Green Tara Winter Retreat (2009-10)
Short talks on the Green Tara practice given during the Green Tara Winter Retreat at Sravasti Abbey from December 2009 to March 2010.
Labeling thoughts and emotions
How can we identify and label thoughts and feelings in a constructive way? It's important to differentiate between actual feelings and story-making.
View PostPracticing in a group retreat
The benefit to doing group retreat is the feeling of being part of a community where keeping the schedule is easier and every person's presence…
View PostWhat it means to do retreat
We have to understand what retreat means. We are retreating from dukkha, from suffering, not just isolating ourselves from society.
View PostLiving within the five precepts
It is important to keep good ethical conduct while in retreat. Living according to the five (or even eight) precepts is a good practice during…
View PostMotivation for the retreat
Generating the proper motivation for doing retreat and examining ways to work with the mind, and the afflictions that come up during the course of…
View PostHow to relate to the deity
How do we relate to Tara? We may find it inspiring to view Tara as once an ordinary being like us who became enlightened, so…
View PostTara’s qualities
One way we can think of Tara is as the physical manifestation of a Buddha's qualities.
View PostTara as resultant refuge
It's encouraging to think of Tara as the Buddha that we are going to become.
View PostLamrim meditation in Tara sadhana
Tara gives us inspiration while we're meditating during the sadhana. She is a representation of the understandings we're trying to cultivate.
View PostSeasons change
The seasons change, a vivid example of impermanence. Calling a day the first day of winter is also a reflection on how things are merely…
View PostHow to see Tara
It is incorrect to project human qualities on Tara or see her as a theistic god. Instead we view her as the future buddha we…
View PostTara is not inherently existent
A buddha is a manifestation of qualities. We don't want to view Tara, or any Buddha figure, as inherently existent.
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