Frequently asked questions about retreat

 

Here are some questions that people have asked. I'll keep adding more information as people ask new questions. So ask away!

Here's a video of the retreat project and land.

 

Why would anyone want to do a long retreat? It seems crazy--12,000 hours of meditation!

In a nut shell, all human endeavor comes first from the mind. Good things, bad things--they all begin with a thought. So I'd like to help the world, by training my mind in wisdom and compassion so the actions I take and the words I speak come from a clear mind. I'll do my best after retreat to use what I learn to be wiser and kinder in everything I do. If I become skilled at this, and I have confidence that I will, then by virtue of having a mind trained in wisdom and compassion, I'll help everyone I meet, while setting a good example for others. Some of us have had the good fortune to meet profoundly wise and kind people in our lives, and we know we changed for the better, just by being in their presence.

 

I think it's helpful to remember that we put 12,000 hours into mastering lots of things in our culture--arts, sciences and sports, just to name a few. If you want to have mastery at something you have to work at it. Retreat will give me chance to stay focused on the learning, as contemplatives have done for centuries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Why are you askng for money from others?

It's traditional to ask for others' support when entering a long retreat. It helps people feel connected to something good and it gives people a chance to co-create the conditions for something good happening in the world.

 

Why does the retreat tuition, room and board cost so much?

Though it's tough to come up with $47,000 all at once, it's actually much less than most pepople ouside the retreat will spend on room, food, utilities and so on during the same 3 year period. And on retreat, I'll have continuous instruction from highly skilled mentors and teachers.In time, we hope that KCC will have benefactors to help support retreat and that the price will be much lower. For now, we have priced this first retreat at the cost of running it.

 

Are there other costs besides the retreat tuition?

There are. Though I have saved nearly $30,000 to do this retreat, it is my goal to save enough for at least catastrophic health insurance, and to have a small cushion in case I need minor dental or medical treatment on retreat. I'd also like to have some money set aside for food and room after the retreat, giving me the luxury of coming out of the retreat slowly, without having to return to work for a couple of months. I also own only one set of traditional retreat "robes." It would be great to have a second set, so I can wash one and wear the other. And I need a fairly extensive set of texts. Entering the retreat with only $47,000 would be possible--but it would give me no cushion whatsoever. I'll do the best I can to continue to save between now and March, 2015.

 

How can I learn more about the meditation center that is sponsoring this retreat?

Visit the center's website. The site lists all our activities and our lineage affilitations. There is also a governance section with our bylaws and structural details. KCC is well-regarded in the Karma Kagy lineage, world-wide.

 

I don't like Pay Pal, can I just send you money?

Sure. If you email me, I'll give you my surface mail address at the KCC meditation center or my home.

 

Does my ten bucks really help?

Ten dollars would more than pay for a day's meals on retreat. $70 pays for more than a week of meals.

 

How do I know you're legitimate and this is not a scam?

Great question. In my recommendations, you'll see that several people have generously let me use their email to contact them if you'd like more information. They've said if you email them, they are willing to speak to you by phone. Please do. I have many professional and personal recommendations available.

 

Are there other people on retreat at the SCOL retreat center?

Yes, right now there are 13 people who are more than half way through a one-year retreat. There is a doctor, a language student, a toxicologist, a programmer, a horiticulturalist, a Spanish teacher, and a college professor--just to name a few.

 

What have you done, professionally?

I was an elementary school teacher, and then a part-time college teacher. In the last decade and a half, I have been self-employed, with one main client--a professional association--for whom I worked as a consultant. I can give you the contact information for my employer there if you woud like to verfiy this. My job with the association primarily involved teaching staff in post-secondary institutions best practices in running colleges.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are there mostly men or women on retreat?

The majority of applicants to date are women--but KCC will work hard to balance the gender of retreatants, though the two genders are traditionally seperated on retreat.

 

Do you have kids?

I am happy to say I do. I have a son who is 25 and a daughter who is 21. They are very supportive of my retreat and have helped me hold the vision to do retreat since they were children.

 

Where has most of your funding come from?

I sold my home.

 

If you worked so much at KCC, why doesn't the Center pay for your retreat--or give you a discount?

I could ask for that, but there are many candidates--and they have all worked hard--and I am hoping the Center could reserve any support it can give for those candidates.

 

What will you do after retreat?

I prefer to think about the present, but I have many options after retreat. My favorite are related to living a simple and contemplative life, while serving others. I enjoy hospice work, writing, daycare, teaching and gardening--so there are many options.

 

How do you feel about other religions?

I rejoice in any spiritual tradition with good intentions and wish all their practitioners well.

 

I don't have any money to offer, is there some other way I can support you?

Sure! Send a link to this site to your friends and family. Link to it from Facebook and LinkedIn or any social media site. Remember me in your prayers and good thoughts. If you are Buddhist, email me for how you can support my pre-retreat practice committments.

 

Can you come talk to my church or class about the retreat or Buddhism?

In my work, I make more than 100 presentations each year, both face-to-face and by webinars, in the US and Canada. I have professional speaking skills and am happy to support your organization though dialogue or presentations. I travel for work, so it's possible I'd be in your area. Email me for more information. I would not charge a fee beyond expenses.

 

Can I do retreat?

Anyone can apply. It is a very advanced practice opportunity that is most often preceded by several years or even decades of meditation practice. If you'd like to apply, email me.

 

Aren't you kind of old to do retreat--why did you wait so long?

I am old! I am 60. I waited so long because we had to build the center to do long retreat first. It took more than a decade. I also wanted to wait until my children were finished with college, or close to it. I will be almost 65 when I get out of retreat--but I will be that old whether I do retreat or not! Besides, each age brings its own benefit to the reteat.

 

Wouldn't you rather work in a soup kitchen than disappear from the world for 3 years?

I have done work to help others as much as I can in the last 15 years. I spend virtually all my free time and resources helping as many people as possible. I value all forms of people helping people and other beings. But I feel called to help in this way now. Recognizing our interconnectedness, I hope my meditation will benefit many, many people; and be a part of bringing wholesomeness and healing to the world. If I can live a life of wisdom and compassion, I hope it will inspire others to do the things they feel most called to do to benefit people, the planet and all beings.I have had the exceptionally good fortune to study with many extraordinary secular and religious teachers and it seems good to leverage this good fortune by taking time to focus on developing the mind's great potential. ​