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General Information for those who plan to attend a retreat or residency

Index: Click a title for more information

Retreats--List

Phone Answering Hours

Health

Typical Retreat Schedule

Mail and Phone during your stay

Wheel-chair Accessibility

Retreat Donations

Travel Arrangements

Insurance Questions

Monastery Rules

Weather

Prerequisites

 
 

Retreat Dates
and Detailed Information

Those coming to train at the Abbey for the first time are asked to begin their stay with a Beginners or Refuge Retreat. Arrival time is between 1:30 and 3:00 pm on the first day of the retreat.

To apply, please fill out an application form and send it to us by letter, fax or e-mail. Click here to obtain an application form.
Please be sure to have your completed application to us at least ten days before the retreat. We appreciate your consideration in notifying us well in advance of any cancellation.

Retreat Donations  back to top of page

Shasta Abbey no longer charges a set fee for attendance at any retreat. Instead, we live by and try to foster the Buddhist practice of Dana—mutual giving or generosity—for all who attend retreats or train as lay residents. We ask those who join the monastic community, whether for a weekend retreat, a week or a longer period, to make an offering, according to their means, to help support the monastery and the spreading of the Buddhist Dharma.
Background: Over the centuries, a relationship of mutual support has evolved between the lay and monastic members of the Sangha. This relationship, which arises naturally from the desire to purify our hearts through daily training, has enabled Buddhism to survive and grow. The lay person trains in the world and helps support the monastery materially because he or she is in a better position to do so than those training full-time in the monastery. The monk trains in the monastery, offering spiritual support, encouragement and example. The monastery itself provides a physical focus where teaching and training can be given, received, understood and carried into the world. Both the lay person and the monk mutually contribute to each other's spiritual success.

If you are coming to Shasta Abbey from outside the United States, please bring U.S. funds (e.g. International Money Order).

Typical Beginners Retreat Schedule
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The daily schedule in the monastery varies slightly from winter to summer. Typically during the spring and summer months, retreats follow this schedule:

5:00 am
Rising
5:30 am
Meditation
6:15 am
Morning Service
7:30 am
Spiritual Reading
8:30 am
Breakfast
9:00 am
Community Working Meditation
10:45 am
Retreat Dharma Talk
12:00 pm
Formal Noon Meal
12:50 pm
Quiet Rest Period
2:45pm
Evening Service and Meditation
3:30 pm
Retreat Dharma Talk with Dharma Discussion following
5:15 pm
Formal Medicine Meal
5:50 pm
Quiet Rest or Kitchen Clean-up
6:45 pm
Great Silence begins
7:45 pm
Meditation
8:05 pm
Walking Meditation
8:10 pm
Meditation
8:30 pm
Evening Office
9:00 pm
Lights Out

This is a typical schedule and may vary.

Prerequisites

We prefer that a person's first introduction to the Abbey start with a Beginners Retreat, as this helps make sure your questions are answered adequately and provides some familiarity with what is involved in our Buddhist practice as well as with how to participate in the monastic schedule.
Each week-long retreat may have its own specific prerequisite.

Guest Application Form  page up

Our complete Guest Application Form is available on this web site for you to print and mail.

Guestmaster, Shasta Abbey
3724 Summit Drive,
Mt. Shasta, CA 96067-9102 USA

Telephone (530) 926-4208;
Fax (530) 926-0428
Email:

Please await confirmation of your application before making travel plans. If you have not received an email response within a week to ten days of sending in your application, please email us to inquire.

Phone Answering 

Between 8:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. & 2:30 p.m.- 4:00 p.m. there are monks available to answer the phone. If a monastic responsibility should keep us from answering the telephone, please leave a message and we will return your call as soon as possible.
We check our message machines every 2 hours.

Also, rather than following the standard work week,
the monastery follows a schedule wherein we are
on a renewal schedule on the days of the month ending with a 4 or a 9.

Your Mailing Address & Phone during your stay 

Lay trainees at Shasta Abbey may have their mail forwarded or addressed as follows: Your Name, Shasta Abbey
c/o Guestmaster, 3724 Summit Drive, Mt. Shasta CA 96067-9102.

