Remember Me
2023 8-week retreat in-person application
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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