Dark Retreat
Available to Shar Khentrul Rinpoché's Completion Stage StudentsPlan your personal
Dark meditation retreat
d.
The apartment for meditation in the darkness conceived and developed by our Vajra Brother Manfred Klell will now be kindly available for rental for meditators who already received the Higher Empowerments from Shar Khentrul Rinpoché. It is available for personal retreats in Autumn, Winter, and Spring. With the resources generated, may Kalapa be able to develop more similar spaces in the future.
The apartment (ca. 40 m2) can be used by one person alone or by two retreatants. There are 3 spaces:
1) At the back, a spacious room with the possibility of generating complete darkness including a shrine, sleeping, office, and meditation areas.
2) A middle space with a kitchen, toilet, and bath
3) A third room at the entrance (a smaller area than the main room) with the possibility of generating almost complete darkness, a sleeping place, and a second toilet. (The only space that is fully sealed from Darkness is the main meditation space at the back.)
Additional Spaces
In general we understand that disciples renting the Dark Retreat Apartment are using it for strict retreats. That said, you are welcome to visit the Kālachakra Stūpa, and to use the Kālachakra Temple and the Yoga Room if needed for your practice.
KĀlachakra Temple
Meditate or do further dharma practices in our blessed Kālachakra Temple. The Kālachakra statue is one of 3 in the world filled with relics and made to match HH Dalia Lama’s.
Yoga Studio
You are welcome to do your self-lead personal yoga in the yoga room when it is not in use. Many visitors also like to do yoga on our open air terrace out in nature.
KĀlachakra StŪpa
Receive the blessings from meditating or circumambulating this consecrated stūpa. There is a stone area around it suitable for the refuge prostration practice.
Rental Rates
Dzokden Kalapa’s Dark Retreat facilities are extremely limited, you must book in advance.
Daily Rate
108 € / day
Discounted Weekly Rate
636 € / 7 nights
The Meditation Apartment can be rented both during one of our events or outside event periods. Qualified renters (Shar Khentrul Rinpoché’s students who already received the Higher Empowerments) must fill out the form on this website to request the apartment. We will check the availability and your qualification.
Application to rent the Dark Retreat Apartment
Once you have received confirmation from the Dzokden Kalapa office email, please pay for your stay online through the correct link below.
The rate is the same for single or double occupancy.
Regular Price: 108,- Euro for the whole apartment and its 3 areas. This is paid per day regardless of whether the person is attending an event or not. This does not include food or event participation. It grants access to a personal room, bath, toilet, and kitchen. The price for renting the apartment is the same regardless of 1 or 2 persons staying inside.
Minimum Stay: Minimum booking: 3 nights (so, in total, 324,- minimum) so that it justifies the retreat center managing the booking, heating, cleaning the space, and taking care of bedding, etc.
Weekly Discount: The weekly rate for the apartment is 636,-
Additional Days at Kalapa outside of the Dark Retreat: If you wish to stay in the apartment for an event for only part of the event period or you wish to stay at Kalapa longer to practice outside of the Dark Apartment you may book additional days in a dormitory or tent after discussing with our office.
If you wish to stay for a whole event (7 – 10 nights in general for our retreat events), or the same period outside events, there is a bigger discount, 636,- (auspicious number) euros in total (again, this is only for the additional room, it does not include event participation or food.)
When you rent this apartment during an event, he rental is an additional (separate) cost and does not impact the registration for the event. The participant must also register for the event and can choose the reduced option “outdoor overnight” for the event fee if you are additionaly renting the apartment for the whole period of the event. If the person is booking less than the duration of the whole event, then the registration for the event must be a regular one (either dormitory or tent option).
Kalapa does not coordinate contact between Vajra brothers and sisters to stay together there. People share the apartment and costs only if they coordinate between themselves from the start. One person alone pays online. They are also responsible for deciding between themselves how to share the costs of the apartment after (one person perhaps wants to pay a bigger amount than the other because she/he has a much bigger room etc.
Guidelines for Your StaY
We have general guidelines that apply to all visitors.
Advice for Planning Your Retreat
We encourage you to
- Buy your groceries to last your full retreat in the nearby town before starting your Dark Retreat. You can take a taxi to the store if you do not have a car.
- Do an individual retreat at least 3-10 days long. We are in remote location and it will take time to get here.
- Plan your individual retreat with a set daily schedule
- Respect other visitors or workers on the property who may want to be left in silence or who are busy working.
