GUIDELINES FOR SETTING UP A RETREAT

WITH BHANTE VIMALARAMSI

COSTS FOR BHANTE AND ATTENDANT

Costs that must be covered for Bhante and his attendant, if he chooses to have someone travel with him:

 Air tickets: Business or Premium Economy class due to Bhante’s long legs (he is 6’ 5”). Coach
tickets for the attendant.
 Meals and transportation costs during travel, e.g., to and from airport.
 Room and board at the retreat facility.
 Any miscellaneous costs that may arise.

These expenses, together with the costs of lodging and meals, may be prorated and incorporated into the
fee charged to each retreat participant.

LENGTH AND SIZE OF RETREAT

 Retreats are normally a minimum of 8 days/7 nights; 12 days/11 nights is the maximum.
 Minimum attendance 15, maximum 30 students. The 30-person maximum allows each meditator
to be interviewed and personally instructed daily. This is a close, one-on-one type of training
system.
 Although residential participants are preferred, commuting may be allowed if the commuter can
adhere to the daily retreat schedule. Meal arrangements for commuters may be made with the
retreat facility or with a caterer. Erratic drop-ins will not be permitted.

RETREAT FACILITY

Retreat center: The best choice is a stand-alone retreat center that is in the business of providing
spiritual retreats.

Hotels: Best is a small hotel in which the entire facility may be rented. If possible, arrangements should
seclude retreaters from contact with others outside the retreat.

Price range: Retreat costs in the $50-$100 per day range have been found to attract participants.

Rooms and room assignments: The facility should offer both single and double room choices. Double
occupancy rooms must have two beds. Room assignments must be same gender, men with men and
women with women. Same-gender spouses may not room together.

Meditation hall: There must be a hall with enough comfortable chairs for participants, as well as space
for those who bring floor cushions. This hall must be reserved for the entire retreat period and secluded
from public access. Lights are to be on brightly during day and evening; lights may be dimmed at night but
the room should not be dark.

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Seating for meditators: Comfortable, straight-back chairs – not sofas or armchairs. These can be made
more comfortable with cushions. Participants may be invited to bring their own cushions and special
chairs if desired. The host organization should have available some cushions for those who have traveled
by air.

Seating and microphone for Bhante: Provide a comfortable large chair at the front of the room and a
side table for books, water and eyeglasses. Make sure there is sufficient light for Bhante to read. A
microphone and speaker should be provided, unless the room is small with good acoustics.

Dining room: Meals must be served in a private dining room with tables. Monastics will be seated at a
separate table.

MEALS

Two meals are required per day. Meditators will not eat after 12:00 noon, except when necessary to
accommodate a medical condition.

BREAKFAST – 7:00 AM: At a minimum, cold and hot cereal, toast, jams, fruit, tea and/or coffee.

 Bhante’s preferred breakfast: Coffee, black with sugar available; one bagel, with cream cheese if
available.

LUNCH – 11:00 AM: The mid-day meal should be a hearty one that will stick in meditators’ stomachs!

 Meals may be vegetarian or include meat or fish. If meat or fish are served, also provide a
vegetarian option.
 Include rice, beans, salads and fruits at all meals to complement the main entrée.
 Gluten-free selections should be provided, due to gluten issues world-wide.
 Have peanut butter and nuts available.
 Bhante suggests avoiding soy or tofu entrees, as soy has been shown to have adverse health
attributes for human beings. Tempeh is fine. Quinoa is good, as are all smaller legumes.

TEA TIME – 5:30 PM: Provide a variety of teas including regular, decaffeinated and herbal teas. Coffee
may be offered as well. Small pieces of plain chocolate candy may be offered.

TRANSPORTATION

The best arrangement is for the retreat center to be near an international airport with easy transport to the
center. If that is not the case, then the host organization should arrange transport options to use from and
to the airport.

 You can have volunteers pick up people from the airport twice a day to cover all the arrivals.
 You can rent a van or a bus and have everyone meet at a certain place.
 Suggest hotels near the airport where participants who arrive the day before a retreat can stay.

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COMMUNICATION

Provide prompt, friendly responses to all inquiries and requests. Keep track of each registrant, payments,
flight information, etc. Provide clear instructions for making out checks and where to send them. DSMC
may be able to handle credit card payments. On request, DSMC can help publicize the retreat and set up
a website for it.

Several participant handouts are available from DSMC with information that has been shown to be
helpful. These can be adapted as appropriate for your retreat venue and participants.

 Detailed Retreat Information – arrival and departure times, driving directions, registration and
orientation schedule, what to wear, what to bring (and not bring), emergency phone numbers,
policy on reading, cell phones and laptops.
 Simplicity and Renunciation – taking any residence, taking food that is offered, the practice of
silence, community service (yogi jobs).
 Etiquette with Monks and Nuns – physical contact, how to greet, modest clothing, entering a
room, attentiveness, timeliness, silence, offering, meals, gifts (dana).

RETREAT SCHEDULE

5:00 am * Wake up

5:30 am * Refuges and Precepts, sitting meditation

7:00 am * Breakfast

8:00 am      Sitting and walking meditation, yogi jobs

11:00 am * Lunch

1:00 pm       Sitting and walking meditation

5:30 pm * Tea time

6:00 pm *  Dhamma talk and discussion

8:00 pm      Sitting and walking meditation

10:00 pm    Further practice or sleep

* A bell is recommended for these activities to support meditation undistracted by the need to
check time or set morning alarms.

SILENCE

For best training results, the retreat should be held in silence. Questions may be asked during interviews
and Dhamma talks. Students can also bring questions to Bhante’s attendant, who can decide if the
student should meet with Bhante to discuss.

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YOGI JOBS

A yogi job is a simple repetitive task that can be carried out with a smile for 30-60 minutes each morning.
The objective is for the meditator to discover that meditation can be continued while carrying out everyday
activities. This is a first step to taking the practice directly into life.

Retreat organizers should develop a list of yogi jobs that participants can sign up for on the first day.

 Essential tasks include bell ringers for morning wake up, morning sit, breakfast, lunch, tea time
and Dhamma talk.
 Examples of other suitable tasks might include assisting with kitchen clean-up, sweeping, raking
leaves, arranging rocks, setting up for tea time, setting tables, maintaining the tea table, tidying
the altar and refreshing flowers, setting up for tea time, etc.

DANA

By tradition, dana may be offered to the teacher at the end of the retreat. Provide a basket or container
with envelopes that students can use for this purpose. Collect Names and Addresses if they need a tax
deduction (they will). DSMC will supply a form for this with instructions. DSMC can also set up a credit
card slider if you have a smart phone for donations via credit card.

Participants are invited to give what they can in gratitude for what they feel they received. Dana in many
forms is also given year round to support Bhante’s teaching and keep the Dhamma flowing from the
Dhamma Sukha Meditation Center.

Attendant to Bhante
If an attendant does not travel with Bhante there will be certain duties needed to be done by the organizer
to take care of Bhante’s needs. Those details are in separate document.

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