The Divine Abodes, or Brahma Viharas, are ancient Buddhist Heart meditations and related practices that reveal and awaken our deepest nature’s heart qualities. During this retreat we will be learning and practicing the meditations, practices, and common resistances to Compassion (Karuna) and Loving-Kindness (Metta).

Compassion allows us to reveal within us an ability to extend an inclusive holding for our suffering and the suffering of others. Loving-Kindness is an expression of a boundless unified connection and love for ourselves and all beings. Loving-Kindness can then be expressed from the deep acceptance of Compassion.

Compassion provides a deep, loving support to “be with” suffering and disease. Compassion allows us to meet the ever-present unsatisfactoriness and suffering of the world. Being deeply with our human condition allows us to see causes and conditions giving rise to our suffering while releasing outdated beliefs that keep us hooked in a cycle of suffering. Turning next to Loving-Kindness allows us to receive, and share, unconditioned universal pure love for ourselves and all beings.

Compassion is a heart feeling tone of deep support for what is. It is an ability to offer support for the struggles and sorrows of life with a kind holding, knowing that all suffering is an opportunity to grow as a person while deepening our spiritual practices. Loving-Kindness is the unrestrained, unconditioned flow of love filling us as we become a fountain of unconditioned love.

This retreat will be based upon Stephen Snyder’s new book Buddha’s Heart. Participants are asked to obtain and read the relevant chapters of the book prior to the retreat.

The format of the retreat will include talks on our authentic heart’s qualities, instruction on the meditations and practices related to Compassion and Loving-Kindness, group discussion on the common resistances to these heart experiences, and one-on-one interviews with Stephen.

Partial attendance is not offered on this retreat. Additionally, please consider attending this retreat only if your current life circumstances allow you to engage in an important modern renunciation practice of staying offline and off phone/text during the entire course of the retreat (some exceptions related to pressing family situations may be granted.)