And how is the heart’s release by Metta/love developed? What is its destination, apex, fruit, and end? It’s when a mendicant develops the heart’s release by love together with the awakening factors of mindfulness, investigation of principles, energy, rapture, tranquility, immersion, and equanimity, which rely on seclusion, fading away, and cessation, and ripen as letting go. – SN 46.54 Mettāsahagatasutta

The Path to Awakening is known as a gradual path with many skillful and beautiful qualities to cultivate along the way. As part of this training one identifies and abandons unskillful and harmful behaviors and unskillful qualities of mind. This cultivation of the skillful and abandoning of the unskillful leads to a calm and well directed mind that is capable to gain understanding and develop the wisdom needed for full liberation of heart.

The citta is translated as mind or heart. A fundamental development on the Path is to purify the heart/mind. The mind/heart has the capacity to become luminous and abundant through the practice of Metta and the other brahmaviharas along with the purity that comes from developing the Noble Eight-fold Path.

We will explore the supports and results of a luminous heart on the factors to develop on the gradual path. Both the clarity of the path training and cultivation of the heart will be entwined and integrated in retreat. The teachers will offer talks, meditation instructions, and practice discussions. This silent retreat is suitable for meditators of all experience levels.

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.)