Joy Within, Joy All Around

A retreat with Thay Phap An & Plum Village monastics
at the Asian Institute of Applied Buddhism - Lotus Pond Temple,
Ngong Ping Village, Lantau Island, HK

Date and time: April 2, 2014 @ 4:00pm  - April 6, 2014 @ 2:00pm    

2014 New Year Calligraphy by Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh

Online registration for the retreat is open

Feb 8, 2014

Dear friends,

You are invited to attend our annual spring retreat at AIAB – Lotus Pond Temple. We are happy to have Thay Phap An, director of European of Institute of Applied Buddhism in Germany, conducted the retreat. Thay Phap An is on a 2-week teaching trip to Hong Kong “The Art of Happiness”, from April 1 to April 14, which includes a 5-day retreat at AIAB, a Day of Mindfulness for health care and social services at HKU Centre on Behavioral Health, and a Public talk at HKU Large Moot Court.

Conditions for joy, happiness and peace are already within us and all around us. We just need to go back to ourselves, to be present in the here and now to realize the miracles of life, which may manifest in the form of a singing bird, a smile of a child, a quiet time drinking tea with friends, a stroll in the park, a pat in the back by loved ones…. They are all there for us to enjoy.

In this mindfulness retreat, we will practice mindful breathing, mindful walking, and pleasant smiling. We will go back to the present moment, enjoying the beautiful scenery of Lotus Pond Temple and the surrounding area. We will enjoy the presence of our friends and fellow practitioners, who also take the time off from the busy daily routines to slow down, to enjoy a walk, to just be there for the present moment, for the preciousness of life

The tentative program is as follows

*There will be a ceremony to transmit the 14 Mindfulness Trainings on the evening of Saturday April 5

Accommodation and cost: Accommodation for this retreat is limited to dormitory-room and camping. Participants will be housed in dormitories (bunk beds) and tents at Lotus Pond Temple. Bed-linens, and blankets will be provided if staying in dormitory. For camping, please bring your own bedding supplies. The cost per person is listed below (in HK Dollars), based on bed/tent space taken.

Single-person tents are provided. If camping as families/groups, please bring your own tents.

Working Meditation: Because the retreat is held in the monastery, all the preparation and cooking will be done by the monastics and some volunteers. During the retreat, we need help from participants in preparation works like: setting up the meditation hall and dining hall, washing up after meals… Participants will be grouped into Dharma discussion groups and will work together in the same groups to help with the retreat.

How to register: Registration is available online at the Plum Village Hong Kong Website. on a first-come-first-served basis. Registrations are not final until we receive your payment. Please make payment within one week after you register. If payment is not received within one week, your registration will be placed on a waiting list. For means of payment, details will be sent along with the confirmation email to those who completed online registration

Closing date for registration: March 23, 2014. Payment is not refundable for cancellation after March 15, 2014. For enquiries, please contact us by e-mail: retreats@pvfhk.org  or by phone from 14:30 – 17:00 (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday):  2985-5033 (English), 2985-5281(Chinese).

We are looking forward to seeing you at the retreat!

A lotus to you,
A Buddha to be.

Br. Phap Giao & Sr. Hanh Nghiem

243