​DDRC - Beginner's Mind Retreat ***Registration opens on May 21 (EDT, UTC-4)***

DATE & TIME DETAILS
Check in: Friday, August 23^rd, 4:00 - 6:00 PM (EDT, UTC-4)
End time: Sunday, August 25^th, 2:30 PM (EDT, UTC-4)

What to Expect on Retreat

Event Description
A "beginner's mind" is a mind open to experiencing life in the present moment, free from preconceived notions and expectations - a mind open to genuine understanding and self-realization. If you are new to meditation practice, or have never participated in a retreat, this is an ideal way to begin your spiritual journey.

In addition to sessions of seated meditation, this retreat features interactive workshops:

The Art of Sitting

Quintessential instructions on seated meditation in the Chan tradition, also teaches various ways to massage the body. An opportunity for students to ask questions and difficulties relating to practice.

The Art of Walking

Teaches three forms of walking meditation methods: slow walking, fast walking, and natural walk. Very often we take walking for granted. But the art of walking can show us how to open up new possibilities in our experience of the world.

The Art of Questioning

Explores the fundamental question of who we are as human beings through an introduction to the Chan Gong'an (Japanese: Koan) method, which confronts the most fundamental questions of our existence. The quest for meaning is the drive behind all Buddhist practitioners. The format of this workshop is dialogue and discussion.

The Art of Perception

Introduces the Chan direct contemplation method. Practitioners meditate only on sound or sight itself, before judgment, comparison or conceptualization even begins to arise. The format of this workshop may be creative drawing, sound exploration, or dialogue.

 

Pricing
This event is priced on a sliding scale. Please consider your registration as a moment to practice generosity by paying at the highest rate that you can afford. Your generosity supports Dharma Drum Retreat Center, staff, your fellow practitioners, and our continued efforts to help people to learn and grow. Any amount paid above the Base rate is a tax-deductible donation to DDRC. Please contact us if you need the tax receipt.

No one will be turned away for lack of funds.


SLIDING SCALE
Base – $200.00
Sustainer – $250.00
Benefactor – $400.00


Chartered Shuttle
We are happy to offer a chartered shuttle service from Manhattan Penn Station to our center, provided we have enough interested participants. The fee for the shuttle service is $75 for one way and $150 for a round trip per person.

The shuttle will depart from Manhattan Penn Station at 2:00 pm on the start day of the retreat, taking you directly to our center. On the end day of the retreat, the return shuttle will depart from our center at 3:00 pm, heading back to Manhattan Penn Station.

If you wish to avail of the shuttle service, please remember to check the item during registration.

Teacher
Rebecca Li
Rebecca Li, Ph.D. is a Dharma heir in the lineage of Chan Master Sheng Yen and the founder and guiding teacher of Chan Dharma Community. She attended her first intensive retreat with Chan Master Sheng Yen in 1996 and began serving as his interpreter in 1998. Later on, she trained with John Crook and then Simon Child, both Dharma heirs of Master Sheng Yen, to lead intensive retreats. She received full Dharma transmission from Simon Child in 2016. She teaches meditation and Dharma classes, gives public lectures, and leads retreats in North America and Europe. Her talks and writings can be found at www.rebeccali.org. She is a sociology professor and lives with her husband in New Jersey. She is the author of Allow Joy into Our Hearts: Chan Practice in Uncertain Times, and her new book is Illumination: A Guide to the Buddhist Method of No-Method (Shambhala Publications, October 2023).


CONTACT
Email us about program
[email protected]

REGISTRATION OPENS: MAY 21, 2024

The event may be subject to change. Please visit Dharma Drum Retreat Center's website for the latest information and registration.