Thamkrabok Retreat at The Barn 2009

[Vince Cullen]

Hello Friends,

I hope this mail finds you well?

I am arranging a one week retreat at The Barn Rural Buddhist Meditation Centre (near Totnes, Devon, England).  The retreat will take place in March or April 2009.

The retreat is intended exclusively for recovering addicts who have taken treatment at Thamkrabok Monastery, Thailand.  The aim of the retreat?  I don't know; it just seems like the right time to organise it!  The Barn is checking to see if a local Dharma teacher with addiction experience is available.

During the week we will work on the land, meditate together and generally live in community.  We will be spending the week in beautiful surroundings, nurturing our sitting practice, going for long walks and taking the opportunity to support our own and each others Sajjas. 

Within The Barn's structured framework, our small group of retreatants will enjoy a mixture of relaxation, good company, working on the land and meditation, sharing household tasks, enjoying wholesome food - cooked by volunteers within our group - and experience the natural beauty of the Dart Estuary.

There are 6 places on the retreat.  Fees at The Barn are subsidised by The Sharpham Trust.  The cost for the week is £175 per person.  Concessions for anyone on very low wages may be available.  A non-refundable deposit of £90 will be required to secure a place on this retreat.

It's important that you are physically able to participate in working on the land (The Barn is located on a hill!) and that you can commit to all the scheduled activities during the week.  This includes three 40 minute meditation sittings each day.

'Thamkrabok' Retreat Schedule

Time	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday -Saturday
06:50		Sitting Meditation	Sitting Meditation
07:30		Morning Tasks	Morning Tasks
08:00		Breakfast	Breakfast
09:00		Meeting & Dharma (Introduction to Retreat )	Meeting
9.45-11.45	Departures (before 10.00)	Working on the Land & Mindfulness Practice	Working on the Land & Mindfulness Practice
12:15		Sitting Meditation	Sitting Meditation
13:00		Lunch	Lunch
14:00		Personal space	Personal space
15.00-16.00	Arrivals
17:00		Sitting Meditation	Teacher or Sitting Meditation
18:00	Evening meal for all retreatants	Light evening meal, prepared individually or together	Light evening meal, prepared individually or together
19.30-20.00	Sitting Meditation		Tues, Weds, Thurs, talk/Yoga at Sharpham (during term-time, optional)

Although The Barn is not a silent retreat, you will find plenty of opportunity to enjoy quiet times by yourself or with others. Each retreatant will have a single room. Throughout each day we will seek to create a restful and contemplative atmosphere. The house is silent from 21h30 until 09h00 including a silent breakfast, and we will have one completely silent day during the week.

If you are interested in joining us for this retreat then please email me in the first instance with your preference for the retreat being held in either March or April 2009.  Places will be allocated on a first come – first served basis, so please make contact sooner rather than later.  

Further information about The Barn can be found at http://www.sharphamtrust.org/pages.php?id=1

Be well and kind regards.

With Metta,

Vince
__________________________________
232
Beware of contrived utterance
and aware in all that you say.
Renounce all cunning speech
and cultivate that which is wholesome.
__________________________________
A DHAMMAPADA for CONTEMPLATION (c) 2005 Aruna Publications
http://www.ratanagiri.org.uk/Book/book5/index.htm

[Stuart B]

Hey Vince..
Nice to catch up the other night. Might be up for
this, although 24 hours without talking, now there is a challenge for
me. Will not think about it too much just now,you will be the first to
know when i make my decision. If it feels right and holidays from work
are not an issue then who knows. No talking for 24 hours!!!!!! Jings!
eh dinae ken! ( i dont know) Speak to you soon. Take care all.

Stuart

> *Time*
>
> *Sunday*
>
> *Monday*
>
> *Tuesday -Saturday*

> Further information about The Barn can be found athttp://www.sharphamtrust.org/pages.php?id=1

[garro]

I wish you all the best with the retreat Vince. It sounds like a fine
idea.

[Vince Cullen]

Hi Paul,

How are thing in Lop Buri?

Thanks for the support. 

There are already 3 verbal expressions of interest.  The Barn can only accommodate a maximum of 7 retreatants so hopefully 2 or 3 more will materialise in time.  It looks like the dates for the retreat could now be Sunday 1st February until Sunday 8th February.

I have an Dharma teacher in mind but haven't yet approached her. 

I have also requested permission from Luang Por Boonsong to allow 'Thamkrabok' chanting during the week.  Hopefully this will be forthcoming shortly.

So there are still some fine details to be worked out but hopefully it will all come together and prove to be a valuable week for all the retreatants.

Best wishes to you and your family.

Regards,

Vince
__________________________________
237
It is time for you to come
into the presence of the Lord of Death.
There is no time for rest on this journey,
yet what provision have you made?

[garro]

Hi Vince, things are going well here. I am at the end of a long-
weekend, because of Wan Paw; the Kings Birthday. It was nice having
the extra day off from work. I am looking forward to the end of term
in a couple of months.

I have just finished my second book; it is actually my third, but I
have put the second on the back-burner for the time being. This new
book follows what happened after I left the temple and the exciting
news is that an Irish publisher has already expressed an interest.
Nothing certain yet, but I'll wait and see.

I do hope that your retreat becomes a regular event; maybe you should
do one in Ireland as well. Wouldn't it be great if you could get some
WT monks to set up shop over there full-time.

[Vince Cullen]

Hi Paul,

Make sure to let us know when the new book is published.

