Planning Your Expenses
Retreat fees do not cover all expenses you may incur while on retreat. Some typical expenses include:
- Transportation: Bus fare from New York Port Authority to Binghamton; Taxi fare from Binghamton to the center.
- Texts: You will want your own copies texts for daily practice, commentaries, and other materials. Some of these are available in the temple to share and return. Often the texts will be available digitally free of charge so if you have a tablet or device that you would feel comfortable reading from, that you won’t be distracted by, please do bring it.
- Ritual Materials: You may wish to buy ritual materials, such as a mala and offerings for the Tsok ceremony. There are also Chod drums, gangling, bells, dorjes and damaru for sale in the gift shop. Ngondro students will want to get a mandala plate for that session.
- Offerings: Although it is not required, 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. There is a mandala offering collected throughout the retreat; you may make your offering in the office. Offerings need not be made at each empowerment, as there will be many, but can be presented at the last empowerment you attend. It is traditional to offer a katag and make an offering when seeing teachers for interviews.
- Laundry: The center has a small laundromat that requires quarters. The office has change, but of course we always appreciate if you bring quarters with you. There are also two commercial laundries in Greene, a 15 minute drive from the center.
- Office Commissary. The office has some small necessary items, potentially small snacks, if you forgot any toiletries, need laundry soap, etc. There is also a Dollar Store a five minute drive from the center.
- Gift Shop: The Gift Shop is generally open every weekend of the retreat. The Gift Shop staff at times will open the shop on additional dates to be announced.
A typical cost for the above ranges from $200 up, depending on one’s own abilities.