Simplicity and Ease: Reflections on a Wisdom Retreat (2020)

10-25-20

In this talk, Dharma teacher Fred Eppsteiner shares with us the meaning and significance of a Wisdom Retreat.

Retreat is a time of concentrated investigation into the nature of mind - of reality. It has many aspects: meditations to stabilize and calm the discursive mind; meditations to analyze the mental and sensory continuum; meditations to directly experience the mind nature; meditations to completely rest the mind. Retreat is disciplined experience so that our ordinary habits do not take over and it is rhythmic so that the work of mindfulness, concentration and insight can continue to be refined day after day.

Since the time of the Buddha, countless teachers have pointed out the innate simplicity and spontaneous wisdom of our true mind. Unfettered by conditioning and emotional reactivity, this mind has the capacity to guide and support us naturally in living an awakened life. Utilizing the pith direct teachings of Gyaltsap Rinpoche (1871-1926), a modern master of the Great Perfection tradition, during this five day retreat, Fred guided participants into the world of the Buddha Mind and show how to integrate this understanding into daily life.