Planting Seeds of Joy and Happiness

A mindfulness retreat for families and young people
with the Plum Village Monastic
from 16:00 July 16  to  13:00 July 19, 2015
at Asian Institute of Applied Buddhism - Lotus Pond Temple,
Ngong Ping, Lantau Island

Children & the monastics, Family Retreat July 2014

June 10, 2015

Dear parents, children and young people,

We would like to invite you to attend the annual Family and Young People Mindfulness Retreat, to be held from July 16 to July 19, 2015 at AIAB-Lotus Pond Temple, Ngong Ping. Families with children, young people and individuals are welcome to attend the retreat.  The retreat has become a space for families to have open communication and their loving care expressed. Everyone has lots of fun along the way of transformation and healing.  The parents and children enjoy just being themselves and being present for each other.  

The retreat will be in a camp setting.  Parents and children will have separate as well as joint activities. The children, teens, young people and adults will be divided into groups according to their age: Children program: 6 to 12 years old, teen program: 13 – 16 years old, young adult: 17 – 22 years old, and adults: 22 years old and up.  There are no separate programs for children under 6, and they have to be under full care of the parents.   The activities held in this mindfulness retreat are similar to the ones offered in Plum Village France every summer.  We will learn and practice mindful breathing, mindful walking, and pleasant smiling; the foundation of the Plum Village tradition.  We will also practice deep listening and loving speech. By embodying these basic skills, we can offer our true presence to our loved ones, our children, and our parents.  

The tentative schedule is as follows: 

Accommodation and cost: Accommodation for this retreat is limited to dormitory and camping. Participants will be housed in dormitories (bunk beds) and tents at Lotus Pond, Bamboo Forest and Hop Tuc Tong temple. Pillows, bed-linens, and blankets will be provided for those staying in the dormitories.

For people tenting, please bring your own bedding.  If you have your own tent, then let us know.  Otherwise, we can only provide single person tents.

Please write us at retreats@pvfhk.org to arrange accommodation for children under 6.

Working Meditation: Because the retreat is held in 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 works like:setting up the meditation hall and dining hall, washingup after meals… Participants will be grouped into Dharma discussion groups and will work together in the same groups to help with the retreat.

How to register:  Registration is availble here on a first-come-first-serve 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 waiting list.  For means of payment, details will be sent along with the confirmation email to those who completed online registration.

Closing date for registration : July 9, 2015.  Payment is not refundable for cacellation after July 1, 2015.  Cancellation is subject to a 20% cancellation fee.  For enquiries, please contact us by email: retreats@pvfhk.org or by phone from 1430 - 1700 (Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday) : 2985 5033 (English); 2985 5281 (Chinese).

We are looking foward to seeing you at the retreat!

A lotus to you, A Buddha to be

AIAB Retgreat Registration Staff

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