Visiting Blue Cliff

Throughout the year our doors are open to receive guests.  We invite you to join us for Days of Mindfulness, special or themed retreats or courses, or a general stay outside of our themed retreat program. 

Mindfulness Days:  Twice weekly on Thursdays and Sundays we hold Days of Mindfulness.  The day starts at 9:00 am with either a live Dharma talk by one of our resident Dharma teachers or a recorded teaching on CD/DVD by Thay. Other activities include walking meditation, silent meal, and a discussion of the practice.  We welcome day visitors.  Registration is not required, and there is no cost incurred for the day participation, but dana or donation is greatly appreciated. Read more.....

Courses or Special Retreats:  Throughout the year we offer courses and retreats of various themes.  Most courses offered are accessible to everyone. There are a number of courses that are oriented towards specific groups.  In addition, we also have our annual Summer Retreat for families, our annual Winter Retreat, retreats for young adults, and more.  Please check our Events page for a list of courses/retreats and dates.

General Stay:  Outside of our special or themed retreats, you can come join us for a general stay.  To help make our practice stable and solid, Friday is our only arrival/departure day each week. We will give an orientation about our practice to new arrivals each Friday evening, which is essential for you to really benefit from and enjoy your stay. For a deepening of the practice to occur and for mindful living to take root and become a vital part of daily life, we recommend a minimum stay of one week. If you cannot stay for one week, you can participate in our weekend program, which starts on Friday afternoons and ends on Sunday afternoons.

If you wish to stay longer than two weeks, please write a letter to the community to express your motivation beforehand. We are very happy to have friends practicing with us for longer periods of time, but the community will make the final decision only after your first two weeks at Blue Cliff, based on your capacity to live in harmony with the Sangha (community) and your commitment to the practice.

To make a reservation for your stay, please click on How to Register, here or on the left navigation.

For more information about a stay in Blue Cliff Monastery, like a sample schedule, what to bring, please click on General Info, here or on the left navigation.