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Hello world! All suggestions and feedback welcomed
SanghaRetreat
New
in Sanghas
Hello everybody,
I am in the process of moving to France and setting up a very small and informal retreat in Limousin. It is an old farm house / cottage type property with quite a bit of land. The place is very rural and beautiful.
I am new to this and am just wondering if anybody has any suggestions that would help making the process easier. The set up is going to be very basic. Flights (Ryanair) to the nearest airport (Limoges) are very cheap. What do people look for when they go to a rural retreat? Are facilities important? I do have the website already up and running http://www.SanghaRetreat.co.uk, any feedback and suggestions are very welcomed!
I have also set up a Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/sangharetreatfrance
Looking forward to meeting new people on this forum!
Steve
I am in the process of moving to France and setting up a very small and informal retreat in Limousin. It is an old farm house / cottage type property with quite a bit of land. The place is very rural and beautiful.
I am new to this and am just wondering if anybody has any suggestions that would help making the process easier. The set up is going to be very basic. Flights (Ryanair) to the nearest airport (Limoges) are very cheap. What do people look for when they go to a rural retreat? Are facilities important? I do have the website already up and running http://www.SanghaRetreat.co.uk, any feedback and suggestions are very welcomed!
I have also set up a Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/sangharetreatfrance
Looking forward to meeting new people on this forum!
Steve
2
Comments
Are you thinking it'll be more of a group retreat? Solo retreat? Combination? Different things appeal to different people. I personally am more of a solo retreat type and prefer it the more rustic, the better. I think you'll find that what people prefer run the gamut, so to speak. I'm fine using an outhouse, cutting my own wood and having only a couple lanterns and a fireplace for light and heat. Other people consider running water and electricity an absolute requirement. Others fall in between. Are you looking to mostly provide the location and let them experience it, or are you looking to offer more structure/talks/teachings etc?
It'll be great fun to follow your progress! Welcome
Hope I'm able to visit one day....sign me up
for garden duty.
Not sure if it's just me, but the website
cuts off on the right side, so I can't finish reading
the descriptions and details. The bedroom is
good enough for me. In fact, much fancier than
the tents I use for any retreats, hahaha.
Good Luck and like karasti, I think it will be neat
to see things as they progress. Welcome to NB.
In my experience...
The most common thing that folks look for at a retreat centre is
"Who is leading it"?
What is the practise and what is the experience of the one leading it?
How much does it cost, is the food vegan/vegetarian or not?
What are the rules of behaviour to stay there.
The facility questions come up much further down the list and usually because someone has some medically related limitation.
Of course a retreat can be without structure or a teacher but it's not what most folks seem to be looking for when looking for a "Buddhist" retreat.
Call me old fashioned . . .
Thanks so much for feedback so far.
Your comments are appreciated and be careful Vastminds what you wish for there is an acre and a half of 'garden' needs looking after LOL.
Karasti & How, again your comments are valued and will be considered whist I am trying to progress and develop the project which I hope will grow organically to suit the friends that will come and enjoy what we will have to offer.
I guess a little more information as to how I got here might be of interest.
I am currently living (and working) in Manchester and had my first 'taste' of Buddhism at Manchester Buddhist Centre in those days it was a member of the FWBO (Friends of the Western Buddhist Order) now the Triratna Order. I attended Buddhism 1 & 2 courses and met some truly remarkable order members who became valued friends. I continued to support classes, volunteered for several projects, went on a few Retreats and generally 'hung out' in and around the MBC and the community there.
By the way it is an amazing Centre if you get the opportunity to visit (http://www.manchesterbuddhistcentre.org.uk/) with wonderful people doing amazing things, anyway I digress...........
Basic principles of Buddhism and the precepts struck home and somehow got embedded in my heart and soul and although I aspired for many years to emulate my teachers realised my limitations and decided to do what 'I' could do.
Part of my mid-life crisis was to pop onto a Yamaha 125cc (after having just bought it as my first motor bike) and drive the 10,000 Kms to visit Dharamsala. This I did and spent six months traveling to and around India, that was a fantastic trip, there are a few photos on my face book page if you want to have a look, http://www.facebook.com/sangharetreatfrance
I came back to reality, and work in 2006 and dreamed of sneaking off somewhere quiet just 'to be in the moment', a difficult thing to do for any length of time for most of us.
I guess it's that time in my life now where I want some peace and quiet with time to reflect, (wow! that sounds a bit melancholy, it's not meant to be... LOL) I am a jolly chappy with lots of drive, enthusiasm and vigor for life........ I'm digressing AGAIN!
Cutting a long story very short before I lose your attention I wanted to find somewhere quiet and peaceful where I and likeminded folk might want to spent quiet time, I looked at Goa, Morocco and places in between. Purely for logistics and cost I found a delightful building in France.
Which brings me up to where I am today working in Manchester and trying to get my modest Retreat in France up and running.
I am going to stop here 'cos you good folk must be getting a bit weary, if you are interested I am happy to continue my tale another day............. must get some work done now.
Metta
Steve
In true Buddhist tradition we wish to welcome all comers, of any or no faith at all, this may go against some hard line traditions but we would like to offer those that might be either interested, curious or like myself trying very hard to live by the Dharma but struggle to meet their own expectations the opportunity improve their practice without the worry of being over whelmed by ‘established’ Buddhists
With regards to finances, well, we will have to make ends meet but we certainly have no expectations or desire to make more money than we need to survive.
From our proposed tariffs it is evident margins will be tight. However because of our own experiences and having met people that are often interested in the Buddhist philosophy we realise that funds are often limited and many Retreats are out of the financial reach of those that would often most benefit.
We have managed to muster some good friends who are coming over to France this summer to help with installing new shower rooms and the like, so things are moving forward and we’re very excited about the whole project.
We are in the process of gathering books to provide a library, so, if there are any altruists with books that are no longer needed please consider our cause.
Metta
Steve