Seeing That Frees: Exploring the Path of Emptiness

This five-night silent meditation retreat at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies in Barre, Massachusetts, explores the path of emptiness through Rob Burbea's Seeing That Frees. It is an insight meditation retreat in the Buddhist tradition, meant for experienced practitioners who want to move from the foundations of Insight Meditation toward the perception of emptiness, the lack of intrinsic existence in all phenomena.

The retreat is led by the sole active teacher authorized by Rob Burbea to teach the whole of Seeing That Frees. Teaching draws on the book and on Burbea's retreat Meditations on Emptiness.

What to Expect

Burbea describes a gradual path. It begins with the foundations of Insight Meditation and moves toward ways of attending to experience that reduce dukkha and make room for freedom and relief. These ways of looking come from the Buddha and later Buddhist teachers. They may gently relax our usual construction of self and world. Tracking those shifts in perception can open a doorway to insight into the empty nature of phenomena, and to a natural sense of perfection and boundlessness in experience.

Most of the retreat is silent practice. The program is held in noble silence, with daily meditation instructions, dharma talks and some group practice meetings.

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 is on the opening day from 3:00 to 5:30 pm. On the closing day, participants depart between noon and 2:00 pm.

The Setting

The retreat takes place at the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies in Barre, Massachusetts. It is a residential program, so you stay on site for the five nights.

Before You Go

This retreat is suitable for intermediate and advanced practitioners. Two prerequisites apply:

- A regular meditation practice maintained for at least five years
- At least two completed five-night residential retreats

Teachings are in English. If you would like a sense of whether the program suits you, you are welcome to read or listen to Burbea's book and retreat beforehand. It can also help you attune to the spirit of the teaching.

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis, with notification about four weeks after submission. If you hope to attend both retreats with this teacher, note that in your application.

Included are residential program participation, daily meditation instruction, dharma talks and group practice meetings. Payment to the teacher is not included. It is encouraged separately as dana.

If you need to cancel, contact the center right away. A cancellation more than eight weeks before the program starts is eligible for a full refund minus an administrative fee. Between three and eight weeks before, a 50% refund of the deposit is available. Registration fees are nonrefundable less than three weeks before the program starts.