Dear Friends,

We're very happy to announce that Plum Village Hong Kong will be hosting our first retreat for young people aged between 18 and 35 at the AIAB. It will be a 3-day retreat starting at 4pm on Friday 13th and finishing in the afternoon of Sunday 15th January, 2012.

As young people climbing the hill of the twenty-first century, what kind of view will we have to look forward to? Views about our planet Earth, views on our global and local community, our circle of friends and family. Is there more to life than the incessant pressure and competition to succeed in the corporate world? If you wonder about what kind of views we will have for our future and our descendants, then we invite you to come and join us on beautiful Lantau Island where you can get in touch with life in nature, and find your answers through direct experience. Together with the young monastics of Plum Village Hong Kong we will learn and enjoy the benefits of daily mindful practices such as breathing, eating and walking to reconnect with our body and the present moment.

We will explore how the ancient teachings and meditation practices of the Buddha can help us live fulfilling lives in this stressful and consumer driven virtual world. We will learn how to be successful leaders in our personal life and professional career so that real joy, peace and happiness are possible every day. We will learn practical and concrete ways to live in the present moment, to be aware of what’s happening in our society and to Mother Earth, and help revive the sense of community, of brotherhood sisterhood in order to build a healthy and compassionate society.

We will learn and do all of these things while living in a simple, healthy and joyful environment – with music, games and plenty of smiles.

We hope that this retreat will meet the needs and aspirations of the young people in Hong Kong so that we can approach the Chinese New Year – year of the Dragon with a fresh and solid new beginning.

Breathing and Smiling,
Brothers and Sisters of the AIAB
 

Example of daily schedule
5:30    Wake up
6:15    Sitting Meditation, Chanting
7.30    Breakfast in silence 
8:30    Working meditation
9:30    Dharma Talk (by Plum Village Dharma Teachers)
11:30    Walking meditation
12:30    Lunch together with the Sangha
14:00    Total Relaxation
15:00    Dharma Sharing
17:00    Mountain walk
18:30    Dinner
20:00    Presentation on the 5 Mindfulness Trainings
21.30    Noble Silence (continues until after breakfast)
 

Accommodation and cost: Accommodation for this retreat is limited to dormitory-rooms and camping. Participants will be housed in dormitories (bunk beds) and tents with shared ablution facilities at Lotus Pond Temple and Bamboo Forest Monastery. Pillows, bed-linens, and blankets will be provided if staying in dormitory. For camping, we can provide single-person tents, but please bring your own bedding supplies. If you would like to camp as a group please bring your own tent.

Working Meditation: Because the retreat is held at the monastery, all the preparation and cooking will be done by the monastics and some volunteers. During the retreat, we need help from participants in preparation work like: setting up the meditation hall and dining hall, cutting vegetables, washing up after meals, etc… Participants will be grouped into Dharma discussion groups (families) and will work together in the same groups to help with the retreat.
 

How to register: Registration is available online at the Plum Village Hong Kong Website at http://www.pvfhk.org (Click to register)on a first-come-first-served basis. Registrations are not final until we receive your payment. Please make payment within one week after you register. If payment is not received within one week, your registration will be placed on a waiting list. For means of payment, details will be sent along with the confirmation email to those who have completed online registration. Recently we have been experiencing some technical problems with the online registration so if you have trouble registering online, please email us with any queries you may have.

Closing date for registration: January 10th , 2012. Payment is not refundable for cancellation after January 5th , 2012.

For enquiries, please contact us by e-mail: aiab@pvfhk.org or by phone from 14:30 – 17:00 (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday):  2985-5033 (English), 9771-6453 (Chinese).
 

We look forward to seeing you at the retreat!