Ways to stay
Solitary cabin retreats
A solitary retreat is practice alone in a cabin in the woods, from five nights to as many as a hundred and eight, in any season.
Seven cabins in the woods are kept for solitary retreat alone. Six of them are available: Yeshe, Vaishravana, Nirmanakaya, Nagarjuna, Great Eastern Sun and Dhritarashtra. A retreat lasts at least five nights; the longest are usually 108 nights.
Who may come
- A daily meditation practice of at least a year.
- At least two weeks of silent group retreat in shamatha and vipashyana, or its equivalent.
- For a first solitary retreat, a letter of recommendation from your meditation instructor, and a conversation with the retreat master.
Other lineages
Practitioners of other lineages are welcome to ask, and should speak with the retreat master first. Vajrayana retreats of other lineages are usually not supported.
Devices
Computers and phones are discouraged in the cabins, even for Dharma study.
Planning
Ask about three months before you hope to begin. The Retreats department settles the dates, the cabin and the fees with you, and the fees grow less per night as a retreat grows longer.