Cultivating True Love in the Presence of Suffering
You are invited to join us online for the retreat for Order of Interbeing (OI) members and formal aspirants, from Thursday, June 24 to Sunday, June 27 with the theme Cultivating True Love in the Presence of Suffering.
The OI Retreat this year is being hosted by Blue Cliff Monastery in collaboration with Deer Park Monastery and Magnolia Grove Monastery.
Our beloved teacher, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh, teaches us that when we practice true love, we awaken to the understanding that our suffering is interconnected with the suffering of others. If we cut ourselves off from the reality of suffering, whether our own or that of others, we cannot have compassion. True love invites us to move beyond contemplation in the presence of suffering to compassionate involvement. Just as our Trainings invite us to be aware of suffering, we acknowledge the suffering of these past months for so many: Covid, unprovoked police shootings of BIPOC people, climate change, political polarization, social and economic injustices, growing threats to the rights of members of the LGBTQIA+ community. We practice to see clearly our own suffering in the moment, so that we do not compound suffering in ourselves or in those whom we aspire to serve. Practicing true love in this way, we have compassion and understanding to act to alleviate the causes of suffering and to cultivate joy and peace in ourselves and others.
In this retreat, lay and monastic Order of Interbeing members and aspirants will come together to deepen our understanding of and connection with one another in our suffering, honor our lineage, celebrate our diversity, and share the teachings and practices that support us as together we practice true love and build Beloved Community.
The times invite us to pause, look deeply, and transform the causes of suffering within ourselves, within others, and within our society. Hearing the teachings from diverse voices, we will look deeply at the intersection of mindfulness practice and cultural and individual trauma, and develop our capacities to alleviate suffering in ourselves and in our communities.
To register, please click here.