ShareNovember 02, 2012 – February 08, 2013
90 days of practice -- please join us for this rare opportunity.
The Winter Retreat is special time of stillness and community life. The monks and nuns commit to stay together within the boundaries of our retreat center for 90 days. During this time of contemplation and stillness, we strengthen our community life and concentrate on our practices of mindfulness and meditation.
The Winter Retreat is equivalent to the three month varśa (rainy season) retreat held in monasteries of various Buddhist traditions. It dates back to the time of the Buddha when the monks and nuns were traveling and teaching the Dharma throughout various regions of India during the year. During the rainy season, when traveling became difficult, they collected together as a community to learn and practice the Dharma, and to share their way of life and experience in the practice.
Today, the monastic members still continue this tradition of gathering together to practice for three months every year. We are happy to receive lay friends who wish to attend this special retreat and share their practice and way of life with us during this period. If you are already familiar with Plum Village practice and have attended our retreats in the past, you can apply to stay for the whole retreat. Alternatively you can get a taste of this special retreat time by spending one or two weeks with us.
Our Teacher will be present for the whole length of the retreat, offering two teachings every week, and will guide us in the study of the deep teachings of the Buddha. The Winter is a time for energetic practice and concentration, during which we develop a strong energy of mutual support and brotherhood, but which also includes the very joyful celebrations of Christmas, and Solar and Lunar New Year.
The special events in this retreat:
Christmas: 21st - 28th December 2012
New Year: 28th December 2012 - 4th January 2013
Tet (Vietnamese Lunar New Year): (8th - 15th February 2013)
For those who wish to stay with us for the whole three months, to partially defray the cost of such a long stay, our lay friends have contact the hamlets.
Normally those wishing to participate for longer than two weeks must write a letter, by the end of the second week, requesting to stay for the whole retreat and, if desired, request a work assignment in the volunteer program.
For more details about visiting Plum Village, please visit "Visiting Us", to register please visit
