A Monk Story for March
Two young monks are arguing about a flag. One monk says, “The flag is moving.” The other monk says, “The flag is not moving, the wind is moving.” A very senior monk just happens to be walking by (don’t ask, this is a Zen story) and overhearing the young monks, he says, “The flag is not moving; the wind is not moving; the mind is moving.” The monks look at each other and think simultaneously, “WTF?”
The winds have been blowing in Los Angeles, so of course there's a zen story for that! Read on for more info about our upcoming classes - our Meditation x Attachment Level One intensives begin up in Northern California later this month. As always there's tons of opportunities to sit with us online on our Patreon page (including a special virtual version of our Level One course now - very exciting). And speaking of monks, we're very pleased to announce that Metttagroup will be back in Myanmar for the New Year resuming our annual retreat/cultural tour!
I hope you are happy and well,
George Haas
founding teacher, Mettagroup
MEDITATION x ATTACHMENT LEVEL ONE
Meditation x Attachment Level One is the introductory course offering instruction in: meditation strategies for developing mentalizing and repairing attachment disturbances; Attachment Theory; and an introduction to the Ideal Parent Figure protocol. Each intensive will be taught during three daylongs. Students are encouraged to attend all three as that is the best way to experience the course, however you are welcome to drop in on single classes if that's all you can do.
Read more and reserve your spot via the links here:
Santa Cruz (3/21, 4/4, 4/12) - REGISTER NOW
San Francisco (3/22, 4/5, 4/13) - REGISTER NOW
Los Angeles (5/2, 5/9, 5/16) - REGISTER NOW
ANNUAL NEW YEAR RETREAT & CULTURAL TOUR IN MYANMAR
December 19, 2020 - January 9, 2021
Inle Lake in Myammar
We are already busy planning our annual meditation trip to Myanmar leaving on December 19, 2020 and returning January 9, 2021. We will start in Yangon, travel to the Golden Rock and back, then sit ten days at the Mahasi Meditation Center with the Buddha Sasana Nuggaha Organization in Yangon, then travel north to Bagan, and then on to Inle Lake, before heading home.
Unlike our previous trips to Myanmar where registration was completely filled by May 1st, the Mahasi center is huge - so there's much less pressure to register so far in advance. That being said, if this is something that interests you or if you have questions, please get in touch sooner rather than later. We would like to get a sense of how much interest there is. (The deadline will be September 15th, fyi.)
Mettagroup will handle all travel arrangements including flights, accommodations, local travel and guides. The total cost for the entire trip is estimated to be approximately $2,000 plus whatever you spend in Myanmar; entry fees for sites and meal costs (outside the meditation center) are not included. A deposit of $300 (Mettagroup’s booking fee) is required to reserve your spot.
This really is an extraordinary adventure and immersing yourself in traditional Buddhist meditation practice offers huge perspective on how we practice here in the West. The Myanma people are generous and beautiful and I really recommend this trip. (Here's a video capturing my solo expedition to Myanmar last year to get a taste of it.)
Interested or want to hear more? Email us at admin@mettagroup.org or call 213-378-0489.
JOIN US ON PATREON!
We've begun experimenting a bit on our Patreon page. And now, along with Morning Meditation every weekday, we've posted a virtual version of our signature Meditation x Attachment Level One intensive. It's a four-class series that began last month and wraps up this coming Saturday. Because everything is archived and tagged, it's easy to catch up, so you can dive any time. Completion of the virtual course will qualify you for Level Two.
So join us at patreon.com/mettagroup and become a patron today at $12/month or above and you'll get full access to everything!