Meditation in Times of Conflict : Cultivating the Four Immeasurables
A Retreat with Derek Rasmussen
Offered in hybrid format (in-person & online)
In times of conflict—whether arising in the world around us or within our own hearts—it can be challenging to remain steady, open, and compassionate. This retreat offers a supportive space to explore how meditation practice, grounded in the Four Immeasurables, can help us meet difficulty with wisdom and care.
Guided by Derek Rasmussen, the retreat will integrate teachings and practices of loving-kindness (metta), compassion (karuṇā), appreciative joy (muditā), and equanimity (upekkhā) as practical responses to conflict, fear, and polarization. Through meditation, reflection, and gentle inquiry, participants will learn how these boundless qualities can transform reactivity into understanding and strengthen our capacity to respond skillfully to challenging situations.
The retreat includes periods of silence, guided meditation, Dharma talks, and opportunities for reflection. This retreat is suitable for practitioners of all levels who wish to deepen their practice and cultivate a resilient, compassionate heart in uncertain times.
Participants are invited to reconnect with inner stability, shared humanity, and the possibility of meeting conflict without turning away.
JOIN BY ZOOM
We’re pleased to offer this retreat both onsite and online. The hybrid format will allow participants who are unable to attend in person to join via livestream from the Temple. See more details below.
Daily Schedule (Zoom participants join these sessions):
10:00 am
3:00 pm
7:30 pm (not held every day)
💻 Online participation fee: $25 per day or $75 for full retreat
Registration: contact Retreat Administrator at RETREATS@DHARMACENTRE.ORG
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Derek Rasmussen graduated from the three year Buddhist minister's training program at the Kinmount Academy and Seminary, whose faculty included David Bohm, David Peat, Tarchin Hearn, Sonam Senge, Karma Chime Wongmo, Cecilie Kwiat, Sayadaw U Thila Wanta and Namgyal Rinpoche.
Derek's PhD focuses on how the Buddha taught the "four immeasurables"-- loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy and equanimity-- meditations which “give us a foretaste of the final goal...the way a fully awakened person relates to others”, according to Ven. Bhikkhu Anālayo.
Unfortunately, how the Buddha taught these meditations is almost never taught today. This retreat will focus on this method, and how it supports insights into anatta (non-self) and sunyata (emptiness) and can be a helpful support to those working for social and ecological justice.
Derek loves to weave humour and storytelling into meditation teaching; and he has served as a retreat facilitator at the Queenstown Dharma House (NZ), Dharma Gate Buddhist College (Budapest), Monday Night Meditation Group (Vancouver), Tampere University (Finland), Morin Heights Dharma House (Quebec), and Ecojustice retreats (Michigan). Derek is a co-founder of Buddhists Against Genocide.
Derek has a history as a civil disobedience trainer and organizer, co-founding the first Canada-wide East Timor group, the Alliance for NonViolent Action (ANVA), and organizing a Toronto-NYC peace walk.He lived in Iqaluit, Nunavut, for twelve years, working for Inuit organizations, with whom he attended the COP 11 UN Climate Change Conference (2005). As a legal researcher, he supports lawsuits against Canada's violation of Inuit and Palestinian rights.
Derek authored/co-authored chapters in 7 books, as well as numerous magazines and journals. He's been an invited speaker at Eastern Michigan University, Concordia University, McGill University, Trent University, University of British Columbia, Carleton University, University of Ottawa, the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB), Tampere University (Finland), Nunavut Arctic College, University of Texas, Harvard University, and Yale University.
His writings are archived at: https://sfu.academia.edu/DerekRasmussen
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/Buddhactivist2
Important Details
When: Please plan to arrive between 3-5pm on the first day. The retreat will begin with a property orientation at 5:30pm followed by a light supper and the first evening class and will finish after lunch on the final day.
Rate: $414 (non-members) / $375 - (members)
(To find out how to become a member please visit our membership page)
Rates include: Single accommodation and all meals. They do not include instructor fees. The teacher is sharing his/her experience within the traditional Buddhist understanding of Dana. To understand more about Dana, please read the following:
💻 Online participation fee: $25 per day
Registration: contact Retreat Administrator at RETREATS@DHARMACENTRE.ORG
What is Dana? Teachers give the teachings of awakening (Dharma) freely so that anyone, no matter their financial means can attend classes. Each time one receives teachings, it is an opportunity to consciously practice generosity. Giving money and other means of support expresses gratitude and support to the teacher and helps to ensure that these teachings continue. Each person receiving Dharma teachings determines the kind and amount of Dāna according to one’s heart and one’s financial means. When deciding how much to offer, one should think about what these teachings mean to you and try to give accordingly. It is recommended that students make an offering of dāna at the beginning of a class or retreat to establish the intention to make the most of this opportunity for one’s own progression and for the benefit of all others.
Deposit: A 50% deposit is required to hold your space upon registration.
Cancellation Policy
All cancellations are subject to a $100 fee, which will support other low-income practitioners through our Practitioner Support Fund.
If cancellation occurs within 14 days of the retreat start date, 50% of the deposit (equivalent to 25% of the total retreat cost) will be forfeited. These funds will be directed to the Uplifted Property Fund to support the Renewal Project.