Online: Sustaining Right Effort and finding the balance (Sun Aug) with Ajahn Amaro

This online retreat will be held via zoom.  Please register via the tickets below and you will be sent a zoom link on the evening of Saturday 21st  August.

Ours is a largely pragmatic and goal-oriented culture, so we put effort into our jobs, our education, even our holidays, and we expect to get certain results. We can even assume that such results are our right: ‘I’ve paid my fee, now I want my product.’ In many circumstances this is a fair enough assumption, but when it comes to mind-training, the process of applying effort and experiencing its consequences, things are far less predictable. We can put in years of effort, faithfully and with vigour, yet feel that we are ‘not getting anywhere’.

In contrast, we can wonder, ‘Buddhism is about peace and contentment, so should I be trying to do anything at all!?’ This can make us feel that any kind of effort or goal-directedness is antithetical to spirituality.

As these are common experiences, and so deeply unsatisfactory, they seem worthy of exploration and elucidation. This weekend will investigate some of the aspects of the relationship between Right Effort and the related qualities of, on the one hand, being focused on and directed towards a goal and, on the other, towards contentment, peace and ease.

Of these two days, the Saturday will be spent with a focus on the four aspects of Right Effort (restraining, letting go, cultivating and maintaining), whilst the Sunday will centre on finding a balance in Dhamma practice, specifically through exploring the Five Spiritual Faculties (faith, energy, mindfulness, concentration and wisdom).

The days will each include periods of sitting and walking meditation, some given with guidance; there will be one or two Dhamma talks each day along with opportunities for Q&A

TEACHER SUPPORT AND EVENT PRICES

Events at London Insight are offered in a spirit of generosity. The price you pay goes towards the running of the event but does not include any payment to the teachers for their teaching. Instead our teachers rely on the generosity of participants for their livelihood. Click here for more information on the system of Dana.

EVENT PRICES

Standard:  £12.00  – This covers our costs
Sponsor:    £15.00  – A voluntary higher rate enabling us to offer supported rate places.
Supported: £5.00  – For those unable to afford the standard rate

Please pay the sponsor rate if you can.

If you are unable to afford the supported rate please let us know. We try to ensure that no one is turned away because of lack of funds, providing places are available.

Thanks to your continuing support for our events over the last year, we are able to offer a further reduction in prices for our online events from July and we hope this will be of benefit particularly to people who have been adversely affected by the economic impact of Covid pandemic.