Planning Your Expenses

Telephone - Pay phones are available for local and long distance calls. Center phones are reserved for center staff, except under certain circumstances and with staff permission.

Other expenses to consider (click for handy checklist):

- Bus fare from New York Port Authority to Binghamton or Greene.

- Retreat fees do not cover all expenses you may incur while on retreat. For example, you may wish to make an additional and optional offering to those giving teachings, empowerments and interviews, and to the monks serving at the retreat center. Offerings need not be made at each empowerment, as there will be many, but can be presented at the last empowerment you attend. Some retreatants also make an additional offering when requesting interviews with teachers.

- Texts for various practices are frequently available. These will be offered at cost.

- You may wish to buy ritual materials, such as a mala and offerings for the Tsok ceremony.

- A commissary with toiletries and a few other items is open two hours daily. Or, you may wish to make arrangements with fellow retreatants to shop for items in Greene.

- There are several commercial laundries in Greene for washing clothes.

- There are also banks and ATMs in Greene.

Finances and registration

The assignment of rooms is on a “first-come, first-served” basis. Should you need to cancel your reservation, your deposit is refunded minus a $90 processing fee. Should you need to leave during retreat, a $90 processing fee will be applied and only the payment for unattended days will be refunded.

All payments must be made in US currency by either cash, check, traveler's check, or money order payable at a US bank. Those writing checks that are returned unpaid will incur a $20 fee payable to the retreat center.

Work-study and scholarships

A very limited number of work-study opportunities exist for individuals with special skills, or those experiencing financial hardship. Please click to download and complete an MS Word version of the work-study application, and contact Lama Tsewang Norbu prior to your arrival at the retreat center.

Scholarships are not available due to the high level of fiscal obligations maintained by His Holiness with respect to the support of monks and nuns worldwide.

Arrival and departure days, visitor fees

You are welcome to visit the retreat center either prior to or beyond the designated dates of your retreat. The visitor fee is $25 per night, does not include meals, and all arrangements must be made in advance. If you wish to assist with set-up prior to the retreats, or help with clean up afterward, the same $25 per night visitor fee applies and all arrangements must also be made in advance.