Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
I'm not a Buddhist. Can I join the retreat?
Of course! The intention of our retreats is to help you tune into the calmness, compassion, and wisdom that is inherent in all of us. You don't need to be a Buddhist.
I'm new. Which retreat should I apply to?
Just follow your heart! If you still cannot decide, here is some additional information for your consideration.
If you are new to Buddhism but are curious, the Sudhana Center will be a great choice. There are more lectures and opportunities to explore different practices in a relaxed atmosphere.
If you have some familiarity with Buddhism, you feel a special affinity to Guan Yin Bodhisattva of Compassion, or you are looking to join a community of like-minded people to practice with, the Guan Yin/Amitabha Retreat will be suitable.
If you like to practice in nature, you can also check out the retreat in Buddha Root Farm run by our sister organization. The retreat usually happens in June and registration is open around March.
Will you take away our mobile phones?
We encourage you to take this precious time away to fully immerse into the practice but we will not take your phone away.
Talk to your family and coworkers. You may be surprised by how much they are willing to lend you the support for you to fully disconnect. We have a participant who managed to convince her 4-year old daughter to not look for her for 7 days!
If 100% disconnection is not possible, limit that to a fixed time (e.g. 6pm), for a fixed duration (max. 5 minutes), and for a fixed purpose (e.g. checking emergency text and emails only. No social media or internet surfing).
I have special dietary needs. Will you be able to accommodate?
Our food is lacto-vegetarian, sattvic, and mostly vegan, served buffet-style.
As our dining operation is run by volunteers, we do not have the manpower to meet individual dietary needs. At the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, lunch is served for 200-300 people. All cooking utensils are shared and food does not have clear labels.
If you are on a strict vegan diet or have life-threatening food allergies, it'll not be possible for us to accommodate.
Are the rooms single or shared?
At Sudhana Center, Rooms are single-occupancy with shared bathrooms.
At City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, you will be sharing a room with 1-5 other people.
Can I talk during the retreat?
For Sudhana Center, the community will uphold noble silence. Talking is allowed during Q&A with teachers and essential communication during community work.
At CTTB, we recommend upholding noble silence but it'll be your choice. We have "No Talking" badges available for you to wear if you want to maintain silence.
How should I prepare myself to make the retreat a transformative experience?
Our retreats are a little bit different from other mindfulness and vipassana retreats, with a mixture of meditation, lectures, and other forms of practices such as chanting, bowing, and community service. Many participants told us this 7-day retreat is a transformative experience and led them in a new direction to live life with more clarity, calmness, and compassion. Having an open mind and open heart to take in all these new experiences is all that you need to get the most out it.
We will also schedule a 20-minute session with you about 3-4 weeks prior to the retreat to answer any questions you have.
Can I go out of the retreat locations during the session?
In our retreats, we practice as a community. With that in mind, we encourage everyone to not venture outside so that we can maintain a supportive atmosphere for each other.
Can you comment on your sustainability practice?
At CTTB, 100% of the energy is solar powered. We grew some of the food on our organic farm and the rest is from generous donations. The meals are made from scratch by volunteers. We have an in-house recycling and composting facility. We have no janitorial staff and the community comes together to keep the place clean and comfortable.
We encourage you to join us in our sustainability effort by bringing your own water bottle, reduce food waste by taking only what you need, and learn about our composting and recycling guidelines.
Of course! The intention of our retreats is to help you tune into the calmness, compassion, and wisdom that is inherent in all of us. You don't need to be a Buddhist.
I'm new. Which retreat should I apply to?
Just follow your heart! If you still cannot decide, here is some additional information for your consideration.
If you are new to Buddhism but are curious, the Sudhana Center will be a great choice. There are more lectures and opportunities to explore different practices in a relaxed atmosphere.
If you have some familiarity with Buddhism, you feel a special affinity to Guan Yin Bodhisattva of Compassion, or you are looking to join a community of like-minded people to practice with, the Guan Yin/Amitabha Retreat will be suitable.
If you like to practice in nature, you can also check out the retreat in Buddha Root Farm run by our sister organization. The retreat usually happens in June and registration is open around March.
Will you take away our mobile phones?
We encourage you to take this precious time away to fully immerse into the practice but we will not take your phone away.
Talk to your family and coworkers. You may be surprised by how much they are willing to lend you the support for you to fully disconnect. We have a participant who managed to convince her 4-year old daughter to not look for her for 7 days!
If 100% disconnection is not possible, limit that to a fixed time (e.g. 6pm), for a fixed duration (max. 5 minutes), and for a fixed purpose (e.g. checking emergency text and emails only. No social media or internet surfing).
I have special dietary needs. Will you be able to accommodate?
Our food is lacto-vegetarian, sattvic, and mostly vegan, served buffet-style.
As our dining operation is run by volunteers, we do not have the manpower to meet individual dietary needs. At the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, lunch is served for 200-300 people. All cooking utensils are shared and food does not have clear labels.
If you are on a strict vegan diet or have life-threatening food allergies, it'll not be possible for us to accommodate.
Are the rooms single or shared?
At Sudhana Center, Rooms are single-occupancy with shared bathrooms.
At City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, you will be sharing a room with 1-5 other people.
Can I talk during the retreat?
For Sudhana Center, the community will uphold noble silence. Talking is allowed during Q&A with teachers and essential communication during community work.
At CTTB, we recommend upholding noble silence but it'll be your choice. We have "No Talking" badges available for you to wear if you want to maintain silence.
How should I prepare myself to make the retreat a transformative experience?
Our retreats are a little bit different from other mindfulness and vipassana retreats, with a mixture of meditation, lectures, and other forms of practices such as chanting, bowing, and community service. Many participants told us this 7-day retreat is a transformative experience and led them in a new direction to live life with more clarity, calmness, and compassion. Having an open mind and open heart to take in all these new experiences is all that you need to get the most out it.
We will also schedule a 20-minute session with you about 3-4 weeks prior to the retreat to answer any questions you have.
Can I go out of the retreat locations during the session?
In our retreats, we practice as a community. With that in mind, we encourage everyone to not venture outside so that we can maintain a supportive atmosphere for each other.
Can you comment on your sustainability practice?
At CTTB, 100% of the energy is solar powered. We grew some of the food on our organic farm and the rest is from generous donations. The meals are made from scratch by volunteers. We have an in-house recycling and composting facility. We have no janitorial staff and the community comes together to keep the place clean and comfortable.
We encourage you to join us in our sustainability effort by bringing your own water bottle, reduce food waste by taking only what you need, and learn about our composting and recycling guidelines.
