Datun — a month-long rainy season meditation retreat
This month-long intensive meditation retreat inspired by the form designed by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche will offer the opportunity to gain a deep familiarity with the sitting practice of mindfulness awareness meditation. The four-week datun retreat provides a space of simplicity and clarity rarely accessible in our ordinary lives, and is also a systematic way of applying the teachings of the Buddha into our everyday lives. In Trungpa Rinpoche’s words:
«Meditation is immediate and personal, and involves an intimate relationship with who we are. It is getting to know ourselves by examining our actual psychological process without being ashamed of it»
During the Buddha’s time practitioners would gather and practice together during the monsoon season. These meditation instructions were taught by the Buddha in India 2600 years ago, crossed the Himalayas to Tibet a millennium ago, have been taught in Europe and North America since the 1960s, and are now coming back to the land of their birth. We are delighted to continue this tradition at Deer Park from July 12 to Aug 8 2024.
The datun environment is a full practice container. The daily schedule typically goes from 7 AM to 8 PM, and consists of sitting and walking meditation, chants, silent meals, physical exercise, dharma talks, work and free time, and regular individual meetings with meditation instructors. Here is a sample of the tentative schedule.
If your schedule does not allow you to attend all four weeks, registration is permitted for weeks 1, 2 and three. The final week is closed and priority will be given to those registering for the entire datun. We ask that you commit to participating in the full daily schedule in order to help create a safe and inspiring retreat environment.
Week I – July 12 – July 18
Week II – July 18 – July 25
Week III – July 26 – Aug 1
Week IV – Aug 2 – August 8
We warmly encourage you to consider joining us in July to practice and deepen our understanding of the dharma. To quote Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche:
«Of all the forms of training and discipline in Buddhism, mind training is considered the most essential. In order to train the mind, there is training such as shamatha, to help you remain undistracted or at least discover how distracted you have been and through that make your mind flexible and malleable»
To register for this retreat:
Step 1. Fill out this form;
Step 2. After we confirm your registration, book your accommodation and put advance deposit with mr Pravin Shakya at info@deerpark.in.
The retreat itself is being offered on donation basis, however to secure your spot you need to arrange your accommodation at Deer Park Institute and put a deposit of 30% the cost of your stay.
Meet your instructors:
David Nudell
Met Trungpa Rinpoche in 1971. Shortly after he moved to the Tail of the Tiger Buddhist community later renamed Karme Choling where he lived for the next six years. During that time he attended the first Vajradhatu Seminary in 1973, sat the first datun, attended Trungpa Rinpoche and became one of the resident teachers. In 1985 he moved to Halifax, Nova Scotia with his family where he was a practicing psychotherapist. In 2007 he became a student of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche.
Tashi Colman
A student of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche and Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche who sat his first datun 40 years ago, Tashi was Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche’s secretary from 2013-2023. He still sees datun as one of the best and most powerful foundations of all Buddhist practice. For more than 20 years, he also worked on holistic progress measures in Nova Scotia and Bhutan and is author of What Really Counts: The Case for a Sustainable and Equitable Economy (Columbia University Press, 2021).
Ken Einhorn
A student of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche since the late 1970’s. He sat his first datun in 1980 and attended the three-month Vajradhatu Seminary with Trungpa Rinpoche in 1982. His journey on the Buddhist path continues as a student of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche.
Ella Milligan
Was born just outside of Chicago to students of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche. In 1988 her family immigrated to Nova Scotia, Canada to be closer to his growing sangha. Her first encounter with practice was at the age of eleven when her father tricked her into participating in a meditation retreat. Since 1998 Ella has studied under Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche. She loves datun practice, was a meditation instructor for the first three annual datuns in Bir, and is very happy to be returning this year.
Uma Pitta
Feel free to ask any questions about this retreat: siddharthadatunretreat@gmail.com
Any questions about accommodation and advance deposit payment: info@deerpark.in