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The Hermitage: Meditation RetreatsIf you are interested in participating in a meditation retreat at the Hermitage, please check the schedule below for upcoming retreat dates and then contact us. We offer three different types of meditation retreats to our visitors:
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| May | ||
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Friday, May 28 - |
Beginner’s Introduction to Shamatha |
5 days |
| June | ||
Saturday, June 5 - |
Green Tara Empowerment and Teachings Please note that the empowerment will be given on Saturday morning at 9:00 and teachings will be given on Saturday afternoon and all day Sunday. If coming from afar you may wish to arrive at the Hermitage by Friday night and plan to leave on Monday morning. |
2 days |
Friday, June 11 - |
Kundalini Meditation Retreat This class is open to both beginners as well as advanced students of Meditation and Yoga. Led by the yogi Devmurti and the yogini Hari Amrit Khalsa. Devmurti and Hari Amrit are KRI-Certified Kundalini Yoga Instructors and have taught yoga and meditation for over 30 years. They also had the good fortune to study and live with the great Kundalini Yoga master, Yogi Bhajan, for over 25 years. |
5 days |
| Friday, June 18 - Tuesday, June 22 |
Summer Solstice Retreat |
5 days |
| Friday, June 25 - Tuesday, June 29 |
Tibetan Book of the Dead This teaching retreat will include the empowerments of Guru Rinpoche and Amitabha Buddha, with an outline of associated practices that enhance one’s awakening. Teachings cover the intermeditate awakening-states (bardos) experienced while dying and in the immediate after-death state. Emphasis on guiding others through the death experience. Led by Lama Sidney McQueen-Smith. |
5 days |
| July | ||
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Profound Calm-abiding in the Midst of Nature |
5 days |
Friday, July 9 - |
Anapanasati Meditation Retreat |
10 days |
| Wednesday, July 21 - Tuesday, July 27 |
Dzogchen Foundations and the sublime Path of Cutting the
Ego This consists of detailed instruction on the fourfold practice of the ‘foundations’ (ngondro) that prepare one for advanced Dzogchen Meditation, conducted along with a beginner level seven day ‘Chöd’ (cutting the ego) retreat, using chant, drum and bell. This is a unique opportunity to experience the mystical practice of Chod under the guidance of a skilled Tibetan yogi. An extremely special meditation practice, the tradition of Chöd was originally founded by the Tibetan woman Machik Labdron as a uniquely potent way of transcending the self and attaining direct realization of the awakened state. Led by Ngakpa Kalsang Dorje. |
7 days |
| Friday, July 30 - Tuesday, August 3 |
White Tara Empowerment The 37 Practices of the Bodhisattvas. Receiving the Bodhisattva Vow, dedicating oneself to making the world a better place for all, along with wise instruction on how to live as a more enlightened being. These teachings are given within the context of finding a path for oneself, with the aim of awakening in the present lifetime. Open discussion and personalized instruction. Led by Lama Sidney McQueen-Smith. |
5 days |
| August | ||
| Friday, August 6 - Tuesday, August 17 |
Mahamudra Retreat This retreat IS ONLY OPEN to individuals who have already accomplished at least one preliminary meditation retreat at the Hermitage. It is essential that participants be prepared and knowledgeable in Hermitage routine, the meditation program, and the Lama’s particular method of meditation guidance. Led by Lama Rodney Devenish. |
12 days |
| Friday, August 20 - Monday, August 30 |
Chenrezi Avalokitesvara Empowerment |
11 days |
*Lama Lodroe Rabsal (Sidney McQueen-Smith) has been a Dharma practitioner for over forty years, both in the world and as a monk. His principal teachers include His Holiness the 16th and 17th Karmapa, His Eminence Situ Rinpoche, and first and foremost the great Canadian master Namgyal Rinpoche. His specialty includes the Tibetan Book of the Dead, and particularly the path and method of Awakening while living in the world.

How do I get to the Hermitage?
The Hermitage is located on Denman Island, off the West Coast of British Columbia, Canada. There are ferries from the city of Vancouver to Vancouver Island, arriving at the port cities of Victoria and Nanaimo. Buckley Bay, where you catch the 10 minute ferry to Denman Island, is about 1 hour and 15 minutes north from Nanaimo and about 2 1/2 North from Victoria by car. In both cases, the drive is a pleasant one up the inland coast of Vancouver Island. Alternatively, you can fly into Comox, which is located a 20 minute drive north from the Buckley Bay ferry. Many visitors arriving from the United States have found this extremely convenient, especially in the summer when ferries can be very busy.
Spirituality may not be bought or sold as if it were a commodity. Didn't Jesus overturn the tables of the money-changers in the Temple? So too, there has never been any charge for the Buddha's precious meditation teachings. All retreats are run on a private donation basis--donations are all that we ask for. Your donations cover the cost of food, heat and light, etc. The level of suggested donation should vary from individual to individual, those with wealth benefiting the Hermitage more, and those without being benefited in turn. Please make your personal donation one that truly reflects your support for the centre.
What kind of accommodations are available?
Accommodations are limited. We are able to provide accommodations at the Hermitage on a limited first come, first served basis. If you can supply your own tent and bedding, there is ample space for camping on the Hermitage land. Beyond this, potential retreat participants can seek out lodging at one of the comfortable Bed & Breakfasts located on Denman Island.
We believe that delicious and wholesome food makes the retreat a thoroughly enjoyable, nurturing experience. The food is vegetarian fare (but not vegan) with two main meals per day (breakfast and lunch) and a light soup in the evening, in the tradition in most Buddhist retreat centres. Meals are eaten in common per day, in relative silence.
Certainly not! People from many religions, or with no religious adherence, have equally found meditation helpful and beneficial in their day-to-day lives.
How can I be sure I am capable of doing meditation?
For a person who is genuinely interested, meditation is not difficult. If one follows the instructions patiently and diligently, one can be sure of tangible results. The day's schedule is neither too severe nor too relaxed, but follows a comfortable Middle Path founded on moderation in all things. Lama Kunzang teaches that meditation should be pleasant and easy, if we want our body and mind to adapt rapidly to the practice.
Where can I find instruction on meditation?
To start with, read the Dharma
Fellowship Meditation Manual. This gives you a very basic outline
of the concentration practice that we teach at the Hermitage.
In this section:
Highlights:
In this section:
Highlights:
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