Springbrook Bhakti Retreat 2010

Friday February 5th - Sunday February 7th, 2010

Springbrook Retreat 2010

==Friday==

1:00pm Lunch - Rice noodle soup and salad with a hot drink
3:00pm Afternoon tea - Pastries and Hot Chai
6:30pm Dinner - Baked spring rolls, garden salad, stir fried vegetables, peach pie
7:30pm Evening Music (Kirtan)

==Saturday==

5:00am Morning Meditation
6:30am Morning Music (Kirtan)
8:00am "Sad-Darshan: The Six Philosophical Systems of India" Part 1
9:30am Breakfast - Muesli, yoghurt, fruit salad, hot chai
12:30pm Yoga class
2:00pm Lunch - Focacia with hummus, garden salad, millet with sauce, sago with mango
5:00pm "Balancing the Real and Ideal"
7:00pm Dinner - Rice with vegetables, pumpkin soup, salad, potato/tomato/spinach in corn sauce, peppermint slice
8:00pm Evening Music (Kirtan)

==Sunday==

5:00am Morning Meditation
6:30am Morning Music (Kirtan)
8:00am "Sad-Darshan: The Six Philosophical Systems of India" Part 2
9:30am Breakfast - Wheat free muffins, yoghurt, fruit salad and hot tea
12:00pm Yoga class
2:00pm Lunch - Lasagne, salad, ice cream
3:00pm Farewells

== About the Presentations ==

~ Sad-Darshan: The Six Philosophical Systems of India ~

One can sit on the vyāsāsana only after being conversant in all systems of philosophy so that one can present fully the theistic views of the Bhāgavatam in defiance of all other systems.

- Srimad Bhagavatam 1.1.7 purport

The Sad-Darshan or "Six Views", are six related philosophical schools from the Vedic culture. These schools have as a common feature that they accept the Vedic scriptures as a source of truth (pramana or "valid source of knowledge"); although they vary in how they approach those scriptures and the conclusions they draw from them.

Understanding these six systems gives a solid grounding in universal basics of philosophy such as "what constitutes valid evidence?" (epistemology), "what is valid reasoning?" (logic), and "how are scriptures to be interpreted?" (hermenuetics); as well as giving a deeper understanding of Vedic thought and its conclusions. Among more mundane outcomes, it will make you harder to fool, and safer on the internet as you learn tools to distinguish between valid and invalid information. It will also help to deepen your appreciation of the value of the Vedic scriptures, and your ability to derive and apply life lessons from reading them.

~ Balancing the Real and Ideal ~

Spiritual life is a razor's edge. On one side, unsustainable fanaticism; on the other excessive compromise in the name of "being practical". The two are always present and balance on the fine line between them involves managing the dynamic tension between the two. It's an ongoing process that calls for the spiritual practitioner to constantly rediscover their practice and their place in it. Even sometime successful spiritual practice needs reinvention/rediscovery due to changing environment, the changing nature of the practitioner, and the covering potency of the time factor. Spiritual practitioners share realizations on keeping it real, and keeping on keeping on over the long term.

==What you need to know and to bring==

The retreat is held at the Theosophical Society Springbrook Retreat Centre and Wilderness Sanctuary in the Gold Coast Hinterland. At 680 metres above sea level, the Retreat Centre is an average of 5 degrees cooler than Brisbane. It also has its own weather system with more preciptation (rain and mist) than Brisbane. This past weekend it rained frequently. You might want to bring a jumper and might like to bring an umbrella to go between buildings. (I didn't use either - inside it's quite warm, and I just didn't go between buildings during showers). Since it's a wilderness sanctuary shooting is prohibited, so leave the Winchester at home.

The accommodation consists of rooms which contain a single bed, a desk, and a lamp. A warm duvet and an electric blanket are provided, but you will need to bring sheets and a pillowcase.

The centre has its own water recycling system, which recycles gray water for irrigation. Many chemicals can interfere with this system. Do not use any personal care products (like toothpaste or shampoo) that contain non-biodegradable chemicals. Now is your chance to go out and buy some hippy environmentally-friendly personal care products.

There is no organised program for children on the retreat, and due to its location in the wilderness there are hazards such as insects, animals, and the environment. If you bring any children with you, you are responsible for supervising and engaging them at all times. If a number of a children come, then we will make an organised program for them, and their parents will be asked to participate in running it.

In Summary:

To bring:
* umbrella
* jumper
* sheets
* pillowcase

Do not bring:
* Non-biodegradable personal care products
* Unsupervised children
* Crossbows and firearms

The cost for the three days and two nights, all inclusive, is $150pp.

To book a place, or for more information: contact Param Satya on facebook, telephone 07 3137 1914, or email param.satya@gmail.com