The Eightfold Path...in every day life.
An Online Vesak Retreat
May 26th - May 29th, 2021
with Robert Brumet, Nicoya Helm and Victor J. Dougherty

Knowing the path, and walking the path are two different things. Join us during the celebration of Vesak as we explore how to incorporate the Buddha's prescription for awakening into our daily lives. We will focus on Wisdom, Sila (conduct) and Meditation. Through dharma talks, experiential activities, one to one conferences and meditation techniques this sangha will connect for four days and deepen our understanding of where the "rubber meets the road."

This four-day retreat will be led by Robert Brumet, Nicoya Helm and Victor J. Dougherty. The retreat will be online and begins 10am Wed. May 26th and ends 5pm Saturday May 29th.

Retreat times are:
10am to 8pm Wed – Friday and
10am to 5pm on Saturday.

Those attending are asked to keep the noble silence at all times except when speaking with the instructors. If you live with others, please make arrangements for them to honor your practice or, if possible, find a place where you can be alone the entire time.

Practice format will be similar to residential retreats:
alternate periods of sitting and walking. instruction
conferences contemplative movement (Tai Chi Chih)
*Dharma talks

Insight Meditation is a practice that aims to free the mind from the distortions of self-centeredness, negativity, and confusion. Through the intensive practice of moment-to-moment investigation of the body-mind process the mind gradually sees more clearly into the nature of itself. Such clear seeing leads to freedom from the attachments and misconceptions that cause our suffering and allows us to open to a path of wisdom and compassion.

About our retreat leaders:

Robert Brumet.
Robert has been teaching Insight Meditation since 1990. Robert received Community Dharma Leader certification from Spirit Rock Meditation Center in 2000. He is also a Spiritual Director, having received certification from Mt. St. Scholastica College in 2013. Robert is an accomplished author, speaker and teacher.

Nicoya Helm
Nicoya's journey has taken her through a variety of traditions including Plum Village, MBSR, and Insight (vipassana). She embarked on teacher training in 2017 in Shinzen Young’s Unified Mindfulness approach after experiencing significant breakthroughs in applying mindfulness to life challenges, including a chronic health condition. Nicoya is currently a Level 2 Certified Unified Mindfulness Coach and Level 2 Yoga Fit yoga instructor.

Victor J. Dougherty.
A co-founder of The Pathless Land Center for meditation and mindfulness Victor has been practicing for over 20 years and has participated in numerous retreats. Currently the Director of The Temple Buddhist Center, Victor also serves on the board of Mid America Dharma, Greater Kansas City Interfaith Council and several other organizations.

Registration:
$135 regular attendee
$150 (scholarship supporter)
$27 for scholarship attendee
Dana for teacher (see below)

Teacher Dana
Dana (the Pali word for “generosity”) has been part of the Buddhist tradition for over 2500 years. Traditionally, in Asia it took the form of a lay person supporting the monastic community through offerings of food and other provisions. As the dharma has come to the West “dana” has taken the form of financial donations offered to teachers and retreat leaders.

In this tradition, the registration fee for any retreat is intended to cover only the cost of the retreat itself. None of this money is given to the teacher. Instead, the teacher relies upon the generosity of the participants, in the same spirit in which monks and nuns traditionally relied upon the lay community for support.

Generosity itself is a spiritual practice. It is a practice which the Buddha recommended particularly for lay persons who were not able to engage in the more rigorous spiritual practices of the monastic community. Generosity opens the mind and heart and helps to free us from the bondage of fear and greed.