As always the teachings and ceremonies themselves are offered free of charge, but it is traditional in Buddhism for the student to make an individual offering to the teacher during the retreat. You may voluntarily make an offering to the teacher at anytime during the retreat. It is most auspicious to do this at the beginning of the retreat at the end of the opening ceremony.

The retreat fees listed below are used to pay for food, supplies, utilities and maintenance of the facilities.

NOTE: If you also plan to attend the 2018 Dzogchen Internship, then $100 of this retreat’s fees can be credited toward your Internship fee.

When making your travel plans, please plan your schedule so that you arrive at the retreat center before 1PM, and depart the retreat center after 3PM on the dates listed above. You are welcome to come earlier or stay after the retreat to help us with preparations and clean-up of the retreat center. It is $20 per day to stay at the retreat center outside of the scheduled Spring Retreat. The $20 per day includes your meals and accommodations. Accommodations do not include blankets, sheets or towels.

Overall Retreat Schedule

This year there is a single retreat duration option available for the full one week (3 PM on Saturday, May 19 through 3 PM on Saturday, May 27, 2018). Retreatants will need to attend all sessions to participate in the retreat. In other words, retreatants cannot miss any of the sessions and then continue to participate in the remainder of the retreat without special permission. You may leave the retreat early, but you should not enter the retreat with that intention.

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Transportation

After your application is approved, if you need to book flights, most people are flying into the nearest airport just outside Eugene, Oregon (EUG) which is about an hour drive from the retreat center. Occasionally in the past, retreatants have flown into Portland, Oregon (PDX), which is about a three hour drive from the retreat center, and coordinated with sangha members in the Portland area or rented a car from there. The retreat directors can help arrange a ride from and back to the EUG airport if you provide your itinerary well in advance. Such rides are not free, and costs are shared between whoever is on each shuttle ride, keeping this expense to a minimum.

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What is Included

The fee includes: 

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The Food

The cost of the retreat includes three buffet style meals a day as well as limited snacks. The food will be primarily vegetarian, though not necessarily vegan. Sangha money from retreat fees will not be used for the purchase of meat, but individual Sangha members have the right to donate meat which will be made available to the omnivore members of the Sangha. Tea and water will always be available.

Retreatants with special dietary needs should note that during their retreat registration and also discuss this with the Retreat Director.

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Accommodations

Sleeping accommodations are somewhat rustic cabins.style and are unheated cabins available. Each cabin accommodates two people with single mattresses

If you want to make your bed, bring sheets and blankets that will fit a single mattress. To stay warm, you’ll need your own bedding such as a warm sleeping bag, or blankets. Also bring your own pillow and pillow case.

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Attendance

Students without exception will be expected to reside at the retreat center for the duration of the retreat.   Specifically, we have a rule that students who leave the retreat once it is in progress are not permitted to return to the retreat. Exceptions are sometimes made in cases of emergency or given advance permission of the teacher guiding the retreat.

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Transportation

Students should arrange their own transportation to and from the retreat center. If flying, we request that you fly into Eugene, Oregon (EUG) since this airport is only about a 50 minute drive from the retreat center. The second closest major airport is Portland, Oregon (PDX) which is about three hours away and your ground transportation both ways will be prohibitively expensive. We suggest you buy your tickets early since the nation’s airports are at their most full during the Spring. If you are driving or taking a shuttle, the Event Director can send you a link with printable driving directions upon request.

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What to Bring

Below is a suggested packing list. Plan for the weather to be both warm and dry and damp and cool. Rain is possible any day of the year in this part of Oregon. Please bring appropriate sleeping gear, clothing, and shoes.

