RETREAT DESCRIPTION
THIS RETREAT WILL OPEN FOR REGISTRATION AT 7:00 PM ON WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8.
This retreat is set in the larger context of awakening. The first few days include the overall “view” of enlightenment, and the basis of Bodhicitta (a wish for awakening for oneself and all beings) in the heart for a full practice and larger intention for practice.
The next week of the retreat will focus on the Samatha practice, developing laser-like awareness that has the potential to lead to the meditative absorptions known as jhanas.
For the last five days of the retreat, participants will have the option to continue to deepen on the Samatha track, or move to the Dzogchen track. (Talks for both tracks will be available to all participants.) The Dzogchen track provides the possibility of non-dual awareness without the level of concentration required for jhana. In the Dzogchen track, we will build upon the foundation of Samatha with its powerful and stabilizing concentration, to include the open awareness of Vipassana, and then explore the non-dual practice of Rigpa, which enables the possibility for one to be present with a deeper reality with eyes open, awake to the world.
Participants will have the option to either go deeper with the Samatha practice, or to branch into the Tibetan Dzogchen practice and the possibility of realizing Rigpa. Both paths provide the possibility of cutting through conventional reality to realize the deeper truth of non-duality.
To hear more about Luminous Mind retreats, you may follow this link to a 9-minute YouTube video by Tina.
Experience Prerequisites: One needs to have successfully completed at least one 5-day residential retreat. Please be sure to note details of your experience on your registration form so we can verify that you fulfill this prerequisite.
Partial attendance is not offered on this retreat. Additionally, please consider attending this retreat only if your current life circumstances allow you to engage in an important modern renunciation practice of staying offline and off phone/text during the entire course of the retreat (exceptions related to pressing family situations may be granted.)
2023 CURRENT COVID-19 PROTOCOLS:
A vaccination requirement is still in place for all participants on this retreat. Follow this link for more information about the vaccine requirement, including an avenue for medical exemption.
Participants will be housed in single sleeping rooms.
We require the following schedule of rapid testing with negative results: 1) on the Tuesday prior to the retreat stat; 2) on the Friday start-day of the retreat; and 3) on Monday during the retreat for any retreats longer than 3 nights.
We continue to require all retreatants, **teachers and staff to remain masked until all participants conduct the Monday testing with negative results. At that point masking becomes optional. (**With consent of the group, teachers will teach without masks starting the first night but remain masked along with the group at all other times.)
The retreat container will be constructed in accordance with the current covid-19 conditions at the time to maximize individual and group health. All participants will be required to follow all covid-19 health and safety guidelines in place at Cloud Mountain. We reserve the right to adjust expectations of acceptable behaviors within the retreat environment to respond most appropriately to covid-19 conditions. PLEASE FOLLOW THIS LINK FOR UPDATED INFORMATION ABOUT OUR COVID-19 HEALTH AND SAFETY PROTOCOLS.
SCHOLARSHIP INFO
Scholarship funds are available on all retreats to assist those with financial challenges. For more information, read the Scholarship section of our overview information.
SPECIAL NOTES
This retreat is intended for experienced students.
RETREAT COST
Subsidized fee : $910 plus dana offerings to teacher(s) and staff
Sustaining fee : $1040 plus dana offerings to teacher(s) and staff
Supporting fee : $1170 plus dana offerings to teacher(s) and staff
Following in the Buddhist tradition, none of your registration fee will go to the teacher(s). Please consider offering teacher dāna at the event to support their livelihood. (Dāna is a term for generosity, or freely offered giving. You can find more information about this way of offering the teachings and the "economy of gifts" on our Donation page.)
