The Dharma Facilitators' Program is a unique project led by Christopher Titmuss, a respected Dharma teacher of international renown. The program has branches in different countries across the world; in Israel, Christopher leads the program with the assistance of Steven Folder. In each cycle of the program, around thirty experienced practitioners meet once every two to three months over the course of two years. In these meetings, participants practice group meditation, learn important sutras of the Buddha, and hold discussions about different topics related to practice and to the Dharma. The intimacy built within the group through working together is the heart of the program.
The program is intended to allow participants to deepen their acquaintance with principles of the Dharma through experiencing a living and learning Dharma community. Participants work on strengthening their ability to facilitate the Dharma by building on each individual's personal strengths, be it speaking, listening, cooking, organizing, or other everyday life skills: there are infinite ways to implement the principles of Dharma and to share our understanding with those around us. The goal of the program is to broaden, develop, and cultivate our ability to facilitate the Dharma.
The program enables participants to deepen their understanding of aspects of the Dharma that they are not usually exposed to, such as Dharma in everyday life, the personal experience of Dharma, the teaching of sutras, the methods of "facilitating Dharma", and so on. In addition, through the program participants will experience a living Dharma community that is learning and developing-- sangha.
Twice a year, there is a retreat that takes place over the course of an extended weekend (Wednesday morning until Saturday afternoon), led by Layla Kimhi and either Christopher or Steven Folder. In addition to these retreats, there are shorter day or weekend meetings, as well as group study and workshops held in the evenings or on Fridays. Between meetings, members are given assignments to complete.
In the last six years, there have been three completed cycles of the Dharma Facilitator's Program, in England, Germany, Australia, and Israel. The fourth cycle is currently in the middle of the program, and an additional group will begin in 2011.
For more information and registration please contact:
Greetings,
We are inviting you to join the Dharma Facilitators Programme (DFP) that starts in April 2009.
Started in 2001, the DFP is a programme designed for practitioners of the Dharma. More than 300 people have participated or are currently participating in the DFP. In April, we have a new series starting in Israel, and another new series starting in Brighton, Totnes, UK and Germany. Stephen Fulder is actively involved in facilitating the DFP in Israel. Radha Nicholson is the co-facilitator with Christopher for the DFP in Australia.
There will be regular Inquiry sessions with myself, feedback on communication and encouragement to remember and reflect on the body of the Buddha's teachings such as the Four Noble Truth, Eightfold Path etc.
The DFP is not a training programme for new teachers but a real opportunity to deepen one’s understanding of the dharma, develop a range of communication skills and realise insights and vision for daily life.
The DFP offers
• Opportunity to develop one's understanding of the Dharma alongside others
• In-depth study of major Suttas (Discourses of the Buddha)
• Training and development of facilitation skills and leadership with groups
• Opportunity to make commitments for daily life and report back to programme
• Exploration and discussion of personal experience in meditation and daily life
• Opportunities for participants to give Dharma talks and answer questions
• Seeing into the deepest levels of Dharma
• New features in the next series to explore and share the Dharma.
Please forward this letter onto anyone, who would be interested to join.
Every participant has around three years or more experience in inner work, such as dharma, yoga, meditation, advaita, retreats or India etc.
Tovana’s teachers & senior facilitators will also offer study groups of discourses of the Buddha for the meetings, so that you can come with deeper understanding of the Suttas. There is homework before each session of the DFP as part of the overall programme.
As for the Dana (donations), we would be happy if DFP participants would understand in advance, that they should take care of DFP costs.
To join the DFP, all participants must make within themselves and to teachers and Tovana a strong commitment to attend all four meetings of the DFP held over two years. This commitment is part of the practice of the DFP. We would appreciate it if you would make a simple statement in an e-mail to Tovana that reads essentially: “I am making a strong commitment to attend all four meetings.” We take refuge in the Sangha through our presence and contribution to the exploration of the Dharma.
It is our intention to hold residential meetings for the DFP at the wonderful new facility at the Ein-dor kibbutz from April 22 to April 25, 2009.
We look forward to seeing you there. See information on our website listed below.
In the Dharma
Three Bows
Christopher
Dear One and All,
E-mails rarely checked when teaching overseas. See teaching schedule on websites. Websites updated regularly. Control and click on website name to link.
www.insightmeditation.org
International teaching schedule of Christopher Titmuss, to subscribe to freely distributed quarterly Dharma e-News, teachings, guided meditations, Dharma reflections, Dharma articles, social-political-environmental analysis, Pragya Vihar School, India retreats and registrations, pilgrimages (Yatras), 150 linked sites and much more.
www.livingdharma.info
Develop your awareness, meditation and wisdom in daily life with twice a month personal e-mail contact with one of 24 mentors from 10 countries. Suitable for beginners and experienced dharma practitioners. See photo, bio, article of mentors and course description. Run on donation basis. Coordinator:nicole@livingdharma.info
www.dharmafacilitators.org
Meet for four days over four sessions to explore the depths of the Dharma, develop facilitation and leadership skills. Held in Totnes and Brighton, England; Germany and Israel. Limited to 45 people committed to the Dharma. Run on donation basis.
www.christophertitmuss.org
Audio library of talks and inquiries. Audio guided meditations, poems, extracts from books and photographs from around the world