All of life is held within the context of death. By acknowledging and preparing for death now, you will find yourself living more fully and fearlessly. Join us as we celebrate the preciousness of life, and ready ourselves and others for this final journey.
You will learn how to die a good death, and how to help others die, exploring meditations and contemplations that prepare you for letting go. The Buddhist tradition proclaims, “If you die before you die, then when you die you will not die.” With preparation, you can transcend death, turning the greatest obstacle into a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The bardo teachings lead to the death of death. The journey through the bardos is a journey into the mind, so by exploring the bardos you are exploring yourself. The teachings also apply to any moment that ends, like the loss of a relationship, or a job.

Topics Covered Include:

• Outer, inner, and secret signs of the eight stages of death
• Understanding and transcending fear
• Preparation for sudden death
• Dream yoga as preparation
• Phowa – transference of consciousness
• Voluntary vs involuntary rebirth
• The trikaya – three bodies
• Death as the discovery of emptiness
• The Circle of Life and Death
• Advance directives
• Role of hospice and palliative care
• Suicide, euthanasia, organ donation, death of a pet

Who is this retreat for:

This program is for anyone seriously wanting to prepare for the end of life. It is a no-nonsense deep dive into the profound teachings of the bardos. While it describes the spiritual preparation from a Buddhist perspective, the material is tailored for anyone interested in a non-material approach to death. This retreat is for those interested in exploring meditations that are designed to prepare you for death, and to “die before you die” — to discover states of mind that do not dissolve at the end of life. This program is also for those wishing to help others during the dying process, either personally or professionally, from both a spiritual and practical perspective.

For more information about the cancellation policy for this retreat click here.

This retreat will be held in English.

Agenda

Daily schedule sample
8:30am to 9:30am Breakfast
9:30am to 1pm Morning session
1pm to 2pm Lunch
4:00pm to 6:30pm Afternoon session
7pm to 8 pm Dinner
8pm to 9pm Evening session

Arrival day is Sunday October 26th. Check-in time is between 3pm and 7:30 pm.
Dinner will be served from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm and will be followed by an opening session.

Departure day is Saturday, November 1st. Check out time is 10:00 am.
Breakfast will be served from 8:30 to 9:30am. There will be a closing session after breakfast and the retreat will end with lunch at 12:30.

Book this retreat