Stopping to go Further

A Wake-Up Retreat for Young People age 18 – 35 years old

With the Plum Village Monastics

3 – 5 Jan 2014

at Asian Institute of Applied Buddhism Lotus Pond Temple,
Ngong Ping Village, Lantau Island, Hong Kong

Click here for online registration

Nov 10, 2014

Dear friends,

Time passes by quickly like new updates for your e-gadgets, but what have we done in our life? Where is our life and society taking us? As a fresh new year begins we invite you to come and stop with us. Stop to have a break from the constant pressure and rush of daily life demands. Stop to relax and enjoy nourishing our body and mind. Together in our third Wake Up Retreat at the AIAB we will learn, practice and enjoy the art of stopping in all our daily activities to cultivate mindfulness - a powerful tool helping us to recognize what is happening within and around us in the present moment.

With a clear understanding of our self, our family and society we can go further with peace and joy, going together with happy friends on the path.

The retreat is lead by monastic brothers and sisters as well as long term practitioners from the Plum Village tradition.  All activities will be conducted in English, but Chinese translation will be provided. By stopping we can come back to ourselves, learn to stop the rushing energy in our body and quiet our minds with activities such as sitting and walking meditation, eating and lying down meditation. Below is an example of a day in the program of the retreat.

Example of daily schedule
5:30                 Wake up
6:15                 Sitting Meditation, Chanting
7.30                 Breakfast in silence
8:30                 Working meditation
9:30                 Dharma Talk (by Plum Village Dharma Teachers)
11:30               Walking meditation
12:30               Lunch together with the Sangha
14:00               Total Relaxation
15:00               Dharma Sharing
17:00               Mountain walk
18:30               Dinner
20:00               Presentation on the 5 Mindfulness Trainings
21.30               Noble Silence (continues until after breakfast)

Accommodation and cost: Accommodation for this retreat is limited to dormitory-rooms and camping. Participants will be housed in dormitories (bunk beds) and tents with shared ablution facilities at Lotus Pond Temple, Bamboo Forest Monastery. Pillows, bed-linens, and blankets will be provided if staying in dormitory. For camping, we can provide single-person tents, but please bring your own bedding supplies. If you would like to camp as a group please bring your own tent.

Working Meditation: Because the retreat is held at 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 work like: setting up the meditation hall and dining hall, cutting vegetables, washing up after meals, etc… Participants will be grouped into Dharma discussion groups (families) and will work together in the same groups to help with the retreat.

How to register: Registration is available by email or online at the Plum Village Hong Kong Website at http://www.pvfhk.org 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 have completed online registration.

Closing date for registration: Dec 28^th, 2013. Payment is not refundable for cancellation after December 7. 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 look forward to stopping to go further with you at the retreat!

AIAB Wake Up Team

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