Through the Listening Door, Echoes of Openness. A series of three stand-alone sessions with Pádraig Cotter [online]

Why do you stay in prison when the door is so wide open?

 

Rumi

 

Every sound is sound and emptiness

Like the sound of an echo’s roll

In the reaches of sound and emptiness

Just let go and go where no mind goes

 

Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche,  Self-Appearing Illusion 

 

Dates and Times

Sunday 6th November,  4-5.30 p.m.

Sunday 13th November, 4-5.30 p.m

Sunday 20th November, 4-5.30 p.m.

 

Overview of series:

 

These sessions will present opportunities to explore the sense-door of listening 

as a way to approach the experience of unbound wholeness, present in the heart of all experience.  

Although each meeting is a stand-alone session, they will mutually support and enrich each other. 

 

Practice Outline:

 

As we sensitively tune the organ of listening with a loving, curious attention we may glean insight into how the untrained mind creates unnecessary suffering through grasping and reactivity.

Through softening these habits of grasping and reactivity, awareness can open and incline towards the boundless and immeasurable nature of experience, and the heart can be freed from the prison of dualistic experiencing.

There will be particular emphasis on the practice of listening to the sound of silence, or Nada sound, especially as outlined in Ajahn Amaro’s booklet “Inner Listening- Meditation on the Sound of Silence”.  (A condensed version can be found in this article).

 

Structure of session (approx): 

Opening dedication

Initial reflections (20 mins) 

Meditation (40 minutes),

Responses,Questions,Sharing (20 mins) 

Closing dedication 

 

Booking (by filling out the booking form) is required and a link to the zoom meeting will be sent to the online participants closer to the time.

This course is offered on a Dana (donation) basis only.

Facilitated by Pádraig Cotter.

 

 

 

Pádraig Cotter has been practicing meditation for over twenty years, attending many retreats at centres and monasteries in Europe and Asia.  He has practiced within various spiritual traditions including Christianity, Advaita Vedanta, and various schools of Buddhism, all of which continue to influence him.  Since 2009, he has been a volunteer at Sunyata Buddhist Centre where he was manager in 2011-2012.  He began to teach retreats in 2016.