Ser Cho Osel Ling

SER CHÖ ÖSEL LING

The Retreat Committee is pleased to confirm your registration for Spring Personal Retreat @ SCOL!

Arrival/Departure

If your arrival is Saturday May 3rd, the following applies:

Arrival date & time………………………..May 3rd before 3:00PM

First meal………………………………….Dinner will be served at 5:30 PM

Orientation………………………………...3:00PM

If your arrival is on any other day into the retreat, the following applies:

Time of arrival...... by 11:00AM, as orientation will be at that time.

On the day of your departure, your clean up should be completed and your cabin fully vacated by 10:00AM, in order allow for the next retreatant to enter.

Departure time...... 10:00AM

Please call the onsite staff @ 509-772-2828 on the day of your scheduled arrival to confirm that you are coming and approximate arrival time. At that time, you will be informed as to the road/weather conditions and any special instructions for arriving/driving at SCOL. Weather permitting, you will drive to the loading dock to unload your belongings, after which, parking can be determined. Upon arrival, you should report directly to a staff member in the cloister office before entering other areas of the ‘cloister’. You should receive a packet and detailed instructions from them at that time.

Accommodations

The cabins are heated, but the concrete floors may be quite cold until you have been there for a day or two, warming them up. If you plan to sit on the floor, you may need more than one zabutan, and/or small rug. These will not be provided, so plan to bring what you might need.

Default furnishings for each cabin will be:

• Bed Platform
• Mattress
• Fitted Sheet
• Folding Tea Table
• Bed Side Stand (with two drawers)
• Reading Lamp
• Folding or Plastic Chair
• Coat Hooks

Any of these furnishings can be removed, except the coat hooks. Additional furnishings are limited to a second bed side stand with two drawers and/or a second bed platform.

You may choose anything from an empty cabin to one with everything in the above list plus the two additions.

If you wish for something other than the default, you will need to request your preferred configuration in advance through Galen.

Please bring all your own bedding. Beds are equipped with mattresses that are very firm. If you need a softer mattress, you may wish to bring pads, extra blankets or foam to place on top of your mattress.

Additional Information

• In general, the area beyond the dining room (towards the kitchen) will be considered ‘staff only’ space unless there is a particular reason for retreatants to be there (ie kitchen help, laundry)
• A showering schedule for men & women will be posted if necessary.
• -There will be a sign up for use of laundry facilities. Soap will be available.
• Do not bring perfume or scented products as some people are allergic.

Personal Shopping:

Please do not depend upon the staff to do personal shopping. Their shopping schedule is variable, unfixed. For simple needs (something you have forgotten), they can include it in their routine shopping, but it may be a few days before that would happen.

Retreat Schedule

While practice will be done individually, we will follow a common schedule for practice sessions similar to the schedule of KCC group retreats. The common schedule is intended to help foster the discipline of the retreat environment and reduce conflict between active time and quiet time. Retreatants will be expected to maintain silence during meals and other breaks in practice. Individual may of course practice outside of the minimal schedule, but they will need to expect that others may be doing chores or walking around the cloister at that time. Some individuals will begin practice much earlier than others, perhaps as early as 3:00 a.m. Some will engage in practices that utilize the bell and damaru. On the other hand, some individuals may have a retreat plan that has fewer hours of formal practice and more study. While there will be variations in personal schedules, all will still be expected to maintain the community discipline. People who are doing walking meditation or work practice sessions should also keep to the schedule as much as possible. The shrine room will be available for yoga during all breaks as well as before the first session and after the evening session. [The staff meditation session is not yet scheduled, so the times for open shrine room use may change.]

Daily schedule:

6:00 to 7:30 First Session

7:30 Breakfast

9:00 Morning Session 1

10:30 Tea

10:45 Morning Session 2

12:00 End of Morning Session

12:00 Lunch

2:00 Afternoon Session 1

3:30 Tea

3:45 Afternoon Session 2

5:00 End of Afternoon Session

5:30 Dinner

6:30 Evening Session

7:15 End Evening Session

Silence

Silence will be a primary discipline on this retreat. Certain tasks, like kitchen assistance, may require some talking, but even in that situation, make an effort not to expand the conversation more than necessary. Some individuals may agree to engage in conversation for some reason. However, such conversations should not take place within the cloister and should not be noticeable by other retreatants. This principal is also true when out walking since others may also be on the same trail. It is not necessary to avoid eye contact, which is part of the practice of silence in some traditions, but some may wish to practice in this way. If you notice that others are practicing in this way, remember that they are not intentionally slighting you. In general be careful not to place a burden on others by expecting a social response, even a non-verbal response.

