“Be Happy, Be Ourselves”
A mindfulness retreat with Plum Village monastics
From 16:00 Nov. 4 to 17:00 Nov. 6, 2011
at Asian Institute of Applied Buddhism, Lotus Pond Temple, Ngong Ping, Lantau, Hong Kong
Walking meditation with Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh at Lotus Pond temple, May 2011.
Dear friends,
You are invited to attend the quarterly weekend retreat organized by Plum Village Hong Kong. For the past 4 years since September 2007, our retreats have been held at the HKU Kadoorie Institute – Shek Kong Center, in Yuen Long, New Territories. This is the first time that the retreat is held at the new home of Plum Village Hong Kong - the Asian Institute of Applied Buddhism, located at Lotus Pond Temple and Bamboo Forest Monastery in Ngong Pong Village, Lantau island.
In this mindfulness retreat, we will practice mindful breathing, mindful walking, and pleasant smiling. We will go back to the present moment, enjoy 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 and the miracles of life.
We will have the chance to look deeply at the elements of happiness via the “Discourse on Youth and Happiness”, as taught by the Buddha. Is running after sensual pleasures actually bring happiness? How do we get over the three complexes: inferiority, equality, and superiority? How can we stop judging ourselves and stop comparing ourselves to others? Can we be happy by just being ourselves?
The tentative program for the retreat is as follows:
|
Time
|
Friday Nov. 4
|
Time
|
Saturday Nov. 5
|
Sunday Nov. 6
|
|
16:00
|
Registration Check-in
|
5:30
|
Wake up
|
Wake up
|
|
18:30
|
Dinner
|
6:15
|
Sitting & Chanting
|
Five Mindfulness Training Recitation Walking meditation
|
|
20:00
|
Orientation
|
7:30
|
Walking meditation
|
|
|
21:30
|
Bed time/Noble Slience
|
8:30
|
Breakfast *
|
Breakfast *
|
|
10:00
|
Dharma Talk
|
Dharma Talk
|
||
|
12:30
|
Lunch*
|
Lunch*
|
||
|
14:00
|
Rest – Total Relaxation
|
Rest – Total Relaxation
|
||
|
15:30
|
Dharma Discussion
/ Group activities
|
Dharma Discussion
/ Group activities
|
||
|
17:00
|
Exercise /Working meditation
|
Farewell
|
||
|
18:30
|
Dinner*
|
|||
|
20:00
|
Sitting & Chanting
|
|||
|
21:30
|
Bed time/Noble Silence
|
The retreat will be conducted in English with Cantonese translation.
* Helps needed to set up serving food tables, washing up tables (before meal) and clean up (after meal).
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 and at the nearby SG Davis Youth hostel (15-minute walk to Lotus Pond Temple). Pillows, 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.
|
Room Type |
Dormitory |
Tent |
|
Adult and children above 12 |
500.00 |
400.00 |
|
Children aged 12 below 12 |
400.00 |
300.00 |
*Please write us at retreats@pvfhk.org to arrange accommodation for children under 6.
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 at http://www.pvfhk.org on a first-come-first-served basis. There will be children and teenagers programs for children and young people from 6–18 years old. There are no separate programs for children under 6, and they have to be under full care of the parents. 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: October 28th , 2011. Payment is not refundable for cancellation after October 17th , 2011. 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), 9771-6453 (Chinese).
We are looking forward to seeing you at the retreat!
A lotus to you,
A Buddha to be
Sr. Si Nghiem (Sr. True Adornment with Scholar) and Br. Phap Dung (Br. Dharma Courage)
The Retreat Registration Coordinators
Asian Institute of Applied Buddhism