Karmê Chöling : Meditation Retreat Center

EVERYDAY FROM 17:30-18:30
Losar
The first day of the Tibetan new year is known as “Losar.” As the old year draws to a close, according to tradition, the accumulated negative karma from that year ripens and begins to surface. This means people are more likely to lose their focus and mindfulness, leading to an increase in accidents, misunderstandings, and problems in many areas of life, from personal relationships to global events.
Dön Season
To help counter these negative energies that can come up at the end of the year, we have 10 special days called the "Dön Season" which directly precedes Losar. During this time there are extra protector chants in the evening, including multiple recitations of Pacifying the Turmoil of the Mamos or the "Mamo Chants". These chants help pacify the personal, social, and environmental karmic causes of chaos and discord that has accumulated throughout the year due to unmindful acts.
The Mamos
What are the Mamos? They are described as furious, ugly beings. They can act as protectors and reminders of awareness when we are open to their message, or as chaos if we don't pay attention. But they "...are nothing else than projections of the richness of our own minds. By supplicating them, we are in fact rousing confidence in our own buddha nature." (From the Shambhala Office of Practice and Education)
Pacifying the Turmoil of the Mamos is an elaborate offering. We pacify the mamos so they will not cause chaos but instead help us wake up. By reciting the chant, we connect to the protector principle of awareness and reconnect with sacred outlook. It is not the mamos that cause us to “eat bad cheap food or wear clothes of rags,” as the chant says. It is our own confusion at work that causes us to lose mindfulness. The mamos can protect against this confusion.
By cultivating awareness of our minds, our thinking and our emotions, when a negative emotion arises we don’t automatically react to it. Instead there is a little gap between the impulse and acting it out. That gap allows us to respond more consciously, remembering our own fundamental goodness and recognizing the goodness in others as well.

## Mindfulness Practice

All levels of meditators welcomed!
This half-day meditation retreat is an opportunity to "just sit" and steep in mindfulness practice. The main practice will be sitting meditation known as shamatha or peaceful abiding. We will alternate periods of sitting with walking meditation and brief Dharma readings. This is an opportunity to deepen your meditation and be able to practice with a community of meditators. Deepening in mindfulness meditation is appropriate for beginners to experienced meditators.

Beginning meditation instruction available
If you are new to meditation or have questions you would like to ask a meditation instructor, we will provide meditation instruction apart from the main group. With meditation instruction we give detailed directions on both basic sitting meditation and a "zen-style" walking meditation technique. We will talk a little about the view and understanding of meditation as well as go over some "best practices". This will provide you a good foundation on which to base an ongoing, consistent meditation practice at home. You'll have the opportunity to ask any meditation questions you might have in this instruction period.
You are welcomed and encouraged to join the main group in the shrine room afterwards.

## General Schedule

• 8:45: Arrive at Karmê Chöling and settle in
• 9:00 - 9:30 Beginning Meditation Instruction in an instruction room

OR

• 9:00 – 12:30 Community meditation practice in the shrine room. You don't need to stay for the entire period but can leave if you need to during the walking periods.

These morning sessions will include:

• Opening chants
• Mindfulness meditation sitting practice
• Walking meditation
• Selected readings
• 12:30 – 1:00 pm Lunch (by donation of $15) This is a great time to socialize and get to know the group of people you've been practicing with!
• Afternoon practice - space is available if you would like to continue meditation practice on your own.

This program is offered free but we do need you to register
Registration is needed so we can anticipate how many will be here, the number of people who will need instruction, who will stay for lunch and so on.