• Computer (with charger) OR Notebook and pens
• Sleeping bag OR sheets and blankets
• Pillow and pillow case
• Tent and poles (if you are tent camping)
• Headlamp OR flashlight (with extra batteries)
• Toiletries
• Water bottle – covered water is the only drink allowed in the shrine
• Ritual objects i.e., your bell and dorje, drum (a puja table will be provided)
• Copy of The Buddha Path practice book (you can purchase a copy at the retreat)
• Sitting cushion or chair of choice (some chairs and cushions are available on site)
• Lap blanket (to keep knees warm for long sittings in the shrine)
• Cool clothing for daytime
• Warm clothing for evenings
• Water-proof shoes or boots
• Hiking shoes
• Plenty of socks and underwear
• Rain coat, umbrella, or poncho
• Coat appropriate to the season
• Enough changes of clothes to get you through the retreat
• Extra cash to make offerings to the teacher or contributions to special events

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What NOT to Bring

Below is a list of things not to bring:

• Food (All food will be provided for you. Because food may attract wild animals, no food is allowed in cabins, tents, RVs, cars or on your person.  All food brought to the Retreat Center is to be brought to the kitchen and offered to the cook to be shared by all)
• Cigarettes, tobacco products, or other smoking materials
• Drugs that have not been prescribed to you by your physician
• Marijuana or its derivatives in any form even if you have a prescription
• Weapons such as guns
• Fireworks
• Drinking alcohol for personal consumption (you can bring only if it is an offering for a puja)
• Pets

Possession of drugs, cigarettes, personal alcohol or weapons can be grounds for expulsion from the retreat.

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Weather

When packing just before the retreat, you can check the weather forecast online for the nearest town (Veneta, OR) to get an idea of the 10-day weather outlook and historic averages.

For the scheduled week of this retreat the average high is around 69°F, the average low is around 45°F. The record high is 89 °F, and the record low is 27°F. May historically gets a fair amount of precipitation, and may have variable temperatures, so bring layered clothing and rain gear. We normally have some umbrellas on hand at the retreat center, but bringing your own is a good idea.

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Health

The retreat provides a healthy environment of good air, good food, enough hours of sleep, and positive activities and effort. Apart from that there are no professional medical facilities within about an hour trip from the retreat center. Retreatants should take care of their own health, bring along any emergency supplies such as antidotes to any life-threatening allergies, and expect to be able to handle the somewhat rigorous teaching and practice schedule of the retreat. If you are taking any type of pharmaceutical that can influence your mental state (including but not limited to anti-depressant, diabetes and thyroid medications), we require that you bring an adequate supply for your entire visit here, and that you consistently follow the usage pattern and medical advice prescribed by your physician. You must inform the Event Director of your special medical conditions when you register.

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Children

Children are much-beloved, however we have no special program or supervision for children at the retreat. In the past, children have attended these retreats, but have only been able to do so as full, conscious, responsible participants under the immediate supervision of their parents. If you would like to bring children to the retreat, please call the Event Director first before registering and discuss this with us in detail. Anyone younger than 18 must have a parent or legal guardian present during the entire retreat. Daycare facilities are currently not available.

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Meditation and Sitting Practice

Meditation practice will be incorporated and keyed to the daily teaching subjects, with the goal of moving from a superficial understanding of the Buddha’s teachings to a profound and incontrovertible realization of their truth in our present moment thinking. During teaching and meditation sessions you are welcome to sit in a chair, but most people choose to sit on a cushion on the floor. Many people bring their own personal seating, but chairs and cushions are available here for those who are unable to bring them.

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Daily Retreat Schedule and Sessions

This will be an active retreat with a 24-hour schedule. Everyone is expected to remain in all teaching and practice sessions without creating disturbances, but it’s okay if you need to briefly step out, for example as a result of a bathroom emergency. There are breaks between sessions. The sessions typically last one and a half to two and a half hours each, with up to five sessions per day. There will be about eight to ten hours of scheduled practices and teachings per day. In addition, during break times, yoga, music, dancing, art, and other Dharma activities may take place.

