Winter Newsletter 2021
‘A healthy mind is the greatest gain.
Contentment is the greatest wealth.
A trust-worth friend is the best of kin.
Unconditional Freedom is the highest bliss.’
The Buddha: DHAMMAPADA, V.204
Dear Friends
As we move further into Winter, I trust this note finds you well and warm.
Winter in Australia and certainly in other countries has that special feel and mood of calming and quietening down – a going into ‘Retreat’!
Far from the warmth and vibrancy of Spring and Summer, Winter beckons us to spend more time inside our homes. It also creates a psychological environment for going inside our self and becoming more reflective, contemplative and certainly Meditative.
While, during Winter nature appears to be dormant; nature is actually quietly Restoring, Regenerating and Growing beneath the surface. For us too, we can appreciate Winter for Restoring, Regenerating and Developing inwardly, particularly with the opportunity and possibility of a well considered & mindful Retreat.
Retreat at Bodhi Tree Forest Monastery – June 12th – 14th 2021
This past Long Weekend in June, I offered a Long-Weekend Satipatthana Vipassana Retreat at Bodhi Tree Forest Monastery near Lismore. Our Retreat was well attended and allowed us opportunity to develop and deepen our Mindfulness for Insight Meditation practice with ongoing sessions of Sitting and Walking Meditation together with Instructions and Teachings.
Bodhi Tree Forest Monastery provided us with a wonderful healthy dose of Nature which was both nourishing and calming. The cooler weather supported the inner reflective attention that we were developing through our Meditation and Retreat participants very much appreciated this opportunity for sharing that Meditation time together as a Re-set and Replenishment at this mid-year time and further Retreats will be on offer in the months ahead – see the Next Event details below!
Meditation Group – Thursdays at Farrants Hill
Due to COVID-19 Our Meditation Group has been on hold at Farrants Hill for much over the past year, however I am pleased to inform you that we will resume our weekly sessions, beginning on Thursday the 1st of July as an ongoing weekly Thursday group, 6:30-7:30pm.
As COVID-19 protocols will be observed so we will need to limit our group size to 12 people maximum.
Bringing your own flask of tea/coffee and mug will be very helpful & reassuring.
Dhamma Links:
Please find some useful links to the books of Ajahn Munindho, a Buddhist Monk from NZ who is the Abbot of a lovely monastery in England where I spent time.
