2025 Summer Retreat at the Sudhana Center
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June 7 - 14, 2025
Program Theme: Deconstructing Reality: Science, Time-Space, and the Illusion of the Self What if everything we believe about time, space, reality, and even our own identity is a construct? This retreat, led by Doug Powers and Bogdan Staszewski, will challenge our assumptions about existence. We will explore the implications of cutting-edge physics, Buddhist philosophy, and phenomenology, not as intellectual exercises but as portals to profound transformation. 1. Time (and Space) Is an Illusion Modern physics has demonstrated that time is not an objective flow but an emergent phenomenon—constantly constructed in the present moment. Through scientific thought experiments and meditation, we will strip away the illusion of a fixed past and an inevitable future, revealing time as an act of perception rather than a fundamental reality. Since the physics teaches that time cannot be separated from 3D space, the entire time-space construct is also an illusion and does not reflect the underlying reality, in the same way an icon on a computer screen (“perception”) does not reveal the corresponding electron movements through transistors in an electronic processor (“reality”). 2. Reality Is Not What We Think Quantum mechanics has shattered the rigid, deterministic, 19th Century worldview, showing that observation shapes existence itself. Yogācāra philosophy similarly teaches that consciousness constructs what we call reality. Phenomenology invites us to look rigorously at our immediate experience. We will look beyond the 19th Century materialist paradigm, engaging in contemplative practices that expose the fluid, interdependent nature of experience. 3. The Self as a Fabrication Who—or what—are we? Neuroscience, physics, and Buddhist insight converge on an unsettling truth: not only the self is an illusion but also is the time-space that we perceive. Using meditation, inquiry, and discussion, we will deconstruct personal identity, replacing static notions of “I” with the direct experience of dynamic, interconnected awareness. |
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Application process: Please fill out the application. Space-permitting, we will follow up with an interview via phone, Zoom, or in person. If you are not admitted to the retreat, your full payment will be refunded. Given the length of the form, you may find it helpful to work on your answers in a separate document and then paste them in.
Retreat Details
When:
June 7, 3:00pm – June 14, 11:00am, 2025
Program:
We will follow a daily schedule of recitation, seated meditation, study and community work. All participants must participate full time and take up residency at Sudhana Center for the whole duration of the retreat to maintain the community atmosphere. Residency will be single room occupancy.
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served. Please note we are unable to accommodate special dietary needs.
Covid-19 Safety Measures:
There will be a COVID test on the day of arrival and testing of the 3rd-day of the retreat. Masks may be required indoors. Participants who test positive or develop symptoms during the retreat may need to return home. We also ask that participants reduce their risk of exposure starting 5 days before the retreat. More details will be shared closer to arrival day.
Retreat Fees:
If you wish, you can donate online to support our programs.
Cancellation Policy:
For cancellations made 10 days prior to arrival day, refunds will be available minus the $25 application fee. Cancellations made less than 10 days before retreat arrival day do not qualify for a refund. Registration is non-transferable.
June 7, 3:00pm – June 14, 11:00am, 2025
Program:
We will follow a daily schedule of recitation, seated meditation, study and community work. All participants must participate full time and take up residency at Sudhana Center for the whole duration of the retreat to maintain the community atmosphere. Residency will be single room occupancy.
Meals:
Breakfast, lunch and dinner will be served. Please note we are unable to accommodate special dietary needs.
Covid-19 Safety Measures:
There will be a COVID test on the day of arrival and testing of the 3rd-day of the retreat. Masks may be required indoors. Participants who test positive or develop symptoms during the retreat may need to return home. We also ask that participants reduce their risk of exposure starting 5 days before the retreat. More details will be shared closer to arrival day.
Retreat Fees:
- Basic Costs: $500
- Pay It Forward: $750 (support others)
If you wish, you can donate online to support our programs.
Cancellation Policy:
For cancellations made 10 days prior to arrival day, refunds will be available minus the $25 application fee. Cancellations made less than 10 days before retreat arrival day do not qualify for a refund. Registration is non-transferable.
Tentative Schedule
5:00-5:50 |
Morning Ceremony |
6:00-6:15 |
Stretching |
6:15-7:00 |
Seated Meditation |
7:00-8:00 |
Breakfast, cleanup, personal time |
8:15-10:00 |
Sutra Study - Lecture |
10:15-11:00 |
Seated Meditation |
11:00-11:15 |
Meal Offering |
11:15-NOON |
Lunch |
12:00-1:45 |
Clean up, personal time |
1:45-2:00 |
Great Compassion Mantra Recitation |
2:00-2:15 |
Stretching |
2:15-3:00 |
Seated Meditation |
3:00-4:00 |
Afternoon Class / Group Discussion |
4:15-5:00 |
Seated Meditation / Dharma 101 |
5:00-6:30 |
Simple Dinner, cleanup, personal time |
6:30-7:30 |
Evening Ceremony |
7:30-9:00 |
Evening Lecture |
9:00-9:30 |
Seated Meditation |
9:30-9:40 |
Three Refuges; Universal Worthy Exhortation |
Other Information
Check-in / Retreat Start Time / Retreat End Date:
Arrival day: Please arrive between 3pm-5pm to check-in and get your room assignment.
Last day: The retreat will end at 11am
Arrival day: Please arrive between 3pm-5pm to check-in and get your room assignment.
Last day: The retreat will end at 11am
Noble Silence:
To maintain an inner and outer environment of concentration, we will observe Noble Silence throughout the retreat. However, participants may speak during discussion periods and lectures, and as-needed during community work.
No Digital Devices:
Please 'unplug' and refrain from using digital technology like cell phones, laptops, tablets and music players during the retreat. This week is a rare opportunity to look deeply into our minds free of the distractions from our devices (while giving others the space to do so as well).
Service as Practice:
Service plays a central role in the overall retreat experience by bringing the Dharma into daily life, supporting others, and creating a sense of community. During the retreat, everyone will be given a simple work duty such as kitchen-prep, cleaning, and dish washing. We hope to foster an environment where work, study, and practice are all integrated into one holistic experience.
Location:
DRBU Sudhana Center
225 South Hope Street in Ukiah, California
Contact Us:
Please email [email protected] if you have any questions.
To maintain an inner and outer environment of concentration, we will observe Noble Silence throughout the retreat. However, participants may speak during discussion periods and lectures, and as-needed during community work.
No Digital Devices:
Please 'unplug' and refrain from using digital technology like cell phones, laptops, tablets and music players during the retreat. This week is a rare opportunity to look deeply into our minds free of the distractions from our devices (while giving others the space to do so as well).
Service as Practice:
Service plays a central role in the overall retreat experience by bringing the Dharma into daily life, supporting others, and creating a sense of community. During the retreat, everyone will be given a simple work duty such as kitchen-prep, cleaning, and dish washing. We hope to foster an environment where work, study, and practice are all integrated into one holistic experience.
Location:
DRBU Sudhana Center
225 South Hope Street in Ukiah, California
Contact Us:
Please email [email protected] if you have any questions.
