In the Buddha's Presence: Individuality and Liberation

This four-night Buddhist meditation retreat in Barre, Bahia, Brazil offers a person-centered way into the Dharma. Rather than stressing what is universal in human experience, this study retreat turns to the individual lives of the Buddha's contemporaries, drawing on the Early Buddhist literary tradition. It suits both beginning and experienced practitioners who want to study as well as sit.

Traditional teachings often speak of the human condition in general terms. Here, the focus is on particular people: their talents, their temperaments, and the difficulties they met on the path.

What to Expect

The stories of the Buddha's disciples and contemporaries are the heart of the program. They give an intimate view of the inclinations and psychological patterns of some of the first practitioners, and they show how the Buddha and his disciples responded to each person's particular needs and dispositions. Each life becomes a way of seeing how liberation can be approached from very different starting points.

This is a residential study retreat, with two daily study blocks framed by silent meditation. Sessions combine presentations, small-group work, and large-group discussion.

The days follow a steady rhythm, though times may vary slightly:

- 6:30 am: wake-up
- 7:00 to 7:30 am: morning meditation
- 9:00 am to noon: morning session
- 2:00 to 5:00 pm: afternoon session
- 7:00 to 9:00 pm: evening session

Check-in on the opening day runs from 3:00 to 5:30 pm, and departure on the closing day is between noon and 2:00 pm. The full study days fall between them.

Noble Silence is observed after each evening session and continues through breakfast the next morning, so the evenings settle into quiet and the day begins without conversation.

Before You Go

No prior experience is required. The retreat is open to beginning and experienced practitioners, and it is taught in English.

Included are the study sessions, morning and framing silent meditation, and the residential program from check-in to departure. Payment to the teachers is not part of the registration. Participants are encouraged to offer dāna, the traditional practice of generosity. Extra nights beyond the program dates can be added for a fee per night.

If your plans change, the cancellation policy is tiered. Cancelling more than eight weeks before the start brings a full refund minus an administrative fee. Between three and eight weeks, a 50% refund of the deposit is available. Within three weeks of the start, registration fees are nonrefundable. If you need to cancel, contact the organizers right away.