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Retreat InformationIntroduction to Retreats : Registration and Payment : Venues : Carpooling : Food and Work : What to Bring : What Not to Bring Introduction to RetreatsOur retreats are open and accessible to all who have learned the two basic meditation practices we do (Mindfulness of Breathing and Metta Bhavana). Retreats provide a precious opportunity to deepen your meditation practice in a peaceful, natural setting free of daily distractions. We also do pujas (a ritual/devotional practice) with an optional introduction for those who are new to it. On weekend retreats we usually remain in silence over night and through breakfast. There are more extended periods of silence on longer retreats. Weekend retreats generally run from a Friday at 7:30pm to Sunday at about 4pm. For dates of upcoming retreats, see the calendar. Registration and Payment Like all SFBC events, retreats are offered on a sliding scale to make them accessible to as many people as possible. We ask that you pay the highest amount that you can afford. Your contributions help others come on retreat at a lower rate, cover some of our related program and administrative costs, and, depending on the event, pay for airfare and lodging for visiting teachers. Payment plans and reduced rates are available, but must be arranged before the registration deadline (email info@sfbuddhistcenter.org). During the retreat you may make a donation toward supporting the retreat leaders, all of whom volunteer their time to teach. The tradition of making offerings to teachers is called dana, which means 'giving' in the Pali language. Space is limited on retreats & there is a lot of background work involved with arranging food, rides, etc. - which is why we require pre-registration at least 10 days prior to the retreat start date. For longer retreats, pre-registration is 2 weeks in advance. To register for a retreat, you can register online, or do the following:
After the registration deadline, a confirmation email will be sent to you containing more information about food, carpooling, etc., and a registration email which you need to answer and return to us. Venues We go on retreat at several different locations, including Jikoji retreat center, Camp Double Bear and Vajrapani. All these places are in the Santa Cruz Mountains, less than two hours' drive of the City. Carpooling/Driving We do our best to organize and arrange carpools for retreats. However, our transportation resources are limited. If you have access to a car and can drive others, please do. Riders are expected to offer to pay for gas costs. If you are carpooling, you will be notified a few days before the retreat who you're going with! Click here for driving directions to Jikoji or directions to Camp Double Bear. For Vajrapani, here is a map and directions. Food and Work All food is provided and is vegetarian, vegan optional, and mostly organic. When dairy products or wheat are served, alternatives are provided. Since we cannot cater to each person’s individual food preferences, we ask you to eat the meals that are served. However, you may bring a limited amount of supplies to supplement our meals - a small amount of refrigerator space and a microwave are available. If you have medical dietary restrictions, please let us know at least 3 weeks before the starts date of the retreat. On weekend retreats, no dinner will be served the first night of the retreat – you’re welcome to bring your dinner and eat it there. If not, there will be boxed soups and other packaged foods available for you to make if you need it. Retreatants sign up for a small amount of cooking and/or cleaning each day which is an opportunity to practice mindfulness through work (a traditional Buddhist practice). What to Bring
What Not to Bring Distracting things like work, computers, music, beepers or cell phones.
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