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TAT June 2019 Spiritual Retreat Weekend

TAT's June 2019 Spiritual Retreat
Between You and the Infinite


Friday through Sunday
June 14-16, 2019
at the Claymont Society Great Barn, WV


Between You and the Infinite Photo: Paul Schmidt

God, Truth, Reality, True Nature, and a myriad of other terms have been used throughout the ages to express what we long for. What obstacles stand in the way of realizing something so deeply emblazoned within us? How can we identify these hurdles? Are they worth our credence and attention? This weekend provides an opportunity to find common threads and strategies for overcoming what seemingly stands in our way, or to discover that it never did.

Our weekend together creates an atmosphere in which our heart and mind might open wide to a simple answer behind our most profound question. We hope this TAT spiritual retreat will be an intimate gathering where seekers as well as finders join together to help each other, while sharing their stories, their successes, their struggles. We aim to foster an environment where the bonds of true friendship and spiritual community will be formed and renewed.

Meet our presenters:

  Don Oakley: Coming Home (aka The End of Seeking)

Don is the author of It's Time to Wake Up Now: The Top Ten Myths That Can Hijack Spiritual Awakening, a five-star rated book on Amazon. He is also the Founding Director of the Well Being Retreat Center in Tazewell, TN where he leads monthly retreats of meditation and inquiry. Don's 50-year journey culminated through intensive studies with Eckhart Tolle and Adyashanti. (He now serves as a Director of Adya's Open Gate Sangha.)

Don and his wife Patty live in Tennessee. Brief videos and longer audios of his extemporaneous talks may be found on Don Oakley's YouTube channel.

  Eshwar Segobind: What's in the Way?

Eshwar's spiritual path is remarkable both for its brevity and for the depth of practical insight he manifests. In less than a year, Eshwar went from a recovery program to a profound spiritual awakening to his true nature. He is happy to speak to those with sincere questions and does not charge for his time. Listen to Shawn Nevins' recent podcast interview of Eshwar Segobind, hosted by SpiritualTeachers.org.

Eshwar and his family live in Pennsylvania.

  Additionally, during the weekend there will be Group Inquiry, rapport, and meditation sittings.

The registration deadline for the June Spiritual Retreat is Sunday, June 9th.

Weekend Schedule

Friday, June 14, 2019

Helping others and being helped on the spiritual path Photo: Phil Franta

  3:00 to 5:00 PM - Special Session: Knowing What You're Not
A small number of people will be participating in a self-inquiry retreat at Claymont during Monday through Friday preceding the regular TAT weekend gathering. The theme is "Knowing What You're Not," which is inspired by Nisargadatta's recommended path in I Am That.

Anyone attending the TAT weekend is welcome to sit in on the final retreat session on Friday from 3:00 to 5:00 PM. The session will be a wrap-up for participants to discuss whether "the very act of perceiving shows that you are not what you perceive" and to describe their discoveries-to-date of what they are not—and then join us for a spaghetti dinner at 6:00 PM. We need to know how much spaghetti to cook, so if you would like to attend this special session, please .

  5:00 to 7:30 PM - Set-up, arrivals, and dinner on your own

  7:30 to 9:00 PM - Welcome and evening interactive session
Our Friday evening session will ease everyone into the weekend through this special opportunity to connect with others and become acquainted in small groups.

  9:00 PM to ? - Free time; informal discussion

Saturday, June 15, 2019

  7:30 to 8:00 AM - Optional group meditation with Don Oakley. Don will use the physicality of the body to experientially lead us into the direct perception and exploration of spacious awareness and will then drop that awareness into stillness.

  8:00 to 9:30 AM - Potluck continental breakfast and open discussion

  9:30 to 9:45 AM - Welcome and introduction

  9:45 to 10:45 AM - Coming Home (aka The End of Seeking) by Don Oakley
We seek what we presume is not already present here and now. As is. Therefore, we look in the non-existent realms of there and then by adopting the next spiritual concept, reading the next book, following the next guru, engaging in a practice with the belief (hope) of some future attainment, etc. This outward journeying is common and perhaps necessary. However, when those roads are explored fully and fulfillment has not yet been realized, the Coming Home phase of spirituality becomes possible. Don's presentation will involve a direct pointing to that which is already present, the recognition of which is the End of Seeking. (PS: the journey continues, but the lack-driven sense of seeking will have ceased.)

  10:45 to 11:00 AM - Break

  11:00 to 11:45 AM - Q&A with Don

  Noon to 1:30 PM - Potluck lunch and open discussion

  1:30 to 3:30 PM - Breakout groups for self-inquiry led by Leesa Williams, Art Ticknor, Bob Cergol, Mike Gegenheimer, and Paul Constant.

  3:30 to 4:30 PM - Free time, with optional movement session

  4:30 to 5:30 PM - Break

  5:30 to 6:30 PM - Potluck dinner and open discussion

  6:30 to 7:30 PM - What's in the Way? by Eshwar Segobind
"You want to realize this stuff yourself. I would just say...leave everything behind. Don't go looking for it anywhere else. There are just a very few pointers. You come in touch with something within yourself that will always guide you. People follow some of this stuff for 20 or 30 years, they build up such an incredible idea of what this is supposed to be, and it's so simple that it's completely overlooked." ~ Eshwar Segobind, podcast interview, January 2019

Seekers of ultimate truth speak of blocks and barriers to self-realization, but what is really in the way, and is it really there? Investigating our ability to apprehend what even could stand between ourselves and our true nature is the starting point for realizing we may already be home. Investigating our beliefs includes challenging our faith in our own shortcomings, and involves an honoring of our ignorance that extends to our doubts. Seeing through these perceived roadblocks may be both the beginning and the end of the journey. Eshwar will discuss his own path, pitfalls, and perseverance.

