In this silent retreat we will take a deep dive into the true nature of reality, emptiness, based on the eighth verse of the much-loved text, Eight Verses of Training the Mind. This remarkable text, composed by Bodhisattva Langri Tangpa, an eleventh-century Buddhist Master from Tibet, reveals the essence of the path to enlightenment in eight verses. It shows how we can transform our mind from its present confused and self-centred state into the perfect wisdom and compassion of a Buddha.

At last year’s Island Retreat we meditated on the first seven verses; this year we will focus on the eighth verse, and in particular, we will explore the emptiness of phenomena which is explained here in a unique and very special way.

There are eight phenomena (production, disintegration, impermanence, permanence, going, coming, singularity and plurality) that we think about in a mistaken, or extreme, way: we believe them to be inherently existent. Our minds that grasp at these eight extremes are different aspects of our self-grasping ignorance.

Gen Delek and Gen Sanden will bring out the practicality and relevance of this subject to our daily happiness. We will understand how our self-grasping ignorance causes us to experience endless suffering and problems, and how to cease this ignorance permanently by meditating on the emptiness of all phenomena. Thus we cease our suffering permanently and accomplish the real meaning of our human life.

Furthermore, through all the above practices, 

Together with a mind undefiled by stains of conceptions of the eight extremes

And that sees all phenomena as illusory,

May I and all living beings be released from the bondage of mistaken appearance and conception.

Verse 8 from Eight Verses of Training the Mind