Profound Simplicity: A Weekend of Deep Meditation
with Richard John
a Hybrid program — in-person with our teacher at the Davis Shambhala center • online via zoom • in-person gathering at the berkeley & Sonoma Shambhala centers
Presented by northern california shambhala
“Relax your mind in simplicity, released from struggle and effort, like a garuda soaring through space.”
— Tagpo Tashi Namgyal
For those who attended Richard’s Profound Simplicity online course in May of this year, this will be an opportunity to apply the instructions in person. We will explore further the subtleties of breathing associated with the Zen practice of Shikantaza and Trungpa Rinpoche’s early teachings on joining shamatha and vipashyana.
Our practice will be guided by pith instructions of great lineage masters, including Jamgön Kongtrul the Great, Suzuki Roshi, and Chögyam Trungpa. Each day will include periods of silence, meditation, instruction and time for discussion. Tantrikas attending Monday’s vajrayana retreat, The Pointing Out Instructions of Tulku Urgyen, are strongly encouraged to attend this weekend of deep meditation.
This weekend retreat is open to all practitioners who are serious about the path of meditation, whether you are new to meditation or an experienced vajrayana practitioner.
Attendance options
Richard John will teach at Davis Shambhala. The program will be recorded and a link sent out to registrants post-program.
- Attend in-person at Davis Shambhala.
- Attend in-person with a group at Berkeley Shambhala, where a viewing screen will be set up.
- Attend in-person with a group at Sonoma Shambhala, where a viewing screen will be set up.
- Attend live via Zoom from anywhere.
Richard John
Richard John has been a student of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche since 1975. He served as acharya to Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche for 20 years, and completed the first three-year group retreat at Gampo Abbey. Richard has led Buddhist and Shambhala retreats in North America, Chile and New Zealand for 40 years. Richard and his wife Liz reside in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Heart Gifts
It is customary to offer a monetary Heart Gift to the teacher, whose livelihood is entirely from teaching programs. The gift is completely voluntary according to your inspiration, and there is no suggested amount — any amount is appreciated! We will let you know how you can do that during the program.
Profound Simplicity: A Weekend of Deep Meditation
Saturday to Sunday, November 16-17 • 9:00 am to 5:30 pm (Pacific Time)
No prerequisites Open program; everyone is welcome.
Tantrikas coming to the vajrayana retreat, The Pointing Out Instructions of Tulku Urgyen, are strongly encouraged to prepare by attending this weekend of deep meditation.
- $150 Program Price
- $190 Patron Price — this amount allows us to offer a “Limited Income” option for those who are not in a position to pay the full program price at this time
- $100 Limited Income Price
- Generosity policy (type-in an amount)
When you register, you will indicate your attendance option: attending in-person at the Davis Center, attending in-person at Berkeley or Sonoma Shambhala where viewing screens will be set-up, or online via Zoom from anywhere. If that changes, please get in touch with the coordinator. If you feel unwell the day of the program, for the sake of others please attend from home.
If you have questions, please contact coordinator Parri Larson at pablarson [at] gmail [dot] com
After completing your registration, you will receive an email acknowledgement. Closer to the program date, we will send out the ‘welcome’ email containing all pertinent information, including the Zoom link, to the email you provide.
For online programs Shambhala uses Zoom for online programs which is available for computers, smart phones, and tablets. You need to download the free app on your device before joining the session. Once it’s loaded, click the link and follow the prompts to join the session. Please join at least 5-10 minutes in advance so that you’re ready when the program begins, and make certain that your mic is muted when you join to avoid background noises which are multiplied with many participants. Note that the Zoom experience seems to be most predictable when you are signed into your Zoom account and have the most current version installed on your computer. Learn more about Zoom • read Zoom FAQs.
