Follow your Heart

A Metta (Loving Kindness) Retreat with inspiration from the Suttas

30th May – 2nd June 2019

Tilorien Buddhist Monastery, Engreux 49G, 6663 Mabompré, Belgium

‘As a mother would give her life
to protect her only child,
So with a boundless heart
should one cherish all living beings.’
The Buddha, Karaniyamettā Sutta

How often do we follow our reasoning and not what our heart tells us what is right? How to find the courage to go against the stream and follow your heart, even though our head tells us that the most reasonable thing to do is to go the other way? And how often do we regret that choice later on? We are called to be mindful and loving, but with integrity.

Integrity is walking our highest path, even if it is painful and arduous and long.

(Larry Yang in “Awakening Together”)

In our competitive world, people often feel they are not good enough, that somehow they need to be better than what they are. This meditation technique focusses on developing self-acceptance and love to free ourselves from these unwholesome thought-patterns.

Mettā is the unconditional loving-kindness that reaches out to encompass all beings. In mettā meditation, we learn to be free from the shackles of selfishness that constrict our emotional capacity. This practical, step-by-step approach goes beyond mere words into a direct experience of boundless, universal love.

Eight Precepts

This is an eight-precept retreat. All who attend are asked to undertake the following precepts for the duration of the retreat:

1. To abstain from killing living beings
2. To abstain from taking what is not given
3. To abstain from all sexual activity
4. To abstain from dishonest speech
5. To abstain from intoxicants
6. To abstain from taking food after mid-day
7. To abstain from singing, dancing, listening to music and from bodily adornments
8. To abstain from sleeping on luxurious beds

Noble Silence

This is a “Noble Silence” retreat. This means that all participants are kindly asked to observe Noble Silence from the beginning of the retreat until 11am on Sunday. This applies as well for the public areas as for the rooms.

Noble Silence means no talking or non-verbal communication of any kind, except of course in emergencies, interviews or discussion times with the Teacher. Noble Silence applies not only to speech but also to any signals and written notes etc. as well as to external contact by telephone or internet.

The purpose of Noble Silence is to allow the mind to let go of outer distractions and to focus as much as possible on the inner world. In this regard it is also useful to minimize eye contact with other retreatants. Practicing restraint of the senses in this way provides an essential foundation for the powerful inner work which a meditation retreat facilitates.

This Noble Silence will give the participants the maximum benefit from the meditation they learn and minimizes the disturbance to others. Therefore, please do not play musical instruments, radios, mp3 players, etc.

Program

Thursday 30th May
17:00 – Arrival and registration
18:00 – Evening meal
20:00 – Welcome, Organisation, Introduction into the retreat, meditation
21:30 – Meditation (optional)

31st May – 1st June
4:00 – Rise with gusto! (optional)
4:30 – Alternating walking- and sitting-meditation (optional)
6:00 – Chanting in the meditation hall (optional)
6:10 – Sitting/Walking meditation (optional)
7:00 – Breakfast and Work-period
9:00 – Ayya Vimala’s Dhamma talk/meditation instructions
10:00 – Alternating walking- and sitting-meditation
11:00 – Lunch
13.30 – Alternating walking- and sitting-meditation
15:00 – Ayya Vimala’s Dhamma talk/meditation instructions
16:00 – Meditation, interviews & sharing groups
17:00 – Afternoon tea and “allowables”
18:30 – Alternating walking- and sitting-meditation
20:00 – Q&A with Ayya Vimala
21:00 – Sitting meditation (optional)

Sunday 2nd June
4:00 – Rise with gusto!
4:30 – Alternating walking- and sitting-meditation
6:00 – Chanting in the meditation hall
6:10 – Sitting/Walking meditation
7:00 – Breakfast and Work-period
9:00 – Ayya Vimala’s Dhamma talk
10:00 – Alternating walking- and sitting-meditation
11:00 – Lunch
12:00 – Finish and cleanup

Costs

This retreat, including accommodation, food and contribution for the Teacher, is organised on the basis of donation. All expenses for your accommodation, meals, etc. are paid for you with the kind donations of previous participants and other donors, who wish to give others the opportunity to experience the Dhamma. All work is done on a voluntary basis only; nobody receives any remuneration.

The table below lists the costs for the basic accommodation, meals and expenses, depending on the type of accommodation you choose, and do not include donations for the teachings by Ayya Vimala. These costs also cover afternoon snacks and drinks, rental of the accomodation building and kitchen facilities, etc. Every participant may contribute at his/her discretion and according to his/her means, so you can also contribute to spreading the Dhamma further.

Shared rooms (single room double the price)	95 €
Own campervan/tent (limited space available)	40 €
External accommodation*	30 €

* External accommodation is accommodation in a hotel or guesthouse nearby. You will need to book this yourself. Click here for a list of guesthouses and hotels.

If you already like to donate something before the retreat, you can do so via our bank account but please mention your name and “Vimala Retreat” as a reference (details on the right).

Every donation helps us spread the Dhamma!

 

 

To register for this retreat, please click here to go to the registration form.

Please bring:

• Bed-linen and towels or sleeping bag (can also be rented from the house for 8 €). A duvet and blankets are provided.
• Only biodegradable toiletries.
• Flashlight and umbrella.

Route

Click here for information on how to get to us.