Walking the Path: A Weekend Retreat with Grahame White

“The happiness of meditation is the highest happiness” - The Buddha

Join meditation teacher Grahame White for a weekend retreat exploring the fundamentals of Insight (Vipassana) Meditation. This weekend retreat will be offered in the green heart of NSW's Southern Highlands at the Vejjasala Retreat Centre, Wingello.

Practising Vipassana meditation is perhaps the greatest gift we can give to ourselves and others. Vipassana is concerned primarily with the cultivation of awareness and understanding. Awareness so that we can see our minds more clearly and understanding so that we can know what is useful and what is not useful for experiencing a deep harmonious relationship with ourselves and the world.

This retreat is suitable for beginners and practitioners of all levels.

Grahame White has been involved in Buddhist meditation practice for over 40 years. He took a primary role in the establishment of Vipassana (insight) meditation in the tradition of Mahasi Sayadaw in Australia and co-founded the Blue Mountains Insight Meditation Centre. He currently leads introductory and day-long courses in Australia and also regularly teaches retreats in the United States and various countries in Asia. Grahame has also helped pioneer the workshop format of teaching meditation that enhances the transfer of mindfulness from the formal sitting practice into daily life.

Vejjasala, located just outside the village of Wingello in the Southern Highlands of NSW, is the retreat centre of the Association of Engaged Buddhists (AEB). The name, Vejjasala, means a place for healing.

Tickets are assigned on a first-come, first-served basis via Eventrbite.

This retreat is catered with three vegetarian meals per day. Please indicate if you have any allergies or dietary requirements. Please note: we may not be able to accommodate all dietary requests.

The cost for the retreat is $250. Members and Friends of the Association of Engaged Buddhists should use the Promo code AEBMEM to receive the member price of $200 (a discount of $50). This cost covers food and accommodation.

The annual membership fee for AEB is $60.00. To join AEB, visit our membership page.

Accomodation:

Most accommodation at Vejjasala consists of well-appointed and spacious twin-share rooms. All shared rooms will be allocated to people of the same gender (please indicate on the form if you are booking a shared room and this is not suitable for you). Couples are not permitted to share rooms during Buddhist retreats. You can read more here about the accommodation options.

Vejjasala is fully wheelchair-accessible including one of the rooms with an accessible, wheelchair-friendly bathroom. Please contact us at b2ZmaWNlIHwgZW5nYWdlZGJ1ZGRoaXN0cyAhIG9yZyAhIGF1 if you are interested in making use of this facility.

Full details about Vejjasala, accommodation options, directions, and information about what to bring can be found on the website: https://engagedbuddhists.org.au/vejjasala-retreat-centre/

There is a train station in Wingello, however trains do not frequently stop there. We will attempt to organise carpooling. Please indicate on the signup form if you require a lift or are able to offer lifts to others.

Due to its rural location in the bush, Vejjasala Retreat Centre is ‘not to be occupied’ on days with an ‘extreme’ or ‘catastrophic’ fire danger rating (per Wingecarribee Shire Council DA for the property). During the bushfire season, if the forecast before the retreat is for an ‘extreme’ or ‘catastrophic’ fire danger rating, the retreat will not be able to proceed. We will monitor the fire danger, and in the case of 'extreme' or 'catastrophic' fire danger rating, we will advise all participants as soon as possible and provide a full refund. The on-site retreat manager, caretaker or other AEB committee member will monitor the fire danger rating for the duration of the retreat.

This retreat will for the most part be conducted in noble silence (you can talk to the teacher as required). This may not be a good environment for you if you are experiencing mental health issues, or if you have experienced recent or severe trauma. While meditation retreats are generally beneficial, intensive meditation practice can lead to distress or adverse effects. The teacher and volunteers will do their best to support you but they are not qualified to provide mental health support. Please consider your own situation and discuss with the organisers and teacher if you have any concerns. The teacher may ask to arrange a phone call prior to the retreat to make sure they understand your situation and how they can best support your meditation practice.

It should be noted that participants attend these retreats entirely at their own discretion and should consider their own risks and responsibilities in regard to their own health needs. While reasonable efforts will be taken in regard to providing a safe environment, the Association takes no responsibility for individuals’ behaviour or health consequences arising from attending a retreat.

If you are experiencing any symptoms of COVID please take a RAT or PCR test and notify the organisers at b2ZmaWNlIHwgZW5nYWdlZGJ1ZGRoaXN0cyAhIG9yZyAhIGF1. If you test positive for COVID you will not be able to attend the retreat and we will arrange a refund. If you have a negative result you may still be able to attend, depending on the severity of your symptoms and in discussion with the organisers.

PLEASE NOTE: Bookings may be cancelled at no charge 14 days prior to the event with a full refund (minus booking fees). As catering materials need to be purchased in advance by the Association, bookings cancelled less than 14 days prior to the event will incur a 50% fee, unless the space is able to be filled by another retreatant, in which case a full refund (minus booking fees) will be issued.

Vejjasala is a safe and inclusive space for LGBTQIA+ people.

• We are requiring that all attendees conduct a Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) within 24 hours of attending the retreat. Take a photo of your result and email to b2ZmaWNlIHwgZW5nYWdlZGJ1ZGRoaXN0cyAhIG9yZyAhIGF1 in order to be able to attend the retreat.
• All attendees must be fully vaccinated and send a screenshot of vaccination status along with RAT test results per the above. This is to ensure the safety of all members attending the retreat.

Adequate social distancing, hand-washing and other sensible measure should be followed by all attendees.

It should be noted that participants attend these retreats entirely at their own discretion and should consider their own risks and responsibilities in regard to COVID. While reasonable efforts will be taken in regard to providing a safe environment, the Association takes no responsibility for individuals’ behaviour or health consequences arising from attending a retreat. If you are experiencing any symptoms, please do not attend the retreat and notify the organisers at b2ZmaWNlIHwgZW5nYWdlZGJ1ZGRoaXN0cyAhIG9yZyAhIGF1.

If you have any questions about the retreat, please contact us at b2ZmaWNlIHwgZW5nYWdlZGJ1ZGRoaXN0cyAhIG9yZyAhIGF1

Also check out other Health & Wellness events in Moss Vale, Workshops in Moss Vale.