Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery (Sītavana)
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    Visiting Birken: 2023

    Updated: September 1, 2023

    After a three year closure due to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as renovations, Birken Monastery has been slowly re-open to the public for personal retreats in 2023.

    We are now waitlisting for September and October. Fill out the form below to be placed on the waiting list.

    Personal Retreat dates in September and October
    Prerequisite: Prior visit to Birken pre-Covid or 5-day residential retreat elsewhere
    September 2-8
    September 16-22
    September 30-October 6
    October 14-20
    October 28-November 3

    No Day Visits or In-Person Dana Meals will be permitted for all of 2023.

    Personal Retreat Guidelines and Registration Form

    About Retreats in September/October 2023:

    Options:

    September 2-8
    September 16-22
    September 30-October 6
    October 14-20
    October 28-November 3

    We are now waitlisting for Personal Retreats in September/October. Fill out the form below to be placed on the waiting list.

    Arrival & Departure Days:

    Arrival days are on Saturday, departure day is on Friday on the dates above. No exceptions.

    Length of Stay:

    See dates above. No late arrivals or early departures.

    Prerequisites:

    Previous Birken visit pre-COVID of any length, or a residential 5-day retreat elsewhere.

    COVID Protocols:

    Test the day before you depart for Birken, test again on day 4 (bring your own, or Birken has tests). Any Guest testing positive will be quarantined. Please have a plan for someone outside of the monastery to pick you up in the event you are unwell. Note that Birken is far from services and stewards cannot provide medical care. Social distancing in effect for the entire retreat. If you are feeling unwell immediately before the retreat, please notify the office at bookings@birken.ca as soon as possible to cancel your booking.

    Medical Expenses:

    Birken Monastery is not responsible for medical care or expenses. Birken is very far from services, and stewards are unable to provide medical care. Guests should either have health insurance, or the resources to provide for those in the event of a medical emergency. Note: guests from other provinces or countries are not covered by BC Medical Services Plan, and are responsible for researching/obtaining the appropriate travel insurance, or paying out of pocket for medical expenses.

    Guest Guidelines: 

    Prior to registering for a Personal Retreat, please make sure you have read the latest version of our Guest Guidelines outlining our daily schedule, monastery etiquette, and other guidelines applicable to your stay. All guests are expected to abide by the Eight Precepts outlined in our Guest Guide.

    Interviews & Teatimes with Ajahn Sona: 

    During your stay, Ajahn Sona will visit for one or two teatimes, which will be announced at the main meal. He may or may not be giving interviews.

    Contact with “The World”:

    In order to safeguard the retreat environment at Birken, guests do not have internet or cell phone access at the monastery at any time. Please finalize your worldly affairs and travel arrangements before arriving. It is expected that you will reside on the monastery property throughout your stay and not leave the premises to make phone calls or run errands, etc. You may provide the monastery’s email address to loved ones back home, for emergencies only: bookings@birken.ca

    Helping Out:

    It is customary for all guests to help out with light chores around the monastery throughout their stay. Guests will be assigned duties during your stay.

    Transportation:

    We are unable to pick up guests in Kamloops. Arrivals and departures are by car, only. Please plan to arrive at Birken sometime between 1:00–4:00pm. There are cabs that have come all the way in to Birken in the past. Please visit Getting Here for more details.

    Cancellations:

    Last-minute cancellations are burdensome to the monastery and prevent other guests from the precious opportunity to visit. To that effect, please only fill out the application if you are absolutely sure you can commit to coming. That said, as stated above, if you are unwell before the retreat, please notify the office to cancel your booking.

    Registration Info:

    Personal Retreat Registration Form

    Page 1 of 3

    Personal Information & Contact Information

    Mailing Address

    Emergency Contact

    Name, phone number, and/or e-mail address of emergency contact. This should be someone that you are NOT travelling with. By filling in this information, you give Birken permission to contact this person if there is a concern for your welfare while you are here.

    Health & COVID Policy

    By accepting a retreat space at Birken, I acknowledge that Birken Monastery is not responsible for my medical care or expenses. Birken is far from services, and stewards are unable to provide medical care. I attest that I either have health insurance, or the resources to provide for myself in the event of a medical emergency. Note: guests from other provinces or countries are not covered by BC Medical Services Plan, and are responsible for researching/obtaining the appropriate travel insurance, or paying out of pocket for medical expenses.

    The day before the retreat, I will test at home for COVID. If that test is positive, or I am feeling unwell immediately before the retreat, I will notify the office at bookings@birken.ca and cancel my booking. I will bring a COVID test with me to test on Tuesday of the retreat. If that test is positive, I will let a steward know immediately and will be subject to quarantine. In this case, if I am too unwell to drive, I have a person who can pick me up from the retreat. I understand Birken is far from services, and stewards are unable to provide medical care.

    July/August Personal Retreat Request

    Please check the appropriate box for any week of personal retreats you would like to be considered for. Please do not check a box unless you know you are available for retreat that week.

    I understand that to be selected for a personal retreat in 2023, I must arrive and depart at the start/end dates above, and that I must arrive by car or cab. I understand that there are no pickups and dropoffs in Kamloops by Birken stewards, and that Birken does not have the capacity to assist with rideshares.

    Please arrive between 1-4pm on Saturday.

    Accommodation & Special Needs

    Please note that kutis are rarely available. Most guests will be assigned to the main house. Particular room requests inside the main guest house are not permitted. We ask all guests to accept whatever accommodation is provided with a sense of contentment and gratitude.

    Please tell us about any conditions that might affect your participation in the monastery schedule, activities, yogi duties, guidelines, adherence to the Eight Precepts, etc.

    Please let us know if your condition is controlled by medication, stable or unstable. We also need to know if it is likely to cause you a problem while you are here and whether you anticipate needing any kind of special support during your visit.

    Please tell us about any conditions that might affect your participation in the monastery schedule, activities, guidelines, adherence to the Eight Precepts, etc.

    Please let us know if your condition is controlled by medication, stable or unstable. We also need to know if it is likely to cause you a problem while you are here and whether you anticipate needing any kind of special support during your visit.

    If you have any additional information that you would like us to know, please list it here.

    Guest Guidelines

    The Birken Guest Guidelines can be found here.

    All guests must abide by the Eight Precepts during their stay at the monastery. In exceptional cases (e.g. if you have hypoglycemia or diabetes), you may request an exception from the Eight Precepts to have a light evening snack. These exceptions must be approved by the Abbot prior to your visit and will be acknowledged in your booking confirmation.

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    Please subscribe to our newsletter to be informed about retreat opportunities as they arise in 2023.

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    Support the Monastery

    Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery is a registered Canadian charitable society and is supported entirely by donations or ‘dāna’ (generosity). All teachings, accommodations, and meals are offered free of charge. It is left to the good will and discretion of visitors and well-wishers to decide how they might support the work of the monastery.

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    Contact

    Visit Enquiries:

    bookings@birken.ca

    General Enquiries:

    meditate@birken.ca

    Mailing Address:

    Birken Forest Buddhist Monastery
    7000 Smith Lake Forest Srv Rd.
    Knutsford, BC | V0E 2A0 | Canada

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