This May (2011) we completed an intensive meditation retreat with the theme of "Living Together."  We were in a lovely house in the Lake District that is usually a vacation home owned by one of the families from the Sheffield sangha.  Here, 16 participants sat, walked, worked, and lived together for the past four days.  We used the precepts as our core teaching and approached them through the practice steps of 1) looking closely at what we do, 2) accepting what we discover, and 3) offering ourselves in the service of others. Rather than "going to confession" in the first step of avowing what we do, we "went to compassion."  Through practice discussion, small group reflections, and Inquiry we met this awareness with deep acceptance, curiosity, and confidence.  We used the Refuges in the next step as our guide and foundation for entering this deep looking.  We worked to unpack the precepts not as simply prohibitions, but as inspiration, aspiration, and vow.  We opened up the meaning of the practice of "restraint" as a practice in the service of not knowing and bearing witness, and "vow" as a willingness to take up a learning path about what is discovered.  Finally, we found that practicing in this manner invited us to offer ourselves in service to others and the Bodhisattva Vow described this offering.  Each precept revealed itself as a gift in the retreat through the deep seeing, warm acceptance, and daily offering.  We didn't focus on each precept so much as the One Precept of Buddha's heart and mind which naturally manifested as the sangha itself.  It was an amazing flowering.  Attached in this Folder are the four dharma talks from each day of the Intensive.  I will also attach the poetry and handouts.