3-Year Retreat Info
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Three-year retreat issues: everything you need to know--just scroll down
- Retreat Q&A for potential 3-year retreaters These are ongoing sessions, recorded during Lama Christie's Bok Jinpa classes.
Session one: (http://www.dmes.org/audiofiles/RetreatQ&A02-20100215.mp3) Recorded at the Feb 15, 2010 class.
Session two: (http://www.dmes.org/audiofiles/RetreatQ&A02-20100219.mp3) Recorded at the Feb 19, 2010 class.
Session three: (http://www.dmes.org/audiofiles/RetreatQ&A02-20100222.mp3) Recorded at the Feb 22, 2010 class.
Session four: (http://www.dmes.org/audiofiles/RetreatQ&A02-20100226.mp3) Recorded at the Feb 26, 2010 class.
Session five: (http://www.dmes.org/audiofiles/RetreatQ&A02-20100301.mp3) Recorded at the March 1, 2010 class.
Wisdom of Solitude (https://www.dmes.org:443/index.php/Solitude01): a course in how to do retreat, taken from information given by the previous 3-year retreatants
- House designs for people who are planning to build retreat cabins.
1. This is a big document with several house plans: An overview of some of the plans that have been proposed (http://www.dmes.org/pdfs/Retreat_Sites_plan_ideas.pdf)
2. Plans for the Stumpf's cabin: 2-person cabin (http://www.dmes.org/pdfs/Retreat_stumpf_cabin_plans.pdf) Their house is built of SIPs but could be adapted. The plans have been approved and the house is completed.
3. Plans for Nicole's straw bale house: Straw bale (http://www.dmes.org/pdfs/Retreat_Casita_Plans.pdf). Approved by the county. Extensive detailed plans.
4. Camilo's cabin plans and elevations: Camilo's design (http://www.dmes.org/pdfs/Retreat_Camillos_design.pdf) Conventional construction materials.
5. Plans for a small wood frame retreat house on a slope: Hillside cabin (http://www.dmes.org/pdfs/retreat_westbrook_cabin_all.pdf) Conventional construction materials.
6. These are plans that Geshe Michael asked Gabriela Cervantes to draw, based on a cabin that he feels would be good for retreat: Gabriela plans (http://www.dmes.org/pdfs/retreat_Gabriela_cabin_plans.pdf) This would be suitable for building in adobe or earth bag.
7. Plans for Robbi's earth bag house: Earth bag plans (http://www.dmes.org/pdfs/Retreat_Robbi's_plans.pdf) Note: these are approved by the county. Detail sheets, which are too big to upload, are available for download here (http://www.4shared.com/dir/8703605/54a5738f/sharing.html).
8. Plans for James and Lisette's wood-frame house, complete with detail sheets, approved by the county and already nearly complete. Floor plan and elevations (http://www.dmes.org/pdfs/Retreat_James&Lisette_Plan.1.pdf). Detail sheets (http://www.dmes.org/pdfs/Retreat_James&Lisette_Plan.1.pdf)
9. Earle's wood-frame house plans, including internal Kat box toilet and detail sheets for foundation, roof, plumbing/mechanical, etc.
10. Ven. Gyelse's approved earth-bag cabin with strawbale meditation outbuilding: Plans compiled into one document (http://www.dmes.org/pdfs/Retreat_Gyelse_compiled_plans.pdf), and additional plans for outhouse (http://www.dmes.org/pdfs/Retreat_Gyelse_outhouse.pdf).
We will post more plans as well as standard detail sheets for various kinds of walls, foundations, etc. as they become available.
- Test retreat cabin: For an initial proposal on retreat cabin building, click here [1] (http://www.dmes.org/theland/research/research.html)
- Please address any retreat questions to email us (mailto:retreat@dmes.org)
| Table of contents |
Retreat organization
The three-year retreat will start in 2010, after the completion of the first round of DMU tantric teachings. For those who are unable to commit to a three-year retreat, shorter retreats can be for 3-6 months or more. People will be expected to build their own cabins, and it will be possible to time-share units if people want to do a series of short retreats. Geshe Michael and Lama Christie have agreed to teach and lead shorter retreats within the 3-year retreat, also possibly to teach periodically, as they did during their previous 3-year retreat.Preparation for retreat
Courses in meditation practices, and also in the actual practice of retreat, are being held at Diamond Mountain during the terms. In addition, we are scheduling classes and short retreats between terms to help people get started with the logistics of retreat. There is a retreat manual in the works, drawing on the experiences of the previous three-year retreaters, and much of that material is already available as readings for the Wisdom of Solitude retreat course (https://www.dmes.org:443/index.php/Solitude01) that was held in winter of 2005. If you are interested in inviting a Diamond Mountain teacher to come and teach, please email us (mailto:teachers@dmes.org).
