In this 10 day-retreat we will cultivate time-tested techniques from Tibetan Buddhism of how to develop heart-felt kindness, and how to transform the mind into a more relaxed, spacious state.

Ven. René will mix focused, non-conceptual meditation techniques with guided, analytical meditations. The main focus of the meditations are to cultivate calm abiding, an extremely pliant state of mind, as well as the mind of enlightenment, a universal, compassionate aspiration to benefit others.

Although the topics of the meditations are indeed advanced, the retreat is accessible to beginners, who will learn meditative techniques on how to train these helpful minds.
Whether you are an inexperienced spiritual seeker or a seasoned practitioner of Buddhism, this retreat will give you techniques and space to calm down from a busy lifestyle and taste peace of mind. You will be able to refine practice and go back into society with more tools for dealing with stress, alienation and other negative emotional states.

Good to know:

• We will serve three meals per day – all vegetarian or vegan.
• All participants will be asked to do a light karma yoga of circa 30 minutes per day.
• Parts of the retreat will be in complete silence;
  We will ask you to store away your phone and gadgets in a safe before the retreat starts;
• The retreat will be spoken in English and interpreted into French & Spanish. 

Ven. Rene met the Dharma at the November course at Kopan Monastery, Kathmandu, which was taught by Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche, the founders and spiritual directors of the FPMT.

He received monastic ordination 1985 and then studied four years at Nalanda Monastery with Khensur Jampa Tegchok, former abbot of Nalanda and Sera Je Monastic University, India. After his studies, ven. René went into a two and half year solitary retreat at Oseling retreat centre. He has served as the resident teacher at Vajrapani Institute in California for seven years and guided several retreats around the world. 

These days he spends most of his time in solitary retreat in the United states, and sometimes leads group retreats in different places. 
Ven. René guided two appreciated meditation retreats at Nalanda Monastery 2016 and 2017. Last year he guided the November Course at Kopan Monastery and the meditations of the Light of the Path retreat.

Please note that the daily schedule has not been finalized:

• 06:00 – 07:00 Session (morning prayers and meditation)
• 07:00 – Breakfast
• 08:30 – 09:30 Session
• 10:00 – 10:45 Session
• 11:15 – 12:00 Session
• 12:30 – 13:30 Lunch
• 14:30 – 15:30 Session
• 16:00 – 16:45 Session
• 18:00 – 19:00 Dinner
• 19:00 – 20:00 Session (Questions and answers/meditation)

Lay Prices

For ordained Sangha, retreat participation is free, 50% discount on the accommodation price.

Pour la Sangha ordonné, la participation à la retraite est libre, 50% de remise pour l’hébergement

Para la Sangha ordenado, la participación en el retiro es gratuita, con un descuento del 50% en el alojamiento.

Registration Form

For your registration to be secured we will ask you make a payment soon after your registration. We will limit the places to circa 80 participants and rooms might run out soon.

Nalanda Monastery applies the following cancellation policy for this retreat:

• If you cancel your registration before 1st of June you will be refunded 100% of your paid retreat fee.
• Cancellations in June will be refunded with 70% of the paid retreat fee.
• Cancellations in July will be refunded with 40% of the paid retreat fee
• Cancellations in August will not be refunded except in exceptional cases, such as admission to hospital after a serious accident or the death of a very close family member (parents, spouse, or children), whereby official documents will be asked.

Please be mindful that late cancellations causes the monastery losses in revenue and might hinder others from joining the retreat.

Feel like getting to know Venerable René, or want to start preparing yourself for the retreat?

Here is a playlist from the previous retreat with Venerable René at Nalanda. Feel free to get to know his teaching style, meditations….