To minimize distractions while at the Abbey, please don’t use cell phones and lap top computers.
We suggest that guests bring phone cards for personal calls.
Lay trainees are welcome to use the telephone in the Vimilakirti Hall (Guest House), but we ask that calls be made and received during rest periods whenever possible. Shasta Abbey does not accept collect calls.

Health  back to top of page

We request that guests postpone their visit if they have, or have been in close contact with anyone who has, a contagious disease of any kind. THIS INCLUDES COLDS AND FLU. The Guestmaster will be glad to help arrange an alternative time of visiting for anyone who must cancel for this reason. If you have questions as to the possible contagiousness of the illness, please consult your doctor and call the Guestmaster. When applying for a retreat or resident stay, please inform us of any physical disabilities, limitations, allergies or other conditions that may require special arrangements.

Wheel-chair Accessibility

All of the buildings accomodating retreats are wheel-chair accessible, and a covered cloister goes to most buildings at the Abbey.

Insurance

Shasta Abbey does not have group insurance for lay trainees and is not responsible for any illness or accidents which guests may incur during their stay with the exception of those which are directly due to our own negligence. Please have medical insurance or funds available for possible medical emergencies.

What to bring  back to index

Loose-fitting clothing for meditation: For both men and women, please bring loose-fitting, comfortable clothing for meditation and ceremonial. Slacks, trousers and long skirts are acceptable, preferably of a subdued color. Sweats, athletic clothing, tank tops and T-shirts with slogans are not suitable. We request a respectful attitude of mind in the wearing of clean, modest clothing. The Guest Office has meditation clothing available for those who have nothing suitable.

Work clothes: Please bring a change of clothing for work, including a sturdy pair of shoes.

Incidentals: Sleeping apparel, a watch, indoor slippers, a towel, rubber bath slippers, and toilet or personal items sufficient for your stay. Shoes that slip on and off easily can be helpful.

Winter clothing: During the colder months of the year, which generally run from November to May, we recommend bringing a warm winter jacket, water repellent boots, gloves, a warm hat, warm socks, long underwear and sweaters. Winter temperatures are usually in the 20 degrees and 30 degrees. Regardless of the time of year, it is advisable to bring some warm clothing given that cool or cold days can occur in any month.

Phone Card (optional): If you may need to make phone calls, you may want to bring a phone card. The Abbey no longer has a pay phone.

Regarding cell phones, Palm Pilots and laptops. 
To minimize distractions while at the Abbey, please don’t use cell phones and lap top computers. If you find that you have these items with you when you visit, they may be stored in the Guest Office.

Books   back to top of page

Lay trainees coming to Shasta Abbey for the first time can benefit from the writings of Rev. Master Jiyu-Kennett. In particular we recommend the book Zen is Eternal Life, the book Serene Reflection Meditation (click title to view) and the booklet Introduction to the Tradition of Serene Reflection Meditation (click title to view), which contains material covered during the lectures given at introductory retreats. We request that guests do not bring reading material other than Shasta Abbey Press publications. Many of these publications may be ordered online from Village Books Mt. Shasta
( http://www.villagebooks-mtshasta.com/bookfromshas.html ).

MAP  back to top of page

Shasta Abbey is 3 miles north of the town of Mt. Shasta, California, as you travel on Interstate 5.
map

For more information on Shasta Abbey and the Order of Buddhist Contemplatives please explore this website, and the Order's website at www.obcon.org

By Car: Please refer to the map, and come to the Shasta Abbey Visitors' gate, which is gate 4, the northern-most of four gates. During winter, a heavy snowfall sometimes closes Interstate 5 temporarily to cars without chains or 4 wheel drive. It is advisable to check on road conditions in the winter:
Road Information is at www.mountshasta.com
and at Caltrans 1-800-427-7623
California Highway Patrol in Yreka: 530-842-4438
or for Oregon road conditions, call 503-588-2941.

 

Weather

Summer weather in the mountains of northern California is usually warm or hot during the day and can be a little cool at night. Therefore you may want to bring summer clothing with some layers so that you are prepared for cooler evenings and mornings. For our occasional rainy periods, it’s a good idea to bring a warm sweater or jacket and hat.

Winter temperatures are usually in the 20 degrees and 30 degrees. Regardless of the time of year, it is advisable to bring some warm clothing given that cool or cold days can occur in any month.

