Dharma and social engagement retreat with Zohar Lavi, Shiri Bar and Reni Ovadia
Right action – Dharma in action
The Buddha laid out an eight-fold path for the liberation from suffering. One of these paths is right action: Action that does good, does not harm any living being and plants the seeds of good in the world. In this retreat we will examine the meaning of right action in the context of social engagement and political and environmental activism.
The practice of the dharma is intended to open our hearts, free our minds from limiting beliefs and expose us to the non-separate reality of creation. The practice brings us to an experiential understanding that Dukkha (suffering) is not personal but universal, and is experienced by all living beings. Out of these understandings compassion arises towards all expressions of suffering we encounter, and the need to act in order to alleviate the suffering in the world – inner and outer – arises.
These insights lead us to the abandonment of boundaries and blockages and encourage us to investigate the source of the boundaries and protections we form around us. From the direct seeing that the "I" is part of a constant flow of interactions with society and the world, there is a natural want to do good with the community and the society we live in.
What can we give to society we live in? What is the connection between social engagement and spiritual practice? What does social engagement look like when it is inspired by the insights from dharma practice?
In this unique retreat we will combine Vipassana meditation with exercises from the world of spiritual activism, developed by leading Buddhist teachers such as Joanna Macy, who incorporate meditation practice with social, political and environmental activism. Issues of ecology, social injustice and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will be the grounds on which we will examine our inner world as well as our ability to act in the world around us. By the use of experiential exercises and listening circles we will approach these issues in ways that might be new to us. The practice of meditation will allow us to have a deeper presence with the issues we will encounter during the retreat and with the reactions they create in us. The combination of talking and acting with silent meditation will clarify to us how the inner and the outer are not separate from each other.
This retreat is addressed to dharma practitioners and activists alike. It is meant for anyone who feels deep inside a yearning for a more just, healthy and happy society, and has the interest in connecting between activism and inner-spiritual practice. There is no need for a deep knowledge of the dharma world, or with meditation, and also no need for a background in social activism. However, we do assume participants have the calling to explore these realms.
This retreat is part of a variety of events held by "Engaged Dharma". For more details you can subscribe to the mailing list: engaged.dharma@gmail.com, or read more on the blog: engagedharma.wordpress.com.
About the teachers:
Zohar Lavi – Dharma teacher in Tovana. Teaches and practices in Israel, Europe and India. Zohar is one of the co-founders of Sangha-Seva which combines meditation practice, dharma and social activism. Sangha-Seva holds retreats involving caring for a leper community in India, reforestation in England and assisting Palestinian farmers during olive harvest in the west bank.
Shirri Bar – practices meditation in Tovana and is active in Enganed Dharma. BA in Social Ecology and MA in conflict resolution. Developed a new technique for handling psychological blockages to peace that is based (among others) on meditative exploration methods.
Reni Ovadia – Psychologist and experienced dharma practitioner. Combines insight from her experience in psychotherapy and deep meditative attentiveness.