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Winter Retreat Homecoming to the Living Sangha
During the three-month Winter Retreat, monastics return “home” to their hamlet and, following the Buddha’s Rains-Retreat tradition, stay together as a solid Sangha: studying the Vinaya, sutras and higher Buddhist texts (Madhyamaka śāstras, Nhiếp đại thừa luận, Duy thức luận), deepening practice beyond the busy Summer Opening, and creating a warm, harmonious community.
Key features and advantages of the Winter Retreat:
- A real monastic Sangha body you can feel—brotherhood and sisterhood undiluted by outside duties
- Intensive Light Shining sessions: the community looks deeply to recognize each other’s strengths and shortcomings and offers tailored practices
- Direct guidance in mindful breathing and mindful walking to integrate study and practice, e.g. one brother learned to counter perfectionism and quick anger by recognizing breath and emotion
- Cozy, intimate atmosphere with fewer lay participants, yet still ample opportunities for lay–monastic interaction (Dharma talks, walking meditation, Q&A)
Monastics and lay friends are encouraged to “bring the Sangha home” by cultivating the Sangha as their spiritual family—like nurturing a young plant into a grove—so that mindfulness, stability and freedom grow wherever they go.