As part of your daily practice, for an eight hour period, from about 11:00 PM to 7:00 AM you will be required to maintain a vow of silence and not engage in any normal waking activities except using the bathroom. These times may vary from day to day, but the idea is that you will be laying down resting your body for eight hours every night and not unnecessarily disturbing other people.

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Additional Requirements

Everyone will be expected to follow the rules of the retreat which are outlined on this page. The rules are subject to revision. Also you must adhere to the schedule of the retreat and unless sick, attend all the scheduled events of the retreat. You may leave the retreat at any time, but you cannot leave the retreat and then return to the retreat.

To attend the retreat one has to be a non-smoker, drug-free, and mentally stable. Possession or use of smoking materials, illegal or mind-altering drugs, or non-prescribed pharmaceuticals are not permitted. You may of course bring with you and ingest any prescribed medication except medicinal marijuana which is not permitted.

There will be no shopping trips, so you should bring any supplies you need with you for the entire duration of the retreat.  You should bring with you to the retreat adequate supplies of things like clothing, bedding, toiletries and medicine.

Except for pets belonging at the retreat center, no pets from visiting guests are allowed on property and no pets living in students cars or quarters during the retreat are permitted.

You must have the willingness and commitment to practice with the group during all sessions of the retreat.  You should have good enough physical and mental constitution to be able to sit with us for the daily schedule, and a good enough temperament to be able to get along with others.

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Payments

Your payment in full is due upon the acceptance of your application and must be paid in full by May 5, 2018. In the event that your application is not approved, any retreat payments you have made will be returned to you in full. Your prompt payment when you register will help us to purchase supplies for the retreat in advance.

Visit the Payment Options page for more information on how to pay.

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Cancellation and Refunds

You may cancel any time prior to May 5, 2018 and receive a refund of 100% of any fees you have paid. There will be no refunds after May 5, 2018.

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Scholarships

Ordained sangha (Buddhist monks and nuns) can make an application to the Dzogchen Shri Singha Foundation to attend this event free-of-charge. These applications will be reviewed and applicants informed of availability prior to retreat. While there is no financial aid such as scholarships or work-study options available for lay attendees at this time, we are soliciting donations to help make some limited scholarships available for this retreat.

Please contact the retreat director if you are able to contribute to the scholarship fund. We aspire to assist diligent students who are have financial need of assistance.

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Dana Donations

Retreat costs do not include any payment or donation to the guiding teacher. Any donation to the teacher or to the hosting organization that you would like to make should be prepared outside of your payment for the cost of this event.

The Buddhist teachings during the retreat are free, but note that within Dzogchen Buddhist tradition, the teacher does not charge the organizers for the teaching services, and therefore individual donations by retreatants to the teacher are always welcomed and needed in order to support the teacher’s Dharma activities. This is also a gesture of appreciation, respect and aspiration for the perpetuation of the teachings. This offering to the teacher by the individual student is often referred to using the Sanskrit term dana.

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Q&A

If you have any questions, or are just wondering if this event is for you, you should contact us in advance to discuss. This page will be updated with some of the answers to questions posed, so questions are very much welcomed.

If you have any questions about anything, don’t hesitate to contact the retreat director or assistant retreat director.

Fees

1. Adult (18–64) ~ $560
2. Senior (65 and up) ~ $450
3. Monastic ~ $400
4. Teen (ages 13–17) ~ $350
5. Youth (ages 8–12) ~ $300
6. Child (ages 0–7) ~ contact Retreat Director

NOTE: If you also plan to attend the 2015 Dzogchen Internship, then $100 of this retreat’s fees can be credited toward your Internship fee.

Pay by Check

Payment by check is preferred. In order to ensure your check is received prior to the retreat, it must be arranged by May 3rd and mailed to the address below.

Make checks payable to: Dzogchen Shri Singha Foundation

Dzogchen Shri Singha Foundation USA
4325 Commerce St, Suite 111-442
Eugene, OR 97402-5467