Refuge is not a place, it’s an attitude. It’s the attitude of giving up trying to be perfect, and of honesty, humility and forgiveness. Many of us carry an idea of refuge as an "island where it all works out;” an imaginary place where we get everything we want and get away from what we don’t want. But that is a fantasy! What if, instead, we could find refuge here on earth—where there's dukkha, where we aren't perfect, where we make mistakes? Here, in each moment, with each breath, as we meet our inner and outer difficulties with clarity, curiosity and kindness. This is true sanctuary and peace.
Pamela Weiss
Residential Retreat Teacher
Pamela Weiss is a dual lineage Buddhist teacher in Theravada and Soto Zen, and the author of, "A Bigger Sky: Awakening a Fierce Feminine Buddhism." She has been practicing since 1987, including several years of Zen monastic training and retreat teacher training through Spirit Rock. Pamela was the first lay person to receive full Dharma transmission in the Suzuki Roshi lineage. She lives in San Francisco and is on the Teacher Council at San Francisco Insight and the Board of the Brooklyn Zen Center. She is passionate about weaving women's voices and experience into the fabric of practice.
Pamela Weiss' Upcoming Programs
Retreat | On-Land
January 26 - January 31, 2025 | Sunday - Friday | 5 nights
True Happiness: The Heart of Awakening
Registration Open. The nature of awareness lies at the heart of awakening and the experience of true happiness. During this retreat we will explore the nature of mind and awareness and inquire into what supports and what obscures our experience of freedom. Together we will foster steadiness of mind, ease of body, and confidence of heart. By stabilizing our attention in the present moment, we will expand our trust in loving awareness and learn to rest in our innate capacity to awaken.
Retreat | On-Land
October 1 - October 5, 2025 | Wednesday - Sunday | 4 nights
Wild Wise Words: A Mindfulness Meditation and Writing Retreat
Registration Opens - June 3. This retreat will weave together periods of silence and writing as a path to deepening our spiritual and creative lives. Our time together will include Dharma talks, guided meditation, embodied movement, and periods of writing to nurture our inner depths and outer expression. Within a wild, wise field of silence we’ll settle deeply into what is, peel back layers of the judging and restrictive mind, and discover words that express the mystery and majesty alive in each of us.
Dharma Library
Can't join us live online or on the land? Study and practice at your convenience with Pamela Weiss through our new library of recordings, articles, and self-paced online courses.