“It’s not what you think;
it’s much, much less”
– Adyashanti
Annual Multi-day Retreat, Oct 2023
Cultivating Clear Seeing and the Kind Heart
Connecting with Core Teachings and Practices
The 29th GBF fall residential retreat is scheduled for October 20-22, 2023 at Land of Medicine Buddha in Soquel, CA. We are very fortunate to have Donald Rothberg as our dharma teacher. With Donald Rothberg we will explore the interconnection of wisdom with kindness and compassion, and receive instruction on the practice of loving kindness.
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.
GBF is pleased to be resuming our annual retreat. 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. The accommodation is very comfortable. They offer two person shared rooms each with a private bath. Private rooms will also be available. There are 2 campsites available.
Registration is already full. If you would like to be on the waiting list, or have any questions, please contact Jerry Jones at jjones13773@gmail.com.
Retreat Format
The retreat is open to members and friends of GBF, including beginners and long-time practitioners.
Schedule: we gather at 5:00pm on Friday, Oct. 20th and depart at 2:30pm, Sunday, Oct. 22nd.
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
Standard sleeping arrangement is a two-person room with private bathroom. Towel and linen service is provided.
Registration Deadline: September 30
Fee: $495, includes food and shared room lodging.
A very limited number of private accommodations exist, availability determined by the order in which your registration is received:
- Single rooms: $100 extra
Single rooms have all been reserved already (8/13). If you are interested to be on the waiting list for a single room, should one open up, please email Jerry Jones at jjones13773@gmail.com .
If you are interested in camping, please contact Jerry Jones at jjones13773@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 scholarships to those who need assistance. If you need financial assistance to attend, please email Jerry Jones at jjones13773@gmail.com .
The deadline for scholarship requests is September 15, 2023.
(We will notify applicants if the fund is insufficient to cover their requests.)
Registration for October Retreat
Registration deadline is September 30, 2023
Deadline for scholarships is Sept. 15.
Donald Rothberg, a member of the Teachers Council at Spirit Rock Center, and teacher at the East Bay Meditation Center, teaches on concentration and insight meditation practice, lovingkindness practice, transforming the judgmental mind, mindful communication, working skillfully with conflict, and socially engaged Buddhism. He is author of The Engaged Spiritual Life: A Buddhist Approach to Transforming Ourselves and the World, and co-editor of Ken Wilber in Dialogue. He has given 15 talks at GBF. Find these dharma talks at www.gaybuddhist.org