The instructions presented in these 8-week retreats on The Vajra Essence are for the sake of progressing along the path of the Great Perfection to its culmination in the achievement of the rainbow body and perfect enlightenment. At the end of this revelation, the Lake-Born Vajra declares that the unsurpassed quality of the profound path of the Vajra Essence is that it enables those who practice it to identify pristine awareness, dispel their flaws by means of meditation, and finally, by practicing while remaining inactive, become siddhas and experience the state of omniscient enlightenment. But he cautions that this sublime revelation will not remain for long, for there will be no teachers who know how to explain it, and few people who have the karma, prayers, and fortune to receive it.

Santa Barbara Institute and Wisdom Publications are collaborating to offer and record these teachings so that for generations to come there will indeed be teachers who know how to explain them, and individuals who have the good fortune to experience their full benefits.

The retreat will be available virtually via audio and video recording, from SBI and Wisdom Publications.

The 2023 8-week retreat will be held in Crestone, CO. Please complete the application below if you would like to attend the retreat in person.

General Information

First Name:

Last Name:*

Address:*

Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country

Email:*

Gender:

Female
Male

Occupation:*

Date of Birth:*

We are delighted that the 2023 8-week retreat will be held in Crestone, CO. The sessions with Lama Alan will be either at Miyo Samten Ling or another venue in Crestone. You will be responsible for organizing your own travel, lodging and food arrangements. Since it is impossible to predict what the situation will be with Covid six months from now there is a possibility that there will be a vaccination/booster requirement to attend the retreat. It is likely that you will need to wear a mask when we come together for about the first 7-10 days of the retreat, and to take a Covid test upon arrival and after a designated period of time. We ask that depending on the Covid situation, whenever entering a public place (for grocery shopping and the like) you also mask and that you keep your interactions in the town of Crestone to an essential minimum, and not to travel outside of the San Luis Valley in the course of the 2-month retreat.

Do you agree to all this?

Yes
No

Do you plan to enter long-term retreat with the intention of practicing the path of the Vajra Essence in this lifetime?

Yes
No

Have you applied for a previous in-person 8-week retreat on the Vajra Essence?*

Yes
No

After a preliminary selection process, individuals may be asked to participate in an interview with a clinical psychologist before final selection is made. Are you willing to participate in this interview?*

Yes
No

Meditation Experience

During this 8-week retreat, participants will engage in intensive meditation practice. In order to assess preparedness for such an undertaking, please provide us with some information about your meditation practice and experience. Participants are required to have fulfilled the essential pre-requisite of receiving the teachings from The Vajra Essence Retreat Part I from 2020.

* Prerequisites:

While completion of the five sets of 100,000 recitations of preliminary practices will not be required to participate in these retreats, applicants should have established a sound basis in understanding and practice of the foundations of Buddhism, including shamatha, the four applications of mindfulness, the four immeasurables, and relative and ultimate bodhicitta.

Prerequisites for the 2023 8-week retreat are that you have received the teachings from the 2020 8-week retreat, The Vajra Essence - Part I. Please check any of the following past 8-week retreats that you have listened to, practiced, and meditated upon IN FULL:*

The 2013 8-week Retreat on Shamatha and the Bodhisattva's Way of Life
The 2019 8-week Retreat on The Enlightened View of Samantabhadra
The 2020 8-week Retreat on the Vajra Essence Part I
The 2021 8-week Retreat on the Vajra Essence Part II
The 2022 8-week Retreat on the Vajra Essence Part III

Have you attended at least one 5-10 day Shamatha Retreat with Alan Wallace, whether in person or online?:*

Yes
No

Have you attended other types of retreats with Alan Wallace?:*

Yes
No

Please list the dates, teacher(s), style of practice, duration, and locations of any intensive meditation practice you have done in a group retreat setting:*

Please list the dates, style of practice, duration, and locations of any intensive meditation practice you have done in solitary retreat(s):*

Please describe your current daily practice:*

Participants need to be self-sufficient and disciplined, maintaining a steady schedule of intensive practice throughout the retreat, and keeping your own retreat boundaries while living in accommodations in Crestone. Teachings by Lama Alan will be six days a week (Monday - Saturday) with the following schedule: Monday, Wednesday, Friday 9:00-10:00am, Monday - Saturday: 10:30-noon. Glen Svensson will offer supplementary teachings. Due to the very limited in-person attendance for this retreat there will be fewer support opportunities during the retreat than in previous in-person 8-week retreats. We do hope to have at least one therapist on site but we cannot confirm this as yet.*

Is this sufficient community and psychological support for you?:

Yes
No

This 8-week retreat will not require total silence, but it will require an extremely quiet environment, especially if we are on the land of Miyo Samten Ling. Contact with the outside world will be minimal, and for the most part, silence will be maintained. Brief occasional phone conversations or emails will be permitted while you are in your own accommodations, but not at Miyo Samten Ling. Eight-week retreatants need to be at ease with both silence and solitude. Would these restrictions be problematic for you?*

Yes
No

Psychological Health

During these retreats, access to counseling and psychological support services, as well as medical facilities, is limited. Furthermore, a meditation retreat of several weeks carries with it a unique set of demands that differ from those of day-to-day life. Your answers to the following questions will help us to determine if such an environment is suitable for your practice.

