it’s much, much less”
– Adyashanti
Annual Fall Retreat, September 25-27, 2026
Our Belonging to Kindness: Awakening to the World We Carry Together
The retreat will explore meditation as a way of touching a deep sense of belonging: to the earth, to one another, and to this fragile moment of life. Inspired by the Buddha touching the earth, we will reflect on interdependence, impermanence, and the often painful world we share.
We will listen to and reflect on the Buddha’s words on loving-kindness in the Karaniya Metta Sutta, and practice meditation with the breath and kindness.
This retreat will include noble silence, and opportunities to connect in spiritual friendship, still and walking meditation, guided heart practice and chanting together.
>>> Watch this preview of the topic presented by Prasadachitta <<<
We invite GBF members, friends, queer people of all genders, and allies to join us for our retreat at the beautiful Land of Medicine Buddha in Soquel, CA: https://landofmedicinebuddha.org .
In this 3 day (two-night) partly silent retreat, we will sit and walk in meditation together, chant, eat, and be in connection with nature and each other. The emphasis will be on deepening our practice of mindfulness, lovingkindness, and wise action in relationship—with ourselves, each other, our community, and the wider world.
The 32nd GBF fall residential retreat is scheduled for September 25-27, 2026. The retreat will be taught by one of GBF’s favorite visiting teachers, Prasadachitta.
The Land of Medicine Buddha is a Tibetan retreat center located on 108 acres in the scenic coastal foothills above Monterey Bay (https://landofmedicinebuddha.org/). It is a delightful retreat space. The grounds are quite beautiful, the meditation halls lovely.
Retreat Format
Schedule: we gather at 5:00pm on Friday, Sept. 25, 2026 and depart at 2:30pm, Sunday, Sept. 27, 2026.
We welcome both beginners and long-time practitioners to join in a program that blends elements of a traditional silent retreat – sitting and walking meditation – with talks and exercises led by members of the sangha. Free time is included to walk the forest and socialize with others.
Accommodations
Various sleeping arrangements are available. See the registration page.
If you have any questions, please contact Henry Rabinowitz (hrabinowitz@gmail.com) or Richard Azzolini (chefazzolini@gmail.com) .
Meals
The Land of Medicine Buddha staff prepares delicious and healthy vegetarian meals. Lunch is the heartiest meal of the day. Unfortunately, they cannot accommodate individual dietary restrictions, so be prepared to bring supplemental food if you are concerned. Some refrigerator space can be provided.
Retreat Scholarship Fund
We offer partial or full scholarships to those who cannot afford the fee. Please send an email to chefazzolini@gmail.com requesting a Scholarship prior to registering, and include
- A description of your situation (e.g., unemployed, disabled, limited income), and
- What you are able to pay.
You will receive a reply within 1-2 days.
Registration for September Retreat
Prasadachitta was ordained into the Triratna Buddhist Order in 2011 and he became the Chair of the San Francisco Buddhist Center in April 2022. He was born on a “back to the land” commune in rural Northern California and that background has inspired his engagement with others in building the SFBC’s rural meditation center called Dharmadhara. He also helped to establish a community of sangha members who support the retreats there. He supports himself as a documentary filmmaker and photographer but his real life’s work is training others who want to practice Buddhism within the Triratna Buddhist Community.