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The 2015 Newbuddhist Cybersangha Retreat - Appearances from H.H. the Dalai Lama, Thich Naht Hahn...
On this unique 1 day Cyber-retreat. Amongst many world renowned authorities across all major traditions of buddhism, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama will open the retreat with a short talk, and meditation on the essence of 'buddhism', live from dharamasala...
Do you think there is even a slight possibility that something like this could be organised successfully? Who would you choose from your discipline to be included on the program.
What would be the pitfalls of such a venture? How could they be overcome?
Mettha
Do you think there is even a slight possibility that something like this could be organised successfully? Who would you choose from your discipline to be included on the program.
What would be the pitfalls of such a venture? How could they be overcome?
Mettha
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Comments
Who would I include. You know, I'm not sure. I'd love to hear the Karmapa give a teaching, but he is not specifically my lineage. I love to take retreats with various teachers just to learn their different ways of teaching the information. My teacher is quite kind, very gentle. We had a retreat last year with Lama Tony Duff who was a student of Chogyam Trungpa for a long time, and his methods were much more direct. It was quite a shock to hear someone like him say "shit!" I learned a lot from him though, just because of his different way of speaking. This spring we are hosting a short retreat with Jackson Peter. I don't know much about him, honestly, so I'm sure that'll be a learning experience, too.
I watch the Dalai Lama, and Thich Nhat Hanh teach quite often online, though it was be nice to see them in person. My state, MN, has quite a large Tibetan population compared to the rest of the US and the Dalai Lama makes stops here often. He is coming in 2 weeks to the noble peace prize meeting and to do a Losar celebration.
Anyhow, I would just be glad to hear from people I hadn't heard from yet, no matter what lineage they were from.
I would also like to Invite one of the retreat teachers at Spirit Rock in California, like Jack Kornfield. I have listened to a fair few online talks from people who are from or who teach at the retreats there. Personally I would like to have a few Western buddhist monks and nuns from various traditions giving a talk or doing a guided meditation, to get the full flavour of modern buddhism, and I would like it to be pretty evenly distributed in terms of male and female perspective.
The aim of this retreat is to introduce someone who is exploring buddhism in their own capacity, who can't get to a buddhist retreat environment for whatever reason, in a place of their own safety and seclusion.
It could be solved if net Buddhist s would spend more time just sitting and not chatting about it incessantly.
So, in your opinion, anyone chatting here or elsewhere online should instead be meditating and not bother discussing and interacting with each other? Interesting, I thought having a Sangha (in whatever form you can find it) was pretty important. Not just sitting.
It may be a bit farfetched, but with the right effort, support and organisation, it is something that would be potentially achievable. I am not planning to do it, but if I was, what do I need to do to achieve it.
The other aspect of this post is to see who is interested in who might be considered to teach on it; people on this site revere some teachers and perhaps would want to attend such a retreat?
Mettha
I know my posts will be going into decline in the future, as I see the same recurring questions being answered in the same old way, and will only lead to suffering. However, you don't get a man on the moon without there being some kind of survey beforehand.
Also there may be someone out there who can make this happen. I wish them luck and please put my name at the top of the registration sheet, but by then I may have no questions!
Mettha
Why do you suppose teachers like that don't participate in forums such as this? Do you recall the dressing-down, Ven Samahita got here a couple months back? What makes you think someone like TNH or HHDL wouldn't get the same treatment? A son of Trungpa Rinpoche, a recognized Tulku, and a very interesting fellow with an interesting POV, got shit on on another forum, because first of all noone believed he was who he saaid he was (he was, in fact, the person he claimed to be), and then some assholes started ripping on him because they don't like his father. Legit teachers won't touch communities like this, because we act like assholes.
No, nothing wrong with communicating, but these teachers we're talking about are a lot more interested in their students practicing. It is, but if you think THIS is a sangha, a jewel of refuge, then I have some land in Florida I'd like to sell you, cheap.
It sounds like you have this great online conversation with a teacher, but he and you are not present now. Some people don't have such a joyeous contact. You really are blessed to have the opportunity.. Thats partly what this is about.
Yes I am sure the teachers want their students to practice but who is going welcome and bring the next lot of buddhists through. Closed doors means end of dharma. Maitreya, start practicing fervently now - you are have been foretold and forewarned but will be welcomed... at least by me
Having a Sangha, however loosely you put emphasis on it, is important. No matter how disparate or unwelcoming members may be. Perhaps a retreat is required, perhaps this was the wrong way, but I practice no way. But the Sangha is whoever will accept me in their heart.
I can't afford to buy your land. btw
Mettha
So in short, a lot of alignment of the stars and pooling of resources would have to happen, but should at least in principle be achievable. In fact, I think it's inevitable. Might not be us, might not be this decade, but sooner or later an internet discussion group like ours will pull off a significant online presentation from enthusiastic luminaries in their field.
First, any community can be a Sangha. It doesn't mean you always agree, clearly. The members of my "real life" Sangha don't always agree with me either, but what binds us together is the overall journey. To say that a Sangha has to be a group of only lovely, kind people is kind of naive, I think. Learning doesn't take place if all we do is find a comfortable corner to hide in. It comes from discomfort. Not everyone has access to an in-person teacher, unfortunately (I am blessed to have one, but he is unreachable entirely for 6 months a year) and they do the best with what they have, including being able to count online people as part of their Sangha.
Second, I doubt the HHDL sits there pondering that he is not online more because people are assholes. I'm pretty sure they are busy practicing and teachings and speaking and traveling. And most likely, you were more upset about the treatment of Bhikku Samahita and Sakyong Mipham (assuming that is who you mean) than they were. You can't take it personally for them. That doesn't mean the other people treated them kindly, but I doubt either of them walked away considering those people as assholes no matter their behavior.
The point is not always to personally interact with the teacher. That is a plus, no doubt. But there is plenty to learn and be experienced by watching videos or reading books even if you never get the chance to question the person.
Many of the teachers mentioned *already* offer weekly or even more often teachings online. Even the people who go to Plum Village don't necessarily get to personally interact with Thich Nhat Hanh just because he is there and they paid to be there. There is nothing wrong just with learning from what you hear, and there is not less value to it.
I'm sorry if my comment on things being impossible offended you. I meant that when we are talking about ideas, just shutting an idea down saying it's not possible wouldn't have gotten us very far as humanity. Most of the famous teachers accept that they are the teachers of thousands and even millions of people they have never, and will never meet or personally teach. That doesn't make all those people less important than the people who do actually practice under them, I don't think.
I will keep looking at it, and who knows, someone with the techno ability and a good heart, could suggest how we might all be able to connect up live - the rest is bureaucracy, and red tape.
It would need to be planned far in advance to ensure participation, by all those higher level beings as you succinctly put it - so let's say 2 years summer of 2016. Anyone know any good teachers with a free slot in their diary at that time who may want to teach on the retreat, All they will need is a pc and a camera, they may well be on retreat somewhere else and it may actually involve little time or effort on their part; what date(s) work best for them?
Mettha