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This is a once-a-week online course for people who have a mindfulness practice and who done at least two weeks in total in silent residential meditation retreats. It will be a small group, just 8 or 9 people, and run for 12 weeks. The course will cover practices given by Rob Burbea (1965 - 2020), the pioneering and much loved Gaia House resident teacher. These practice are designed to help understand the deeper teachings of the Buddha. There’s a framework to understand the Path that will be outlined over the weeks as the course progresses. We’ll cover basic samadhi; practices that lead to us being less bound up; how we can use insights that might otherwise fade away; ways of working with the three characteristic (dukkha, anicca, anatta) and understandings of emptiness/shunyata and dependent arising.
The program is based on the first half of Rob Burbea’s book Seeing That Frees: Meditations on Emptiness and Dependent Arising. The the intention is to make the teachings in the book more accessible and to work through the meditations in a small group. The course will include links to recordings of some of Rob Burbea's guided meditations that relate to the book, a couple of short clips from of his talks as well as optional short readings from others writers giving further perspectives on the themes that are covered. Format of each session. There will be a check-in period in each session, generally related to the practices given in the previous week. There’ll be a talk, often around 20 minutes, then time for questions and discussion. Each session is expected to last an hour and a half. The course is run as a small group, currently just 8 people. There will be some reading sent each week, less than 15 pages of the book. People on the course don't need to buy the book. The last part of the course will put the Seeing That Frees practices and understandings in the context of Rob Burbea's later teachings. Continuity / Expectations: The course will develop themes that build on each other week by week. It’s best if you try not to miss sessions. The course is meant for people who have the time and inclination to practise the meditations between sessions. |
Dates: 16th March to 1st June 2025.
Times: 6:00 - 7:30 pm Sydney time on each Sunday evening. 12 sessions. The first three evenings will be on Daylight Savings time. Where: Online. The Zoom link which will be sent to you before the course begins. Cost: $30 per person. The registration fee covers only a contribution to course administration, zoom costs and booking fees. Additional cost: 'Dana' - In keeping with a 2,500 year old tradition no fee has been charged for the teachings. At the end of the retreat you are invited to give a donation (dana) to express your appreciation and to support the teacher. Bookings can be made here. For more information email dharmacloud [at] dharma.org.au
About the Teacher Victor von der Heyde. Victor has been involved in dharma practice for over 35 years and has taken teaching roles since the mid 1990s. He was a student of Rob Burbea from 2012 to 2020. This is a combined Sydney Insight Meditators and DharmaCloud event. An example of the writing in the Seeing That Frees book and an audio clip of Rob Burbea can be found here and may provide a sense of whether you relate to the teachings. |