Finances
The previous 3-year retreat cost approximately $6,000 per year per person. We are hoping to work out a system for every retreater to have food and basic necessities covered from a common fund, but as of now, potential retreaters will be responsible for providing much of this themselves. In addition, every retreater will have to provide their own cabin, and construction is currently under way. We have had some funds donated to help retreaters who don't have enough, but each retreat is ultimately responsible for their own construction costs. Fortunately we have received sponsorship for the water supply, for which we are very grateful, as well as some generous donations to cover roads to retreat sites and for building the peace shrine, which will be inside the retreat area, as well as the lamas' retreat buildings. We are still hoping to get funding for some common needs such as a teaching temple, overall site development, caretaker housing, and the like.Sites
Sites go from the 2-Boots gate (near the back entrance to Fort Bowie), and up to the ridge behind the lama house, as well as in the back part of the property. Sites have been chosen and allocated by the lamas to students who are planning to participate in the retreat, and cabin building is currently under way.
Building
Logistics for how to build, what to build (minimum criteria, suggestions for building techniques, etc.) have been developed and are available to the retreaters or on request from the retreat director (see contact info above). Cottages will need to be built in a timely manner, not more than a year after the permit is applied for. People will be expected to have half the cost in hand before building, but at the same time, we are making every effort to accomodate those who don't have the financial means to build or to stay in retreat, and have set up a retreat scholarship fund that has already provided the means to build access roads and septic tests for all their sites.For more info on building click here
Furnishing your Retreat Cabin
*Kat's waterless composting toilet that you can build yourself click here (http://www.dmes.org/pdfs/retreat_waterless-toilet.pdf). (Please note that it takes a few minutes to load.)- Click here (http://www.dmes.org/pdfs/Retreat_RVSurplusParts.pdf) for sources of used RV appliances -- good for small cabins!
Furniture for small spaces from a company that specializes in meditation and retreat supplies: Click here (http://www.zafu.net/) -- good for small cabins!
Support and Caretaking
Caretaking provided for retreaters will consist of purchase and delivery of food (groceries), water and other necessities, protecting the retreat area, emergency maintenance of retreat cabins, bookkeeping and accounting, helping retreaters get started, scheduling short-term retreats, and handling emergencies. Retreaters will cook for themselves. In addition to caretaking support, we are setting up a system for experienced retreaters to be available to give advice and counsel to those who haven't had so much experience.Water
Each cabin will have some kind of water storage system, and water is being provided from our well and springs. We anticipate that well water consumption will probably have to be limited somewhat, depending on rainfall. There should be plenty, however, if everyone is careful not to waste. In addition to that, each cabin will have a system for cachement of rainwater. That water might not be good for drinking, but it will be possible to use it for washing and other household uses. For more information on cachement, click: here (http://www.motherearthnews.com/top_articles/2003_August_September/Harvest_the_Rain).Gardening flowers and vegetables
Brad Lancaster has a list of native and drought-tolerant plant resources (http://www.harvestingrainwater.com/tucson-az-plant-lists/) attached to his very informative rain harvesting website.Arizona Native Plant Society (http://www.aznps.com/sources.html) sources for native plants and seeds.
Power
All of the sites are off the grid, and we are encouraging use of alternative forms of power for heating, cooking, and lighting. Fortunately there is plenty of sun at Diamond Mountain, and wind power is also a possibility. See the section on retreat homes for lots of ideas on how to accomplish that. More information is available here (http://www.dmes.org/bart/).
Infrastructure
As of now, Diamond Mountain has the means and is providing roads and paths, water lines, wells, and some caretaking facilities, and we also hope to be able to provide caretaker housing and facilities for retreaters to assemble for teachings and practice, as well as vehicles and handcarts for transportation of supplies, etc. No cars will be allowed past the caretakers’ house, and we are devising systems to carry supplies further, up to the highest retreat cabins. We hope to be able to buy one or two electric cars, because they are silent, and we have already located a model that ought to work well in our rugged terrain.
More
- Aerial photo of DM retreat area: Aerial Photo
- FAQs: Retreat FAQ
- Links to websites for building and retreat lifestyle: Retreat Homes
How you can help
- To make an online donation to help cover the cost of building and maintaining the upcoming three-year retreat, please click here (https://www.secure-server-hosting.com/secutran/secureforms/SH204133/donations.html) for our secure server. Be sure to indicate that the donation is for 3-year retreat.
- If you would like to make an in-kind donation of the materials on the following list, or if you would like to volunteer to help build, please click here (mailto:dkstumpf@vtc.net)
- For a list of materials we could use, please see: materials list
