Schedule:
Friday 7pm - 9pm,   Saturday 8am - 9pm,  Sunday 8am - 2pm

At our annual weekend Zen studies retreat, Tim will introduce one of the traditional Buddhist frames for the sweep of practice: the 37 steps of the Bodhi Pakshika Dharma. The weekend includes meditation, four dharma talks, discussion, and experiential exercises to help us explore the topic from the inside out.

The Bodhi Pakshika Dharma lays out and organizes many central themes in Buddhism including: mindfulness, concentration, wisdom, working with defilements in the mind, finding liberation in understanding karma, ethical practice, and ways of living in the world that are beneficial to self and other.

Source texts for this study topic are:

Things Pertaining to Bodhi: The Thirty-Seven Aids to Enlightenment, Sheng Yen (2010)

Wings to Awakening: An Anthology from the Pali Canon, Thanissaro Bhikkhu (2011)
which is available online here

It is not necessary to purchase or read these two books but you may find it useful preparation or follow up to do so. Hand outs of relevant passages and a summary of the 37 steps steps along with a suggested daily practice will be provided.

Note the schedule change from previous years' Study Retreats. We will start on Friday evening with an introduction to the Bodhi Pakshika Dharma where a daily practice will be introduced, continue all day Saturday into the evening, and end after lunch on Sunday.

Private interviews: Private interviews with Nomon Tim Burnett, called dokusan, may be offered depending on enrollment. At last year's Study Retreat there was time for every participant to meet with Tim. That is our intention this year as well.

Meals: Please eat a light breakfast before arriving for our 8am start time on Saturday and Sunday, lunch will be provided on Saturday and Sunday, and a dinner break is in the schedule on Saturday evening. For dinner three options: leftovers from the lunch are usually available; or you can bring food to eat at the Dharma Hall; or go out to one of several restaurants in walking distance.

About Zen Studies Retreats: Our study retreat format was developed with Zoketsu Norman Fischer over many years. This unique weekend format include sitting and walking meditation and the spirit of silence and retreat but also emphasizes teachings, discussion, and interaction more than our sesshin (Zen meditation retreats). Parts of the day are in silence, others include discussion and social time. We see this format as an opportunity to integrate teachings, sangha life, and practice expressing our understanding of the teachings as they pertain to our lives.