Lojong Retreat. 

Rescheduled  for September 10th and 11th from 6:30 am until 8pm. 

Lojong is the Mahayana Buddhist practice of mind training. It is a practice that takes place both during formal meditation practice and in one's every day life. Through this practice we reverse our samsaric thinking and learn to see the world through the eyes of karma and interdependence, focusing on deepening and expanding our compassion and wisdom. About the retreat The retreat will be concentrated on practice and meditation with some instruction, teaching and Q and A each day. The Lojong Retreat will take place over the course of two days from early morning until evening. This is a non residential retreat and no accommodation is available. Participants will be expected to attend both days and there will be four sessions of practice each day. Each session will last between 90 minutes and 2 hours. A vegetarian breakfast, lunch and an afternoon tea will be provided each day. In keeping with retreat tradition there will be no afternoon meal. Coffee, tea, hot water will be available throughout the day. Some Gluten free options will be available, but if you have further dietary restrictions or require an afternoon meal its recommended you bring along your own food to supplement what is available. Teaching and instruction will be included during one or two sessions each day. Location The Retreat will take place in the main shrine room at our temple at 200 Balsam Ave. Participants will have access to the library, garden, kitchen and washroom throughout the retreat. The retreat is non-residential and no accommodations are available. Space is limited and will be assigned on a first come first serve basis.  Participation Lojong is a serious Mahayana Buddhist practice that one takes on not just during a single retreat or during meditation sessions but throughout one's life time. Participants therefore should have taken refuge with a qualified Buddhist master (the act of becoming Buddhist) and ideally should have also taken the vows of a bodhisattva. If they haven't taken these they should have the intention to eventually do so or at the very least have a deep sympathy and respect for Buddhist practice. During the retreat each participants will be assigned a yogi job to assist in the smooth functioning of the weekend. Participation via Zoom As there are some people who are not able to physically be present with us we are opening up an option to participate via zoom. If you wish to join via zoom please be aware that there will be no recordings of the sessions to join in offline, you will need to join live for each session. Our request is that zoom participants have either taken part in our of our retreats in the past or have some experience with lojong and Buddhist practice in general. If you have any questions about this please email notdawa@gmail.com Price Its our intention to keep the retreat affordable and accessible, the retreat price will cover the expenses in holding the event, all teachings are offered without cost. The cost for the two days will be $90 (paid in advance). We do not wish to turn anyone away if they are unable to afford the retreat so if you are unable to afford the price please email us at kgdlsec@gmail.com and we can make some arrangement. Volunteers and sponsorships If you are not participating and would like to share the merit of the retreat you can volunteer to help before, after or during the retreat, this would be greatly appreciated by all. Or if you wish to be a sponsor of the retreat with a financial donation this will be used to beautify the centre, purchase materials and subsidize anyone who cannot afford the retreat. If you would like to make a donation to KGDL Within Canada:  Interac e-transfer to kgdltreasurer@gmail.com  Please include a note saying what the donation is for.  From anywhere: donation via paypal, by clicking the link on the left hand column.  Registration To apply please email notdawa@gmail.com Please include the following information.  Your name: Age: In person or via zoom: Are you able to sit on the floor or do your require a chair? Briefly describe your experience with Buddhist practice: Any other questions you may have.  We will reply with information on payments and any answers to your questions.