View video invitation from Heather Sundberg
As we continue to practice on the spiritual path, there is the possibility of ever-deepening access to the empty essence of mind, which is fully aware and shines forth as boundless, all-inclusive heartfulness and wisdom. Through familiarizing with the deeper refuge of pure awareness, which includes all conditions but is not caught up in them, we are invited into cycles of transformation and release of the reactive patterns of the solid-separate sense of self. This program offers an introduction to a map of teachings and practices, grounded in the Southern Thai forest tradition, as well as tools to engage in the process of developing a more awakened state of being.
The heart of the map in theory and direct experience is called MahaSati* in the Pali, which is translated as:
– Great mindfulness (Wise View is increasing)
– Continuous mindfulness (supported by Concentration)
– Pure knowing (at the Six Sense Doors)
– Pure awareness (clearing out reactive patterns of Greed, Aversion, and Delusion)
– Mindfulness of emptiness (Emptiness of self and objects)
In order to support access to MahaSati (pure awareness) to develop and stabilize in meditation and daily life, we will engage in brief explorations of the following areas:
– Embodiment and Energy practices
– Concentration (samadhi)
– MahaSati Access Doorway techniques and tools
– Taming the Defilements (kilesas)
– Three Characteristics of Impermanence (anicca), Unsatisfactoriness (dukkha), and Not Self (anatta)
– Two Subtle Characteristics of Emptiness and Suchness
– Letting Go & Release (panna-vimutti)
– Suttas which offer context and support for MahaSati practice
– How to bring Embodiment, Energy practice, and Concentration together to support deepening into the direct experience of Pure Awareness
To support deepening practice, there will be optional individual practice check-in sessions with the teacher as well as daily opportunities to ask questions about the teachings and practice. In addition, optional 30 minute individual practice sessions by donation will be offered after the weekend program ends.
For those who are interested in long-term training in these teachings and practices, applications will be open for the next MahaSati Training as well.
For more information about MahaSati, please visit https://mahasati.info/ and https://mahasati.info/mahasati-curriculum/.
Please try to attend this event as a full intensive immersion program, taking time off of work and not scheduling social engagements during this program time. In this way you will get the most out of your program time with the teachings and practices offered.
* Please note the MahaSati teachings and practices offered during this program are not the same as those one can find prominently listed elsewhere on the internet.
