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: Monday, Dec 26, 2016 - check-in 4:00-6:00pm
Ends: Monday, Jan 2, 2017 - 11:00 am
Fee: $510
Openings: Registration opens September
Deadline: Dec 23, 2016
Dharma Drum Retreat Center
184 Quannacut Road, Pine Bush, New York, 12566.
Phone: (845) 744-8114
Fax: (845) 744-8483
Email:
[email protected]
Guo Xing Fashi, a Dharma Heir of Master Sheng Yen
Our abbot, the Venerable Guo Xing Fashi, was born in Taiwan in 1953. After studying yoga and meditation, Venerable Guo Xing began to study Chan under the guidance of Chan Master Sheng Yen in 1984, and became ordained under him two years later, in 1986.
After years of service in the Dharma Drum Mountain sangha, he was sent to Thailand in 1991 to enter into solitary retreat, studying Theravadan meditation. Upon returning to DDM, he continued to assist the Master in leading meditation retreats in Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and the United States, for a period of 20 years, totaling over more than 50 retreats, including the first 49-Day retreat at the Dharma Drum Retreat Center in 2000. Venerable Guo Xing is now the abbot and resident teacher at the Dharma Drum Retreat Center. He speaks Taiwanese, Mandarin, and English.