Welcome.
Here you will find the information that will help you decide whether to apply for a place on a retreat, and to know what you will find when you arrive. Please read it in full before booking.
The retreats organised by Paññāgiri Monastery are led by monks and nuns trained in the Thai Forest Tradition, which originated in north-eastern Thailand within Theravāda Buddhism. They last one weekend, from Friday to Sunday, and include sitting, standing, and walking meditation, reflections on the Buddha’s teachings, and time for questions.
Due to space and infrastructure constraints, retreats are not held at the monastery itself but at Casa d’Espiritualitat Marc Castanyer, in Els Hostalets de Balenyà (about 8 km from the monastery): casaespiritualitatmcastanyer.org.
At a glance
- Group retreat, Friday to Sunday, with communal participation throughout.
- Full attendance is required, without arriving late or being absent.
- The retreat is held in complete Noble Silence from start to finish.
- Digital disconnection is expected: phones, tablets, and laptops stay switched off (they can be handed in for safekeeping).
- The Eight Buddhist Precepts are observed for the whole stay.
- Vegetarian breakfast and lunch, with a light snack in the afternoon; there is no dinner.
- Modest dress and conduct are expected.
- Open only to adults aged 18 and over.
Below you will find the full details, organised into seven sections. It is especially important that you read the first one.
1) Important points to consider before booking
This is a summary of the most important points; each one is explained in full in the sections below.
- It’s a group retreat. Meditation sessions, meals, and much of the stay take place communally, with everyone’s participation.
- There is a set schedule for the day’s activities, which fills almost all the available time.
- Full attendance is required, from the start to the closing, without arriving late or being absent.
- It is held in complete silence during all activities: meditation, meals, moving around the house, rest, etc.
- Digital disconnection is expected: mobile phones, tablets, and laptops stay switched off for the whole retreat. Anyone who doesn’t feel able to do this themselves can hand their devices in for safekeeping at the start.
- The Eight Buddhist Precepts are observed (see section 2) for the whole duration of the retreat.
- The food is vegetarian, with breakfast and lunch only, plus a light snack in the afternoon; there is no dinner. Simple alternatives can be offered for allergies or intolerances, but not for personal preferences.
- Modest dress and conduct are expected: no tight or revealing clothing, make-up, perfume, or jewellery.
These features may not suit everyone. Reflect on whether this is the kind of experience you are looking for right now; if you’re unsure, the sections below will help you decide.
2) Retreat guidelines, Noble Silence, and the Eight Precepts
Retreat guidelines
The framework of the retreat is designed to support mindfulness and meditation practice in line with the Buddha’s teachings. For this reason, some aspects of daily life (eating, entertainment, speech) are restricted during the stay, even though we normally have more freedom around them.
Following the set schedule will often make you notice, clearly and perhaps for the first time, how you react to challenging situations. Committing to stay until the end is an excellent way to discover, through practice, how our sense of what is pleasant or tolerable can shift, often within a short space of time.
On arrival you will receive a small booklet with the schedule, house rules, the Eight Precepts, and the chants (see section 5).
Silence
At retreats we practise what we call Noble Silence: no conversation with other participants for the whole retreat. This helps set aside thoughts and social conventions, and opens space for inner reflection.
For anyone new to it, this can feel like a challenge at first: in daily life we often talk to fill silences that make us uncomfortable. This feeling is normal, and as the retreat goes on, not having to talk or play our usual roles often comes to feel like a gift.
If a word slips out by accident at some point, that’s fine — Noble Silence is a practice, not a test. What’s asked is that you don’t actively seek conversation or communication with other participants, whether in writing or through gestures. It is fine to speak with those responsible for the retreat about practical matters or urgent issues. If someone doesn’t respect this in an ongoing way, they may be asked to leave the retreat.
You’re also asked not to use phones, tablets, or computers during the stay; an emergency contact number will be provided in case someone needs to reach you.
The Eight Precepts
All participants commit to observing the Eight Precepts for the whole duration of the retreat, whether or not there is a formal ceremony for taking them. When this ceremony does take place, usually on the first night and led by the monk or nun, it symbolically marks the start of the commitment, but observing the precepts doesn’t depend on it.
These precepts are ethical guidelines that help everyone feel safe and at ease while practising in a shared setting, and they offer a good opportunity to observe how we respond to sensory impressions.
The Five Precepts, the usual standard for lay Buddhists in daily life, are:
1. To refrain from taking the life of any living being (including insects, and, during the retreat, the House’s plants).
2. To refrain from taking what has not been offered or given to you.
3. To refrain from sexual misconduct (during the retreat, from any sexual activity).
4. Right speech: to refrain from falsehood, gossip, or hurtful words (at the retreat, this takes the form of Noble Silence).
5. To refrain from intoxicating substances or drugs.
Three more precepts are added during retreats:
6. To refrain from eating outside the set times (breakfast and lunch; there is no dinner).
7. To refrain from entertainment and distractions (internet, phones, music…) and from adorning the body (cologne, perfume, jewellery, immodest clothing).
