Buddhist Winter Retreat

During the winter, with perpetual clear blue skies, in the peaceful atmosphere of Bhutan, with its blossoming Buddhist culture surrounded by snow capped peaks, the Hotel Zhiwa Ling introduces week long Buddhist retreats. With the growing quest for spiritual fulfilment and interest in Buddhism as the seeming answer to this search, the retreat program has been created to impart Buddhist lifestyle and knowledge in the luxurious surroundings of the Zhiwa Ling Hotel.

The hotel will host a number of world renowned and revered spiritual teachers; Rinpoches and Lamas; to disclose Buddhist teachings at basic, intermediary and advanced levels. The course content has been designed to match the needs of all those seeking conscious evolution and communicate the essence of Buddhism. It has been developed by revered Rinpoches living around the Paro valley, who have kindly accepted to teach people from all faiths, to make up for spiritual lacking felt by the modern world.

The one week program will be offered from the month of December till mid March. Every week, the program will feature different aspects of Buddhism with talks and events on special topics everyday. The week will also feature special Buddhist ceremonies from rituals to Longevity blessing. Spacious meditation rooms face one of the most sacred places of Bhutan - the ‘Takstang’ also known as Tiger’s Nest.

The hotel with its Swedish under floor heating system will complement the legendary warmth of the Bhutanese staff! The temple in the hotel, with its 400 year old pillars brought from a 16th century monastery emit the energy of those thousand of souls that have passed through it in many centuries. This can be felt during meditation or attending a resonating Buddhist chant. In this setting, the union with other practitioners under the auspices of Rinpoches, will enrich not only the mind but more importantly, the soul.

It is most assured that the participants in these courses will not only enrich their lives but will have tremendous take home value that will be positively reflected in their lives.

Buddhist Winter Retreat 2008

Secluded in the Himalayas, Bhutan for centuries have provided a haven for practitioners from all faiths. Its towering mountains, sacred lakes, and most of all, the inaccessibility attribute have attracted the faithful to find a place here in order gain nirvana or ultimate salvation. Even now, well into the 21st century, Bhutan still maintains the same peaceful environment that pulled the early practitioners – the pristine forest, towering mountains and a culture that has evolved and developed into the highest form of Buddhist living.

And in these setting, Zhiwa Ling, a boutique hotel with its own temple has designed a program (check www.bhutanretreat.com) specifically for those seeking either initial introduction into the Buddhist teachings, or its intermediary and higher form. The program has been created to accommodate all those seeking conscious evolution, from any professional, cultural or religious background.

The hotel situated in Paro, one of the most sacred valleys of Bhutan, faces well known Tiger’s Nest, an important meditation place clinging to the cliff ledge almost magically. The hotel, amidst this blossom of cultural and natural environment, offers with its blend of most modern comfort technology and age old architecture, a chance to be shown the way to Buddha-hood by some of the highest Buddhist spiritual teachers in the world.

This program would feature week long Buddhist teachings, specialised or general, where among other activities, meditation and Tibetan art of relaxation – the ‘Kunn-nye’ would be arranged. Some weeks would also impart the age old art of scroll painting and some of the thirteen traditional arts and crafts of the country. There are couple of weeks that would concentrate on the powerful Buddhist herbal healing techniques, whereby the guests could rejuvenate themselves physically as well as spiritually.

This is winter program, when the skies are all the time clear and surrounding snow covered mountains visible. The winter season is also the time of pilgrimage in the country, where locals in their traditional wear can be seen visiting different Buddhist sites with their families. The Bhutanese winter also brings annual rituals, where the guardian deities are appeased for good coming lunar year. The participants would be treated to sights and sounds of all these happenings, while being rejuvenated in the warm hospitality atmosphere of hotel, heightened by Swedish under floor heating and enriching spirituality.