Three-Day Enlightenment Intensive - March 26 - 30, 2007
Who says words with my mouth? Who looks out of my eyes? I cannot stop asking. - Rumi
In March of 2008, the Chief Instructor of Aikido of Madison, John Stone, will be leading a three and a half day Enlightenment Intensive at Bethel Horizons, located just outside of Dodgeville. Anyone interested in consciousness work, enlightenment, spirituality, meditation or self-discovery should consider attending.
What is an enlightenment intensive?
Enlightenment intensives are a form of residential retreat whose purpose is to help you discover that which you have always wanted to know, that which you most deeply desire - the truth of who you are. Enlightenment intensives are not easy, but the discovery of who you really are is priceless and worth every effort.
Enlightenment Intensives are unique. They belong to no tradition, though they have their roots in the same soil that all the great traditions have grown from - humanity's longing for realization, for awakening, for enlightenment. And they have no doctrine, no ready-made map that explains how the truth looks, how it will taste, what you will see when you wake up. For the fact of the matter is that you do not need anyone to tell you the truth. You are the truth you seek and only you can discover this for yourself. What enlightenment intensives do is place you in an environment in which you can open to the truth and in which you can let the truth reveal itself to you.
The enlightenment intensive centers around inquiry into the nature of the self or life. For three days, everyone contemplates a question - usually "Who am I?” for first-timers. The power of the inquiry lies in partner-assisted contemplation: about 12 times a day people engage in exercises with a partner where they take turns. One persons contemplates his or her question and then communicates the result of the contemplation to his or her partner, who receives the communication silently and without judgment. After fives minutes, they reverse roles. This continues for 40 minutes.
The aim of the inquiry is to have a direct experience of the truth, what is sometimes called an “enlightenment experience.” The Zen terms for these experiences are "kensho" or "satori." Other traditions might speak of "union" or "mystical knowing."
The staff provides complete support so the you are not distracted from your contemplation. Meals, cleanup, sleeping arrangements - all of that is taken care of for you.
Enlightenment Intensives are given all over the world and have proven to be a powerful method of self-discovery.
The Intensive proper starts Wednesday evening at 8 PM and ends Saturday evening at 9 PM. There will also be an integration period Sunday to ease your re-entry into everyday life.
The fee for the intensive, including food and lodging, is $325 if received in full by March 1. After that, the fee will be $375.
To register send an email to John. You can also consult this website: www.heartland-ei.com.
Enlightenment and Martial Arts