Winter Monthlong Retreat
Rupert Marques
February 6 - March 7, 2025
The birds have vanished into the sky.
And now the last cloud drains away.
We sit together the mountain and I,
Until only the mountain remains.
– Li Po
A monthlong period of practice is a unique opportunity to settle back into a continuity of awareness and to see what is revealed through such a sustained quality of presence. The retreat will offer time for a momentum of mindfulness to gather and carry us, revealing both the beauty of the ordinary as well as the challenging tendencies that each of our own minds have been conditioned by. Practicing alongside a dedicated community of practitioners supported by a daily schedule, teacher guidance and the seclusion, quietude and beauty of the wider natural world offer an environment conductive to the cultivation of awareness and understanding, inviting a deeper relationship with life.
To embark upon an extended period of retreat is really to embrace the gift of simplicity and renunciation. In support of this the majority of the retreat will be held in silence, though there will be periods of group inquiry and meetings with the teacher a number of times each week. Teachings will be offered around the four foundations of mindfulness along with guided meditations offered more frequently during the beginning of the month. Dharma talks and reflections will be a combination of live teachings with recorded talks from respected Dharma teachers.
Rupert’s own teaching emphasizes intimacy with the more-than-human world and this emphasis will be woven throughout the retreat. We offer these dharma talks (audio only) as a way of getting to know the teacher’s style:
Southern Dharma’s intention is to make the retreat available to those from a range of financial backgrounds through having a community supported format for the retreat and including our work with our practice. Retreatants will take on responsibility for maintaining the center throughout our stay and there will be a work period of roughly an hour to an hour and a half each day in support of this. Also, one day a week each retreatant will have the role of preparing the main meal at lunch and the evening meal (often soup) for the community. Menus will be provided and retreatants will cook together with one other person and have support from a ‘meal prep’ crew in the morning work period. A sample daily schedule can be found here.
Prerequisite: We recommend that candidates have participated in at least 14 nights of structured and teacher-led Buddhist meditation retreats. This should include a minimum of two silent residential retreats of six nights or longer. Your teacher will exercise their discretion in accepting or declining applications. Prior residential retreat experience is required in order to be considered. Online retreat experience does not fulfill the prerequisite. Future attendance in a retreat also does not qualify.
Fees: Sliding scale fees allow individuals to pay what works best for their financial situation. Please consider choosing the highest level that you can afford so others who need to pay less can do so. Those who are in need may also consider applying for a Scholarship or Fellowship. Amounts offered above the Base Rate are considered a tax-deductible donation to the Center. Note that registration fees do not include dana for the teacher. In the Buddhist tradition the teachings are offered freely and teachers are not paid for their offerings. They rely on dana contributions from students.
Timeline for Applications & Registration: The open application period will continue through August 15, 2024. Beginning September 1, selected participants will be invited to register. An initial nonrefundable deposit will be required in order to secure your space. Full payment of all program fees will be due one month prior to the start of the retreat.
The Buddha Dharma is fundamentally concerned with freedom and what hinders freedom. The retreat is in service of both deepening intimacy with this precious life while at the same time resourcing ourselves so that we may more freely offer the unique gift of our lives to the pressing times we are living through.
What will we make of the life before us?
How do we translate the gifts of solitary beauty
Into the action required for true participatory citizenship?
– Terry Tempest Williams
We no longer require COVID-19 vaccinations to attend our programs, but do still require testing. We require all registered participants to present negative results from a Covid test performed in the 3 days prior to the start of your retreat AND that you consent to being tested upon your arrival at Southern Dharma. Any rapid antigen test is acceptable for testing, including over-the-counter at-home tests.
Thank you for your understanding as we work to ensure the safety of our staff, teachers, retreatants, and larger community!
NEW IN 2024: First-time retreatants at Southern Dharma must arrive by 5pm ET on the first day of retreat. Check-in begins at 3pm. Returning yogis can check-in between 3 and 6pm.
Departures will take place by 2:00pm on the last day of retreat. Please make sure that you can attend the full program before registering.
All registrations are subject to our new 2024 cancellation policy. All retreatants must review and agree to this policy upon registration.
For our 2024 retreats, three fee tiers are offered. Please choose the option that best fits your ability to give in this time. Any amount paid above the Base rate is a tax deductible contribution to Southern Dharma Retreat Center. Your confirmation email is your receipt for tax purposes.
We are deeply grateful for your support.
Note that registration fees do not include dana for the teacher(s). In the Buddhist tradition the teachings are offered freely and teachers are not paid for their offerings. They rely on dana contributions from students. Similarly, Southern Dharma keeps registration fees low to ensure the Dharma is accessible to all. Fees cover only a fraction of Southern Dharma’s operating expenses. We appreciate your practice of generosity to continue the dissemination of the Dharma.
Housing and all meals are included in the program fee. We are currently offering six housing options:
- Bed in Lodge, shared double room (2nd floor)
- Bed in Lodge, dorm with privacy partitions (3rd floor)
- Unheated kuti (single cabin, outdoor bathroom)
- Heated kuti (single cabin, outdoor bathroom)
- Canvas Tent (furnished, outdoor bathroom)
- Basic Tent Platform (camping with your own gear)
Please use the appropriate field in the registration process to let us know your preferences in regards to housing, if any, and also specify if you insist on or prefer being housed with others of the same gender. All housing options are priced the same except for the Basic Tent Platform.
Southern Dharma is offers 50% scholarship awards for BIPOC and Young Adults, in addition to those with financial need. Indicate your interest in a Southern Dharma in-house scholarship during the registration process.
This program is also eligible for Hemera Contemplative Fellowships. Please note that you must apply for the Fellowship prior to registering for any program. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.
About the Teacher
Rupert Marques
Rupert Marques (he/him) has practiced in the Insight meditation tradition for over 25 years in Europe, America and Asia. His primary teachers have been Christina Feldman and Joseph Goldstein. For three years, Rupert lived and worked at Ecodharma, a contemplative retreat community in the Spanish Pyrenees dedicated to exploring the role of the Dharma in […]
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