Silent Illumination Intensive Retreat
"Silently and serenely, forgetting all words,
clearly and vividly, it appears before you."
The above verse comes from "The Inscription on Silent Illumination," a poem composed by Master Hongzhi Zhengjue of the 12th century Caodong (Soto) lineage of the Chan school. This verse is a guideline for a method of practice, which he called
Silent Illumination With this simple method, one cultivates relaxation and awareness of the state of body, mind, and environment. With the settling of wandering thoughts and conceptualization, there is "silence"; with the emergence of clarity, there is "illumination."
Retreat Program
The silent illumination method will be taught in the context of daily life activities, such as sitting, standing, walking, sleeping, working, and eating. Chanting and gentle yoga exercises further harmonize the body, breath, and mind. The retreat also includes daily lectures, meditation instruction, guided meditation, and personal interviews.
Begins: Friday, May 27, 2016 - check-in 4:00-6:00pm
Ends: Sunday, June 5, 2016 - 11:00 am
Fee: $620
Openings: Registration opens February
Deadline: May 24, 2016
Dharma Drum Retreat Center
184 Quannacut Road, Pine Bush, New York, 12566.
Phone: (845) 744-8114
Fax: (845) 744-8483
Email:
[email protected]
Simon Child, a Dharma Heir of Master Sheng Yen
Simon Child received Dharma Transmission from Master Sheng Yen in 2000 and is the principal Teacher of the Western Chan Fellowship, a lay Chan organization based in the UK. Resident in England he is married with two adult sons. His main career has been as a family doctor and he now works part-time in Clinical Informatics.
Simon started his training with John Crook in 1981 and trained with Chan Master Sheng Yen from 1992. His teaching approach uses the orthodox methods of Chan Master Sheng Yen and also some adaptations to help the Western personality engage with traditional practice.
Rebecca Li PhD
Rebecca began practicing in 1995, and attended her first seven-day intensive retreat with Chan Master Sheng Yen, founder of Dharma Drum Retreat Center (DDRC), in the following year. Since then she has attended numerous intensive Chan retreats. In 1999 after moving to New Jersey she began translating for Master Sheng Yen. In the same year, she began her training with the Master to become a Dharma and meditation instructor. Currently, she teaches meditation and Dharma classes and gives public lectures at the Chan Meditation Center (CMC) and leads retreats at CMC & DDRC. She has been training with Simon Child since 2008 to conduct retreat interviews and has been assisting in his intensive retreats since 2012. Along with her husband David Slaymaker, Rebecca leads Chan practice at Rutgers University and the New Jersey chapter of DDMBA and teaches on behalf of Dharma Drum in various community activities in the NJ-NY area. Rebecca is a board member of the Dharma Drum Retreat Center and a professor of sociology.
