2022 Dharma Teachings
Overview Schedule | Note: Dates and topics are subject to change.Welcome to the 2022 teaching schedule for Dharma Teachers Qapel and Sensei. We invite and encourage you to plan your year of Dharma practice in advance. Here is a rough outline of 2022 teaching schedule. Note that topics and dates may shift.
2022: The Year of Integration
Welcome to Planet Dharma’s overview teaching schedule for 2022. This year, Dharma Teachers Qapel (Doug Duncan) and Sensei (Catherine Pawasarat), offer an opportunity to focus on ‘integration’ – weaving skillfully your dharma studies, meditation practice and worldly activities. Like the past two years, there is no official ‘year long program’ in 2022. We invite you to choose from a selection of meditation retreats, online courses and public events as your aspiration guides you.
Please also visit the Enlighten Up! classes page for additional semi-regular dharma talks.
January 14-16, 2022
Pārami: Practices for Freedom
(Weekend Retreat)
We launch the year of integration with a weekend online or in-person retreat on the paramis. How do you act in the world with compassion, clarity and kindness? Discover the ‘paramis’ or ‘paramitas’, ancient qualities or ‘perfections’ that open the gateway of freedom in one’s being.
Go to the course page: Parami: Practices for Freedom
February 18-20*, 2022
Sādhana: Practices for Power
(Weekend Retreat)
This weekend online or in-person retreat focuses on the vajrayana methodologies of wongkur empowerments and sādhana practice. These empowerment ceremonies are transmissions between Teacher and student of an archetypal state of awakening – such as Vajrasattva (emotional purification), Chenrezi (compassion), Green Tara (mother nature principles), or Medicine Buddha (healing). Often given but not so often discussed, learn how to approach wongkur. How do you use a sādhana? How do you practice the foundation work? *Course dates changed from Feb 4-6, to Feb 18-20, 2022
Go to the course page: Sadhana: Practices for Power
March 18- April 1, 2022
Hua Yan Philosophy (Meditation Retreat)
Join a two week in-person retreat on the profound Hua yan teachings from Chinese Mahayana Buddhism. The retreat will take place at Clear Sky Meditation Center in the East Kootenay Rockies of BC. Online retreat option available.
“Chinese Huayan Buddhism is considered by many Buddhist scholars to be one of the highpoints of Mahayana thought, even of world philosophy.”
Go to the course page: Hua Yan Meditation Retreat
May 20-29, 2022
Breathing Meditation (Retreat)
This one week meditation retreat on breathing covers the core and fundamental practice in dharma – awareness of the breath, and through that the body, feelings, mind states and contents of mind. Highly recommended for beginners and experienced meditators alike. The retreat will take place at Clear Sky Meditation Center in the East Kootenay Rockies of BC. Online retreat option available.
Go to the course page: Breathing Meditation Retreat
June 6-27, 2022
Zen Sutras in the 21st Century
(4 Week Online Course)
This four week online courses covers specially selected Zen Sutras. These teachings give profound understanding mental and physical phenomena, as well as practical methods from bringing principles of awakening into your life.
Go to the course page: Zen Sutras
August 12-14, 2022
Tree of Life: The Essence of Kabbalah & the Tarot
(Weekend Retreat)
Join us for an introduction to the ‘Tree of Life’, a map of reality from Western Mysticism and the Kabbalah tradition. From the tree we can understand the energy relationships between different areas of life. The tarot archetypes within the tree show us our potential and growth.
It’s creative, it’s powerful, it’s magic.
Go to the course page: Tree of Life: The Essence of Kabbalah & the Tarot
Sept 4-13 2022
CANCELLED
Baltic Exploration (Dharma Trip)
Take your dharma exploration to the seas – with a 12 day dharma trip through the baltic region by boat.
CANCELLED
Sept 18-27 2022
Hero’s Journey (Interactive Retreat Germany)
The journey up the mountain of awakening is the journey every hero must undertake. How do you embrace your hero and conquer your monsters?
The hero’s journey retreat must be taken in-person, live in Germany.
Go to the course page: The Hero’s Journey
Oct 17- Nov 13, 2022
Integral Spirituality: New Dimensions of Awakening (4 Week Online Course)
Do you experience a gap between traditional wisdom teachings and the complexities and challenges of the 21st century? Would you like to integrate all aspects of awareness, including body, mind, spirit and shadow? And what does that really look like in practice?
Discover new dimensions of awakening in this course on Integral Spirituality
.
Go to the course page: Integral Spirituality
Dec 16-31, 2022
Sixteen Buddha Body Meditation (Retreat)
Getting tired of the routine of daily life? Journey to new lands of the mind.
Using self-arising symbology as deepening layers of penetration, open greater mind space doors to journey the far reaches of inner space. This practice is a door to past and future lifetimes.
An in-person only retreat at Clear Sky Meditation Centre. These practices and teachings are rarely given. Some pre-requisites are required.
Go to the course page: Sixteen Buddha Body Practice (Meditation Retreat)
Dec 25-30, 2022
Nine Vajrayana Empowerments
In Vajrayana Buddhism, initiations, empowerments or wongkur (Tib. དབང་, wang) are considered the spring from which all blessings flow. Join us for a tantric deep dive into nine precious and rare vajrayana empowerments. These wongkur are scheduled at the end of the Sixteen Buddha Body Practice retreat at Clear Sky Centre, and can be attended separate to that retreat.
Go to the course page: Nine Vajrayana Empowerments
Mark your calendars now. Stay tuned for updates on the rest of the year’s schedule.
Supporting Each Other in 2022
Although there is no formal year program, we encourage you to reflect and set an intention for 2022 of what you will attend. We also invite you to connect with people in your local Sanghas to share your aspirations for 2022 and ways you can work together to explore and support each other with your Dharma studies.
Meet the Teachers
Catherine Pawasarat
Doug Duncan
Doug Duncan and Catherine Pawasarat are Dharma and meditation teachers who founded Clear Sky Meditation Centre, BC, Canada.
Achariya Doug Duncan received lay ordination from Namgyal Rinpoche in 1978, and is a lineage holder in that teaching. Known for his direct, humourous and compassionate engagement with students, Doug embraces various traditions, contemporary psychology, and science, to mentor all beings to a more awakened state.
Catherine Pawasarat has trained daily with Acariya Doug Duncan since 1998 in an intensive spiritual apprenticeship that is rare in the modern West. She received lay ordination from Namgyal Rinpoche in 2003. In addition to Buddhist philosophy and its applications to daily life, Catherine also draws on generative living and the arts. With Doug she is co-founder of Clear Sky Retreat Center in the BC Rockies.