The Great Matter of Life and Death: In-Person Retreat with Santikaro

Death is scary and we want to live. We seek happiness and avoid pain. These are basic polarities of our minds & bodies. However, we have far less control over them than we are comfortable with. Death and the myriad hints of it regularly poke through our comfort bubbles. Death rattles us. Still, we are alive, even if it feels, at times, like an uphill struggle. We are here, alive, in search of the best we can do. Buddha-Dhamma, the path of awakening, offers perspectives and practices for facing these simple truths. It fortifies us for when we are tempted to hide, escape, or despair.

Join us for three days of meditation and reflection with these realities, living with noble silence, friendly sangha, and the friendly confines of The Port.

This retreat will be held at the Portiuncula Center for Prayer in Frankfort, IL.

The Portiuncula Center for Prayer nestled in St. Francis Woods and rooted in the Franciscan tradition, is a sacred space of welcome for those seeking peace of mind, body, and spirit.

Thursday, July 9 at 10:00 a.m. — Check-in opens

Thursday, July 9 at 11:00 a.m. — Retreat begins in meditation hall

Sunday, July 12 at 12:00 p.m. — Retreat ends, participants are welcome to stay for lunch

Bring your own cushion, bench, blanket, and/or mat. Chairs will be provided.

A modest scholarship fund is available, with which we will be able to accommodate a few requests for support from those with financial need. If your financial circumstances do not allow you to register for the retreat, please by Wednesday, May 27, at 11:59 p.m. central time. (Please note, the previous scholarship deadline of May 20 has been extended.) Those who have not previously participated in a silent, residential meditation retreat are encouraged to apply.

If you have the financial means and desire to register for the retreat at the generosity tier, your purchase will increase the total funds available to be offered as scholarship.

Santikaro studied with Ajahn Buddhadasa during the last nine years of his life, became his primary translator, and continues to share his "naturalist" approach to Buddha-Dhamma. Ordained as a Theravada Bhikkhu in 1985, Santikaro spent most of his monastic life at Suan Mokkh (southern Thailand). During this time, he led Dawn Kiam, a small monastic community for foreigners and was active among socially engaged Buddhists in Asia. He returned to the USA in 2000 and left monastic life in 2004 to found Kevala Retreat (then Liberation Park).

His understanding of life has been enhanced by the Enneagram, feminism, cancer recovery, and trauma healing. He continues to teach nationally and internationally, and to translate the work of his teacher. He teaches Buddhism and meditation with an emphasis on the early Pali sources. He has led meditation retreats for more than thirty-five years, with a special fondness for mindfulness with breathing.

Retreatants are expected to take great care with the health and well-being of everyone on the retreat. In the spirit of non-harming, please do not attend if you are ill. In case of illness, exceptions will be made to cancellation fees.

Cancellations up to 30 days before the retreat will be subject to a $100 cancellation fee. No refunds will be given within 30 days of the start of the retreat unless a participant can be found to take your place. Eventbrite fees are not refundable. An exception will be made on a case by case basis for illness.

In addition to the registration fee, teacher dana, “generosity,” is traditionally offered to the teacher at the end of the retreat. The Buddha’s teachings, sanghas of training and practice, places of practice, and practice resources involve the hard work of many people, technical skills, financial generosity, and an overall spirit of reciprocal service. As a participant in this retreat, in addition to the registration payment, we ask you to support Santikaro in ways suitable to your means and abilities. The kindness of others has made this retreat possible; your help ensures that such activities continue. You can learn more about the practice of generosity .

Questions? Contact us at: [email protected]