Conscious Living, Conscious Dying -
Cultivating the Buddha’s Teachings on Non-Self
A 3-Day Meditation Retreat
Ginny Morgan
August 15 - 17, 2008
(Friday 10 am till Sunday 5 pm)
About this retreat: Seneca, a Roman philosopher, has said that when we practice dying, we unlearn slavery. But what was the enslavement that he was referring to? The Buddha has answered that inquiry by pointing toward the enslavement that contains us when we continually create a mind made “little me” that harasses us with its demands, its beliefs of how things should look, and its constant vigilant need to control.
The Buddha’s deeper teachings are about waking up beyond the parameters of this “me.” They gently point us toward the ability to walk free of the constant unsatisfactoriness and wishing-otherwise that pervade our lives. We learn to see through the ego’s constant demands and learn to die into each moment just as it is. In this way we learn to really live.
In this retreat we will explore the Buddha’s teachings on anatta or non-self. We will inquire into the boundaries of who it is that we believe ourselves to be in order to deeply discover who we really are. This retreat is suitable for beginners well as for established practitioners.
About the 
teacher: Ginny Morgan lives in Columbia, Missouri. She is a guiding teacher for Show Me Dharma Center and the former President of the Board of Mid-America Dharma, the emerging retreat center for the Midwest area. After working as a play therapist for acutely and chronically ill children for many years, she has shifted her focus to Dharma teaching, and to working exclusively for Dharma activities. She has studied with Ram Dass, Munindra-ji, Matthew Flickstein, and teachers from Insight Meditation Society and Spirit Rock Meditation Center.
Cost: $250 per person covers seven vegetarian, mostly vegan meals and two nights lodging in a private room with a full bath. The teachings are offered freely in the tradition of Dana, with appreciation for financial contributions from participants in support of the teacher and the supporting organization. Partial scholarships are available.
Location The Franciscan Center is a wonderfully quiet setting for deepening one's meditation practice. With eight acres of beautiful riverfront grounds, this facility offers each participant a private room with full bath, a quiet meditation hall and ample indoor and outdoor space for walking meditation. The facility is fully staffed, which means no "yogi chores" for meditators, like dish washing or cleaning, . . . just a few days of deep silence to focus inward and deepen one's meditation practice. The center is wheelchair friendly. Below is a map to the center.
Registration Deadline: August 8. Refunds will be made in full when requested before this deadline, after which only partial refunds, if any, can be made. Directions and detailed information will be sent upon receipt of the registration form. It is our hope that financial considerations will not prevent anyone from attending this retreat. Some funds are available for partial scholarships, and a deferred payment plan can be arranged. However, the minimum deposit of $100 is required to hold your space. You may pay any balance on the first day of the retreat.
