[Buddha-l] Retreats?

[curt]

I have organized many retreats over the years. These have been
small retreats with no more than 25 people (usually more like
12 - 15), and they have either been in private homes or in rented
facilities. And they have all been led by teachers who are neither
especially famous nor infamous enough to attract large followings.
My feeling is that people get what they are looking for. If you find
a retreat advertised in Tricycle that is 1,000 miles from where you
live in a retreat facility with a full-time paid staff and the retreat is
led by a teacher is who is a best-selling author - you will get one
kind of experience. If you find a retreat advertised on a flyer taped
to a bulletin board at your local health food store that is taking
place in someone's living room down the street from you led by
a teacher no one has ever heard of - that will be another experience.
People can easily avoid the "retreat industry" if they wish to. But
our culture worships fame and success and star power. I don't
think that all "famous" teachers are without value. I think the
Dalai Lama uses his fame without letting it use him too much -
for instance.
- Curt


jkirk wrote:

>It's getting round to the most popular retreat time of the year, from now on
>until heavy frost. This author asks a few acute questions about the value of
>retreats.
>I have a few observations of my own that accord with his, especially his
>noting that there is now a retreat industry. Comment anyone?
>Joanna
>
>http://www.buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=2,1242,0,0,1,0
>
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