Winter Retreat Uposatha Programs 2024

"Practicing for Stream Entry"

The Dhammadharini community will be in retreat for the Winter rainy season, from January 8th to March 31st —  a three month time for silence and deeper practice. We warmly welcome you to join along with the monastic community, and experience the benefits of this practice opportunity.

We encourage everyone who can to join in undertaking a practice commitment together during this year's winter retreat, from near and far, wherever you are. We invite you to commit to a practice for this time - this could be as small or as large as you wish. If your life circumstances allow, you are invited to follow along with the Dhammadharini community for the full retreat, joining our online teachings together.

In support of this, we will offer monthly Uposatha moon day teachings throughout the winter retreat, especially for those who join in the practice commitment together.

Since the Buddha’s time, on the Full Moon and New Moon days, monastics and householders have gathered on the Uposatha. The monastics recite their precepts and listen to Dhamma talks, and dedicated lay practitioners undertake the Three Refuges and Eight Uposatha Precepts for one day, including evening fasting, celibacy and abstaining from adornment and entertainment. They have a daylong retreat, spending the day in sustained mindfulness and meditation, and listening to Dhamma teachings.

On each Uposatha day, there will be two offerings. We encourage you to join live on Zoom, or on YouTube, or as much and as often as you can:

• 7:00 - 8:00 am: Three Refuges and the Eight Uposatha Precepts, followed by a guided meditation
• 7:00 - 9:00 pm: Full Moon Night Meditation, Dhamma Reflection, and Dhamma Discussion

The times above are given in Pacific Standard Time for California, USA. Please use a time zone converter for your local times. All of the events will be live on Zoom, and also streamed on YouTube.com | Dhammadharini Monastery, and Facebook.com/Dhammadharini  so you can watch at your suitable time.

In between these online sessions, you will be invited to continue your meditation and mindfulness throughout the day.

Thursday 1/25  "Practicing in Accord with the Dhamma"

The Phussa Puṇṇamī (Pausha Purnima) Duruthu Poya Full Moon Day marks the successful teaching of the “Fire Sermon,” the Adittapariyaya Sutta, and the increase of the Sangha to 2,500; the return to Magadha, when King Bimbisara and many people became Buddhists; the offering of the first Monastery.

In Sri Lanka: Duruthu Poya marks the Buddha's pacifying of a dispute between tribes warring over the jeweled throne; the Buddha's first visit to Kelaniya; the Offering of the Mahiyangana Cetiya; and the Pilgrimage Season to Sri Pada.

Sunday 2/25:  "The Arising of the Dhamma Eye"

The Magha Full Moon is known as Magha Puja and "Sangha Day" in Southeast Asian Theravada traditions and “Buddhist All Saints Day” in Sri Lanka.  The first commemorates the appointment of Sariputta (Sariyuth) and Moggallana (Mugalan) as the first two chief disciples (Aggasavakes) of Gautama Buddha. Navam Poya also commemorates the completion of the first-ever Buddhist Council, which had been launched after the Buddha’s Parinibbana. These three events mark the transition from the Buddha as the one and only leader and preceptor of the Sangha, to Arahant Sangha leadership (then to Sangha leadership).

It also marks the announcement of the impending Parinibbana of the Buddha and that of his stepmother, Mahapajapati Gotami. The Buddha visited and taught at places across Northern India, from the Vulture’s peak above Rajagaha to Kusinara (Kushinagar) where he entered into Parinibbana three months later.  Mahapajapati Gotami taught the Dhamma to her assembled disciples for the next seven days, leading up to her Parinibbana on the following lunar quarter with her assembly of 500 Bhikkhuni companions.

On this day, the Uposatha program will be in addition to our regular Sunday program, so there will be sessions at 7am, 9am, 1pm, and 7pm.

We will offer a Meditation Daylong Honoring the Parinibbana of Mahapajapati Gotami & the Courageous Five Hundred, on March 3, you may register separately for that event.

Monday 3/25: "The Character of the Stream Enterer"

The Phagguṇa Punnamī (Phālguna Purnima) Medin Poya Day Full Moon,  marks the Buddha's First Return to Kapilavastu, AND Mahāpajāpatī Gotamī & Suddhodana Rāja’s Stream Entry Day. In the East Asian Buddhist traditions this day is celebrated as "Sakyamuni Buddha Parinirvāna Day."  This date has recently been unearthed in old manuscripts of Southeast Asia as the date of the Buddha’s former wife, Bhaddā Kaccāyanā Rāhulamātā Yasodharā's Parinibbāna — so this year will be a launching of awareness. This can be an enormously powerful time period for reflecting on Nibbāna!

Note that, during the winter retreat, the Sangha will also be continuing to offer the regular Sunday and Tuesday programs.

You may register for these programs here:

• Sunday morning guided meditation and Q&A
• Sunday afternoon Sutta Study
• Tuesday evening meditation and Dhamma talk

We hope that you will be able to join us in our three month long winter retreat practice, by following our schedule of teachings and practicing from your monastery, home, or wherever you may be.

For information on offering Dāna of requisites to the Bhikkhunīs and/or supporting our Dhammadharini teachers and monastic  community, welcome to see the Dhammadharini Support Foundation page on dhammadharini.net