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“When emptiness is possible, everything is possible.”
Nagarjuna

The Heart Sutra condenses the teachings of the whole of the Buddhist tradition—then smashes it to bits. It takes everything away, everything we know, or everything we think we know, so all that is left is shunyata—boundlessness, openness, emptiness—the absolutely ungraspable and wordless freedom of reality directly experienced.

But what does shunyata really mean? Could the Heart Sutra be a way to approach our meditation practice and in our daily lives? These are the questions we will explore on this retreat, beginning with some concepts, such as the five skandhas, the Heart sutra claims are empty. Practices on the retreat will include: Sitting meditation, reciting, reflecting on, and chanting the sutra, talks and group discussion. Suitable if you're new to the Heart Sutra or very familiar with it.