[Buddha-l] Retreats?

[jkirk]

> 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
====================================
Well said.......I never see any flyers at my local Coop except those posted
by cultists, so the 2 retreats I was on were indeed led by published authors
at places that rent space for retreats, part of the industry. These two were
so beneficial to me such that I've decided no more retreats, for a while
anyway. But the industry indeed flourisheth.
Commodification ueber alles.
Best
Joanna