We’re pleased to invite you to attend a weekend of teachings from Than Ajaan Geoff, abbot of Mettā Forest Monastery in San Diego county.
Than Ajaan will be offering teachings in person and via Zoom during his visit to Victoria, BC, Canada. The topic of the retreat is The Noble Eightfold Path Revisited.
These teachings are freely offered, and are hosted by two Victoria organizations: Aranya Refuge and Victoria Insight Meditation Society (VIMS).
August 9 (Sat) & August 10 (Sun), 2025
9 am – 4 pm PDT (Pacific Time)
Goward House, Victoria, BC + Zoom (Hybrid Event)
Description
The Noble Eightfold Path is usually one of the first teachings that we encounter when we come to the Dhamma. We get a quick sketch of the path and then we move on to other teachings. As our practice develops, it's good from time to time to return to the basic framework of the path, to see what deeper dimensions it reveals in light of our further readings and practice.
This weekend retreat -- with talks, readings, meditations, and discussions -- will offer an opportunity to do just that.
Reading Materials
Than Ajaan Geoff has prepared a 13-page packet of readings for the retreat. See here.
Schedule
08:45 – 09:00 · Arrive and settle
09:00 – 11:30 · Guided meditation, teachings and Q&A
11:30 – 13:00 · Break
13:00 – 16:00 · Teachings and Q&A
Registering
Online
Click here to register for attending online via Zoom.
After registering, you will receive the Zoom link and full instructions.
Add to Calendar
In Person
Click here to register for attending in person in Victoria, BC.
Space is limited.
📧 Contact vims1retreat@gmail.com if you have questions about your registration.
About the Teacher
Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu (Geoffrey DeGraff) has been a Theravada Buddhist monk since 1976. After studying in Thailand with Ajaan Fuang Jotiko, he returned to the US in 1991 to help found the Mettā Forest Monastery (Wat Mettā) in the mountains north of San Diego. In 1993, Ajaan Geoff was asked to be the abbot and has continued to train monastics and offer teachings to lay people in North America, South America, Asia, Europe and Oceania. Ajaan Geoff is a highly respected scholar and practitioner of the Buddha’s teachings. His many recorded talks and writings can be found here.
In 2017, Than Ajaan Geoff agreed to explore the possibility of establishing a refuge for Wat Mettā monks on Vancouver Island. Aranya (Wilderness) Refuge was then established as a society and a registered Canadian charity. Since 2018, Aranya Refuge has organized five temporary monastery experiences.
The teachings of the Buddha are offered freely.
Questions?
Send us an email: registrar@aranyarefuge.org
Anumodana for supporting the Buddha, Dhamma, and Sangha to take roots in a wilderness home on Vancouver Island.
Aranya Refuge Board of Directors: Than Ajaan Geoff, Brock Brown, Jacqui Balfour, Russ Callaghan, Irfan Pirbhai, Tiara Letourneau, June Fukushima (in loving memory)
“Why do you want the mind to lean? Well, think of a tree. There are trees that are leaning over all the time because they’ve been subjected to so much wind. You go to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon, and at the very edge of the cliff you see these huge juniper trees. They look like they’ve been blasted for centuries, all leaning over away from the wind. You go up to Powell Point: There are bristlecone pines leaning over very far, almost to the ground. Those have been there for millennia. If you were to cut them, you know exactly which direction they would fall. That’s the Buddha’s image. If you practice the noble eightfold path, develop the mind in the noble eightfold path, then it’s like a tree that leans to the east. No matter how you cut it, it’s going to fall to the east. That’s a mind that’s been consistently on the path.”
Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu
How the Tree Leans
August 08, 2020