Retreat Details

Khenpo Karten Rinpoche will give teachings on The Heart Sutra. We are exceedingly fortunate to have this precious opportunity to hear and reflect upon these instructions and meditations.

In addition, each morning will begin with the recitation of the Buddha Amitabha sadhana in which we request that at the time of our death we may go directly to Amitabha’s Pure Land, stepping off the cycle of rebirth and suffering.

Teachings will be given in Tibetan and English. And you will receive a copy of the schedule upon arrival.

The formal retreat will go from dinner on Friday, March 22, until after lunch on Sunday, March 24. If you can, plan to arrive around 4 PM on Friday for sleeping assignment and settling in. Retreat will end around 2 pm after our Annual Sangha Meeting held right after Sunday lunch.

It would be greatly appreciated if some of you could arrive a little earlier to help with setup of tables, chairs, mats, etc., and if some could stay afterwards on Sunday to help with cleanup.

There will also be a signup sheet at the time of your arrival for each person to perform a simple task during the retreat. This might include kitchen help, table setup, wash/dry dishes, or other quick, low stress tasks, benefiting the whole group.

Rinpoche has requested that this be a silent retreat, sometimes called full silence or noble silence. This means trying to limit any talking to essential communications only, and will start after Friday dinner continuing until the start of lunch on Sunday. More information will be given about this at the first evening’s gathering in the Buddha Hall.

Facility Details

1. Accommodations

Rooms are very simple and basic, with several containing 1-2 beds, and a 3-fold floor cushion. There is also the option to sleep with a cot or mat/pad and sleeping bag on the floor of the library, with room dividers used for privacy.

NOTE: There are only two (2) single occupancy rooms available which will be reserved in the order of reservations received. So, register early! Preference will be given to the elderly and those with mobility limitations.

For the other rooms, please select if you wish to stay in a shared-occupancy room or are okay with sleeping on a carpeted floor with a cot, mat/pad and sleeping bag or other sleep aid.

Room occupancy will be divided by gender at the Temple staff request. Therefore, we cannot accommodate male/female couples in the same room.

All rooms have small tables, overhead lighting, bedside reading lamps and open closet space to hang our clothes.

The option of camper van (no hook-ups) and tent camping is also available. Bathroom use would be inside the temple facility which will remain open.

Persons may commute from home for a single day and encouraged to attend the full retreat. Either choice comes with meals.

There are 6 bathrooms, 3 for persons who self-identify as male and 3 for those who self-identify as female.

The Temple is in a locale under water-use restrictions. Therefore, we have been asked that, if able, we bring our own towels and bedding. If you are unable to do so, or are traveling some distance, these items will be provided. Also, no prolonged showers. We are trying to help them out as much as we can. Remember, this is a retreat lasting only two nights.

An accommodation alternative is to do an online search for available local hotels/motels or Airbnb homes in Carmel Valley, Carmel, Pacific Grove or Monterey.

2. Meals

All meals will be vegan or vegetarian and will start with Friday dinner and include Sunday lunch.

Due to logistic matters, we will not be able to accommodate special or restrictive diets. In such a case, you may wish to bring your own food. There is a well-equipped kitchen on-site to aid in food preparation.

3. A Few Rules

This is a very traditional Temple. We have been asked to abide by a few rules of etiquette when inside the facility. This is showing respect for the Temple and to those who have offered their facility for our use.

These are:

– avoid clothes that are “revealing” or have logos, messages, large graphics;

– persons are asked to not wear skirts in the Buddha Hall;

– no food allowed in the Buddha Hall, but liquids are okay;

– please do not use scented products, perfumes, essential oils, or similar;

– no smoking in or near the buildings; smoking in the parking areas is okay;

– no drugs or alcohol of any kind are allowed on the Temple grounds;

– no pets are allowed;

– no use of candles or incense in the sleeping areas.

4. What to Bring

Water bottle, indoor slippers/socks, slip-on shoes, towel and washcloth, sun protection, flashlight, HHDL Heart Sutra book, meditation cushion (if you have one, if not cushions will be provided), bedding (pillow, pillow case, sheets, sleeping bag and pad, blanket).

The weather near the end of March suggests temperatures ranging from lows around 40 F to highs of mid to upper 60s. And there is a possibility of rain at that time of the year. Check the weather report just prior to travel. And dress accordingly.

Please do not bring heavy energy consuming devices such as hair dryers, heating pads, electric blankets, space heaters or similar.

5. Communications

We ask that you consider leaving your cell phone, iPad and similar devices at home or giving them up while at the retreat as a way of taking a break from the daily routine of being bombarded by phone calls, messages, and news in this hyper-connected world. WIFI is available at the facility if absolutely needed.

The emergency contact phone number to leave with family/friends is: 831-624-3686. Though the voicemail greeting will be in Korean, still leave a message, and it will be responded to as soon as possible.

6. Shopping

Items will be available for sale at the retreat during breaks, including books, audio teachings, calligraphy, ritual items, etc. Discounts will be available for Manjushri Dharma Center members. Membership information is available on the website and at the retreat.

Directions

If you will be flying, the nearest airports are Monterey Regional Airport (MRY) and San Jose International Airport (SJC). From there, options for rides to the Temple might include: carpooling with a car rental, or using Uber or Lyft services.

If you are driving on Highway 1, turn East onto Carmel Valley Road. Travel 6 miles and turn right onto Robinson Canyon Road. After 0.3 miles, turn sharp right onto the road just past the Robinson Creek Bridge (signs will be posted to help identify the turnoff). When you get to a fork in the road, turn right to the Temple.

Handicapped parking is located to the upper left of the Temple building. All others, turn right down to the parking spaces in front of the building.

FAQs

How can I contact the organizer with any questions?
Please email Bob Mueller at [email protected].

What’s the refund policy?
We can give refunds 30 days before the event. After that, please consider your payment a kind and helpful donation to the Manjushri Dharma Center.

Are scholarships available?
Yes, please email Shayna at [email protected].