Urban retreat - Forgiveness - Yom Kippur with Sandhya Bar-Kama in Tel Aviv
Forgiveness
A two-day urban retreat on Yom Kippur
“Forgiveness is one of the measures of god”
“Those who change their harmful behavior into good deeds light the world like a cloudless moon” (Dhammapada)
The Buddha said: “These two are fools. Which two? The one who doesn’t see his harmful deed as harmful, and the one who does not forgive the other after confessing and regretting his or her harmful deed. These two are fools”.
“These two are wise. Which two? The one who sees his harmful deed as harmful and the one who forgives the other after confessing and regretting his or her harmful deed. These two are wise”.
Yom Kippur, the conclusion of the ten days of atonement, is the most significant day in the Jewish tradition. It is a day dedicated to introspection, looking inwards, giving and receiving forgiveness.
What is forgiveness? Why is it so hard for us to forgive? Why is it so hard for as to ask for forgiveness?
If we are unable to forgive and let go of painful events in our lives, we continue living in the past and are not aware to the fact we are poisoning our present and our future. The word in the Pali language for forgiveness is “khama”, which means also earth. An awareness which is like the earth, non reactive, firm, steady and unshakable. Maharaji, a known Indian saint and teacher, used to say: “don’t exclude anyone from your heart, because when we take someone out of our heart, we take out ourselves as well”.
The Dharma teaches us that that foundation of an awakened life, a life of liberation, is “Sila” – Morals and ethics. On this special day, Yom Kippur, we will stop and look at our lives in order to reevaluate, to see where we were lacking mindfulness, and where we can improve.
In these two days of sacredness, inner and outer silence, connection to what is truly important, we will deepen our practice and explore those places inside of us which are asking to forgive and to be forgiven.
The retreat will be mostly silent and will include guided mediations, Dharma talks, exercises in pairs and sharing.
Only full attendance is possible.
The retreat will take place at Studio “Naim” in Florentin, Tel Aviv.
For directions click here
Cost: NIS 125 for covering rent and retreat organization.
In case of cancellation by Thursday, 20.9.12, a refund of NIS 75 will be given. Any cancellation after this day or non-arrival will not allow us to issue a refund.
The teaching will be given on Dana, donation to the teacher.
The retreat will begin on Tuesday afternoon and will end after the fast ends.
Accommodation: If you are coming from afar and would like to spend the night in Tel Aviv, sign up here
There is a possibility of sleeping in the studio – for that you must bring your own mattress and bedding. If you are interested in doing so please contact: kippur@tovana.org.il
To register click here
For payment click here
Please make a note that the payment is for “Yom Kippur urban retreat”. If you are mailing a check, please let us know that you sent it.