Wake-Up to a Healthy and Compassionate Society! 

 Mindfulness Retreat for Young People in Asia  with the Plum Village International Monastics November 10 - 13, 2011 at Mahachula Ashram, Amphur Pak Chong Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand

Co-Organized by Plum Village International Sangha (PVIS) and

Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University (MCU)

Dear Friends,

We're very happy to announce that Plum Village International Sangha (PVIS) together with Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University (MCU) will be hosting an International youth retreat this November, at Mahachula Ashram, Amphur Pak Chong, Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand. It will be a 4-day retreat starting in the late morning of Wednesday 10th November and finishing in the afternoon of Sunday 13th November.

Please come and join us in the beautiful nature of Pak Chong, where hundreds of young monks, nuns, young men and young women will practice together in a joyful, refreshing and peaceful retreat. We will have the chance to learn and experience the art of mindful breathing, sitting meditation, deep total relaxation and walking meditation on our legendary paths through fields and forests. We will learn how to really be there for ourselves and for each other, and to really listen to our own hearts and to one another. We will learn how to take refuge in the present moment, to be alive, to be aware of what’s happening in our society, and help build a healthy and compassionate society. It is a place where brotherhood and sisterhood are nourished; where we can be less busy, less stressful, less absorbed in materialistic consumption, and where  we can invest in spiritual growth and help to protect our natural environment.

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

Numbers of retreatants
The estimated attendance for this retreat is 400 People, which will include:

• 50 young monks and nuns from Plum Village’s monasteries and practice centers in France, the United States, Hong-Kong, Vietnam and Thailand.
• 50 young volunteers from Plum Village  Thailand.
• 300 young lay friends (age between 18-30 years old) from countries in Asia.

Example of daily schedule
5.00           Wake up bell, Sitting Meditation, Chanting, Mindful Walking
7.30           Breakfast in silence
9:00           Dharma Talk (by Plum Village Dharma Teachers)
11.30         Lunch together with Sangha
13.30         Total Relaxation
                  Dharma Sharing
                  Games and Sports
17.30         Light Dinner
19.30         Presentations: 5 Mindfulness Trainings, Beginning Anew
                  Sitting Meditation
21.30         Noble Silence (continues until after breakfast)  

Requirements

• Participants must be able to stay for the whole retreat (November 10 - 13).
• Polite & Modest dress is required.  (no cropped tops, tank tops, sleeveless shirts, shorts, or camisoles)
• Vegetarian food, 3 meals a day.
• Please bring umbrellas/hats, flashlights/torches, jackets/shawls, water bottles, meditation cushions, mosquito repellent, personal belongings, and personal medication.
• Accommodation: please bring your own tent and sleeping bag.
• Shared bathrooms and toilets (Please bring sarongs or loincloths.)

Transportation
Buses from Bangkok to the venue and vice versa are provided with a fee of THB 700.

Meeting Point : Parking lot behind Yanhee Hospital, Charansanitwong Road
Departure Date/Time : November 10 at 7.00 am

On November 13, buses will drop you off at the same place (estimated time of arrival is 7 pm).

If you would like to travel to the retreat venue on your own, please study map here.

Registration Fee
There is no registration fee to attend the retreat, thanks to the support provided by MCU and supporters of Plum Village Thailand. It is a privilege and a joy for our monastics and volunteers to help young people cultivate peace and joy, to share with their families and with society.

However, in order to confirm your registration, a refundable deposit of THB 2,000 is required. This deposit will be given back to retreatants who participate in the whole retreat by showing deposit slips to the organizing team on the final day of the retreat. The organizing team reserves the right not to refund deposit to any applicants who do not participate in the entire retreat. Please help us use our limited resources to benefit everyone.

Registration and Deposit Payment
After completing the registration form, please transfer deposit to the following bank accounts:

• Bank A/C name: PVF for Retreat. Bangkok Bank, Siam Paragon Branch. A/C no. 855-0-13333-7 (saving)
• Bank A/C name: PVF for Retreat. Kasikornbank, Bangplad Branch. A/C no. 073-2-51642-5 (saving)
• Bank A/C name: PVF for Retreat. Bank of Ayudhaya, Bang Aor Branch. A/C no. 183-1-31162-6 (saving)