Albuquerque Vipassana Sangha

Residential Retreats

Below we list upcoming residential retreats sponsored by the Albuquerque Vipassana Sangha. (To see info about shorter non-residential day-long or weekend retreats on the schedule see Day Retreats.)

First, a note about Dana: The teachings are offered freely; no compensation for our teachers is included in the fee you pay to register for a retreat. This fee covers only the actual cost of the retreat, e.g., your room, meals, teacher transportation, facility charges, retreat supplies, etc. At the end of a retreat, students have the opportunity to return the generosity of the teachers by making voluntary contributions (dana) to them. Since our teachers depend largely on dana to support themselves, these student offerings allow them to continue to teach. Dating back to the time of the Buddha, this interdependence between those who offer the teachings and those who receive them has been a beautiful part of our tradition.
And a note about Scholarships: We encourage anyone with financial need to apply for a scholarship. If scholarship support will make it possible for you to attend a retreat, please do not hesitate to let the retreat registrar know this. Insofar as funds are available, all requests will be granted. Here are guidelines and a form.
 
Details below might change. Please check back closer to the retreat for new information and revisions.

Eric Kolvig and Lila Kate Wheeler, October 4-8, 2008
Event: Five-day vipassana retreat
Teachers: Eric Kolvig has been teaching Vipassana since 1985 and leads meditation retreats countrywide. He lives in northern New Mexico, coming to Albuquerque once each month to serve as resident teacher for the Albuquerque Vipassana Sangha. He has also served as teacher for the Santa Fe Vipassana community. In the past he studied and practiced for years with prominent teachers at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, MA. and before that trained in the Zen tradition. He holds a Ph.D. from Yale University in English literature and is the editor of a number of Theravada Buddhist books. Moving from an inclusive understanding of liberation, Eric works for wholesome change in our community through compassionate action.
Lila Kate Wheeler
learned Vipassana meditation from Sharon Salzberg and Joseph Goldstein in 1977 and has been leading short retreats around the United States for nearly 20 years. She has practiced with Western and Asian teachers from a variety of traditions in the US, Burma, India, Thailand, and Europe. She's also a noted writer of fiction and journalism. Her most recent publication is Nixon Under the Bodhi Tree and Other Works of Buddhist Fiction, an anthology of other writers' stories published in spring 2004 by Wisdom Publications. Her most recent publication is Nixon Under the Bodhi Tree and Other Works of Buddhist Fiction, an anthology of other writers' stories published in spring 2004 by Wisdom Publications.
When: October 4-8, 2008 (Saturday through Wednesday)
Where: Madonna Retreat Center, 4040 St. Joseph's Place NW, Albuquerque. Please check back later for a map and directions.
Cost: To be announced
Contact: Jerilyn Bowen, jbowen1unm.edu, 505-255-1436
 
Eric Kolvig and Lila Kate Wheeler, October 3-7, 2009
Event: Five-day vipassana retreat
Teachers: Eric Kolvig and Lila Kate Wheeler. Please see October 2008 retreat above for more about Eric and Lila.
When: October 3-7, 2009 (Saturday through Wednesday)
Where: Madonna Retreat Center, 4040 St. Joseph's Place NW, Albuquerque. Please check back later for a map and directions.
Cost: To be announced
Contact: Jerilyn Bowen, jbowen1unm.edu, 505-255-1436
 
Steve Armstrong and Kamala Masters, April 14-19, 2009
Event: Six-day vipassana retreat
Teachers: Stephen Armstrong and Kamala Masters
When: April 14-19, 2009 (Tuesday through Sunday)
Where: To be announced
Cost: To be announced
Contact: Jerilyn Bowen, jbowen1unm.edu, 505-255-1436
 
Other Retreats, etc:
  • AVS day retreats: See Day Retreats.
  • Area retreats: The Santa Fe Vipassana Sangha site has a terrific page listing area retreats. Look for the Area Retreats button on the left side of the SFVS home page.
  • Other sanghas: For other sanghas and centers that offer retreats in our area, see More Links (New Mexico and Southwest sections).
  • History: For a record of past retreats in Albuquerque, see Previous Sangha Retreats.
  • More about dana: See essay from the Cloud Mountain Retreat Center site: Dana The Practice of Generosity.

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