Dathün is a one-month group meditation retreat. Participants are introduced to and guided in mindfulness-awareness meditation. This programme is suitable for relative newcomers as well as experienced students who wish to engage in a period of intensive practice, away from the distractions and business of their everyday lives. Such intensive meditation deepens our understanding of our own mind and can be profoundly life-changing. Each day consists of nine to ten hours of sitting and walking meditation, shamatha yoga sessions, and a short work period. To support the participants' experience, talks on various aspects of meditation practice are offered, and individual meditation instruction is provided every few days. Periods of group silence are observed. Meals are served oryoki-style, a form of meditation adapted from the Zen tradition.

The dathün is a foundation of the Shambhala Buddhist path and is required for more advanced study and practice intensives such as Sutrayana Seminary.

Participants may attend a minimum of 2 weeks of the dathün . Those who have not previously attended a dathün should plan to come at the beginning . We recommend that you plan to attend the entire month.

"Dathün is a pivotal point in one's life, where the profundity of the teachings soak into our core. It is the time and opportunity for us to change, develop and mature.

- Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche

This particular dathün will focus on bringing mind, body, and heart together in progressive stages, beginning with synchronizing body and mind, and developing an attitude of loving kindness, honesty, and fearlessness in relating to all aspects of our experience. Through this sincerity and non-deception, we are able to become more receptive to the brilliance of our perceptions and the power of the phenomenal world just as it is. At the same time we realize that these are not separate from our own wisdom. This was described by Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche as discovering magic. In the Tibetan tradition this quality of magic is referred to as Drala - experience which is 'beyond aggression' - beyond the separation and isolation which most of us have accepted as the normal state of existence. The dathun will provide an opportunity for participants to be introduced to these fundamental and powerful teachings on Drala.

"You might think that something extraordinary will happen to you when you discover magic. Something extra-ordinary does happen. You simply find yourself in the realm of utter reality, complete and thorough reality."

-Chögyam Trungpa, Rinpoche

About Ellen Mains

Ellen Mains became a close student of the Ven. Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche in 1971. She has been an active teacher and Shambhala Training Director for over 25 years, and recently served as Director of Practice and Study for the Boulder Shambhala Center, which is the largest Shambhala Center in the United States. She has also been a senior instructor of Kyudo (The Way of the Bow) under Shibata Kanjuro, Sensei, XX for over 25 years and has taught at Naropa University and internationally. Ellen has also studied various forms of healing. Currently she is writing a book joining the themes of the Holocaust and the genuine mind of sadness.

About Wolf van Lieshout

Wolf van Lieshout joined the Amsterdam Shambhala Centre in 2000, after a six month trip in India where he started reading many books of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. Becoming a dedicated practioner and student, he soon joined the board as practice coordinator, dharmadhatu cooordinator and the last years as director of the Amsterdam center. He also has been on staff in various international Shambhala and buddhist programs in Greece, Poland, France and Holland. Wolf is a mental nurse, only working night shifts.

Program Prerequisites