Weekend Meditation Retreat: The Garden of Flowers and Weeds
The Awakened Meditation Centre invites you to a weekend meditation retreat at the Dharma Centre of Canada from Friday November 3 to Sunday November 5, 2023. Beginners and experienced students welcome!
The retreat is dedicated to the timeless classic of Zen literature, the Blue Cliff Record. One of our Centre’s teachers, Zen Master Matthew Juksan Sullivan, is the author of a new translation and commentary on the Blue Cliff Record. Matthew’s book, The Garden of Flowers and Weeds was recently published by Monkfish Books and has won several awards including a Gold Medal from the Nautilus Awards and a 2022 Best Book Award. We are using this retreat to launch the book!
For centuries the Blue Cliff Record has stood as one of the preeminent scriptures of the Zen Buddhist tradition in China, Japan, and Korea. This retreat will draw upon Matthew’s research into the Blue Cliff Record in order to offer new insights for students who are hoping to uncover the secrets of the Zen tradition. The theme of the retreat is that accepting the unenlightened self with all its flaws is the most profound form of enlightenment. As Zen Master Nanquan said, “Ordinary mind is the Way.”
Zen Masters Greg Samuelson and Chris Warren will join Matthew in leading the retreat. The weekend will feature basic meditation instruction for beginners, silent sitting sessions, vegetarian meals, walking meditation on the beautiful grounds of the Dharma Centre, and teachings on the Blue Cliff Record and on using writing as a tool for Buddhist practice.
Teaching Text
We encourage participants read some of the koans contained in The Garden of Flowers and Weeds: A New Translation and Commentary on the Blue Cliff Record. The book can be found on Indigo, Amazon or at local bookstores. It is also available as an ebook at the Toronto Public Library.
If you’d like to purchase a copy of the Garden of Flowers and Weeds directly from us, please contact the Awakened Meditation Centre.
Matthew Juksan Sullivan: Zen Master and Author of a new translation and commentary on the Blue Cliff Record.
Important Details
When: November 3 - 5, 2023 Please plan to arrive between 3-5pm on the first day. The retreat will begin with a property orientation at 5:30pm followed by a light supper and the first evening class and will finish after lunch on the final day.
Rates: non-members: $250 members: $220
(To find out how to become a member please visit our membership page)
Rates include: Single accommodation and all meals. They do not include instructor fees. Jack is sharing his experience within the traditional Buddhist understanding of Dana. To understand more about Dana, please read the following:
What is Dana? Teachers give the teachings of awakening (Dharma) freely so that anyone, no matter their financial means can attend classes. Each time one receives teachings, it is an opportunity to consciously practice generosity. Giving money and other means of support expresses gratitude and support to the teacher and helps to ensure that these teachings continue. Each person receiving Dharma teachings determines the kind and amount of Dāna according to one’s heart and one’s financial means. When deciding how much to offer, one should think about what these teachings mean to you and try to give accordingly. It is recommended that students make an offering of dāna at the beginning of a class or retreat to establish the intention to make the most of this opportunity for one’s own progression and for the benefit of all others.
Deposit: A 50% deposit is required to hold your space upon registration.
Cancellation policy: Full refund up to 14 days before the commencement of the course. For cancellations less than 14 days prior to course begin, a $100 administrative fee will be charged.