Are you currently in treatment with a therapist?:*

Yes
No

If yes, please explain:*

Are you currently in treatment with a psychiatrist?:*

Yes
No

Have you ever been diagnosed with a psychological condition or mental illness?:*

Yes
No

Have you ever made a serious attempt at taking your life?:*

Yes
No

Do you have any history of emotional instability during intensive meditation retreats?:*

Yes
No

If yes, please explain:

At times in any long retreat, many people experience deep emotions, ranging from grief or sadness to exhilaration and ecstasy. Do you feel confident that you can handle such swings of emotion?:*

Yes
No

Are there any traumatic experiences from your childhood or later that you feel might potentially create problems in your meditation or interfere with your retreat in any way?:*

Yes
No

If yes, please explain:*

It is absolutely imperative that participants in these retreats do not bring psychotropic or unprescribed pharmaceutical drugs to this retreat, and such drugs are never to be taken during the retreat unless prescribed by a psychiatrist and specifically authorized by Lama Alan. Are you willing to abide by this regulation?*

Yes
No

Describe any present circumstances creating additional stress for you that may make meditation more difficult (e.g., recent loss of a loved one or job, illness):*

Physical Health

Our capacity to support ongoing medical needs during this retreat is extremely limited. The climate in Crestone in the springtime is relatively mild, but snowstorms are still possible in April or May, as well as many bright, warm days at high altitude. Please be prepared for variable climate and seasonal allergies (especially juniper and native grasses).

The elevation in Crestone is just under 8,000 feet/2420 meters. If you suffer from altitude sickness or any other health conditions that could be triggered by the elevation please consider this before submitting an application and consult with your doctor.

We ask the following questions in order to ensure your safety and to limit the occurrence of unnecessary medical complications during the course of the eight-week retreat. The closest hospital is over an hour away.

Do you have any history of physical illness or limitations that might be aggravated by or interfere with meditation?:*

Yes
No

Are you currently taking any prescription medications for physical or psychological conditions?:*

Yes
No

If yes, please explain:*

During this retreat, being in a remote mountain area, participants may not be able to personally fill medication prescriptions. Will you be able to bring any necessary medication with you, or else obtain it by US mail, UPS delivery or FedEx?*

Yes
No
Not Applicable

Do you have any medical needs that would require you leaving the small town of Crestone during a 8-week period?:*

Yes
No

Since you will be responsible for organizing your own lodging and meals, do you feel this will interfere with your practice during the 8-weeks of retreat?*

Yes
No

Do you currently smoke cigarettes?:*

Yes
No

Do you currently drink alcohol on a regular basis?:*

Yes
No

Do you currently use any recreational drugs (e.g., marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy)?:*

Yes
No

Please Note: Ingesting illegal drugs during the retreat will provide grounds for immediate expulsion.

Meditation Teacher

Which meditation teacher is most familiar with your practice?:*

May we contact him or her?:*

Yes
No

Contact information for teacher:*

Please write a detailed statement specifically about your experience of listening to and practicing the teachings of the Vajra Essence from the 2020 retreat, and if you followed the subsequent retreats in 2021 and 2022. What has changed most in your practice? What do you struggle with? It is important to specify your motivation for participating in this retreat in person. Please summarize your short-term and long-term aspirations and commitment to practice based on receiving the transmissions and teaching of this Vajra Essence Retreat Part III. Please do not exceed 1000 words.

Emergency Contact Information

Circumstances may arise, as in all extended retreats, where the teachers may feel it is in the best interest of a participant to leave the retreat setting. In case you need emergency support or assistance, whom may we contact on your behalf?

Emergency Contact Name:*

Emergency Contact Phone:*

Emergency Contact Email:*

Relationship to you:*

What is your primary nationality, and what country will you be traveling from?*

Signature

The Vajra Essence: Part Four Application - March 31 - May 27, 2023 to be held in Crestone, Colorado

General Information

Meditation Experience

* Prerequisites:

Psychological Health

Physical Health

Please Note: Ingesting illegal drugs during the retreat will provide grounds for immediate expulsion.

Meditation Teacher

Emergency Contact Information

Title