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Seeing Beyond Appearances

Weekend Away Retreat
Registration Now Open

Friday, Feb 27 - 
Sunday, March 1

w/Modern Buddhism Teacher 
Teacher Kadam Sharon

Registration & Cost

Please view the FAQ section below to see remaining accommodations and retreat pricing.

Register nowOff-site Weekend Commuter

Location

Mount Mitchell Eco Retreat

430 Otter Rock Road, Burnsville, NC 28714

About this event

Held at Mount Mitchell Eco Retreat

There is no greater method for experiencing peace of mind and happiness than to understand and meditate on emptiness”

- Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, How to Transform Your Life.

Over this weekend explore a Buddhist take on reality, that things do not exist outside of the mind but are just mere appearances, like dreams. This is Buddha’s most profound and transformative teaching; emptiness - the true nature of reality. With this knowledge, we can solve all our problems, find freedom from all limitations, and be of the greatest benefit to the world.

Taking this special opportunity to quiet the mind and reflect on the true nature of things, will allow you to deepen your meditation practice free from everyday distractions. You will feel increasingly peaceful and energized over the course of the weekend, and can then carry your peace and insight back home and into your daily routine.

Whether you are an experienced meditator or newcomer this retreat will help you practically approach all the things that you  encounter in your daily life, in a lighter, saner and more joyful way.

Retreat Schedule. Retreat will be Silent on Saturday until Lunch

Friday Night
Session 1   7:30 -9:00pm Introduction

Saturday
Session 2   9:00am - 10:15am
Session 3  11:15am - 12:30pm
Lunch         1:00pm - 2:00pm
Session 4  4:00pm- 5:30pm Includes Q & A
Session 5   7:30pm - 8:30pm

Sunday 
Session 6   9:00am - 10:15am
Session 7    11:30am - 1:o0pm Includes Q & A

FAQs

 
What are the retreat rates for remaining accommodations?
  • Queen Suite with Living Room - $551 -  1 person; $667 -  2 people
  • Queen Room with bunk - $499 -  1 person, $620 - 2 people, $690 - 3 people
  • King Room - $525 - 1 person; $641 - 2 people
  • Twin Bunk Bed Dormitory Style - $273/1 person
  • Shared Suite with Living Room: Queen Room - $499 - 1 person; $620 - 2 people
  • Shared Suite with Living Room: King Loft -  $473 - 1 person; $588 - 2 people
  • Off-site Commuter Weekend Retreat: $221/person
What do the various room accommodations include?
  • Queen Suites with Living Room have a queen bedroom, bathroom and separate living area with microwave, refrigerator & coffee pot.
  • King Rooms have a king bed, bathroom, microwave, refrigerator & coffee pot.
  • Twin Bunk Bed Dormitory Style rooms include 2 sets of bunk beds per room for a maximum of 2 people with use only of lower bunk and a shared bathroom. Note that upper bunks have a weight maximum of 150 lbs. There is no microwave, refrigerator or coffee pot in this dormitory style room, but residents are welcome to use the main community kitchen at any time. *We cannot guarantee single gender occupancy for those choosing to stay in a dormitory style bunk bed accommodation.*
  • Shared Suite with Living Room - Each suite includes a private queen room with bathroom, semi-private lofted king room that overlooks the living area with a private bathroom, and a shared living area with a microwave, refrigerator and coffee pot. Each bedroom must be booked individually in these shared suites. If you wish to share a suite with a specific person, please contact accounting@meditationinasheville.org.
We've added an Off-Site Commuter Weekend Retreat rate! What does the Off-site Commuter Weekend Retreat Include?
This includes all retreat sessions from Friday through Sunday, including meals (lite Friday dinner, Saturday lunch, Saturday dinner), and on-site parking during the retreat sessions.
 
Meals: 
Mount Mitchell Eco Retreat has a beautiful modern community kitchen. Registration includes a lite Friday dinner, Saturday lunch and Saturday dinner. All meals will be vegetarian and prepared and served community style. For breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, please bring your own breakfast and you are welcome to prepare it in the community kitchen. King rooms and Queen suites include microwaves, mini-refrigerators and a coffee maker. As the location of the Eco Retreat is secluded, there are no easily accessible restaurants nearby, so please bring any food that you require for breakfast as well as special snacks. There will be some light snacks provided along with tea and coffee during the retreat.  If any retreat participants have specific food allergies or dietary requests, please email admin@meditationinasheville.org to determine if these dietary restrictions can be accommodated.
 
Will the retreat proceed as planned if inclement weather is predicted?
If more than 1 inch of snow is predicted during the retreat, the event will be postponed. In the event of inclement weather, the retreat will be rescheduled to occur within 3 months of the original date based on Mount Mitchell Eco Retreat availability. 
 
Cancellation Policy
Prior to Jan 5, anyone needing to cancel a reservation will receive a full refund.
After Jan 5 a 50% refund before Jan 21st
After Jan 27, there are no refunds for cancelations.
Please contact accounting@meditationinasheville.org if you need to cancel your reservation.
 
 
Important Disclosure and Agreement for the Retreat at Mt. Mitchell Eco Retreat:
  1. No Pets allowed under any circumstances on the property.
  2. Staying onsite at Mount Mitchell Eco Retreat - all participants understand that they are responsible for paying for any damages to the property or for replacing any lost or missing items from on-site accommodations upon check-out. 
  3. Mount Mitchell Eco Retreat and KMC SC/Je Tsongkhapa KBC will not be liable for personal injury or damages/loss to personal property for anyone attending the retreat. 
*By Registering for this Event you are in Agreement with the above disclosure.

Teacher

About the Teacher

Kadam Sharon Lovich

Kadam Sharon has been practicing meditation and Kadampa Buddhism since 2003 and is the Resident teacher of the Je Tsongkhapa Kadampa Buddhist Center in Asheville. Before Sharon moved to Asheville in 2011, she volunteered as the Education Program Coordinator for several years at the internationally renowned world peace temple for meditation and modern Buddhism, Kadampa Meditation Center New York. There she received teachings and guidance directly from our General Spiritual Director, Gen-la Kelsang Dekyong, guided retreats, and taught classes. She has engaged in numerous focused meditation retreats and is known for teaching others how to develop a peaceful mind with great skill, lightness, and humor. Today, Sharon is a part of the Special Teacher Training Program and teaches numerous meditation classes and retreats in Asheville, NC, Western, NC and now also teaching in Johnson City, TN. Sharon and her husband have one son.

Visit Us

Je Tsongkhapa Kadampa Buddhist Center
1070 Tunnel Road, Bldg 2, Unit 20
Asheville, NC 28805

Stay Connected

epc@meditationinasheville.org
(828) 668-2241

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