For travel or weather information, see www.mountshasta.com

Travel Arrangements and Transportation  

Transportation by Bus: The Greyhound bus stops in a somewhat rural bus station in Weed, CA a town about 4 miles away. We would be glad to pick you up in Weed, at the bus station or another location anytime between  8:45 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.   Please phone the Guestmaster (530-926-4208) as early as possible to arrange a time and location for pick-up.

By Train: The Amtrak train stops in Dunsmuir, CA, about 20 miles away. Coming from the north, the train is scheduled to arrive in Dunsmuir , California about 12:30 a.m.   If you are coming from the south, the train is supposed to arrive about 5 a.m. In our area, Amtrak often runs far behind schedule:   the train can arrive anywhere from 1/2 hour to 7 hours late.   One can get updates by phone before departing. 

If your train arrives during the night, we suggest that you might like to stay at a motel in Dunsmuir for the night.  We would be glad to pick you up in Dunsmuir at anytime between  8:45 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.   Please phone the Guestmaster (530-926-4208) as early as possible after 8:30 a.m. on your day of arrival to arrange a time and location for pick-up or leave a message with a phone number if you wish to call us before that. 

You would be welcome to rest during the day here at the Abbey if you arrive early.

Airline Service: There are airports in Redding, CA and Medford, OR. Please arrange to make bus connections from these towns to either Mt. Shasta or Weed. Car rental service is available at both airports.

Monastery Rules back to top of page

Shasta Abbey is a Buddhist monastery and all guests are asked to respect the rules during their stay. The purpose of these rules is to assist trainees in their efforts to meditate by minimizing distractions and promoting harmony within the community. Please read these rules carefully before visiting the Abbey.

  1. The activities of our daily life have a profound spiritual significance and it is an
    important part of Buddhist practice to perform all actions with reverence and gratitude.

    We ask all guests to follow the daily monastic schedule, being punctual and participating fully in each scheduled event. By following the schedule, we learn to drop our opinions of what is important and unimportant, and this helps us live in accordance with the Truth that the Buddha Nature can be found in all places and at all times.

    It is understood that some people will not be able to follow the schedule completely because of poor health or age. We will do all we can to accommodate anyone with a sincere desire to train. If necessary, consult the Guestmaster about your situation.
  2. During your stay at Shasta Abbey, please refrain from religious practices other than Buddhist training as taught at the Abbey.
  3. Please dress in a respectful manner while at the monastery. For safety, shoes should be worn outdoors. Out of consideration for others, please do not sunbathe or use cosmetics, perfume, or scented lotions.
  4. Please be as silent as possible during your stay at the Abbey. There should be no unnecessary talking during work or other activities. Social conversation during retreats is limited to scheduled evening teas.
  5. Please do not bring the following items to the monastery:
    tobacco, illegal drugs, alcohol, chewing gum, cell phones, laptop computers, musical instruments, radios, firearms, pets, plants, furniture, or books other than those available from Shasta Abbey.

    Please consult with the Guestmaster if you have questions about the advisability of
    bringing any particular book or other item to Shasta Abbey.
  6. Except in an emergency, please do not leave the grounds unless special permission has been given by the Guestmaster. Some areas of the Abbey are for the private use of monks; please consult the Guestmaster if you are uncertain about which areas are closed to guests.
  7. Due to fire hazard, we ask that guests only offer incense and light candles at the altars specified by the Guestmaster. Please do not operate the wood stoves.
  8. Meals are usually held formally and eaten in silence. Meals at the Abbey are vegetarian (including eggs and dairy products). Please take as much food as you need but do not waste any food.
  9. Please do not rise before the wake-up bell has rung unless you need to use the lavatory.
    All trainees must be in bed by the lights-out time in the evening.
  10. Rooms should be kept clean and tidy.
  11. Lay guests should not visit each other's rooms.
  12. A monastery is not an appropriate place to engage in flirtation or to seek a sexual relationship.

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Home Monastery Meditation Dharma Retreats.... ...General Information for Retreat Guests Photos Contact

A Serene Reflection (Soto Zen) Meditation monastery, Order of Buddhist Contemplatives temple, Shasta Abbey offers monastic and lay retreats, Zen Buddhist meditation, spiritual training, and mindfulness practice; central principles are Refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, Sangha, Buddhist Precepts and Bodhisattva vow.