The best, easy, translation for "Phuntsok Choephel Ling" is "Land of Flourishing Dharma" ... and there are no stupid questions. Are there? Um ... nope. =sapan=

Do you have ANY questions?  I have a LOT of answers, but have not had time in the last 40+ days to do more infrastructure here. I & WE (Hosts) will, but in the HOT SUMMER, maybe not. SOON!

If you do have questions, Blaze Away ... ASK!

Hi everyone,

I'm interested in your views and your feelings about the idea of doing meditation retreats. 

What's this first thing that comes into your head when you think of "retreat", "contemplation", "meditation"?  You don't have to be an expert to answer.  I'm curious about your associations with these words. 

I wonder how solitary retreats can help a person and significant others in his/her life.  Can retreats help with social issues?  Indeed, what are the benefits of doing retreat? 

Has anyone had experience of doing a meditation retreat?

I'd appreciate your thoughts on these questions, and hopefully get a discussion going. 

Much warmth,

Merril

START AS A NEW THREAD ... A NEW TOPIC!  Please do so ... and then I will weigh in about "meditating" in my Mom's Womb and that whole BIRTH PROCESS TRAUMA and all of the stuff that has been going on ever since. I still am in meditation every day, but there are SO MANY DISTRACTIONS!  Now, I feel ... at least I believe I have ... I have perfected my SAMSARA MEDITATIONS!  Could be better, I suppose, could be worse, i suppose ... at least I don't just sit around a lot ... THINKING ABOUT IT!

LIFE ITSELF IS ITS OWN PROFOUND MEDITATION!

=sapan=

As a host, I am thinking [wrong again] that I must really be good. Nobody seems to have any questions. However, I know that this is not correct. So please weigh in with your questions!!!!  IF ANY.

concerning how  people  can become involved and benefit who are not living in USA ??

and : the idea of the private yurtes is great - how will this be organised on the level of admin .... more exact : do people have to buy or to rent them and so on ....

i know i am going very practical

Thank you for your questions, Dagmar!  Perhaps people living outside the USA or North America will not be very interested in the PCL Monastery Project, other than in a general way, for the Good of the Dharma. At least until the project is manifested, Monastery built, Retreat center in place and the other things like the Yogi & Yogini Community started. However, in fact, there are people in other lands, on other continents that are involved and interested and supportive of all developments. And of course people can always provide donations and gifts to the Monastery. Again, perhaps this will not appeal to many outside the USA, but some will respond and already have. You, Dagmar, could send us ALL of your Spare Change, and that would help, but of course I  am just tryin' to kid you a little bit!

YURTS and the "Yogi & Yogini Contemplative Community" will be administerred overall by the PCL Monastery Administration working with the "PCL Y & Y C C Council!  Space for putting such a Mountain Community and also, in another part of the Monastery grounds, a Summer Camping Area, is being provided. There will eventually be built a good Community Yurt, with Kitchen and Lunge and Meeting  Area, but that is on the back burner right now. Individual practitioners will have the option of putting up Private Yurts, although the rigors of the Continental Divide area in Winter are quite a bit to contend with and plan for, of course. Perhaps, in time, as in Tibet, there will be some of the best of all practitioners living and practicing here. That is the Vision & the Hope! There are no plans at this point to profide Tent or Yurt facilities for rent, although, for example, if an individual or couple or group had a Private Yurt on the PCL land and they were not going to use it year around, which could well be the case, arrangements could be made to rent it out to other individuals, but that is of course not a bridge we have had to cross yet. All of PCL, physically, aside from SOME LAND in several locations, does not yet exist. This YEAR of 2007 is our big push to change that!  Thanks again for you questions!  =sapan=

Hello there Sapan, Dagmar and all others reading this,

Let me put in my penny's worth here.  Yup, I'm old enough to remember pennies in Australia.  Smile.

My own understanding of Sapan's Vision which is huge, is that PCL will train future Western teachers of Buddhist Dharma.  Scholarships will eventually become available for those with proven merit to complete a three year, three month, three day meditation retreat. 

To be able to undertake such a venture, I believe it's important to have good teachings and good guides who have knowledge of the teachings, experience of long retreats, as well as a deep understanding of Westerners.

Given Sapan himself has explored and mastered many different fields of thought and consciousness studies, including astrophysics, philosophy, Christianity, Tibetan Buddhist sciences.  This broad experience and deep knowledge of the Western psyche will help create fertile soil for the seeds of Dharma to grow deeper roots in Western culture, without distorting the teachings.  I imagine he would be working in a team with other teachers.

In turn, the graduate teachers of PCL can carry the teachings by simply being who they are and inspiring others from the depth of their inner peace.

I imagine students who feel drawn to this project could come from any where in the world, to do the three year retreat or to participate in Summer Courses or to help develop the Centre. 

I hope this opens up some discussion.   Questions and challenges and clarifications are most welcome!

Much warmth,

Merril 

Thank you, Merril, for your good post! Indeed, my vision includes all that you mention. It is up to each and every one of us, here in the West, to work arduosly to build our institutions and visions of Western Dharma, with the great support, here in the Vajrayana, from our Brothers and Sisters, great Teachers and Practioners, from the Tibetan Diaspora. We are most fortunate in our times to have the blessings of the Vajrayana traditions coming to our shores. And it is now up to us to, so to speak, take the ball and run with it. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama said as much and more some years ago, about this being now a time for the Western Sangha to develop its own new Monasteries and other institutions. =sapan=

HOW MUCH WILL IT ALL COST?

Oh...good question! 

Well, get your napkins out, work up your Spreadsheets (Lotus 1-2-3 anybody?) and "Excel" your way to some good budget estimates! PRIZES for the best work will be awarded by the Board of Directors. HINT: Consult the "Overview of the PCL Project" and the main"Introduction" and "Orientation" threads, organize and develop your estimates by a nominal  "Phased Development" scheme (of your own planning and visioning), and submit your result either here and/or by Certified Mail or ... feel free ... start a new thread topic!!!

WHAT DO YOU THINK IT WILL ALL COST?

COMPETITIVE SEALED BIDS BY CERTIFIED & REGISTERED MAIL ONLY!  AND THIS IS THE FIRST OFFICIAL, Sapan Rinpoche authorized, "REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL-ONE" -- thank you for your interest in the PCL Monastery Project!

As a host, I am thinking [once again] that I must really be good. Nobody seems to have any questions about the PCL project. Yet, I know that this is not correct. So please weigh in with your questions!!!!  IF ANY. Thanks, Sapan Rinpoche [April 24th, 2008]