General About Page – FAQ – A typical day retreat – Booking and Payment – Sitting Groups
Can I come? – Practicalities –Other
Can I come?
Are beginners welcome?
Yes. The teacher will normally ask who is a beginner to see how many there are, and will often run a short session in a side room specifically for beginners. (And by “beginner” we mean people who are new to any form of meditation.)
I am a Christian/Muslim/atheist/…, can I come?
Yes you are welcome.
We teach practices and ideas from Buddhism, or in harmony with Buddhism. However not all our teachers, and not all members of the team, consider themselves Buddhists. You do not need to think of yourself as a Buddhist, or to be interested in becoming a Buddhist, to attend our events.
I am in a wheelchair, can I come?
There is a lift in the Friends Meeting House and we have had a number of people attend in wheelchairs without any problems.
I have a cough, can I still come?
Yes, of course. It is very common for there to be bits of noise from participants such as coughs and sneezes – it does not cause any problems.
Practicalities
Do I need to book in advance? Or can I turn up on the day?
We’ve never had to turn away someone who turns up on the day. Though it is a little cheaper if you book in advance.
What does “silence” mean?
Our day retreats are held in silence to help support our practice. This means that the students don’t talk to each other while silence is upheld. The silence generally starts at 10:00, is maintained through lunch and ends at 4:30. During that time the teacher will give instruction and talk on the theme, and there may be a period where the teacher invites questions from the group, so it is not completely silent.
And we normally have a cup of tea from 4:30 to 5, so if you stay then you can chat to other people then.
What is the timetable?
Please see the typical timetable page.
What should I bring?
Please bring your own cushion or stool and mat, if desired, (there are plenty of chairs), and a packed lunch (tea and coffee will be provided).
I am coming by car. Where do I park?
The nearest car park is the Park Street Car Park. However that can be expensive and require queuing to get in, so you may want to use one of the park and ride services.
Other
What does the fee I pay go towards?
The money you pay to attend pays for venue hire and teachers’ expenses.
Why am I asked if I want to make a financial contribution to the teacher?
Teachers ask for no payment from us apart from expenses. They do however welcome any voluntary contributions to their livelihood you choose to make. Many of our teachers are dependent on these contributions for most or all of their income.
Are the dharma talks recorded
Yes. They are posted on our website and can be listened to there or downloaded freely.
Will you publicise my related event/thing?
Related events, sittings and topics are welcome on our Facebook page. You can also email us and we may post it to our website. Apart from announcing our day retreats, we also send occasional round ups of news where we could mention your event.
You may also want to contact the Cambridge Buddhist Society who send out regular round ups of Buddhist related happenings in Cambridge.
