| *Meditation Retreat * *May 3-4, 2008*** *Wat Buddhawararam, **Denver*** Wat Buddhawararam offers a monthly retreat the first full weekend of each month at 4801 Julian Street in Denver. The retreat environment provides an authentic Thai Buddhist experience in the Vipassana meditation tradition (http://www.watthaidenver.net). The teacher, Ajahn Chalee, 75, spent most of his life teaching meditation to monks in a monastery near Bangkok and came to the U.S. about 9 years ago to establish a temple in Las Vegas , where he practices intensively 18-21 hours a day. Although his English is broken, his teaching is sound and strictly according to the Buddha's teaching and the Four Foundations of Mindfulness. Several Dhamma talks will be delivered during the retreat by Ajahn or his English-speaking student, and a translator will sit with Ajahn during talks and interviews. The retreat opens at 9 a.m. on Saturday, with 8 precepts or 5 precepts given to those who wish. Ajahn then gives a Dhamma talk through a translator, after which we practice until lunch at 11 a.m. (No evening meal is provided—consistent with this tradition, we stop eating solid food at noon.) Interviews with Ajahn will be available during practice on Saturday afternoon, with a translator present. The retreat practice is as intense or as relaxed as you want and need. In keeping with both the Thai personality and the way of doing things at this temple, the environment is not strict. As many Thai community activities take place at the temple, it is not an absolutely silent practice environment, but the more silent retreatants are able to be, the easier it is to hold the mindfulness developed during the practice time. Practice time is as long as you wish. Some retreatants attend for partial days; others stay at the Wat for the duration of the retreat. Those who stay overnight generally sleep on the floor in the Buddha hall because that is most convenient (and consistent with Thai culture and monks' rules), but a few private rooms with beds are available for those who wish to have them. Retreatants staying at the Wat typically wake at 4 a.m. and finish practice at 10 p.m. If you plan to spend the night, please bring a towel and sleeping bag. You will be sleeping on the floor with a pad. If you choose to go home instead, I can open the doors early for anyone who wishes to arrive before 6 on Sunday morning. I hope you will decide to participate in the May retreat at Wat Buddhawararam, 4801 Julian Street , Denver (near I-70 and Federal). For more information, you may contact me through e-mail (bensue@sopris.net) or by calling 970-963-2428. *Ben Heffer* |
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