Attending an activity in Loenen - daily schedule and house rules
In general
Arrival at the center
Welcome! If you are traveling by public transport, in some cases it may be possible for us to pick you up at the Bruisbeek bus stop in Loenen. This depends on the availability of staff to do so. So we cannot promise anything. Please call 06-17332375, at least 30 minutes before you arrive.
Coffee, tea, and meals
Coffee and tea are freely available. Vegetarian meals prepared by our professional chef are served during the courses. We have a warm meal for lunch during weekend courses. You can help yourself from the buffet.
Karma yoga
Participants are asked to do an hour of karma yoga during the breaks of the activities every day: light household duties that are necessary to ensure the course runs smoothly and to keep the costs low. Much of the work in Loenen is done by volunteers to keep course fees low. Karma yoga is also a practical aspect of the activity; practicing karma ultimately means doing positive things for others.
Typical course weekend program in Loenen
Coffee and tea are ready. If you are coming for the first time, there is always someone who can give you a tour and show you your room. You can then make your bed with the sheets provided by the Institute. On Friday at 6:30 pm, you can join a simple bread meal with soup. On Saturday, we often start with optional meditation or the recitation of 'Djorchoe', a kind of 'script' for a meditation session. In addition to the (vegetarian) meals, there are usually 2 classes on Saturday and Sunday. In between, you can participate in meditations, discussion groups, and we all do a household task, such as washing dishes, tidying up, or making tea. The course usually ends on Sunday afternoon at 5:00 pm.
Lessons from Geshe Sonam Gyaltsen are translated from Tibetan to Dutch. Course information pages about other courses are written in the language in which they are given. Meditations and discussions are led by experienced students. There is usually an opportunity to ask personal questions to the teacher during a weekend. Sign up with the translator or course leader for this.
House rules
To make your stay and that of others as pleasant and meaningful as possible, there are a number of house rules throughout the site for people attending an activity organized by the Maitreya Institute. We kindly request you to follow the following five rules:
- Do not kill - including insects.
- Do not take what is not given.
- Do not exhibit offensive (sexual) behavior.
- Do not lie.
- Do not use intoxicants. Including alcohol, drugs, and cigarettes.
Smoking is prohibited throughout the site and in the buildings. If you must smoke, you can do so at the edge of the parking lot near the shed or at the street side of the building, in front of the lounge.
Fire safety
All open fire, including burning incense and candles, and smoking is prohibited due to fire hazards.
Fire department regulation: Please mark your presence or absence on the attendance list at the reception desk.
Practical instructions and requests
Absence
Due to room arrangements and purchasing planning, we greatly appreciate it if you can inform us in case of hindrance in a timely manner.
Sheets and towels
The use of bed linen and a towel is included in the donation. Make your bed with the sheets and pillowcase you find in the trolley in the hallway. Please do not sleep in a partially made bed. If you need help with this, ask a fellow student or staff member.
After the weekend, only deposit the sheets, pillowcase, and towel in the metal laundry trolley. Leave the mattress covers on the mattress, and place other laundry, even if it is white, in the separate plastic baskets, not in the laundry trolley.
Footwear
Out of respect, please do not wear shoes in the meditation room (gompa).
Consideration for others
Please consider the thin walls of the building, sound travels through them. Turn off your mobile phones completely during class, and outside of class, only have them on vibrate mode. Adjust the sound settings of your computer so that all sounds are turned off. If you have children with you, make sure they do not disturb the students or the class. Pets are not allowed due to noise, smell, and allergies.
Departure
To keep courses affordable, everyone is expected to leave the room and shower clean and tidy, windows closed, heating set to *(frost-free), ready for the next visitor. After the weekend, only deposit the sheets, pillowcase, and towel in the metal laundry trolley in the linen room. Leave the mattress covers on the mattress. All other laundry, even if it is white, please place in the plastic baskets, not in the laundry trolley. If after inspection of the room it appears that the room is not clean or beds are not stripped, we are forced to charge an additional € 25 per room.
Lost items will only be kept for 1 month. Please do not leave toiletries, clothing, or chargers behind upon departure, as this causes extra work for the staff.