Not everyone can afford the time or money to visit Thamkrabok on a regular basis so a UK (European) based retreat seems a plausible alternative.  I hope that it might become an annual event and that maybe some of the Irish ex-addicts might make the journey to Totnes... it is, after all, a lot closer than Bangkok!

Notwithstanding the above, both Stuart and Dean will be at Thamkrabok over the Christmas/New Year period so please say 'hello' to them if you visit the Temple during this time.

Strictly speaking, the Thamkrabok monks are not allowed to take any form of motorised transport so it is unlikely that we will will be blessed to see one of those in Totnes in February (unless he starts walking very soon!).  But I am hoping that we can arrange one or two local Dhamma (or Dharma, depending upon your point of view) teachers to give talks during the week.

Look after yourself and best wishes to all.

With Metta,

Vince
__________________________________
238
Hasten to cultivate wisdom;
make an island for yourself.
Freed from stain and defilement
you are released
from birth and death.

[garro]

I do hope that I meet up with Stuart and Dean when they come over. I
don't go to the temple too often even though it is only down the road.
I must be due another visit.

I didn't realise that the WT monks were not allowed to use motorised
transport. That could make a trip to England difficult, or at the very
least time consuming.

On Dec 7, 10:21 pm, "Vince Cullen" <vince.cul...@tara-detox.org>
wrote:

[metalface from kent]

Hi Vince,hope all go's well.The 'retreat' sounds interesting-I've
never experienced anything like that before and Iam certainly giving
it consideration.I have,as yet, rough and unconfirmed plans for that
period so I'll guess,if there's any places,I'll have to let you know
nearer the time.Best Wishes.mfk

> *Time*
>
> *Sunday*
>
> *Monday*
>
> *Tuesday -Saturday*
>

> Further information about The Barn can be found athttp://www.sharphamtrust.org/pages.php?id=1

[Vince Cullen]

Hi MFK,

A one week retreat of this type is really quite an experience. 

I have always found previous retreats at The Barn to be a "holiday" for mind, body and spirit.  So the prospect of spending a week here with "Thamkrabokers" is very pleasing. 

Depending upon how people feel we can include Thamkrabok chanting each day or on the days when there is not a scheduled Dhamma talk.  Otherwise the daily program will be largely as previously published i.e. a balance between work, meditation and 'personal-time'.

There is already an interest from 4 individuals so that leaves 3 available places at this time.  However, this might change once the final dates are agreed.  Tentatively, The Barn have pencilled in Sunday 1st February until Sunday 8th February but I know these dates are not suitable for a couple of people so I will ask them to find a free week in March or April as was the original suggestion.

As soon as I have confirmed dates I will let everyone know.

As always, best wishes to all.

May you Sajja be strong; it will always support you.  May anyone who has lost sight of their Sajja find it again with renewed determination and strength.

With Metta,

Vince
__________________________________
239
Gradually, gradually,
a moment at a time,
the wise remove their own impurities
as a goldsmith removes the dross.

[Vince Cullen]

Dear Friends (particularly those living in Europe),

The Thamkrabok Retreat at The Barn is now confirmed as being from Sunday 22nd March until Sunday 29th March 2009.  The Barn's website ( http://www.sharphamtrust.org/pages.php?id=59 ) shows this week as being 'Fully Booked' in order to ensure exclusive occupation for the 'Thamkrabok Retreat'.

The Abbot of Thamkrabok Monastery, Luang Por Boonsong, has given permission for us to distribute and use the Thamkrabok Laypeople's Chanting Book during our retreat, so we will try to schedule some 20-25 minute (1 incense stick) chanting sessions during our stay.

Martine Batchelor ( http://www.martinebatchelor.org ) author of 'Let Go: A Buddhist Guide to Breaking Free of Habits' will be joining the retreat from Tuesday until Friday.  Martine has a very busy teaching schedule but has very generously offered to travel from her home in France to help in any way she can with talks, group discussions, personal interviews and guided meditation.

The only criteria for being able to attend this retreat is that you have previously taken treatment at Thamkrabok and that you are currently clean.  (The Barn is a Buddhist retreat centre not a detox centre/rehab).  Also, it's important that you are physically able to participate in working on the land (The Barn is located on a hill!) and that you can commit to all the scheduled activities during the week.  This includes three 40 minute meditation sittings each day.

If you are interested in joining us for this retreat then please email me in the first instance.  There are a maximum of 6 places which will be allocated on a first come - first served basis, so please make contact sooner rather than later. 

Be well and kind regards.

With Metta,

Vince
__________________________________

243
But the worst stain of all
is ignorance.
Be purified of this
and you are free.

__________________________________
A DHAMMAPADA for CONTEMPLATION (c) 2005 Aruna Publications
http://www.ratanagiri.org.uk/Book/book5/index.htm

2008/12/9 Vince Cullen <vince....@tara-detox.org>

[Vince Cullen]

Hello Friends,

I hope this email finds you well?

The 'Letting Go' retreat with Martine Batchelor at The Barn Rural Buddhist Retreat Centre is now full with at least one person on the waiting list for a place.

I'll let you know how the retreat works out.  If it proves to be beneficial maybe another retreat can be arranged before too long.

Kind regards to all... may your Sajja never weaken.

With Metta,


Vince
__________________________________
257
By making decisions
based on truth and fairness
one safeguards the law
and is called righteous.

__________________________________
A DHAMMAPADA for CONTEMPLATION

http://aruno.org//index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=241&Itemid=80