General guidelines

When you can visit
Vimutti generally welcomes lay guests throughout the year, especially guests who wish to support the monastery and the monastic community and, at the same time, develop their own practice. The exception is during vassa or the rains retreat, which is the time when monastics intensify their practice and have their own silent retreats. 

Vassa usually starts in mid July and ends in mid October. Before you apply to stay, check the Vimutti calendar of events for the exact dates of vassa. Please ensure that the period of stay you are applying for is not during vassa.

Accommodation
Guests will be staying in kutis (meditation huts), if available, and sharing communal showers and toilets. Kutis are assigned to approved guests upon arrival and are not hired out.

Lay guests are expected to be on site at the monastery continuously throughout the period of their stay, except in urgent or emergency circumstances.

Participating in monastery activities
During their stay, visitors are expected to participate in community activities. You can get an idea of the routine of a typical day from the Daily Schedule. 

Visitors staying at Vimutti are, unless discussed and agreed in advance, expected to participate in the daily morning puja-meditation from 5:45 – 6:45am (except for Silent Mondays). This will be followed by breakfast (around 7:00am every morning).

Visitors are also expected to be in attendance for the daily morning meetings that begin from around 7:30am. This is an important time for all Vimutti residents to check in and catch up with each other and it may be the only opportunity during the day for all residents, monks and the laity, to meet and communicate with each other.

Lay guests contribute to the maintenance of Vimutti by carrying out chores from 8:00 to 10:00 am. Work chores for the day are discussed and assigned according to ability at the morning meetings , and they include general cleaning, upkeep of the monastery grounds, and repair and maintenance of buildings and facilities.

The daily schedule for retreats would be different, and participants would be informed once their stay has been approved. Generally, the day starts with the morning puja-meditation at around 5:45 am, and ends with the evening puja-meditation, which starts around 6:00 pm.

Food
There will be two daily meals of breakfast and lunch. Guests are expected to take the 8 precepts, which include not eating after lunch time, so there will be no evening meal, except for ‘afternoon allowables’. Lunch and breakfast are offered as donations from others who support Dhamma practice. You are welcome to contribute to breakfast by bringing food that you would be happy to offer and share with the monks and other lay people at Vimutti.

If you have any special dietary requirements, you would want to bring the items you need.

Afternoon allowables
Some food items are allowable in the afternoon if you find that your energy is getting too low, that is, cheese, dark chocolate and candied ginger, in addition to juice, tea, honey and coffee. We suggest that you bring your own supply of these afternoon allowables and share them with others. There is a communal supply of tea, coffee and cocoa, but guests are also welcome to bring their own.

Health
If you have a serious medical condition, you will be asked to communicate the information beforehand in the confidential questionnaire that is included with the application to stay.

Smoking and Fires
Smoking or fires of any kind, including candles, are prohibited due to the risk of fire. An exception to this are the candles that are lit in the meditation hall.

Dana
The Sangha of the Forest Tradition offers teachings, accommodation and food freely without charge, and Vimutti operates entirely on donations. In keeping with the spirit of dana, or generosity, you may wish to consider how you might contribute to the needs of maintaining the monastery.

The Eight Precepts

This is the basic standard for a guest staying at the Monastery.

Sila, or ethical behaviour, is an essential foundation for cultivating inner peace and wisdom. It creates a trusting atmosphere for opening the heart. Lay guests staying overnight at Vimutti are expected to abide by the eight training precepts:

  • To refrain from killing living beings (including insects but not plants)
  • To refrain from taking things that were not given to you
  • To refrain from all sexual activity
  • To refrain from harmful speech
  • To refrain from consuming alcohol or recreational drugs
  • To refrain from eating food after midday
  • To refrain from entertaining distractions such as singing, dancing, listening to music and adorning the body. Please do not use make-up, perfumes or wear jewellery.
  • To refrain from sleeping on luxurious beds

Generally, bring appropriate clothing and shoes to be prepared for all types of weather – it might be a good idea to check the weather forecast before coming to Vimutti. Guests should consider bringing:

  • a torch/flashlight/headlamp (this is really essential to have at night, and some of these may be available to be borrowed if it is not possible to be brought with you to the Monastery)
  • a blanket or throw in case it might be cold if meditating early morning in the yurt
  • a sleeping bag or blankets; a set of sheets if not bringing a sleeping bag; pillow and pillowcase
  • toiletries, towel and face cloth and, to help conserve water as we use collected rainwater, a plastic cup for brushing your teeth as well as a plastic bowl to place in the sink for washing your face
  • loose-fitting shirts and pants/skirts that cover arms & knees, in muted colours, for meditating in the yurt/Sala, and preferably made of quiet fabrics (for example, cotton instead of nylon)
  • warm clothing and rain gear
  • sturdy boots/shoes for outdoors (especially in case of wet weather and muddy areas)
  • jandals/flip flops/sandals for taking on and off easily when entering indoor spaces
  • a sun hat and sunscreen, water bottle and/or thermal flask
  • meditation cushion/stool or meditation mat for use in your kuti/dwelling. The monastery has these items, but they are for use only in the yurt/Sala

Most importantly, please bring an attitude of being easy to look after, not fussy or complaining, but content and grateful for the opportunity to practise the Dhamma.

How to apply to stay at the Monastery

With the aim of creating a safe and welcoming environment for all guests, we invite you to complete the Vimutti Guest Form and Questionnaire. The questionnaire will assist our meditation teachers and the retreat coordinators in guiding you through your visit smoothly.

Note:

– Vimutti would usually only approve requests from first-timers where they apply to stay for one week.
– Space is limited so please apply as much in advance as you can. 
– Vimutti can sometimes be busy with various matters as they arise, so please allow up to a week for us to respond to your application.