The Power and the Beauty: Soul-Making Dharma with Mettā and Skills of the Heart

“There are a Thousand Ways to Kneel and Kiss the Ground”

Rumi

Relating to our practice as the fashioning and tuning of an instrument of perception, we explore our seeing and sensing not as ‘revealers of truth’ but as ‘arts’ – engaging the materials of our lives with more freedom and exploring an infinite field of richness and meaningfulness. Inquiring into the emotional, ideological, and practical barriers that can prevent this opening, constrain its range, or render it ineffectual for our lives, we trace a path towards more sacredness and beauty. Drawing our hearts onward in devotion, the beauties we encounter in these practices have the power to orient and inspire us during better times and during troubled times too — and can give to everything, including our sufferings, a necessary place.

During this Soulmaking Dharma retreat we have time to learn and deepen the sensitivities, skills and flexibility with working with images, imaginal perception and sensing with soul. We make a home base in practices of kindness throughout this retreat and we also give time to work on deepening skills with our emotions and mind states ( as taught by Rob Burbea in the Boundless Heart retreat). These practices with and for the heart provide a rich and steady platform for Soulmaking Dharma, letting us become more available and attuned to mystical perceptions.

This retreat is for those already familiar with Rob Burbea’s ‘Ways of Looking’ approaches to the Dharma.

PLEASE NOTE: The recordings from the earlier part of the retreat are available to all, and the recordings from the later part of the retreat are being made available to those who attended only.