Organized by the San Francisco Buddhist Center, Tejananda and Viveka will be leading the second monthlong California Total Immersion Meditation Retreat next summer, 22 June - 21 July 2013. We invite experienced meditators from throughout the Triratna Buddhist Community to join us in creating a silent meditation community at Jikoji Retreat Center, in the secluded natural beauty of the Santa Cruz Mountains south of San Francisco.

• Each meditator supported to focus on what is most appropriate and beneficial for them.
• Teaching and practice in the Triratna system of meditation.
• Ample opportunity for meditation without input.
• Regular individual reviews to facilitate engagement with what is emerging.
• Leaders experienced and interested in bringing insight alive through meditation.
• Reside together as a committed practice community with mindfulness and lovingkindness.

Both shamatha (calm abiding) and vipashyana (insight) meditation will be taught and practiced, based in the five principles of the Triratna system of practice: 1) Mindfulness; 2) Positive Emotion (metta and the other brahma viharas, bodhicitta); 3) Receptivity (just sitting, pure awareness); 4) Vision/Seeing Through (exploration of the six elements, five skandhas, and three lakshanas); and 5) Transformation (devotional practice, including Order member sadhana practice).

Registration: The retreat is likely to fill up quickly. If you are interested, we need to know as soon as possible – please email Viveka (viveka [at] igc [dot] org) to be added to the list of potential retreatants (formal registration will begin in November). Priority will be given to Order members and Mitras training for ordination who can attend the full month. There may be a limited number of two-week half-retreat spots. The anticipated cost for the month is $1,250 to $1,500.

Retreat Leaders: Tejananda and Viveka, Order members in the Triratna Buddhist Community, are experienced meditation teachers and have led several retreats together, including the SFBC Total Immersion Retreat in 2010.They are both active in the development of Triratna meditation teaching and lead retreats internationally. Since 1995 Tejananda has been part of the resident / teaching team at Vajraloka Retreat Centre in Wales, UK, where he is now chair. He has been practicing Buddhism and meditation for over 30 years. Viveka is chair and a teacher at the San Francisco Buddhist Center. She has a deep love for meditation, which she has been practicing for over 20 years. For the past decade she has sat meditation retreats of a month or longer nearly every year.

More information: Details and much more information (including work opportunities, financial assistance, and registration options) will be available soon.