Four Buddhist Thoughts: a "How To" for Fully Appreciating Our Lives (hybrid)
with Joel Wachbrit & Marcy Henry-Fink
Join us for this one-day meditation retreat exploring the Four Thoughts that Turn our Mind to the Dharma - fundamental Buddhist teachings that can inspire us to appreciate our life more and to be more present to our everyday experience.
The Four Thoughts, or Four Reminders, are fundamental Buddhist teachings that invite us to contemplate having a Dharmic view of the preciousness of our lives, the impermanence of everything, how suffering is impossible to avoid, and how we are all subject to karma. Contemplating these truths can actually inspire us to appreciate our life more and to be more present to our everyday experience. Relating directly with these foundational Buddhist truths can bring to our lives deep appreciation, purpose and joy.
Day Breakdown:
This one-day program will provide an introduction to these Four Thoughts that Turn our Mind to the Dharma as well as give tools for participants to go deeper on their own.
Through talks, meditation sessions, contemplation practice, and sharing how these teachings relate to each of us personally, we will learn how to integrate these Four Thoughts into our daily lives and our meditation practice.
About the Teachers:
Joel Wachbrit has been a member of the Los Angeles Shambhala community since 1989 although his first exposure to Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche came during college in 1976 at the then Santa Barbara Dharma Study Group. He has since served in Shambhala in many roles; as Center Co-Director, Membership Director and as the Director of Buddhist Education for 7 years. He also served as a Shastri for SMCLA for four years, retiring in 2020. Joel has been a working guitarist, songwriter and composer for more than forty years and continues to find great joy in the expressive power of music.
Marcy Henry-Fink has been a student of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche since 1977. Trained in both the sciences and the arts, she has been a stress management consultant for Boeing, and has worked with a start-up company that uses biofeedback and mindfulness/awareness exercises as tools for dealing with stress. As a member of the Los Angeles Buddhist and Interfaith Councils she worked for many years with the diverse religious communities in Los Angeles. She is a senior teacher and former Director of Education at SMCLA and travels frequently to teach.
This program is open to all.
You don't need any prior experience in meditation or Buddhism to participate. Participants can attend both in-person or online via zoom (hybrid).