  7:30 to 7:45 PM - Break

  7:45 to 8:30 PM - Q&A with Eshwar

  8:45 to 9:15 PM - Rapport Sitting with Art Ticknor and Bob Cergol
Rapport means "harmonious relation," which is allowing yourself to open up through rapport with others, your self, and with what is. It is the meaning behind the saying: "Where two or more are gathered in my name, there I am present." Art and Bob will co-facilitate this session.

  9:00 PM to ? - Free time; informal discussion

Sunday, June 16, 2019

  7:30 to 8:00 AM - Optional group meditation with Paul Constant

  8:00 to 9:00 AM - Potluck continental breakfast and open discussion

  9:00 to 10:00 AM - Seeker Sessions and Q&A
We'll hear from several seekers who have come forward, willing to share their stories, trials, and triumphs with us all in hopes of helping and being helped. They will share their personal stories, tips, and discoveries on the spiritual path.

  10:00 to 10:15 AM - Break / check out of Great Barn rooms

  10:15 to 11:30 AM - Richard Rose's "Obstacles to Transcendental Efforts"
"This is what I call running between the raindrops. I put in quite a few years before I reached an Experience and came to a conclusion. And looking backward, I could see the many things that held me up, which I couldn't see at the time." ~ Richard Rose, public lecture in Cleveland, Ohio, 1974

Using small groups, we'll dive into Richard Rose's "Obstacles to Transcendental Efforts" from The Albigen Papers to help identify and overcome common hurdles to spiritual realization.

  11:30 AM to Noon - Weekend wrap-up and feedback for future TAT events

  Noon to 1:30 PM - Potluck lunch and open discussion

  1:30 PM - Clean up and adjourn

Location, Facilities, and Lodging

Claymont's Great Barn meeting room Claymont's Great Barn meeting room

The event is being held at the Claymont Society's Great Barn near Charles Town in the eastern panhandle of West Virginia. The Great Barn's presence mixes perfectly with 350 private acres of forests and farmland. Sleeping accommodations include a mixture of single and double beds with dormitory style bathrooms. Claymont provides towels and bed linens for overnight guests (guests make and strip their own beds). During the registration process, we will do our best to accommodate room preferences, but all guests should expect to share sleeping quarters and bathrooms with other participants.

The Claymont Society Great Barn is located at 667 Huyett Road, Charles Town, WV 25414. Claymont is 50 miles/60 minutes from the Dulles International Airport near Washington D.C. Travel directions to Great Barn.

 

Costs

The June Spiritual Retreat fees per person for TAT members are as follows (note that we raised our fees by $10 for 2019 due to increased venue costs):

The non-member fees per person are:

Full-time students should contact for information on discounted registration fees.

American Express Discover MasterCard VisaUse PayPal to pay with these credit cards (PayPal account not necessary). PayPal is "fast, free and secure" and allows payment by credit card or electronic withdrawal from a bank account. Checks (in U.S. dollars, drawn on a U.S. bank) or money orders (domestic only) made payable to the TAT Foundation are also accepted if received by the registration deadline.

Support TAT by becoming a Regular, Sustaining, or Lifetime Member.
Visit our membership page for information about TAT memberships.

Registration Fees*

Please enter your name and email address in the boxes below and select your meal preference from the drop-down list:

Name:

Email:

Vegetarian meals?

From the drop-down list below, select the registration fee that applies to you. Select "no lodging" if you will either camp on site or arrange off-site lodging on your own.

Fee:

Note: If cost is a serious issue that will make or break your attendance, please let us know. We do not want someone to refrain from attending for reasons of cost.

2019 TAT Membership - $40*

Become a TAT member for $40 and register at the discounted member prices. Or, renew your annual membership. See details on our membership page.

Name:

Email:


* The TAT Foundation hosts four public events each year. Registration fees vary depending on the event location. Because we are an all-volunteer organization, please allow up to 5 business days before receiving confirmation of your payment. See our membership overview or email if you have questions about registration fees.

Space is limited, so registration is required. The deadline for registration is Sunday, June 9th. Upon receipt of your registration, you will receive information on the location, facilities, and meals. You may cancel your registration on or before June 9th and receive a refund, minus the PayPal transaction fee. Cancellations after June 9th will not be refunded. Because ADA-compliant facilities are limited, persons with a disability should contact before registering.

 

Meals

Meals are potluck style for Saturday and Sunday continental breakfasts, Saturday and Sunday lunches, and Saturday dinner. We ask that each event participant bring 2 items, totaling about $15. A good rule of thumb is to bring enough food to serve 7 people with each item. All meals are included for non-members. Sorry, we cannot reduce fees for those who prefer to bring their own food. TAT will provide coffee and tea.

 

Off-Site Lodging

For those who register using the alternative (off-site) lodging option, the following overnight accommodations are located near the Claymont Society:

For more information...

email:
TAT Foundation
P.O. Box 873
Mechanicsburg, PA 17055-8873
(336) 933-0295

What is the TAT Foundation?

A group encouraging people to think rather than believe. A group determined to help people find ways and means to answer their deepest philosophical questions. A gathering of friends who are not afraid to be honest with one another. An island of hope and sanity (or at least the hope for sanity!). Last, but not least, TAT is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational organization chartered in 1973.

 

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