Autumn Newsletter 2019
Dear Friends,
Trusting this note finds you settling in to our Autumn months and cooler weather. Amidst the rain over the last few days we did have wonderful weather Sunday 31st March for our Half Day Meditation Retreat at Ratangiri – Farrants Hill. Our Retreat was well attended, and I thank all of you that attended for giving up your Sunday to share your presence in Mindful reflection and meditation.
The theme for our Retreat was The Four Foundations for Mindful Awareness, which is a foundation teaching of the Buddha. This teaching which is one of my favourites is both philosophical and psychological offering four areas that make up our mental – physical disposition to gain insight and understanding about. These include Mindful Awareness of our body experience, felt experience, mental states and mental content. When we appreciate that these areas are in constant change and bounding to uncertainty, we can realise that we don’t need to take them personally as there is no stable sense of self to be found within them. This appreciation reduces and relieves a lot of our stress and suffering that comes from attaching and becoming caught in and as these four things.
My challenge on this Half Retreat day was to bring such a profound teaching into the context of our few hours together. For those that attended I hope that the Retreat Notes helped to compliment our reflections and meditations.
NEXT FULL DAY RETREAT:
‘From Self-Centred to Reality-Centered Living’
With Special Guest Venerable Ajahn Tiradhammo
Sunday 28th April 9.00am – 3.00pm.
NEXT RETREAT WITH JOHN:
‘Meditations and Reflections’
Half Day Meditation Retreat
Sunday 7th July 10.00am – 1:00pm.
Venue for the above Retreats:
Ratanagiri
11 Double View Road, Farrants Hill NSW 2484
WISDOM POSTERS NOW AVAILABLE:
Now available for purchase and download on the WELL-AWARE-NESS website, as were displayed around the Meditation Room in Ridge Street North Sydney and at Ratanagiri.
https://www.wellawareness.com.au/posters/
MONASTERY DAY VISIT TO BODHI TREE FOREST TREE MONASTERY:
78 Bently Road, Tullera, via Lismore NSW
For those of you living in the Northern Rivers – Byron, Tweed and Gold Coast Region, John is arranging a group visit to Bodhi Tree Forest Monastery near Lismore.
Sunday 19th May is Vesaka Puja, one of the most significant Buddhist celebration days, celebrating the birth, enlightenment and passing of the Buddha – on the full moon of May.
Venerable Pannyavaro, the abbot of Bodhi Tree Forest Monastery has welcomed our visit and support for his monastery.
You could make your own way to the monastery or meet at John’s place to depart at 8.30am on that morning for a day trip. You are welcome to carpool if required.
Please bring some food to offer to the monk and share with each other.
Any financial support is also appreciated to help keep the monastery running smoothly.
We expect to depart from the Monastery at 3:00pm.
Venerable Pannyavaro is also building a Meditation Retreat Centre in the monastery so all support is appreciated.
There are also some Volunteer Positions available for live-in at the monastery: https://bodhitreemonastery.org/latest-news/
Please contact John if you wish to be part of the group visit by Monday the 13th of May.
Thank you again for attending our Half Day Retreat this Sunday past I do hope to see you again soon at another retreat, at the Monday night meditation group or the Monastery visit.
Kind Regards
John B.
