The Whole Earth as the True Human Body – Exploring the Buddha Dharma in Sápmi
“People no longer tread over the bare earth.
Their hands have drawn away from the grasses and flowers,
they do not gaze up to the heavens,
their ears are deaf to the songs of birds,
their noses are rendered insensitive by exhaust fumes,
and their tongues have forgotten the simple tastes of nature”
– Masanobu Fukuoka
The Buddha had a special relationship to trees. As a child, while sitting under a tree, he spontaneously entered a meaningful meditative experience that later informed his approach to teaching the Middle Path. He spent years practicing in forests and awakened sitting with the Bodhi tree. It is not surprising then, that one of his most foundational meditation instructions is, “go to the forest, to the foot of a tree.”
In this retreat, we will practice together with the trees of the pristine landscape in Sápmi, in the Northernmost Finland, bringing together the liberating teachings of the Buddha Dharma with nature-based practices. We will center the wider natural world as an integral companion and teacher of our retreat journey, and invite appreciation, reverence, and humility towards the more-than-human world. Leaving behind the familiarity of human society, we intentionally interrupt our habitual, human-centered ways of perceiving and relating to this life. We open to the possibility of seeing, as Dōgen Zenji has remarked, that “the whole earth is the true human body”.
Acknowledging the heartaches and challenges of our times, part of our exploration will be to feel into our soul’s calling and what it means to be human – personally and collectively. We will inquire into what it might take to reclaim our sense of true belonging to this Earth, waking up to the interconnected nature of all life. Sitting with the trees of the North, we seek to remember that we are part of the larger tapestry of life. In this way, we hold the intention of strengthening the heart’s resilience in meeting that which is difficult as well as our capacity to see the beauty and wonder of this world.
Retreat days will be mostly silent. We will offer guided practices and meditations around the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, Dharma reflections, solitary time deepening connection with the land as well as opportunities to be in community.
On this retreat we will practice Insight Meditation, also known as Vipassana. Vipassana can be understood as a discovery and cultivation of liberating ways of looking. The meditation techniques we practice are over 2,500 years old and are mostly based on the Theravada Buddhist tradition. Taking part in the retreat does not, however, require an adherence to Buddhism or any adaptation of personal faith.
“Our challenge is to create a new language, even a new sense of what it is to be human. It is to transcend not only national limitations, but even our species isolation, to enter into the larger community of living species. This brings a completely new sense of reality and value.”
– Thomas Berry
What will happen on the retreat? Who can join?
The wilderness retreat is a hiking retreat with a base camp: we will stay at the same location throughout the retreat and make daily excursions into the surrounding wilderness. The retreat combines meditative presence with nature and each other, alongside the simple comforts of a base camp. We hope this retreat will be a nourishing, supportive, and empowering experience for all of us.
The retreat is suitable for both beginners and experienced practitioners. Although this wilderness retreat is less physically demanding than a traditional trekking retreat, we will still be walking for several hours daily, sometimes in challenging terrain. Good health and physical fitness are therefore required for participation.
The retreat will take place in Karigasniemi, southwest of the Paistunturi wilderness area in Utsjoki. We will be based at Akumaja, a cabin owned by Suomen Latu, located by the beautiful Akujoki River Akumaja – Suomen Latu. Accommodation will be in tents near the cabin, and we will go on daily hikes into the surrounding fells. The cabin provides shelter for meditation in case of cold or rainy weather. A few indoor sleeping places are available for those unable to sleep in a tent.
The retreat is taught in English. The managers of the retreat have either a wilderness guide education or are otherwise experienced in being outdoors.
Who Are the Teachers?
Kerstin Deibert has been practicing within the Insight Meditation tradition for more than 20 years, teaching silent retreats since 2021. She finds deep fulfillment in supporting individuals in exploring their belonging to the more-than human world, and she has a great love for the wilderness of Sápmi where she has sat solitary retreats that have significantly informed how she understands this human life.
Her teaching is also interwoven with a life dedicated to engagement, and she has supported NGOs and activist groups around the world as a social justice advocate, conflict mediator, and peace activist for most of her adult life.
A central question for her is how to apply the teachings of the Buddha to the challenges of our times in a way that cultivates joy and resilience of the heart, living into our shared purpose of reverential stewardship of the Earth.
Rupert Marques has practiced in the Insight Meditation tradition for over 30 years in Europe, America, and Asia. Rupert also guides wilderness rites of passage and his teaching emphasizes the role of the more-than-human world in understanding our belonging.
He teaches at various retreat centers in Europe and beyond and for three years lived and worked at Ecodharma, a contemplative retreat community in the Spanish Pyrenees dedicated to exploring the role of the Dharma in the movements for social justice and ecological sustainability. A guiding question for him is how to contribute to our times in a manner that makes full use of the unique gift of our lives, so that when we come to die, we become good ancestors to those who come after us.
https://www.handontheearth.org
How much does it cost? How can I sign up?
The base price of the retreat is €420 (incl. 25.5% VAT), but it is possible to pay more or less than this. More details about the price, signing up, and other details can be found here.
Warmly,
Elli Alasaari, (Retreat manager) ellialasaari@gmail.com
Marianne (Nella) Woodbury (Registrations) retriitit2@nirodha.fi, tel +1 470 641 7056 (WhatsApp, Telegram, and iMessage only)