2024 Shravasti Retreat in Maine
A Shravasti Retreat is a life changing experience: fully immerse yourself in mindfulness from dawn to dusk and watch peace of mind dawn within.
Please join us for HH Drikung Chetsang Rinpoche’s dynamic, newly expanded meditation curriculum: Shravasti Meditation Retreat! This is the first time the full curriculum will be offered in North America.
Sept 15 – Sept 24, 2024 Pilgrim Lodge, West Gardiner, Maine
The 10-day curriculum is designed to offer each student the rare opportunity to deepen familiar practices of concentration and compassion and develop new levels of understanding through Khenmo’s instruction and concentrated times for sitting, walking, eating, and resting meditation.
“Through extensive meditation training and holding silent contemplation throughout the day, our undistracted minds reveal their natural warmth and wisdom. We move gradually from states of confusion to inherent wisdom. You may not fully understand all of the subtle levels of meditation instructions at first, but if you commit to fully engaging with your heart and mind, you will set into motion a life-long path of practice that has the potential to expand as you grow in understanding.” — Khenmo Drolma
“Meditation is not easy. You should start with calm-abiding to stabilize your mind and, if possible, attend a Shravasti Meditation retreat, not only to receive teachings, but to whole-heartedly engage in meditation practice and increase your ability to stabilize your mind. The Shravasti Meditation is an integrated meditation approach that relies directly on the Buddha’s words as the source of instruction. It is based on the Anapanasati Sutta (Discourse on Mindfulness of Breathing).” — HHDKCR
The Shravasti curriculum is a nondenominational, nonsectarian Buddhist meditation system suitable for non-Buddhists as well. Ideally, it is a 10-day residential immersion into progressive stages of meditation. In such a setting, students immerse themselves in a strict schedule, experiencing meditation from 5:00 AM to 9:00 PM. This is a traditional retreat schedule such as you would find in 3-year retreats. Students keep the monastic practice of not taking an evening meal, as it leads to better concentration. Each morning begins with reading the Sutra on Awareness of Breathing, yogic exercises, and meditation. There are five meditation sessions each day structured around the Sutra’s 16 contemplations on breath practice, along with 45 minutes of walking meditation in the early afternoon. One or more Dharma talks per day provide insight into the subtlety of Buddha’s instructions. The focus on the meditation practice for 10 days provides a thorough foundation for continued practice. The Shravasti system is intended to be a complete practice path.
Shravasti Schedule
| 5:00 | Wake up |
| 5:30-6:30 | Shravasti Yogas |
| 6:30-7:30 | Breakfast |
| 8:00-9:00 | Meditation |
| 15 minutes | Bathroom / Tea |
| 9:15-10:15 | Dharma Talk |
| 15 minutes | Bathroom / Tea |
| 10:30-11:30 | Meditation |
| 12:00-3:00 | Lunch / Rest |
| 3:00-4:00 | Meditation |
| 15 minutes | Bathroom / Tea |
| 4:15-5:15 | Walking Meditation |
| 15 minutes | Bathroom / Tea |
| 5:30-6:30 | Meditation |
| 7:00-8:00 | Light Medicine Meal or Drinks / Rest |
| 8:00-9:00 | Meditation (Optional) |
| 9:30 | Lights out |
Thank You for Supporting Vajra Dakini
We offer all our live-stream Dharma programs freely. We trust our generosity will be matched by yours. All donations are used to help support future offerings and activities for the benefit of all beings.