INTERNATIONAL
MEDITATION & BUDDHIST
STUDY RETREAT

(CHIANG MAI, THAILAND)

DEVELOPING A LIFE PRACTICE TO ATTAIN THE FIRST STAGE OF ENLIGHTENMENT
19-24 JANUARY 2025

Welcome / Retreat Plan and Schedule - Open Discussion
 
Students will participate in a welcome from our Teacher, David Roylance. David will lead an open discussion to provide Students with an overview of the retreat plan and schedule so that Students can get acquainted with the retreat activities and each other.
 
This is the perfect opportunity to connect with Students who will participate in the retreat and meet new friends while gaining insight into all the retreat classes, events, and activities.
 
Meditation Instruction: Breathing Mindfulness Meditation (Seated, Lying, Standing & Walking)
 
Learn Breathing Mindfulness Meditation in the seated, lying, standing, and walking positions to train the mind to cultivate mindfulness and concentration to attain Enlightenment through The Teachings of Gotama Buddha on The Path to Enlightenment.
 
David will guide you in understanding Breathing Mindfulness Meditation, how to do Breathing Mindfulness Meditation, guide you in doing Breathing Mindfulness Meditation during group meditation sessions, and will accept questions from Students to help you develop your "life practice”.
 
Meditation Instruction: Loving-kindness Meditation (Seated, Lying, & Standing)
 
Learn Loving-kindness Meditation to eliminate anger, hatred, ill will, resentment, negative self talk, and other discontent feelings associated with the unEnlightened mind.
 
David will help you understand "What is Loving-kindness Meditation", how it can help you, and how to do Loving-kindness Meditation during guided group meditation sessions of Loving-kindness Meditation.

Meditation Instruction: Meditation to Realize Non-self (Seated)

As you progress on The Path to Enlightenment, you will eventually need to learn The Universal Truth of Non-self and that there is no permanent self, in order to realize “non-self” eradicating the fetter/taint of “personal existence view”. Non-self is a Teaching you need to understand but more importantly, it’s a realization that you need to attain as part of “The Path” to attain Enlightenment at any stage.

David will help you to understand the Meditation to Realize Non-self and how this can propel you towards eliminating the fetter/taint/pollution of mind described as "personal existence view" during guided group meditation sessions.
 
Buddhist Chanting
 
Buddhist chanting has been used throughout multiple generations to orally remember The Teachings of The Buddha. Each generation of Practitioners have learned specific chants and practiced those in the Pāli language as a way of sharing The Teachings of The Buddha with the next generation through the oral tradition.
 
Today, these Teachings are in the English language in multiple formats including written format so there is no need to learn chanting as a way to remember The Teachings in the Pāli language. But, Practitioners can still learn these traditional chants as a way to develop mindfulness, concentration, memory, and to ease the mind in and out of meditation sessions gaining more benefit in each meditation.
 
David will help you develop your Buddhist chanting practice through group chanting prior to and after each meditation session.
 
Life Story of Gotama Buddha
 
Learn the life story of Siddhartha Gotama, who eventually becomes known as Gotama Buddha or “The Buddha".
 
David will share a detailed recounting of The Buddha’s birth, early life, journey to Enlightenment, teaching career, and what motivated him to discover The Teachings that lead to Enlightenment.
 
Enlightenment: What is “Enlightenment”?
 
Enlightenment is attained gradually over time through learning and practicing The Buddha’s Teachings so that you can observe truth that will allow you to acquire wisdom.
 
But what is Enlightenment?
 
David will help you to understand the mental state of Enlightenment, how to progress on The Path to Enlightenment, and how to attain Enlightenment.

The Four Noble Truths: Establishing Right View
 
For anyone interested to explore and study The Path to Enlightenment, one must begin with a deep understanding of The Four Noble Truths.
 
The Four Noble Truths is the first discourse offered by The Buddha as his very first Teaching upon him attaining Enlightenment as The Fully Perfectly Enlightened Buddha.
 
The Four Noble Truths is the core understanding required to establish “Right View”. Right View gives a Practitioner’s mind the foundation in which to apply all the other Teachings and practices taught by The Buddha. A Practitioner would have no ability to attain Enlightenment unless they learned, reflected, and practiced The Four Noble Truths to establish “Right View”.
 
David will share The Four Noble Truths explaining the noble truth of discontentedness, the noble truth of the cause of discontentedness, the noble truth of the elimination of discontentedness, the noble truth of the way leading to the elimination of discontentedness to help you establish Right View.
 
Transforming The Three Poisons: Craving, Anger, and Ignorance
 
The Buddha’s Teachings to eliminate, craving, anger, and ignorance (unknowing of true reality) are known, for good reason, as The Three Poisons, The Three Unwholesome Roots, and The Three Fires. Also known as, greed, hatred, and delusion.
 
