Samye Ling Visual Guide
Information about the various parts of Samye Ling Long-Term Retreats at Kagyu Samye Ling
In Tibetan Buddhism, and in particular in the
Kagyu school, there is a tradition of doing the so-called three year
retreat, which lasts approximately three years and three months. Here
in Samye Ling we have completed several cycles of such retreats and
have decided to make future retreats four years in length to give time
to incorporate the Guru Rinpoche and Amitabha practices.
The cost for a four year
retreat is £15,000 - approximately £10 per day which we have calculated
is just enough to cover the cost of keeping a person in retreat.
Although expenses, especially fuel bills are rising at an alarming rate
- and costs are already higher when living on an island - we will not
increase our charge during the course of the next retreat so that all
serious practitoners may have the opportunity to take part. It is also
best to aim to have another £3,000 available for spending money on
texts, clothes and anything extra you may need during the retreat.
The
actual meditation instructions for the retreat will be given assuming
that retreatants have a good grounding in Dharma theory and preferably
some practice experience. As all the practices and prayers are chanted
in Tibetan, it is essential to be able to read Tibetan at a reasonable
speed - 'puja speed'. Understanding the language is of course helpful,
but good reading is indispensable.
The retreat
programme is quite intensive, covering the Ngondro, the main Kagyu Guru
Yogas and Yidam practices, the Six Yogas of Naropa and Chod, amongst
others.
If you are interested in taking part in a long retreat, please contact Ani Lhamo at Samye Ling, at: lhamo@samyeling.org
and natural devotion has been born in my being,
at the end of utter weariness there will come renunciation.
May it pour into me the blessing of unshakable joy."
( From the 8th Karmapa Guru Yoga)