8. To refrain from using high or luxurious beds and seats.
3) Practical considerations
Where the retreat takes place
For reasons of space and infrastructure, retreats are not held at the monastery but at Casa d’Espiritualitat Marc Castanyer, in Els Hostalets de Balenyà, about 8 km (a quarter of an hour by car) from the monastery. You can see the house and how to get there (by car or train) at casaespiritualitatmcastanyer.org.
The house has 24 single rooms with private bathroom (one adapted for limited mobility), 9 double rooms with private bathroom, 1 room with three bunk beds, a large garden, and a hall where the meditation sessions take place. It provides sheets, blankets, bedspreads, pillows, towels, and hand soap.
Accommodation
Accommodation is in single rooms. Please indicate on the registration form if you have any mobility issues.
Meals
Breakfast and lunch are offered, vegetarian, plus a light snack in the afternoon; there is no dinner, since one of the precepts is not eating after midday. Please indicate on the form any dietary needs for health reasons (allergies, intolerances, diabetes, etc.); personal preferences cannot be accommodated.
Meditation sessions
These take place in the house’s hall, which has mats, some cushions, and chairs; it’s best to bring your own meditation cushion or stool. Sitting and walking meditation alternate and usually last 45 minutes to an hour, and usually include traditional chanting in Spanish or Pali (found in the arrival booklet; participation is optional).
What to bring
Footwear is not allowed in the meditation hall; it’s useful to bring slippers, sandals, or thick socks to wear around the house (normal footwear is fine elsewhere in the house). A small blanket or shawl can also be useful for sessions.
4) Cost of the retreats and generosity
The teachings are always offered freely and at no cost, in keeping with the spirit of the Thai Forest Tradition. However, since retreats are held outside the monastery grounds, there are accommodation and food costs that participants cover.
When you apply for a place through the form, you will shortly receive an email confirming whether you have one and stating the cost. A deposit is required to confirm the booking; the remainder is paid in cash or by card on arrival.
If, beyond covering your accommodation, you’d like to make a donation to the Paññāgiri project, there will be a “Donations” box at the end of the retreat (donations can also be made via Bizum or bank transfer to the monastery’s account). This practice of generosity, dāna in Pali, is the traditional way lay people offer material support to monks and nuns, who in turn offer spiritual support to the community. If you don’t make a donation, remember that your presence at the retreat is, in itself, a gift.
5) Arrival and departure times
Arrival: check-in takes place between 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm on Friday; please try to arrive by 5:30 pm at the latest so we can complete it with time to spare. On arrival you will receive the booklet with the schedule, house rules, the Eight Precepts, and the chants.
Departure: all retreats end at 5:00 pm on Sunday. If you know before arriving that you’ll need to leave earlier, please let us know in advance.
6) Retreat programme
This is the usual model; there may be small variations from retreat to retreat.
Friday
4:00–6:00 pm Arrival and check-in
6:00–6:30 pm Light supper
6:30–7:00 pm Welcome talk and orientation
7:30–9:00 pm First meditation session
Saturday
5:00–7:00 am Wake-up, chanting and morning meditation
7:00–7:45 am Breakfast
8:30–11:30 am Meditation session
11:30 am–12:30 pm Lunch
12:30–2:00 pm Rest
2:00–5:00 pm Meditation session
5:00–7:00 pm Snack break (at some retreats, optional Qigong 6:00–6:45 pm)
7:00–9:00 pm Meditation session
Sunday
Morning: as Saturday.
2:00–4:30 pm Meditation session
4:30–5:00 pm Closing talk
5:00–6:00 pm Packing up and farewells
7) Wellbeing of participants
Mental health
Meditation tends to support mental wellbeing, but an intensive silent retreat can also bring up or intensify existing difficulties, due to the unfamiliar environment, long silences, and lack of distractions. If you have experienced mental health difficulties, please consider carefully whether this is the right time and, if needed, consult a professional beforehand.
Please indicate on the form any mental health issue, past or current: it will not exclude you from a place, but it will help those responsible support you if needed during the retreat. If you take medication, please continue taking it as normal; the retreat is not the time to experiment with stopping treatment. If a problem arises or worsens during the stay, please let us know as soon as possible.
If you have little experience with silent meditation, it may be better to start with a short stay at Paññāgiri, in a less intensive setting, before a formal retreat. Write to estancias@panyagiri.org for more information.
Physical health and mobility
Please indicate on the form any mobility or health issue that may affect your experience. Since full attendance is expected, if your physical condition only allows you to take part in some sessions, please consider a less intensive retreat or a stay as a guest at the monastery instead.
Infectious illness
Since accommodation is shared and much of the day is spent close to others, if you develop an infectious illness (a cold, flu, etc.) before the retreat begins, please cancel your booking out of consideration for others, some of whom may be vulnerable. We will try to offer you a place on another retreat later.
Safeguarding
Retreats are open only to adults aged 18 and over. Some participants may nonetheless be vulnerable for various reasons; if this applies to you, please indicate it when booking. If you have any concern during the retreat, for yourself or someone else, please let those responsible know as soon as possible, either in person during the stay or in writing to retreat@panyagiri.info beforehand.