These are The Three Poisons that exist and are present in the mind as part of rebirth into the human realm. It is our goal, through these Teachings, to eliminate these Three Poisons through practice of non-craving or generosity, non-anger or loving-kindness, and non-ignorance or wisdom. To attain Enlightenment, one would need to completely eliminate The Three Poisons.
 
David will help you understand The Three Poisons, how they cause you problems in life, and how to eliminate them from the mind.

The Eight Fold Path: The Path for All Humans to Enlightenment
 
The Buddha gave us “The Path” forward to pursuing our own Enlightenment as The Eight Fold Path. In his explanation of The Eight Fold Path, we learn exactly how to attain Enlightenment through a life practice or a better way of life.
 
The Eight Fold Path is the way to completely eliminate all discontentedness from the mind. You will need a detailed and thorough understanding and practice of The Eight Fold Path to attain Enlightenment.
 
Using The Words of The Buddha, David will share The Eight Fold Path in detail helping you to deeply understand each individual step to develop your life practice and progress towards Enlightenment.
 
The Five Precepts: A Householder's Guide to Daily Practice
 
The Buddha gave us guidance to conduct life without harm to other beings or ourselves. This is titled “The Five Precepts”.

These are not commandments nor rules to follow, rather how to ensure you are not causing harm to others or yourself. By causing harm to others, we cause harm to ourselves by the Natural Law of Kamma. Through practice of these precepts, you will drastically eliminate unwholesome Kamma production and, thus, experience a more peaceful and content existence.
 
The Buddha’s Teachings are not to control an individual nor dictate what they should or should not do. But instead, provide guidance that when practiced will lead to Enlightenment, liberation of the mind, a peaceful and content mind and, thus, a peaceful and content life.
 
David will help you understand what The Buddha taught regarding The Five Precepts and how to apply them to your daily life in modern times.
 
What is Kamma and How Does It Affect Me?
 
All of Gotama Buddha’s Teachings center on the importance of “not doing any harm”. By doing harm to other beings, we do harm to ourselves because of The Natural Law of Kamma.
 
But what is Kamma? Is it really as mystical and magical as some people say?
 
David will demystify The Natural Law of Kamma and help you understand "What is Kamma and How Does It Affect Me?".
 
What is Merit?
 
Merit is an important Teaching to understand as it relates to The Path to Enlightenment. Merit is thought of as a unique type of wholesome Kamma.
 
A Practitioner would be unable to attain Enlightenment without understanding "What is Merit?" and without producing merit.
 
David will help you understand what is merit, why it is beneficial, and how to create merit.
 
Understanding & Experiencing the Jhānas: The Light Bulb is Flickering
 
The Jhānas are preliminary phases the mind goes through as it is nearing closer to the first Stage of Enlightenment providing an indication that your life practice is starting to come together. Every Practitioner who progresses to Enlightenment will need to progress through the Jhānas. But, how do you attain the Jhānas and move into the first Stage of Enlightenment?
 
David will help you to understand what the Jhānas are and how to attain them and, know when you have attained them so that you can continue your journey through the Jhānas and to Enlightenment.
 
Understanding Human Beings: The Five Aggregates & The Six Sense Bases
 
To attain the first Stage of Enlightenment, a Practitioner will need to understand The Five Aggregates and The Six Sense Bases. This will help a Practitioner to eliminate the fetters/taints/pollutions of mind described as “personal existence view” and “sensual desire”. Without an understanding of The Five Aggregates and The Six Sense Bases, a Practitioner would be unable to attain the first Stage of Enlightenment or progress to Enlightenment.
 
These important Teachings provide a deeper understanding of a human being and what is leading to continued and repeated discontentedness in the mind. With a deep understanding of the problems faced by human beings and what is causing discontent feelings, as it relates to The Five Aggregates and The Six Sense Bases, then a Practitioner can focus on implementing the solutions to experience the results.
 
David will guide you in deeply understanding The Five Aggregates and The Six Sense Bases so that you are able to progress to the first Stage of Enlightenment and beyond, on your way to Enlightenment.
 
Discontentedness and Rebirth: Dependent Origination as The Highest Law of Nature
 
Gotama Buddha shared The Four Noble Truths which explains the problem of the unEnlightened mind, the cause, the elimination, and the path leading to the elimination of the problem in the unEnlightened mind which focuses on craving/desire/attachment at its core. But, it is his Teaching on Dependent Origination that fully explains, in detail, exactly what the twelve (12) interconnecting links are that cause all the problems in the unEnlightened mind and what leads to rebirth in The Cycle of Rebirth.
 
A Practitioner who has attained the first Stage of Enlightenment will understand, in detail, The Teaching of Dependent Origination.
 
