A Month of Meditation: Shamatha-Vipashyana Dathün

“In the practice of meditation, you step beyond your hope and fear. You develop trust in the strength of your being and in your ability to extend yourself to others, and you find you have tremendous willingness to do so.”
– Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche

Overview

Dathün is a month-long, group meditation retreat of shamatha-vipashyana, or mindfulness-awareness practice. This is the basic sitting meditation that goes back to the Buddha, which also includes contemplative practices for cultivating insight and compassion. Practising together as a group creates an atmosphere of courage and wakefulness. This mutual support and inspiration is at the heart of this month-long journey.

The dathün follows the basic schedule developed by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. The daily schedule begins at 7am and ends around 9pm most evenings. Sitting meditation sessions are alternated with walking meditation throughout the day. Meals will be taken in silence, with lunch served in the meditation hall using the Zen contemplative eating practice of oryoki. After lunch, there is a mid-day work period, when participants have light cleaning and kitchen tasks, which are opportunities for meditation in action.

Silence or “functional talking” is practised most of the time. Silence is not regarded as cutting off or isolating ourselves, but as a profound way to open our awareness and senses to ourselves and our world. 

The retreat will be led by Valerie Lorig, who has a long and strong heart connection to this path of practice. Valerie will be supported by a staff of experienced meditation instructors. There will be regular dharma talks and individual meetings with a meditation instructor to talk with about your practice throughout the retreat.

Recommended Reading

1. The Heart of the Buddha: Entering the Tibetan Buddhist Path, by Chögyam Trungpa
2. The Path Is the Goal: A Basic Handbook of Buddhist Meditation by Chögyam Trungpa
3. The Wisdom of No Escape and the Path of Loving Kindness, by Pema Chödrön
4. Don’t Bite the Hook: Finding Freedom from Anger, Resentment and Other Destructive Emotions, by Pema Chödrön

Who Should Attend

This month-long retreat is most suited to those who have been practising meditation for some time, and have read books and/or attended classes related to the Buddhist path. Since dathün is an intensive retreat, we ask applicants to supply a history of their dharma practice and study, as well as provide the name and contact information for an experienced meditator or teacher who knows you and your path of practice.

If you are completely new to or just beginning your path of meditation, we suggest you consider attending The Shape of Awake . That retreat will offer meditation instruction as well as extensive assistance with posture adjustment and alignment, which is extremely helpful when you are attending a deep meditation retreat for the first time.

For More Information 

If you have any question about the appropriateness of this dathün for you, or any other questions about practice or the program content, please email the Program Manager at [email protected].

If you have questions about accommodations, costs, travel, Covid-19 protocols or other logistical issues, please email Guest Services for Dorje Denma Ling.

Costs

All prices are in $CAD
Tuition & Meals: $2,150
Lodging: Extra: varies by type. Visit the Registration Form or this page for a list of options and pricing.

Early Bird Discount of $150 applies if you register by April 15, 2024.

Scholarships and Payment Plans

Dorje Denma Ling has two scholarship funds available to support those who require assistance to attend dathün: one fund was offered through the generosity of the Pema Chodron and one fund has been made possible through the generosity of Dorje Denma Ling supporters. The Pema Foundation fund is specifically to support relatively new practitioners, BIPOC practitioners, and those under 40.

If you need assistance, please fill out and return the Financial Aid Form or contact our Finance Manager, Suzy Ulrich. These scholarship funds are limited and will be offered on a first-come, first-serves basis, so please apply promptly if you need assistance.

If you don't need assistance, but would prefer to spread your payments out over a number of months to ease cashflow issues, please contact Suzy Ulrich and she can set that up for you.

Registration and Cancellation Policies

Please take note that our registration and cancellation policies have been updated. You can read our registration and cancellation policies here.

Go to the DDL Website to Register

REGISTER HERE

Interested in Staffing the Dathün?

In order to be on staff for a dathün, you must already have completed a dathün. If you qualify, you can find the application for staffing the dathün here.