Peaceful Dwelling | Three-Month Autumn Retreat

Magnolia Grove Monastery is delighted to announce that our multifold community will be observing our annual 90-day Autumn Retreat from September 10 to December 11, 2022.

September 10  : Counting Stick Ceremony (in each respective hamlet)
September 11 : Ceremony to Open the Autumn Retreat (Face to Face Ceremony)
December 11 : Ceremony to Close the  Autumn Retreat (Pavarana Day)

You are warmly invited to join us during this Autumn Retreat for a weekend stay, one or two weeks stay, or longer. To support the stability of the retreat, we request guests to arrange to join us for at least two weeks, if possible.

Observing an annual 90-day “Rains Retreat” is a traditional monastic practice dating back to the time of the Buddha. It is most suitable for those already familiar with Plum Village practice.

Practicing deeply

The Autumn Retreat is primarily a time for the monastics to come together to study and deepen their practice, and during these 90 days they do not leave the monastery to teach outside.

It is a time for everyone to deepen and strengthen our spiritual roots. The emphasis is on generating a powerful collective energy of mindfulness, as we live, practice and work together with a full schedule of Plum Village mindfulness practices six days a week.

Generating a Strong Collective Energy

In the Autumn Retreat, we will have Day of Mindfulness on Sundays for a Dharma Talk and full day of practice together.  Teachings will be in English and Vietnamese, for which there will be simultaneous English.

Everyone staying in Magnolia Grove Monastery is requested to observe the “Autumn Retreat Boundaries,” by not going online nor leaving the monastery to go to town and so on, unless necessary. This creates a very focused and solid collective energy of practice.

Who is the  Autumn Retreat for?

The Autumn Retreat is the only retreat in the year which is oriented primarily towards monastics and the residential community, in terms of teachings, classes and other sessions.

The monastic community is very grateful for the loving service work offered to the community by lay guests who come and support the retreat.

The Autumn Retreat is most suitable for those who are already familiar with Plum Village practice.

Please note that due to the community’s focus on monastic training during the Autumn Retreat, there is comparatively less support available for guests compared to the Spring, Summer and Winter Retreats. We recommend these retreats for those who would like a lighter program and a quieter, more spacious experience.

We look forward to welcoming you to join the river of practice during this wonderful retreat. Please click here to register.