Portal to Awakening:
Discovering the Vajrayana through the Mandala of the Emotions
a 6-Night Silent Meditation Retreat with Lama Liz Monson
at Wonderwell Mountain Refuge
253 Philbrick Hill Rd, Springfield, NH 03284
March 3rd - 9th, 2025
In this silent weeklong retreat, we will explore the landscape of the Buddhist Vajrayana tradition through a focus on how the extraordinary techniques of the Vajrayana, such as visualization and mantra recitation, work specifically to transmute confused emotions into their essence of compassion for self and others. Particularly at this time in the history of the human race and of our planet, the radical methods of the Vajrayana are designed to re-awaken us to the sacred world of energy and space, bliss and emptiness, compassion and wisdom.
When we enter the Vajrayana, we practice to awaken the cellular and ancestral memories that lie dormant within us. Such memories recall us to who we really are, beyond the habitual entrenchment in conceptual patterns of thought and emotion that give rise to suffering. We will discover how, through the power of our emotions, we can return to the deep knowledge within us that knows how to span the worlds, to dance with the energies of life and death, and to relax so deeply that we can slide into a realization of non-self without fear or anxiety.
Wonderwell Mountain Refuge
The retreat is run entirely by dāna. Find out more about dāna here
We will start accepting applications on February 3rd
About the Teacher
She is interested in developing practical methods for incorporating the Buddhist teachings into everyday life through the practices of kindness and compassion, through direct engagement in the natural world, through the intersection of plant medicines and meditation, and by focusing on ways to recognize the natural state in every moment of our lives. Liz is the co-translator of More Than a Madman: The Divine Words of Drukpa Kunley (Kuensel Press, 2014), a translation of the autobiography of the Tibetan yogi, Drukpa Kunley, and author of Tales of a Mad Yogi: The Life and Wild Wisdom of Drukpa Kunley (Snowlion, 2021). Liz is currently writing a book on Vajrayana for Shambhala Publications.
Lama Liz Monson is the Spiritual Co-Director of Natural Dharma Fellowship, a Dharma organization based in the New England area and the Managing Teacher at Wonderwell Mountain Refuge, a Buddhist meditation retreat center in Springfield, NH. She has been studying, practicing, and teaching Tibetan Buddhism in the Kagyu and Nyingma lineages for over thirty years. Liz holds a PhD in the Study of Religion from Harvard University and an MFA in Writing and Poetry from Naropa University.
Morning Practice
Breakfast
Dharma Talk
Break
Group Meditation with walking
Break
Group Exercise
Lunch
Break
Dharma Talk
Break
Yoga
Group Meditation
Dinner
Break
Evening Session
Daily Schedule
7:00 - 7:30
7:30 - 8:00
9:00 - 10:00
10:00 - 10:30
10:30 - 11:15
11:15 - 11:30
11:30 - 12:30
12:30 - 1:00
1:00 - 2:30
2:30 - 3:30
3:45 - 4:00
4:00 - 5:15
5:30 - 6:00
6:00 - 6:30
6:30 - 7:30
7:30 - 8:30
Noble Silence
During this retreat we will be practicing in Noble Silence. In short, this means not talking. When the whole group enters into Noble Silence we offer each other and ourselves the gift of being with our experience as it is. This practice supports the mind in settling. Noble Silence includes no unnecessary talking, including social courtesies like saying “good morning” or “excuse me”, no reading or writing unless the teacher specifically encourages you to do so, and no tech use.
You will be invited to give your phone to a retreat manager at the beginning of the week so they can keep it in a safe place for you. You can also keep it in your room turned off. Upon being accepted to this retreat, you will receive emergency phone numbers that we ask you to share with your loved ones so that you will not need to be monitoring your own messages. Retreat managers will be present throughout the entirety of the retreat to support the group. If at any point during the retreat you are feeling ill, are injured, or are in distress please speak with one of the retreat managers.
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No. All experience levels are welcome, including beginners.
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Nope. You do not have to be Buddhist to participate in this retreat. Lama Liz Monson’s teachings are deeply rooted in the classical Tibetan Buddhist tradition — Kagyu and Nyingma lineages — and include beliefs that may be challenging for some. The invitation is to encounter the teachings, to build confidence in the teachings as we verify them in our experience, and to maintain a healthy, open, discerning, and inquisitive mind towards what we cannot verify in our own experience.
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The retreat is run on a donation basis in the spirit of dana. There is no required attendance fee. We ask that participants give a deposit of $100 in order to claim your place at the retreat. This deposit is returned back to you at the end of the retreat unless you choose to donate it. We keep your deposit in the case that you don’t show up, or you cancel within 3-weeks of the start of the retreat. For this retreat, that’s end of day, 5pm, EST February 10th.
We ask you to donate the amount that feels appropriate and generous for you, given your situation and desire for Dharma Gates to continue to exist in the future.
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The food served at the retreat will be vegan. If you have specific allergies or requests, please let us know. We do are best to able to accommodate all dietary requests.
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The 5 precepts are training guidelines as the foundation of sīla (ethics). Throughout this retreat we will all be maintaining the 5 precepts so that we can we can practice in harmony.
I will not engage in physical violence or intentionally cause bodily harm to myself or others
I will not steal or damage other people’s property.
I will refrain from forced, coercive, or non-consensual sexual contact or any other form of sexual harassment against others. For this retreat we will be practicing celibacy.
I will not intentionally insult or verbally abuse others.
I will not consume intoxicating substances including, but not limited to, alcohol, marijuana, psychedelics or any other illegal substances.
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Dharma Gates wholeheartedly welcomes people of all cultural, ethnic and racial backgrounds, sexual orientations, and gender identities. There will be gender neutral bathrooms available and we may be able to provide single rooms if that would make you more comfortable. Our aim is to make retreat practice accessible to all young people—if there’s something we can to do help you feel comfortable to attending, please do not hesitate to reach out to us (team@dharma-gates.org.)
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This retreat will be at the Wonderwell Mountain Retreat. The address is 253 Philbrick Hill Rd, Springfield, NH 03284. Wonderwell is approximately 2 hours from Boston and 5 hours from New York City. There is ample parking on the grounds.
Dartmouth Coach provides bus service from Boston and New York City to the “Upper Valley” of New Hampshire where Wonderwell is located. You can view the schedule and purchase tickets on their website. Click here.
Dharma Gates will provide a spreadsheet for participants to self-organize ride shares.
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Arrival: Please arrive between 2:00pm - 4:30pm on Monday, March 3rd. It is important you arrive during this window so you can go through the check-in process before the evening activities begin.
Departure: The retreat will end at 1:00pm on Sunday, March 9th. -
We ask that everyone who attends wears modest loose clothing, with subdued colors, prints, and minimal/no words for the duration of the retreat.
We ask you to bring a fragrance-free products.
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We are no longer require testing for Covid-19. We are still committed to the safety and health of the retreat container. The intention is to move towards a culture of taking care of ourselves and others by self-monitoring symptoms, and reducing transmission of any possible sickness.
