2018 Annual Spring Retreat
April 9 – 15, 2018
With Dharma Teachers Larry Ward and Peggy Rowe-Ward
Full-week retreat is April 9-15, weekday retreat is April 9-13, and weekend & family retreat is April 13-15. Download our 2018 Annual Retreat flyer pdf
2018 Retreat Theme: Crossing the Mercy Bridge: Thirty-Three Thousand faces of Compassion
Join Senior Dharma Teachers Peggy Rowe-Ward and Larry Ward, in the tradition of Thich Nhat Hanh, in a retreat that invites us to deepen our understanding and embodiment of compassion. At this moment of spiritual crisis our world is contending with an abundance of energies swirling within us and around us. These energies need to touch and be touched by the wisdom and action of deep compassion in order to bear good fruit.
The Buddhist Bodhisattva of Compassion is heralded by many names, Kannon in Japanese, Guānyīn in Chinese, Avalokitêśvara in both Sanskrit / Pali languages, Gwaneum in Korean, Chen re zi in Tibetan and in English the Goddess of Mercy & Compassion. Often depicted as male and female, dark and light, young and old, animal and human showing this Bodhisattva’s transcendence beyond appearances.
During this retreat, we will look deeply into the many faces of compassion open to us as we cross the mercy bridge. The mercy bridge is the opening to release our conditioning watering roots of our present suffering as self and society. When we can cross, the mercy bridge the arrival of deep compassion’s restorative and potent powers of skillful means becomes available to us.
We will enhance our skillfulness in perceiving the “Sounds of the World”, the cries of sentient beings who need help. We will engage in practices that help unwind our internal knots blocking our release of the five fears. We will celebrate lives of compassionate ones who have gone before us and ask our selves what is our calling.
History: For many years, MCPS has enjoyed a rich tradition of holding an Annual Retreat at Camp Indianola on Bainbridge Island. Several sangha members have volunteered to lead and support our 2018 Annual Retreat, ensuring this tradition of practice continues. Our 2018 Annual Retreat will be led by Senior Dharma Teachers Larry Ward and Peggy Rowe-Ward, who have been ordained by Thich Nhat Hanh, and now reside locally on Vashon Island. History: For many years, MCPS has enjoyed a rich tradition of holding an Annual Retreat at Camp Indianola on Bainbridge Island. Several sangha members have volunteered to lead and support our 2018 Annual Retreat, ensuring this tradition of practice continues. Our 2018 Annual Retreat will be led by Senior Dharma Teachers Larry Ward and Peggy Rowe-Ward, who have been ordained by Thich Nhat Hanh, and now reside locally on Vashon Island.
About Peggy and Larry:
Besides leading their well known dharma talks and retreats for adults, both internationally and locally, Peggy (Doctorates in Education and Counseling) and Larry (PhD in Neuroscience) also spent 2 years with a K-12 school with children from 40 different countries where we integrated mindfulness into classes and activities. “We both have worked with K-12, parents, teachers, all ages, helping the dharmma to be fun, accessible, ordinary magic…kids love being peaceful and they enjoy peaceful people, and they don’t like being hijacked by their emotions, they are motivated students…” – Peggy Rowe Ward
Enjoy some photos from our MCPS 2017 retreat!
