TAT 2013 November Gathering

Friday through Sunday, November 8-10
The Question that drives you

Our actions are responses to our life experience. Some actions are more intentional or planned than others, and some are aimed at more immediate results than others. The impetus behind any action could be described in question form, although we generally don't bother to do so for quick-results actions. For example, we could respond to a hunger feeling by phrasing the prompt: "What would satisfy this hunger?" The answer to that question might be the picture-, smell- or taste-memory of a pizza. The prompt that leads to the next step in our response could be phrased: "How can I get the pizza?" And so on.

What about a hunger that's more abstract and may require long-term action to satisfy? What if our hunger is for meaning, unconditional love, truth, reality, self-knowing or realization? In that case, we may want and need to respond in a more conscious way to both the feeling that's driving us and how to conceptualize it in question form.

The word koan has taken on the popular Zen meaning of an irrational question such as "What is the sound of one hand clapping?" that could be used to provoke a condition of great doubt. But it goes back to the law courts in Tang Dynasty in China, where a gong'an referred to a tough case for a magistrate to decide. And the penalty of a faulty decision was that the magistrate suffered the penalty that he had imposed on the accused. In many cases, it was a question of life or death. Doesn't the core question of every person come down to the issue of existence?

When we take all our life-actions into consideration, what primary drive are they trying to satisfy? If we want to increase our chances of fully satisfying that primary drive, would it make sense to pay more attention to the feeling of it, our interpretations of it, and how we could phrase it to ourselves in question form - in effect finding and working with our personal koan? Does it take great doubt to arrive at certainty?

Featuring:

  Anima Pundeer - for a sample of Anima's writing, read Finish what you start.

  Gary Weber - longtime meditation practitioner and author of Happiness Beyond Thought: A Practical Guide to Awakening and Dancing Beyond Thought: Bhagavad Gita Verses and Dialogues on Awakening. http://happiness-beyond-thought.com.

  Yoga instructor, healing arts teacher Laura Chalfant www.laurachalfant.com.

  Meg Miller - a practicing psychologist for over 25 years. Though traditionally trained and originally devoted to helping people solve their emotional problems in order to be happy in their lives, she now sees psychological work as necessary only to the degree that old wounds and ways of being kidnap us and block us from seeing what we really are.

  Dave Weimer - author of A Handyman's Common Sense Guide to Spiritual Seeking. "Other people have their own prime questions; mine was, What is the meaning of life? I didn't mean the meaning of my life. I wanted to know the meaning of everything. I wanted to know, What? What? What? What is this all about?...I was made to ask this question."

  Dean Nelson - Read True Desire an article based on his thought-provoking TAT presentation last year.

  Veteran rapport facilitator Paul Constant.

  Valuable opportunities to pursue or clarify the question that drives you: Meditation Walks, ample One-on-One Discussion Opportunities with teachers and presenters, and Group Meditation Sittings

The registration deadline for the November Gathering is Friday, November 1st.

 

Location and Facilities

T he event is being held at Penn Scenic View in southwestern Pennsylvania. The facility includes a conference room in Stable Lodge, which has an upstairs bunkhouse room and several dormitory rooms for overnight lodging. Penn Scenic provides bed linens, pillows, and bath towels for overnight guests. 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. On-site camping is available in the lawn area near Stable Lodge.

Penn Scenic View, at 118 Scenic View Lane, Rockwood, PA 15557, is one and a half hours from the Pittsburgh International Airport.

 

Costs

The November Gathering fees per person for TAT members are as follows:

• $60 for members, which includes meeting registration and overnight lodging on Friday and Saturday in the Stable Lodge, or
• $45 for members who arrange alternative lodging; this includes meeting registration and on-site camping if desired. Camping is informal; restrooms are located in another building.

The non-member fees per person are:

• $100 for non-members, which includes meeting registration and overnight lodging on Friday and Saturday in the Stable Lodge, or
• $80 for non-members who arrange alternative lodging; this includes meeting registration and on-site camping if desired. Camping is informal; restrooms are located in another building.

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

Use 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.

* 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 Friday, November 1st. Upon receipt of your registration, a packet containing information on lodging and driving directions will be sent to you. You may cancel your registration on or before Friday, November 1st and receive a refund, minus a $5 handling fee. Cancellations after November 9th will not be refunded. Because ADA-compliant facilities are limited in the Stable Lodge, persons with a disability should contact before registering.

 

Meals

Saturday lunch and dinner are provided. Continental breakfasts are potluck style for Saturday and Sunday. As a good rule-of-thumb, we ask that each TAT member bring enough breakfast food to feed 8 people. 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 Penn Scenic View:

• Americas Best Value Inn, 165 Waterworks Road, Somerset, PA (814) 445-3996
• Budget Host, 799 North Center Avenue, Somerset, PA (814) 445-7988
• Comfort Inn, 202 Harmon Street, Somerset, PA (814) 445-9611
• Days Inn Somerset, 220 Waterworks Rd, Somerset, PA (814) 445-9200
• Hampton Inn, 324 Laurel Crest Road, Somerset, PA (814) 445-9161
• Log Haven Bed & Breakfast, 1322 Trent Road, Rockwood, PA (814) 352-8971
• Quality Inn & Conference Center Somerset, 215 Ramada Road, Somerset, PA (814) 443-4646
• Rockwood Trail House, 131 Rockdale Road, Rockwood, PA (814) 926-4778
• Somerset Country Inn, 329 North Center Avenue, Somerset, PA, (814) 443-1005
• Somerset Plaza Hotel, 147 Gateway Road, Somerset, PA (814) 445-8933
• Super 8 Somerset, 125 Lewis Dr, Somerset, PA (814) 445-8788
• The Gingerbread House B&B, 156 Rockdale Road, Rockwood, PA (814) 926-2542

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 folks 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.