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Our next retreat is coming soon, sign up now.

Our next retreat on O’ahu Finding Peace and Balance in your life through the practices of Loving-kindness, Compassion, Appreciative Joy and Equanimity with Bhante Buddharakkhita February 23 to March 3, 2018, is open for registration. Bhante Buddharakkhita was one of the core teachers for the three month retreat at the Insight Meditation Society in Massachusetts this year. If you haven’t heard of Bhante Buddharakkhita, you can find some of his Dhamma talks here:

http://dharmaseed.org/teacher/203/

Ven. Bhante Buddharakkhita was born in Uganda, Africa. He first encountered Buddhism in 1990, while studying in India. After living in Asia for seven years, Bhante decided to continue his meditation practice at Insight Meditation Society, Barre, Massachusetts. In November 2002 he received higher ordination by his Preceptor the late Venerable Sayadaw U Silananda at Tathagata Meditation Center, California. He continued his meditation practice and teacher training under the guidance of Ven. Bhante Gunaratana for eight years at the Bhavana Society, West Virginia. Author of Planting Dhamma Seeds, founder of the Uganda Buddhist Centre, Uganda, and the Spiritual Adviser of Flowering Lotus Meditation Center, Mississippi, Bhante teaches meditation in the United States, Europe and worldwide.

Come Retreat on the Island of Lanai.

November 10 – 12, 2017

 Protecting the Sacred in Difficult Times

A weekend Vipassana Meditation Retreat

With Jesse Maceo Vega-Frey

Lanai Hongwanji Buddhist Temple, Lanai, HI

Join resident teacher Jesse Maceo Vega-Frey for a weekend retreat on the wonderful island of Lanai. During our time together we will be in silence,  learning about the practices and principles of vipassana: mindfulness, concentration, and kindness offered in our tradition to stabilize the mind and gain powerful insight into the nature of life to help us alleviate suffering. We will take our inspiration from the members of the Lanai Hongwanji community, who once had to protect their sacred altar from confiscation or destruction during WWII. We will learn about their powerful story and use it as an example of how we must all protect our most sacred places of the heart when confronted by threats and challenges in life or within our own minds. This retreat is a fundraiser for the Lanai Hongwanji – all proceeds will go to helping support their important temple.

Our next retreat on O’ahu is a real treat.

October 13 – 15, 2017

Modern Life as Spiritual Path

With Anushka Fernandopulle

Kahumana Cafe and Retreat Center, Waianae, O’ahu

Buddhist teachings describe several areas of life which we can benefit from bringing into alignment with our deepest aspirations for well-being and freedom. Come join us for a weekend of meditation practice and intentional living that can inform how you live your life. We will be practicing in silence together, sitting, walking, eating, and resting. There will be time for questions with the teacher and time in nature.

This amazing retreat will be held at Kahumana Cafe and Retreat Center. Rooms are 2, 4, or 6 twin beds to a room. No yogi jobs, as there is housekeeping at the Center. Meals are local, organic and most grown on the property, prepared and served to us from the Cafe. Definitely a retreat not to miss.

Register here.

Living with a Smile

July 21 – 29, 2017

Living with a Smile: Nine Day Vipassana Meditation

With Grahame White

and Yoga with Sarah

Palolo Zen Center, Honolulu, Hawai’i

When we look at a statue of the Buddha, the image of Buddha is always depicted with a slight smile. A smile of a mind filled with personal peace. The Buddha discovered through his own practice that it is possible to put an end to conflict and stress in our lives through the cultivation of awareness and wisdom. During this 9 day retreat we will be walking in the Buddha’s path – practicing SATIPATTHANA VIPASSANA MEDITATION (Insight meditation) so we can experience a personal peace and LIVE WITH A SMILE. This retreat includes Yoga in the afternoon.

This course will be suitable for both beginners and those with more experience – All are welcome!

Register here now.

Grahame White has been involved in Buddhist meditation practice for over 40 years. He began his study in England in 1969 before being ordained as a Buddhist monk for one year in BodhGaya, India in 1971. He took a primary role in the establishment of Vipassana meditation in the tradition of Mahasi Sayadaw in Australia and co-founded the Blue Mountains Insight Meditation Center outside Sydney. Now, Grahame leads introductory and day long courses in Sydney and regularly teaches longer intensive retreats in the US. Grahame has been leading and co-teaching retreats with Sayadw U Lakkhana, Steven Smith and Michele McDonald, as well as helping to guide the Hawai’i sangha in its ongoing practice. He has also helped pioneer a workshop format that enhances the transfer of mindfulness from the formal sitting practice into daily life. Grahame returns to Myanmar (Burma) each year in order to deepen his practice and study of the Buddha’s teachings and at times assist in the teaching of Vipassana retreats for foreigners. Grahame teaches a classical tradition of insight meditation with a relaxed, accessible style.

The yoga practise Sarah shares is inspired by her studies with her teacher Rosella Baroncini,  (a student of Vanda Scaravelli), and the practise of mindfulness.  In essence, we are simply paying attention to the sensations in the body during movement -whether it is the movement of the breath or the movement of the body,- in a relaxed, attentive, kind way.  The practise is one of simple movements and poses, attention to natural breathing, and developing a deep, kind embodied presence – so that the practise is a seamless element with the rest of the retreat and offers greater embodiment throughout your daily practise.  It is suitable and adaptable for all.