General Dzokden Kalapa Center Guidelines
During your visit or stay at Dzokden Kalapa, please respect the 25 Conducts of Kālachakra:
@All Visitors are expected to respect at least The Five Major Negative Karmas to Abandon:
1) Taking life, 2) Speaking lies, 3) Stealing,
4) Harmful Sexual Conduct, and 5) Taking intoxicants.
@Practitioners are expected to additionally train in the remaining conducts as much as possible: The 5 Minor Negative Karmas to Avoid,
The 5 Forbidden Killings, The 5 Attitudes of Disrespect, and
The 5 Attachments (and further vows, pledges, and samayas they keep).
[According to the Kālachakra Tantra, the basis for all tantric training is the practice of these 25 conducts that are connected to Buddha Vajrasattva. They supported establishing the peace and harmony of Kalāpa and eventually the whole of Śhambhala. For more info, see “Unveiling Your Sacred Truth 3” (Chapter 4) and “The Realm of Śhambhala” in our library and shop.]
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@All participants and visitors
additionally should respect the following organizational guidelines:
- ACCUMULATION OF MERIT: Please do not light any CANDLES inside the rooms. If you wish, you can make candle offerings at the Stupa’s table or in the Temple.
- DAILY PURIFICATION PRACTICE: After meals, please WASH your DISHES in the wash-up room according to the specific event’s guidelines. (Please label one CUP with your name so that you can keep it for the whole event and wash it individually as suitable.)
- SANGHA ACTIVITIES: Make sure to join the KARMA YOGA tasks according to the guidelines of the specific event you are participating in.
- CONCENTRATION: We do not take responsibility for any valuables. Nevertheless, you are welcome to request the staff to keep them during your stay (for example, your MOBILE PHONE if you want support for avoiding distractions).
- CONSCIENTIOUSNESS: If you absolutely need to MESSAGE or CALL during your stay (if that is allowed in the retreat you are participating in), you are welcome to do that outside the retreat center in a place where there are no other participants.
- SMOKE OFFERINGS: If you absolutely want to SMOKE CIGARETTES during your stay, you are welcome to do that outside the boundaries of the retreat center.
- FINAL PURIFICATION PRACTICE: Please CLEAN your used spaces (room, toilet, bath, etc.): sweep, vacuum, empty trash, etc. before check out; fold your blankets and bring all your used BED COVERINGS to the washing area.
Thank you very much and have a great stay and practice!
Kālachakra Temple Etiquette (Temple specific)
This is a sacred space for spiritual practice. Help cultivate that for your own sake and the sake of others. Unless other agreements have been made, make sure to uphold the following:
- DISCIPLINE: out of respect to the teachers, session leaders, and participants, take your seat at least 5 minutes before the starting time. In case of events with an online transmission, take a seat in the front rows only if you are committed to attending all scheduled sessions.
- SILENCE: talking is allowed only when necessary for 1) event preparation or short organizational exchange; 2) technical setup; and3) announced guided Dharma discussions or tours. Even in these cases, make sure to be as mindful as possible of your speech. For any other pair or small group conversations, invite your conversation partner to other areas before starting or just after your interlocutor has tried to start a conversation. 4) Moreover, turn your mobile off and do not engage in any other activity not directly related to the Dharma. Personal laptops/computers are usually not allowed because the noise of clicking and typing can provoke a disturbance to others.
- SACRED OUTLOOK: 1) take off your shoes before entering the temple; 2) make sure not to place sacred objects such as malas, ritual implements, images, etc. and Dharma texts on the floor, put them on a small table or similar; do not step over them or their table; 3) do not place other objects on top of Dharma items; 4) respectfully stand up before a master is entering (or leaving) the space, and only sit down after she/he has taken a seat; 5) do not touch the statues; 6) when cleaning the temple, use only utensils reserved for the temple.
- DISCRETION: do not use the temple for body practices such as yoga, massage, etc. unless these have been announced in a session. If you want to rest, lay down, or sleep, make sure to search for a place outside. We offer a yoga room and terrace for these practices.
- CONSCIENTIOUSNESS: if you are the last one leaving the temple, make sure to 1) finish all burning candles (there is a suitable utensil for that, do not blow on them), 2) all lights are turned off, 3) restart the radio player with the Drolmi Kazug Puja, 4) all windows and doors are perfectly closed.
- GENEROSITY: general temple donations can be offered directly at the altar, in the donation boxes, or online.
Thank you very much and have a great practice!