Communication, unless truly urgent, should be via notes on the bulletin board. This includes communication with staff. (Avoid note passing hand to hand, whispering, etc.) Everyone will have their own space on the board, along with a ‘staff’ space; a general information section; and one for announcements.

Buddy system: Everyone will have a ‘buddy’. If your buddy 1) does not show up for a meal or group session without giving notice, it is the buddy responsibility to knock on that retreatants door. If no response, enter the cabin. If not there, notify staff person. 2) does not sign in after a walk – same procedure.

There will be a sign out sheet for walking outside of the cloister. Every time you take a walk, you should sign out and sign in upon your return.

Group Practice

This retreat will primarily be personal retreat with virtually all practice done alone. However, there will be a required daily group session with recitation of aspiration prayers. This is similar to the group sessions on traditional extended retreats. These sessions provide active engagement with others and can help create a break in potentially unproductive patterns.

Chores

You will be asked to perform a daily chore, which will be assigned based on your assessment of the level of exertion appropriate/easily manageable by you. The designations are light, medium and heavy exertion. There may be days when you are asked to do an additional chore, due to limited number of retreatants at any given time. There should not be more than 30-60 minutes/day of chore time.

Please email Galen directly @ to indicate the level of exertion for feel well-equipped for.

Food

* Meals will be served in the dining room

• Vegetarian meals, snacks and tea. COFFEE IS NOT PROVIDED. Please bring your own & a way to make it.
• There will be very limited refrigeration space available for personal food items
• Wheat and dairy intolerances/allergies alternatives will be provided. Retreatants may need to plan or bring their own accommodations for other dietary needs.

Shrine Room/Shrine Tent

● Bring your own cushions. Pecha tables are available.

Goldendale:

Varied weather – bring appropriate clothing

It’s best to come prepared for variable weather conditions. May weather will range from highs between low 50’s to mid 60’s during the day, and down to the mid 30’s and 40’s in the night. Sunny days are likely, but expect there will also be showers. If you plan to walk outside the cloister, please bring appropriate footwear/boots to wear in muddy conditions. These should be taken off prior to walking around the cloister. Shoes are allowed in the buildings, but preferably NOT those worn in the mud.

• Emergency phone: (509) 772-2828
• Address: 96 Horse Ranch Road, Goldendale, WA 98620

The caretakers at SCOL have worked to make designated paths in order to protect the surrounding environment. Please make sure you stay on these paths in order to prevent damage to these areas.

Directions From Portland

Go east on I-84 and exit at Biggs. Cross the Columbia River and continue east on Hwy 14. Bear left at Hwy 97 North towards Goldendale. Go 4 miles past the Goldendale exits to just before mile marker 17, turn left onto Horse Ranch Road. Continue to the end, about 1 mile, to the entrance of SCOL.

Directions from Seattle

From Seattle, go east on I-90, towards Ellensburg. Just beyond Ellensburg exits take 82/97 south towards Yakima. Past Yakima continue south on 97 to Toppenish (signs will direct you towards Goldendale too). At Toppenish, 97 makes a right turn at an intersection with a light. Continue south on 97 over Simcoe pass, when you see St. John the Forerunner Monastery/ Greek Bakery and Espresso bar you have about 5 more miles. When you come to mile marker 17 turn right onto Horse Ranch Rd. You’ll see a big, old red well drilling rig in the field on your right. Stay on Horse Ranch Rd & follow it to the end which is the gate for SCOL. If go into the town of Goldendale you have gone too far.

What to Bring

Since you may need to be transported in a van to the cloister, please pack as compactly as possible, with few ‘loose’ items to facilitate efficient transfer and transport.

* Sitting cushion/zabutans (there are a number of zabutans at SCOL, but you may want extras in your

room)

▪Sleeping bag, bedding, pillows

▪Plenty of warm clothing

▪Walking boots (for mud) if you plan to go on walks

▪Toiletries

▪Water bottle

▪Paper, pen, pencils

▪Medications: bring medications you are currently taking or think you might need

▪Personal hygiene items, earplugs

▪Alarm clock

▪Flashlight and batteries

Please: no candles or incense in the cabins.

If after carefully reading the above information, you have concerns or questions, don’t hesitate to email me, Deborah Woehrmann at: