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We are open to visitors at certain times of the year, outside of courses and retreats (see below).
You are welcome to come and stay with us and join in the routine of the centre, which consists of shared meals, formal meditation sittings and work periods. Certain parts of the day may be given over to the practice of ‘noble silence’, i.e. not engaging in talk with anyone unless it is really necessary - a time during which we try not to speak unless we can 'improve on the silence'! In this way the silence becomes a supporting factor to our practice of mindfulness. After our midday meal there is free time in the afternoons for individual practice and spending time in the surrounding national park, walking in the foothills of the Cévennes mountains and swimming in the river Cèze. There is a small libary of books on topics such as sustainable housing, permaculture and Dharma practice that are available for people to read and study. We also come together some evenings to hear Dharma talks, have discussion groups, share stories, watch relevant films, and connect with one another.
All visitors are asked to participate as fully as possible in the daily activities of the community. We ask that everyone make a commitment to a daily meditation practice and the principle of non-harming. Alongside the rest of the community you will also be invited to follow five mindfulness trainings:
To undertake the training rule to abstain from killing or harming any living being
To undertake the training rule not to take that which is not freely given
To undertake the training rule not to cause harm through sexuality
To undertake the training rule to be truthful and to abstain from lying and spreading discord
To undertake the training rule not to take substances that cloud the mind
Please note we will not be inviting any under 13's to visit until the main clearing and building projects have been completed.
Anyone interested in coming to the centre for a, course, retreat or general visit is asked to fill in a booking form prior to arrival.
Please note people are not permitted to smoke on our premises.
We are open to visitors from April 2008 to October 2008. Please not that it is not possible to stay during courses or retreats if you do not wish to participate in them.
A calendar of all our retreats & courses, and our open / closed periods for 2007 is given on the Courses & retreats page.
Our daily rate for visitors, including 3 vegetarian meals a day, is €20 euros per night camping, or €25 euros per night for a bed in the main house (you may have to share a room).
To book a visit, and for more details on booking and accomodation on please see How to book.
From time to time we have specific and general volunteer opportunities available, to assist with running courses, or to help with certain projects at the centre. If you're interested in general volunteering at the Dharma House, please join our Yahoo discussion group (see the Contact page), where we advertise volunteer positions as they come up.
Specific Volunteer Opportunities for 2008
Volunteer with building experience - To lead volunteers in renovating a small stone cottage.
Volunteers with carpentry experience - To undertake repairs and improvements around the centre.
Volunteer with experience of setting up a grey water system - To lead volunteers in developing a grey water system at the centre
For more details on these specific opportunities please email us for more information.
MAY ALL BEINGS BE HAPPY!
