December 14, 2008 - January 10, 2009 Crestone, Colorado
DATHUN is a challenging, structured training in the practice of meditation. Participants will receive extensive instruction in mindfulness-awareness (shamatha - vispashyana), as well as opening, stabilizing and extending awareness according to the Tibetan Buddhist teachings (mahamudra). Dathun highlights include:
- Daily dharma talks on the essential teachings of the practice lineage
- Regular mentoring with an individual meditation instructor
- Intensive periods of silence interspersed with discussion and group exploration
- The opportunity to experience and work through difficult emotional states that emerge during meditation in a safe, accepting environment
- Vibrant and mutually supportive community life
- Meals according to the Japanese Zen style (oryoki)
- Extensive exploration of the body and breath as the ground and entry gate to the profundity of the meditative state
Originally designed by Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche as a way to introduce Westerners to the awakened state through intensive practice, Dathun is a unique, life-changing opportunity to meet the depth and space of your own being.
“I have attended five dathuns with Reggie Ray. Each one has been like stepping into a fire and offering everything – to emerge anew weeks later with a softer heart and wider gaze. Through the dathun experience, Reggie Ray has shown me that spiritual transformation is real and accessible, if we are willing to put aside our expectations and engage in the process. He is a gifted mentor and trusted friend toward whom I feel boundless gratitude.” -Tami Simon, Publisher, Sounds True
The New Dharma Ocean Retreat Center:
The Shrine Hall is nestled in the Sangre de Cristo mountains with stunning views of the valley below. The building is approximately 12,000 sq. ft., including a beautiful, spacious shrine room (3168 sq. ft.), covered patios, a professional kitchen, a dining room and ample support facilities throughout the building. Walk outside and you are immersed in the trees and landscape of this special place.
Meal Options:
Meals are provided Zen Oryoki Style (training is provided).
Meal choices are Omnivore, Vegetarian, Vegan, Restricted Diet.
All attempts are made to accomodate restricted and special diets. However, if your diet is severely restricted or has additional requirements, you may wish to bring supplemental food.
Arrival/Departure Dates:
| Full Dathun |
December 14, 2008 - January 10, 2009 |
| Week 1 |
December 14, 2008 - December 21, 2008 |
| Week 2 |
December 21, 2008 - December 28, 2008 |
| Week 3 & 4 |
December 28, 2008 - January 10, 2009 |
Please make note of the following:
- This month-long meditation intensive can also be attended in single or multiple week-long segments. If you have not previously attended a dathun, you must begin with Week 1 or 2. There is no single Week 3 or Week 4 only option. You must attend Week 3 and 4 together. No one may enter in Week 4. Those entering Week 3 and 4 must have previously attended a dathun and learned oryoki. Preference will be given to participants attending the entire month.
- Week 3 departure date is January 4, 2009. There is no Week 3 only option. Week 3 must be done in combination with other weeks.
- Registration ends December 1st. If after this date there is still space available, we will accept new registrations with a $54 late registration fee.
Pricing:
| |
FULL DATHUN
|
1 WEEK
|
2 WEEKS
|
3 WEEKS
|
|
SINGLE
|
$3250
|
$1138
|
$2113
|
$2929
|
|
DOUBLE
|
$2050
|
$718
|
$1333
|
$1849
|
|
TRIPLE
|
$1690
|
$548
|
$1073
|
$1559
|
|
DORM*
|
$1150
|
$378
|
$723
|
$1059
|
* Dorm is shrine-room floor or hotel-floor sleeping accommodations. Shrine-room floor spaces are limited and preference will be give to persons registering for the full Dathun. Those staying in dorm accommodations will need to bring their own Single-size air/foam mattresses, bedding and towels.
Some accommodation choices have already been filled up during certain weeks. If your chosen accommodation is not available, we will contact you about alternatives.
Transportation:
Dharma Ocean will be providing a van shuttle service from Denver International Airport to Crestone on arrival day, December 14th, and back to the airport on departure day, January 10th, for a cost of $95. We will not provide airport transportation during the interim weeks. Please make sure your flight arrives in Denver by 11:30am on December 14th. Our van will leave DIA promptly at 1:00pm. On January 10th, please schedule your flight for 4:30 pm or later. The option to register for the vans is included in the main Dathun registration.
Participants are also encouraged to form carpools, especially for those arriving and departing during the interim weeks. For your convenience, the coordinators are doing their best to match rides. Contact dathun2008@dharmaocean.org for more informatoin.
Carpooling at the Program:
Participants who have selected a single, double, or triple residence option will be staying off site in local hotels and condos. In order to make this possible we will be relying on a system of carpooling to and from the shrine hall each day. There is very limited parking at the shrine hall, so we will need to minimize the number of cars traveling back and forth. If you are driving your own car to the program, please consider whether you would be willing to offer daily rides to other participants.
Payment Policy:
A 50% deposit is required to guarantee your reservation. If you are paying by check, your registration will not be completed until the check is received by Dharma Ocean.
- Cancellations on or before November 1, 2008 will receive a full refund minus a $35 cancellation fee.
- Cancellations made between November 2nd and November 15th will receive a 50% refund, minus a $35 cancellation fee.
- Cancellations made after November 15, 2008 will receive neither a cash refund nor program credit.
Participants registering after November 1st will need to provide payment in full at the time of registration.
Financial Assistance:
The Dharma Ocean Foundation offers partial tuition scholarships and workstudy positions to practitioners who could not attend Dharma teachings without financial assistance. Our intention is to make programs available to as many as we can. When applying please consider your financial capability carefully so that we may offer scholarships to as many practitioners as possible. When you register, you will be given the option to fill out a scholarship application. The application will ask you if you are also interested in a workstudy position.
Applications submitted before October 26th will receive priority status. We will continue to accept applications after this date, but funds will be more limited. In either case, scholarships often only cover a small portion of tuition. If you foresee financial needs beyond that, please contact Ashoka Credit Union at least a month before the start of the program. They are experienced in offering loans for practice programs.
Click here to find out more about taking out a loan from Ashoka.
Registration:
Click here to Register Registration ends December 1st. If there is still space available after this date, registrations will be accepted with a $54 late fee.
For more information about Dathun, you can read our General Information document here
If you have any questions, please contact the coordinators at Dathun2008@DharmaOcean.org