What is a retreat? On retreat we stop all forms of buiness and extraneous activities so as to emphasize a particular spiritual practice. There are three kinds of retreat: physical, verbal and mental. We engage in physical retreat when with a spiritual motivation we isolate ourself from other people, activities, and noise, and disengage from extraneous and meaningless actions; we engage in verbal retreat when with a piritual motivation we refreain from meaningless talk and periodically keep silence; and we engage in mental rereat by preventing distractions and strong delusions such as attachment, anger, jealousy, and strong self-grasping from arising, and by maintaining mindfulness and conscientiousness.

2008 RETREATS

JUNE

Guru Yoga Mandala Retreat
Monday, June 23rd - June 29th
Session Times: Monday - Friday, 7:30am, 10:30am, 4pm, 7pm
Saturday & Sunday, 8:30am, 11am, 3pm, 5:30pm
During this retreat, we have an opportunity to strengthen our faith and connection with our Spritual Guide.  By practicing Guru Yoga, we receive abundant blessings to help Dharma realizations grow in our hearts. By offering the universe as a mandala to our Spiritual Guide we also accumulate vast amounts of merit. You will need a mandala to participate in this retreat. This can either be a traditional mandala or a small plate.
*You are welcome to come to any and all sessions, you do not need to come to every session to participate in this retreat. Each session is 1 1/2 hours.

AUGUST

Lamrim Retreat
Dates TBA
Session Times: Monday - Friday, 7:30am, 10:30am, 4pm, 7pm
Saturday & Sunday, 8:30am, 11am, 3pm, 5:30pm
'Lamrim' means stages of the path to enlightenment. In this retreat we will become familiar with the twenty one meditations that comprise the stages of the path. By gaining experience of each stage we can realize our potential and transfrom ourselves from an ordinary being to an enlightened being. 
*You are welcome to come to any and all sessions, you do not need to come to every session to participate in this retreat. Each session is 1 1/2 hous

SEPTEMBER

24 Hour Tara Retreat - Dates TBA
Session Times: 4pm, 8pm, 12pm, 4am, 8am, 12pm (each session is one hour)
Tara is the female Buddha of wisdom She protects us from all internal and external dangers, provides us with all the necessary conditions for our spiritual training, and guides us and inspires us with her blessings as we progress along the spiritual path. In this retreat we will chant Tara prayers every four hours for 24 hours. If you would like to stay over at Ganden Center, please email.

NOVEMBER

Vajrasattva Retreat: Pure Mind, Pure World
Session Times:  Mon-Fri 7:30am-9am, 10:30am-11:30am, 4pm-5:30pm, 7pm-8:30pm
Sat-Sun:  8:30am-10am, 11am-12:30pm, 3:30pm-5pm,6pm-7:30pm.
All our suffering arises from our delusions and negative karma. We can purify all our negativity by engaging in the powerful purification practice of Vajrasattva. Purification is the root of future happiness and spiritual realizations.You are welcome to attend any/all sessions $3/session or $45 for the retreat.

2009 ANNUAL RETREATS

FEBRUARY

Long Life Retreat:he Practice of Buddha Amitayus
There is nothing more precious to us than our life. Because we have a precious human life we have the opportunity to experience both temporary and ultimate happiness. We need a long life. If we lose this life we sahl lose our opportunity to enjoy a human life, to practice Dharma, and to attain liberation and enlightenment. This is why Je Tsongkhapa said that for those who wish to experience pure happiness, the greatest obstacles to the fulfilment of their wishes are death and ignorance. Death destroys our opportunity to take the essence of our precious human life, and ignorance destroys our opportunity to develop a pure experience of Dharma. To overcome these obstacles we need to increase our lifespan and our wisdom, and the principal method for doing this is the yoga of Buddha Amitayus. This yoga is also a speacial method for increasing our merit. 

MARCH

Refuge Retreat
Session Times: Mon-Fri:  7:30am, 10:30am, 4pm, 7pm   /  Sat & Sun:  8:30am, 11am, 3:30pm, 6:30pm
Everyone takes refuge in something or someone because everyone experiences fear and difficulties.Often the things we turn to for refuge only provide a temporary relief from our problems. Duringthis retreat we will establish a strong refuge in Buddha, Dharma and Sangha.  Our real refuge,what actually protects us, are the Dharma realizations within our own mind.Registration is not necessary, donations accepted.

APRIL

Prostrations and Fasting Retreat -
1,000 Armed Avalokiteshvara, (Drop of Essential Nectar)
Buddha’s Enlightenment Day
Session times for both days- 6:30am, 10:30am & 3:30pm
This special fasting and purification practice is a very powerful for purifying negative karma of body, speech, and mind, and for pacifying strong delusions such as desirous attachment and hatred. It is also a special method for receiving blessings and improving our experience of love, compassion, and bodhichitta.
Each day we take the Mahayana precepts and engage in the practice of 1,000 armed Avalokiteshvara with prostrations. On the first day we take the Mahayana precepts and abstain from all meals apart from lunch. On the second day we engage in a complete fast, abstaining from all food and drink for twenty-four hours.