David will teach you Dependent Origination as “The Highest Law of Nature” so that you will fully and deeply understand the causes and conditions that lead to discontentedness in the unEnlightened mind and what leads to rebirth in The Cycle of Rebirth.
 
Right View: Developing Accomplishment in View to Attain The First Stage of Enlightenment
 
The Eight Fold Path is, “The” Path to Enlightenment. The very first step towards the attainment of Enlightenment on The Eight Fold Path is to “establish Right View”. Without first establishing Right View, a Practitioner would have no ability to make significant progress on The Path to Enlightenment or attain Enlightenment.
 
It is The Four Noble Truths that helps a Practitioner to first start establishing Right View. However, there are additional Teachings beyond The Four Noble Truths that allows a Practitioner to acquire “accomplishment in view”.
 
David will explain how to develop "accomplishment in view”, through The Words of The Buddha, so that you can ensure you deeply understand and are practicing Right View which is needed to progress to the first Stage of Enlightenment.
 
Eliminating The Pollution of Personal Existence View: Getting “The Self” Out of The Way
 
To attain the first Stage of Enlightenment, a Practitioner will need to eliminate the fetter/taint/pollution of mind described as “personal existence view”. The Buddha provided Teachings on The Universal Truth of Non-self to guide Practitioners to eliminate “personal existence view”.
 
David will teach you what is “personal existence view”, how it is complicating your interactions with others inhibiting harmony in relationships, and how by eliminating it one can reside more peaceful. He will guide you in understanding how to eliminate “personal existence view” from the mind and how to determine when it is eliminated, so that one is able to progress to the first Stage of Enlightenment and beyond.
 
Eliminating The Pollution of Doubt: Mastering Confidence and Development of Wisdom
 
A Practitioner who starts off on The Path to Enlightenment most likely has a certain amount of “doubt” about whether these Teachings lead to Enlightenment or if Enlightenment is actually even “real”. As one develops their “life practice” on The Path to Enlightenment, a Practitioner will need to eliminate the fetter/taint/pollution of mind described as “doubt”. However, this is not accomplished through belief or blind faith. Instead, there are specific Teachings of how to eliminate “doubt” from the mind through mastering confidence and developing wisdom.
 
David will teach you what is “doubt”, how it is hindering your progress on The Path to Enlightenment, and how by eliminating it one can continue their forward progress to the first Stage of Enlightenment and beyond.
 
Eliminating The Pollution of Wrong Behavior and Observances: Mastering Moral Conduct and Elimination of Superstition
 
During the life of Gotama Buddha, there were countless practices being taught and employed by various Teachers that could be considered rites, rituals, ceremonies, and worship. These practices did not lead to Enlightenment so Gotama Buddha helped guide his Students to understanding how to train the mind to progress to Enlightenment without rites, rituals, ceremonies, and worship. He also taught moral conduct that would lead to a practice of harmlessness through our intentions, speech, actions, and livelihood so that no harm would be returned to you.
 
David will teach you what is “wrong behavior and observances”, how it is an obstacle to experiencing Enlightenment, and how by eliminating it one can experience improved results in their personal and professional relationships while bringing the mind into the first Stage of Enlightenment and beyond.
 
How to Determine If You Have Attained The First Stage of Enlightenment?
 
This retreat is dedicated to guiding Practitioners to develop the understanding and wisdom needed to progress to the first Stage of Enlightenment. Through attaining the first Stage of Enlightenment, a Practitioner will ultimately be able to attain Enlightenment in this life or in a future life. A Practitioner who attains the first Stage of Enlightenment is destine to attain Enlightenment. Once the mind is in the first Stage of Enlightenment, the mind will not regress and instead, will experience significant improvements to what one experienced prior to embarking on the journey to Enlightenment.
 
But, how do you know if you have attained the first Stage of Enlightenment?
 
David will teach you how to determine if you have attained the first Stage of Enlightenment and what will be experienced by the Practitioner when the mind is residing in this attainment.
 
Daily Activities / Free Time / Excursions
 
There are daily activities, free time, and excursions built into the retreat plan where you are welcome to enjoy an activity with other retreat participants by planning your own activities during the free time or participate in one of the suggested activities recommended at the retreat. You are also welcome to spend time at the retreat meditating, reading, eating food, or just relaxing. The free time is for you to reflect on The Teachings being shared and implement them into your daily interactions, while getting to know new friends and enjoying local activities that you choose.
 
You are also welcome to spend time in personal discussion with the Teacher through seeking support with specific challenges you are experiencing in life and how to apply these Teachings in your life.
 
Lunch & Dinners
 
Students will have a full range of restaurants to eat meals or are welcome to bring their own food. Students will need to support the cost of their own meals.
 
Closing Group Discussion with Questions & Answers
 
David will lead a closing group discussion providing the opportunity for Students to ask any remaining questions from all the talks in the retreat receiving answers to any questions that still remain.