Two day Brahmavihara Retreat with Ven. Dhammadipa (Fa Yao) @ NSUC

All are welcome as we celebrate the fifth in a series of introductory meditation retreats to be held at North Shore Unitarian Church (NSUC) in Deerfield, IL. This series of retreats is part of an ongoing effort to help NSUC continue to revitalize its meditation community. That effort has also involved the addition of three new sittings at NSUC to our monthly calendar. We are extremely grateful to our friends at NSUC for generously providing the space in which our affiliated meditation communities can practice and grow together.

What a genuine honor it is for us to welcome the Venerable Dhammadipa (Fa Yao), presently the Abbot of Chuang Yen Monastery in Carmel, NY and the Vice President of the Buddhist Association of the United States to guide us. He has been an ordained Theravadan monk for over twenty six years now. He has taught in Taiwan and has been to many different countries to study Buddhism. He received his B.A and M.A in Buddhist Studies in Sri Lanka, and his Ph.D in Religion and Philosophy in England. He is also fluent in Chinese, Japanese, Pali, Sanskrit, French and English. His special preferences are in Abhidhamma and meditation practices. He often stresses the importance of Zen/Ch’an socialization in communities.

The focus of this retreat will be the Brahmaviharas (Four Sublime Abidings or Four Immeasurables). They are a series of four Buddhist virtues and the meditation practices made to cultivate them. These practices were designed to help eliminate anger through the cultivation of loving-kindness, compassion, empathetic joy and equanimity. This meditation technique can help enable one to remove hatred, jealousy and affliction from their life. It can also increase our joy and happiness at the same time. Other benefits include: a profound sense of inner peace and improved relationships with others. It is a wonderful foundation for our individual practice! In this two-day weekend meditation retreat, Ven. Dhammadipa (Fa Yao) will devout most of his focus on the Loving-kindness (Metta) aspect of these teachings.

This retreat, including all break periods, will be held in noble silence but there will be several question & answer periods.

There will be two break periods. The first, on Saturday (@ approx.12:30-1:15pm), will be devoted towards lunch. Please bring something with you for this period. A refrigerator will be available to store any items which need to remain cold. The second, On Sunday (@ approx. 2:00-2:15pm) wil be devoted to an optional snack period so please bring one if need be. **Since Sunday will be a shorter day of practice please remember to have lunch prior to your arrival. **At the teacher's request, only clear liquid beverages should be consumed while at the retreat.

This retreat is open to both newcomers and experienced practitioners of meditation and mindfulness.

Please wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes. If you use a meditation cushion or bench, please bring it. Chairs will also be available for meditation.

DATES, TIMES & LOCATION: Saturday, June 14th, 2014, 10:00AM-5:30PM & Sunday, June 15th, 12:15pm-4:15pm. North Shore Unitarian Church, 2100 Half Day Rd., Deerfield, IL. We will meet in Fellowship Hall on Saturday and in the Main Sanctuary on Sunday. **The main entrance is located off the parking lot behind the Church. Please plan to arrive at least fifteen minutes prior to each day's starting time so that we can begin the proceedings on time. **Once the Teacher enters the Sanctuary the doors will be closed. Please be mindful if entering the Sanctuary after the proceedings have begun.

DIRECTIONS: North Shore Unitarian Church is located in Deerfield, 29 miles north of the center of downtown Chicago. The church is located on Half Day Road (Route 22) west of Waukegan Road and east of the I-94 Tollway (about a ½ mile east of the tollway and 1 mile west of Waukegan on the north side of the street.) The church shares a driveway with 3000 Half Day Road. Look for their sign as you approach the building. Once you’ve turned into the driveway, you’ll take an immediate right to enter the church campus. The front door is in the back! Ample parking will be available at no cost.

COST: A voluntary donation of $10.00 (includes both days) to help offset expenses would be most appreciated but is by no means expected.

If you have any questions about this event or our meditation community in general, please feel free to contact me. I hope that you are able to be present with us for a wonderful two days of practice together! Namaste, Mark Z