When the mind becomes quiet and clear, we can better understand the subtleties of the Buddha’s teaching and more clearly experience its relationship to our lives. Through silent meditation and inquiry guided by Shugen Roshi, we'll examine our moment-to-moment experience of holding on, and how this constricts and binds the mind and body. We'll also examine how in letting go, we become more relaxed, spacious and flexible. Roshi will begin the retreat with a short talk on the practice of desires drawing on Having Few Desires, one of the Buddha's teachings on the Eight Awarenesses. He'll speak to how zazen can be a powerful way for us to see and understand our binding desires clearly, so that we can release ourselves, without coercion, from their grasp. We’ll then spend the morning examining this more directly within silent meditation. Roshi will then lead a mondo (informal discussion) inviting participants to bring forth their questions, struggles and insight so we can learn from each other. The afternoon will begin with a teaching on Knowing How to Be Satisfied, another of the Eight Awarenesses, to examine positive desires and how to nurture these without becoming attached. Desires most often lead to dissatisfaction and disappointment. […]