This online retreat is an opportunity for cultivating and deepening Metta (loving-kindness) through continual practice in a supportive container of noble silence. Metta will be offered in the context of the greater path to liberation taught by the Buddha. The retreat will include guided and independent meditation sessions, walking meditation periods, individual practice meetings, Dharma talks, sutta reading, and morning/evening Metta chanting. Optional pre-retreat practice discussion and post-retreat online integration will also be offered.

This retreat is open to all, offered on a donation basis. It is offered as a gift from donors of the center, volunteers and staff of Dhamma Dena and the teacher who is volunteering. Retreat support and guidance are offered for the benefit of all beings to the best of our abilities. There are no prerequisites, however, we strongly recommend having some experience with mindfulness and metta practices and we ask for your sincere commitment to practice and participation. Priority will be given to those who aren't able to attend retreats in person and were on the waiting list of the in-person retreat. A minimum of half of the spaces are allocated for BIPOC.

Retreat Info

Cost of Retreat/Dana

According to the practice of Dana,  part of the Buddhist teachings that have been passed down for over 2,500 years, this retreat is offered freely at no cost. Historically, teachers at monasteries would offer teachings out of generosity, and the community would support the teachers and the centers, generously giving to the level of their ability. Dana is a word in the ancient Pali language which means Generous Giving, which the Buddha tells us is a heart quality that arises from our gratitude and deep connection to each other. 

The teachers and the center receive no outside compensation, and are supported solely by the community that has experienced the benefit of these teachings and wishes to share that benefit with others, by offering what they can so that these teachings and this retreat center can continue into the future.

The practice of Dana invites us to disrupt the transactional consumer economy where everything and everyone is commodified and to live into a world where we can support all beings, and the planet, through generosity and care. You can make donations to Dhamma Dena at any time through paypal or venmo, or by sending a check to: Dhamma Dena, PO Box 183, Joshua Tree, CA 92252. Please write "Metta Retreat" in the memo. You are invited to offer the teachers and the cook dana at the end of the retreat.

Questions? Please contact us at retreats@dhammadena.org