Bhavana and Mindfulness of Breathing meditation practices. It will provide an encouraging environment for everyone at all levels of experience, who has a desire to deepen their practice in their everyday lives. Over 30 other FWBO centres spanning 14 countries around the world will be participating. Worldwide we are expecting over 1000 people to be involved. This will create a greater sense of being part of a wider community of FWBO practitioners.

The theme of the retreat is “life with full attention”.

For those who haven’t done an urban retreat before, it typically starts with a day at your local centre, during which participants are encouraged to think about how they would like to practise in the next week, and to become aware of what may help or hinder that. Suggestions will be given on various ways to support you in this. Collectively we will commit ourselves to this week of practice through an aspirational puja.

The urban retreat enables people to gain confidence that they can really practise amidst their daily lives, along with getting to know people at their local centre.

If you don’t live near the centre or are unable to attend both Saturdays, then it is possible to participate through the online version: www.theurbanretreat.org

What do you think about the concept of an Urban Retreat?

Is there an application for such a thing within Theravadin circles?

Metta,
Retro.

[Individual]

Greetings,

Something interesting I just received from the FWBO-oriented Melbourne Buddhist Centre via e-mail.

You are invited to come and attend the International Urban Retreat

that will be held at the Melbourne Buddhist Centre from 20 to 27 June.
The Urban retreat is open to anyone who knows the Metta Bhavana and Mindfulness of Breathing meditation practices. It will provide an encouraging environment for everyone at all levels of experience, who has a desire to deepen their practice in their everyday lives. Over 30 other FWBO centres spanning 14 countries around the world will be participating. Worldwide we are expecting over 1000 people to be involved. This will create a greater sense of being part of a wider community of FWBO practitioners.

The theme of the retreat is “life with full attention”.

For those who haven’t done an urban retreat before, it typically starts with a day at your local centre, during which participants are encouraged to think about how they would like to practise in the next week, and to become aware of what may help or hinder that. Suggestions will be given on various ways to support you in this. Collectively we will commit ourselves to this week of practice through an aspirational puja.

The urban retreat enables people to gain confidence that they can really practise amidst their daily lives, along with getting to know people at their local centre.

If you don’t live near the centre or are unable to attend both Saturdays, then it is possible to participate through the online version: http://www.theurbanretreat.org

What do you think about the concept of an Urban Retreat?

Is there an application for such a thing within Theravadin circles?

Metta,
Retro.

I think it would need to be an environment that is shielded from the noise of the city, has enough plants and flowers, and has rooms that are large and high enough so as to avoid the feeling of being cramped. A small, undecorated apartment next to a highway wouldn't work, but it seems like a penthouse with thick windows could be just as serene as a forest hut.

[pink_trike]

Greetings,
Something interesting I just received from the FWBO-oriented Melbourne Buddhist Centre via e-mail.

The theme of the retreat is “life with full attention”.

What do you think about the concept of an Urban Retreat?

Is there an application for such a thing within Theravadin circles?

Metta,
Retro.

I think it would need to be an environment that is shielded from the noise of the city, has enough plants and flowers, and has rooms that are large and high enough so as to avoid the feeling of being cramped. A small, undecorated apartment next to a highway wouldn't work, but it seems like a penthouse with thick windows could be just as serene as a forest hut.

Hi Individual,

Practice is far more than just meditating - and meditation can be beneficial and effective in any environment, even noisy urban areas. The idea behind urban retreating is that we practice with whatever is on our plate right in front of us in any given moment no matter where we find ourselves appearing. Extending our practice into all of life, moment by moment. Very few people in urban environments have the luxury of retreating to pretty rural environments with plants and flowers and quiet. There isn't any escape from the world during our life, no matter where we run off to hide - but we can train ourselves to reintegrate into the messiness of the world with clarity and compassion.

[jcsuperstar]

i remember haikuin (i know he's zen not theravada but anyways) saying something about anyone can go off an meditate alone in a nice place, the real work is maintaining that in the city/crowds

[appicchato]

Collectively we will commit ourselves to this week of practice through an aspirational puja.

Inspiring will get them a lot further than aspirating...if I were asked that is...

[Prasadachitta]

Collectively we will commit ourselves to this week of practice through an aspirational puja.

Inspiring will get them a lot further than aspirating...if I were asked that is...

Hello appicchato,

I find aspiring very inspiring. Therefore those who aspire also inspire.

Take care

Gabriel

[Peter]

aspire - direct one's hopes or ambitions toward achieving something

aspirate - pronounce (a sound) with an exhalation of breath

however...

aspirational - the adjective form of aspiration which is the noun form of aspire, not aspirate

[Peter]

I think the idea of that retreat sounds productive. It's really not much more than talking to your teacher about how to improve your practice in every day life. Except in this case it's an organized activity with many people participating at once.

[Jechbi]

Is there an application for such a thing within Theravadin circles?

Try serving in the kitchen at a retreat center. Lots of traffic, lots of noise, lots of commotion. At first you find yourself shoulder-to-shoulder with people who moments ago were strangers. It's a great way to practice mindfulness.

[David N. Snyder]

It's not really that new. Many Dhamma centers in the U.S. have been doing that for some years now. For example, a very popular retreat in many U.S. cities is the day-long retreat. Participants come in the morning, meditate, listen to Dhamma talks, have personal interviews with the teacher if necessary, lunch, more meditation, talks, and then it ends at about 5 to 8 pm in the evening.

Some have stretched that to two to three days, with some participants going back to their homes and others staying at the center. I think it is a great way to adapt to modern life and to include the Dhamma in everyday life.

[David N. Snyder]

but it seems like a penthouse with thick windows could be just as serene as a forest hut.

Thanks! That is the format we use at Vipassana Foundation.

[Cittasanto]

Hi
I know (cant remember the name of the centre) a centre in london, which use to be a court house runs retreats and the retreatants, can live onsite in one of the old cells, or go home and come back in the morning.
I did meet someone who done the non-residential side, and will have a look for the centre, all I remember is that it is a Tibetan group don't think it is FPMT but may be affiliated.

[appicchato]

aspirational - the adjective form of aspiration which is the noun form of aspire, not aspirate

[Cittasanto]

Here is the site
http://www.jamyang.co.uk/aboutus.html

stumbled into the london buddhist centre to start with and noticed they do the Urban retreats also

[pink_trike]

A bit of word trivia: The words "aspire", "inspire" and "expire" are all expansions of the latin "spirare" which means "to breathe". Quality inspiration and aspiration both tend to naturally arise with conscious breathing which is undefiled by the tension's of mind that get played out in the somatic environment.

And with our final "expire" we no longer "in-spire" or "in-breathe". We are expired.

[Nibbida]

Tina Rasmussen, a student of Pa Auk Sayadaw, did an "urban cave" retreat for one year in her condominium. She mentions this in her book with Stephen Snyder Jhanas Advice from Two Spiritual Friends

http://www.jhanasadvice.com/