Friday, September 2, 2016
5:00 PM Orientation, Oryoki Training
6:00 pm SNACK
7:00 pm Class Session I: “Learning the Dharma without Cultivation, One Will Not Attain Accomplishment” (Take notes+ and record the theme of the discourse in detail.)
8:30 pm Meditation & Practice
10:00 pm Lights Out
Saturday, September 3, 2016
5:00 am Wake Up Bell
5:30 am Morning Service: Chanting
6:30 am Meditation and Practice
8:30 am BREAKFAST
9:00 am Class Session II: “One Who Cultivates, But Does Not Learn the Dharma, Will Not Have the Power of Accomplishment” (Take notes+ and record the theme of the discourse in detail.)
10:00 am Study time to prepare notes and develop debate questions based on Sessions I & II.
NOON LUNCH
1:30 pm Class Session III: “After Listening to Cultivation and the Dharma, If You Do Not Put It into Practice Immediately, You Are a Most Stupid Idiot and Are Certain to Fall into the Suffering Lower Realms.” (Take notes+ and record the theme of the discourse in detail.)
2:30 pm Study time to prepare notes and develop debate questions based on Session III.
3:30 pm Meditation & Practice
5:00 pm BREAK
6:00 pm SNACK
7:00 pm Class Session IV: “Learning the Dharma without Cultivation, One Will Not Attain Accomplishment” (Check your notes and correct what is incorrect and augment them with what you missed in Session I.)
8:30 pm Meditation & Practice (Or revise your notes and questions for Session I.)
10:00 pm Lights Out
Sunday, September 4, 2016
5:00 am Wake Up Bell
5:30 am Morning Service: Chanting
6:30 am Meditation and Practice
8:30 am BREAKFAST
9:00 am Class Session V: “One Who Cultivates, But Does Not Learn the Dharma, Will Not Have the Power of Accomplishment” (Check your notes and correct what is incorrect and augment them with what you missed in Session II.)
10:00 am Meditation & Practice (Or revise your notes and questions for Session II.)
NOON LUNCH
1:30 pm Class Session VI: “After Listening to Cultivation and the Dharma, If You Do Not Put It into Practice Immediately, You Are a Most Stupid Idiot and Are Certain to Fall into the Suffering Lower Realms.” (Check your notes and correct what is incorrect and augment them with what you missed in Session III.)
2:30 pm Meditation & Practice (Or revise your notes and questions for Session III.)
3:30 pm Meditation & Practice
5:00 pm BREAK
6:00 pm SNACK
7:00 pm Discussion (Only open to those who attend all six Sessions.)
8:30 pm Meditation & Practice
10:00 pm Lights Out
Monday, September 5, 2016
5:00 am Wake Up Bell
5:30 am Morning Service: Chanting
6:30 am Meditation and Practice
8:30 am BREAKFAST
9:00 am Grand Debate (Only open to those who attend all six Sessions.)
10:00 am Meditation & Practice (Depends on how much time is needed for debate)
NOON LUNCH
BREAK (rest, individual meditation and practice session, or help clean temple and temple grounds or other work projects like food shopping)
6:00 pm SNACK
7:00 pm CLASS
8:30 pm Meditation & Practice
10:00 pm Lights Out
Tuesday-Thursday, September 6-8, 2016
5:00 am Wake Up Bell
5:30 am Morning Service: Chanting
6:30 am Meditation and Practice
8:30 am BREAKFAST
9:00 am Work Period
10:00 am Meditation & Practice
NOON LUNCH
1:30 pm Meditation & Practice
3:30 pm Meditation & Practice
5:00 pm BREAK
6:00 pm SNACK
7:00 pm CLASS
8:30 pm Meditation & Practice
10:00 pm Lights Out
Friday, September 9, 2016
5:00 am Wake Up Bell
5:30 am Morning Service: Chanting
6:30 am Meditation and Practice
8:30 am BREAKFAST
9:00 am Work Period (pack for departure)
10:00 am Meditation & Practice
NOON LUNCH
EVALUATION AND FEED BACK
NOTES:
*Those who wish to receive one credit for this seminar will need to enroll in XFVU; keep journal over trimester period as to how well he/she utilized the principles and concepts learned in these discourses in his/her daily cultivation and practice; and submit several debate questions, a final summary for the course, and a written “Discourse” that could be given to expound this dharma to others. One can participate in this seminar without enrolling in XFVU. (See XFVU website at http://xfvu.org/enrollment/ for more information.)
+Anyone who can understand the discourse in Chinese, must listen to it at least two times before starting to take notes. (See “The Seven Dharma System for Listening to Dharma Discourses at http://holyvajrasana.org/buddhist-practice/the-seven-dharma-system-of-listening-to-dharma-discourses for more information.)
Meditation and Practice sessions are usually 1½ hours in length, but may be split into three parts with 30-40 minutes sitting meditation. 30-10 minutes walking meditation, and 30-40 minutes sitting meditation, depending on the levels of those attending. Experienced meditators may sit the entire period and not participate in walking meditation, if desired. A short break between sessions is allowed for bathroom and tea breaks. The retreat is conducted in silence except for classes and discussion periods.