There’s nothing trivial about the turning point in the Buddha-to-be’s journey when he met the four divine messengers — disease, aging, death, and the option of contemplative life. Most likely, you’ve met them, too, personally or with a loved one. Santikaro, for one, has been welcoming them through a recurrence of lymphoma and its treatment.

At such times, physical pain and disability, emotional distress, difficulty focusing, disrupted patterns and schedules, and the bewildering complexity of our health care systems pose significant challenges to formal meditation practice. Or financial pressures might push on us hard, or family turmoils. Yet, Dhamma practice is for all times and places, not just when convenient. We adjust to what’s possible and healing within our circumstances, rather than bemoaning what we can’t manage.

Santikaro will introduce conversations on these themes with reflections drawing upon Pāli suttas, personal experience, and conversations with friends experiencing their own challenging health concerns and life disruptions. Our aim is to create space for mutual sharing and drawing upon the collective sangha wisdom within a retreat environment of noble silence, quiet times for meditation, friendly sangha, and Cloud Mountain’s natural peace and beauty.

You needn’t be a cancer survivor or old person to join; familiarity with the divine messengers in whatever forms is enough.

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.)