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Deepen Your Spiritual Practice with a Personal Retreat

Plan your personal retreat

Experience daily life in the unique atmosphere of our Tibetan Buddhist community. You’ll find us high in the serene countryside of the Austrian Alps in a peaceful forest setting. Enjoy the fresh air, peace and quiet you need for your retreat, reflection, healing and transformation.  For students of Dzokden seeking to do a Kalachakra practice, questions and guidance can be requested from the center staff. We welcome people of many spiritual backgrounds to partake in the space for your practice.  

Kalachakra Temple

Meditate or do your dharma practice in our blessed Kalachakra temple. The Kalachakra 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 or meditation practice 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.

Kalachakra Stupa

Receive the blessings and merit from meditating or circumambulating this consecrated stupa. There is a stone area around it suitable for the refuge prostration practice.

Reading Room

We offer a small collection of Buddhist and Kalachakra teachings for you to study while here.

Access to WIFI and Video Meditation Teaching

If you have brought your own personal devices you can connect to the center wifi and also access the online meditation course from Khentrul Rinpoche. 

Kitchen & Laundry Access

You can cook for yourself during your personal retreat. Grocery shopping in the town of Bad Schwanberg is a short taxi or car ride away.

AccoMmodations

We offer three types of accommodations avaible for personal practice retreats.  All of our rooms can access the shared shower and baths. We do not offer any ensuite bathrooms. Our accommodations do not include meals. You can cook your own food in our shared kitchen. Fresh food from nearby farms and the town of Bad Schwanberg can be purchased.

Single Room 40€ Per Night

For those looking for personal space or to do a strict retreat, we offer one single room with a lofted bed. 

Shared Room 30€ Per Night

For those who are not in a strict isolated retreat, you can stay in our shared room and practice in the temple’s meditation hall, yoga room or your room.

Stupa Camp spot 20€ Per Night

Bring your own tent, mat and sleeping bag or request if our center’s is available for use. Late spring through fall this is available.

Our Guided Retreat Programs

If you are not sure a self-guided retreat is right for you, please check out our yearly retreats in topics ranging from Vajrayana, yoga, meditation to the healing arts. We also offer community Kalapa care service weeks.

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Nearby Attractions

Depending on your personal practice and whether or not you are in strict retreat, you may wish to enjoy the nearby attractions. Kalapa is near hiking trails, healing mud baths and the town of Bad Schwanberg.

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Guidelines for Your StaY

Dzokden Kalapa’s personal retreat facilities are extremely limited and thus only available a when the center is not rented or hosting a retreat. We have some general guidelines that apply to all visitors to Kalapa. If you are planning to do personal practice retreat and wish to use the Kalachakra temple, please check with the center in advance about which practices you plan to do in this space and ask for permission.

Advice for Planning Your Retreat

We encourage you to

  • do an individual retreat at least 3-10 days long. We are in remote location and it will take time to get here.
  • Be an experienced retreat participant it you are doing a 10 day or longer retreat with a current teacher who gave you advice to do this retreat and whom you can call for advice if difficulties in your practice arises.
  • Plan your individual retreat with a set daily schedule
  • Respect other retreat participants on the property who may wish to be left in silence the full time of their stay.

Please note: We do not have a teacher who can give you guidance with your practice or help you when difficulties arise unless you are Khentrul Rinpoche’s student and practicing under his guidance.

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:

  1. 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.
  2. 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.)
  3. SANGHA ACTIVITIES: Make sure to join the KARMA YOGA tasks according to the guidelines of the specific event you are participating in.
  4. 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).
  5. 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.
  6. 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.
  7. 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! 

Kalachakra Temple Etiquette

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:

  1. 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. 
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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. 
  5. 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.
  6. 6. 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!