Retreat/Group Index

Would it be beneficial to add an index of trusted retreat centers/meditation groups?

I think that would be neat - any place you've actually gone (whether just for a talk, or for a retreat, etc.) - where it is, style of teaching/retreat, teachers who were leading the class/retreat, comments on the center itself... Could include e-courses or remotely directed online retreats, too, if anyone has done those.

Perhaps it would make a good document for the "Reading" area? Tom might have some ideas about how to structure it.

Yeah back before I was all "Anti-retreat" I considered trying a few out but was/am apprehensive about dropping that kind of cash/time without some friend recommendations. Since it seems like everyone here is more or less on the same page about what is/isn't meditation and what is/isn't good (reliable) Dharma (or whatever your banner), I think this would be as good a place as any to get some first hand reviews and inside information.

Would be helpful to brainstorm, what are the "fields" of data one should provide, if we were to have consistent and useful reference material?

For instance (with example)

Retreat Name (ie Finding your Inner Buddha)
Retreat Center (Springfield Buddhist Center Inc.)
Retreat Center City, State, Country (Springfield, Illinois, US)
Retreat center website: ( www.spbc.com )
Teacher (John Smith)
Teacher website: ( www.johnsmiththebuddhistteacher.com )
Lineage/School (Theravada)
Length of retreat: (10 days)
Comments on Retreat Center itself: (Springfield Buddhist Center is really small, and the food is bad. However it is very quiet and everyone can have a private room. Bring your own cushions, as the ones they have there are gross. Nice hiking trails nearby.)
Comments on Specific Retreat: (John Smith is awesome. The retreat included three hours of meditation a day, and two talks. He really got his point across in simple language, and half the sits were guided meditations which was great for me, since I'm a beginner, but some of the other students grumbled about it. Silence wasn't enforced except before lunch. Had some great conversations with other students in the evening during social time. Wished there had been walking meditation, too. )
Have you done retreats before? (Yes)
Have you done a retreat with this teacher before? (Yes)
Would you do so again? (Yes)
Would you recommend this teacher? (Yes)
Would your recommend this retreat center? (No)

Other/better ideas?

Ona Kiser wrote: Would be helpful to brainstorm, what are the "fields" of data one should provide, if we were to have consistent and useful reference material?

For instance (with example)

Retreat Name (ie Finding your Inner Buddha)
Retreat Center (Springfield Buddhist Center Inc.)
Retreat center website: ( www.spbc.com )
Teacher (John Smith)
Teacher website: ( www.johnsmiththebuddhistteacher.com )
Lineage/School (Theravada)
Length of retreat: (10 days)
Comments on Retreat Center itself: (Springfield Buddhist Center is really small, and the food is bad. However it is very quiet and everyone can have a private room. Bring your own cushions, as the ones they have there are gross. Nice hiking trails nearby.)
Comments on Specific Retreat: (John Smith is awesome. The retreat included three hours of meditation a day, and two talks. He really got his point across in simple language, and half the sits were guided meditations which was great for me, since I'm a beginner, but some of the other students grumbled about it. Silence wasn't enforced except before lunch. Had some great conversations with other students in the evening during social time. Wished there had been walking meditation, too. )
Have you done retreats before? (Yes)
Have you done a retreat with this teacher before? (Yes)
Would you do so again? (Yes)
Would you recommend this teacher? (Yes)
Would your recommend this retreat center? (No)

Other/better ideas?

Looks good. Maybe organize them by region so finding one near by would be easier?

I added "Retreat Center City, State, Country" .

Would be handy if we could have it as a database, even a primitive one with just some "sort by" options? In any case...

What about the questions about the retreat? People don't always think to describe the same things, or aren't thorough ("It was cool.") unless prompted by specific questions. What do you want to know? And are you (in general, anyone reading this) more interested in knowing details about the retreat center itself (which could host retreats by many kinds of teachers) or details the teachers themselves (who could appear at various retreat centers)...

Ona Kiser wrote: I added "Retreat Center City, State, Country" .

Would be handy if we could have it as a database, even a primitive one with just some "sort by" options? In any case...

What about the questions about the retreat? People don't always think to describe the same things, or aren't thorough ("It was cool.") unless prompted by specific questions. What do you want to know? And are you (in general, anyone reading this) more interested in knowing details about the retreat center itself (which could host retreats by many kinds of teachers) or details the teachers themselves (who could appear at various retreat centers)...

I like the idea of a database with a search function.

Maybe a separate data base/index for teachers? Seems like a way bigger task than I had initially imagined. Generally speaking, MY biggest concerns would be about the overall integrity (reliable Dharma) of the retreat center (assuming that aspect informed their decisions on what teachers to bring in).

Tom would know if that's feasible technically (a database feature).

The thing with retreat centers is that they can be quite wideranging. That is, IMS is pretty focused and will only host Theravada teachers, as far as I know. But a place like the Omega Institute will have all sorts of teachers from a really wide range of traditions, and serves a broader audience of people interested in "spirituality". But a very good "dharma" teacher might do a retreat there... But that doesn't mean every retreat there will be dharma focused or relevant to a meditator.

Many of the retreat centers I've gone to here, for instance, are old convents or monasteries that rent out their space to any group that wants a retreat space. Similar a very nice retreat center I went to in the south of Brazil, which that particular week was hosting a very good "California-Advaita-Yoga-Enlightenment" type teacher... but they'll host any group that wants to use the space. And one a friend used in California for a workshop she taught similarly rents out to any kind of teacher or group, from yoga to meditation to energy healing...

Even so, the reviews would give people the info to make decisions about that.

Ona Kiser wrote: Even so, the reviews would give people the info to make decisions about that.

Yeah I think this would be the real benefit of an index of sorts.

I think something in a non-thread format (such as a wiki) would have more longevity as a resource. Of course the info isn't evergreen, either - retreat centers change hands, change styles, close, open.

Given the small number of very active participants right now, we could always just start with a thread in which each of us lists all the retreats/centers we have attended, and if in time it grows beyond a page or two, the info could be transferred to another format.

?