Welcome to the Bodhi Path
Shamar Rinpoche had the wish to open a Bodhi Path Center close to Strasbourg and this wish is fulfilled in a wonderful way with the object in Renchen-Ulm.
The house became the first European Bodhi Path Center and was inaugurated by Lama Jigme Rinpoche on the 5th March 2006. It is now the European Seat of Shamar Rinpoche and is thus guided by Shamar Rinpoche directly. The center in the Kaierstraße had been a guesthouse before and offers guest rooms and a meditation hall (converted from a former bowling alley). These are best conditions for the course program and the accommodation for the participants. Located amidst vineyards and orchards the center can be found in Ulm, a village near Renchen, close to Baden-Baden, Offenburg and only 30 km from Strasbourg. Just a 10 minutes’ drive from the highway exits Achern or Appenweier it is easily accessible. Renchen even provides a train station in a 5 km distance from the center.
Information for house guests
The weekend courses start on Friday with the dinner at 6.30 pm and end on Sunday with the lunch. Earlier or later arrivals or departures are possible according to prior agreement. Possible exceptions can be found in the program.
Towels, slippers, bedclothes or sleeping bag. (bedclothes can also be borrowed). Meditation cushions and mats are at hand.
For a smooth course, we are dependent on support and ask our house guests for giving us a hand for about 1 hour a day.
• In a dormitory € 10 per night (from September 2019: € 12 per night)
• In a 5-bed room € 13 per night (from September 2019: € 15 per night)
• In a double room € 20 per night
• In a single room € 25 per night
• Lending fee for bedclothes € 10
House guests book full board during their stay automatically:
3 successive meals = 1 x full board: € 19 (from September 2019: € 22)
Breakfast € 5
Lunch € 8 (from Sept. 2019: € 10)
Dinner € 6 (from Sept. 2019: € 7)
The same prices are valid for retreats when staying up to one week. (please consider 1 hour help per day). From the 8th day the daily fee will be € 5 less. For half retreats, which include 3 hours help, the daily fee is € 22. From the 9th day it is € 20 and after one month it is € 18 only.
Retreat-Options
This secluded location, so specially blessed by Shamar Rinpoche, is very suitable for short or middle long phases of retreat. There are different ways to combine Dharma practice and help in the center, which change the price accordingly. If you want to use this place for your practice, please contact us for more details. For prices and other information please see Information for house guests page
Team living in the center
Sabine Teuber
Susi Heusser
Hans Berner
Karin Berner
About Bodhi Path
Bodhi Path is an international organization of Buddhist centers founded by and under the direction of Shamar Rinpoche (also known as Shamarpa). The Bodhi Path centers offer an open and non-sectarian access to Buddhism. Under the guidance of Shamar Rinpoche, our teachers provide instruction in Buddhist meditation and philosophy and provide guidance for our Buddhist practice.
A sense for a spiritual community is developed through common study and practice. This in turn provides support for our individual studies and Buddhist practice. „Practitioners of meditation will experience two types of benefit. The first benefit is an immediate improvement of daily life. The practice of meditation allows the mind to become more peaceful, calm and more relaxed. Once the mind is more relaxed, occurrences that would usually annoy us, appear to be less important. Furthermore, step by step, through meditation the mind learns to become more independent from outer conditions and circumstances. A mind that is not influenced by outer conditions is capable of recognizing its own stability and calmness. A stable mind – an undisturbed mind – experiences less suffering. These are the two immediate benefits arising from a regular meditation practice.”
Shamar Rinpoche, Founder of Bodhi Path Organization
Bodhi Path offers a curriculum for meditation practice and study that has been compiled by Shamar Rinpoche. It is based on the teachings of the Buddhist Master Atisha, who lived in the 11th century, and as transmitted by Gampopa. The curriculum is especially suitable for the needs and conditions of modern day Dharma practitioners.
The curriculum is taught at all Bodhi Path Centers. Instructions are given by qualified teachers that have been appointed by Shamarpa and who live in the centers or visit them. Bodhi Path teachers are both lay and monastic teachers from around the world.
Shamar Rinpoche is the 14th Shamarpa, or Red Hat Lama of Tibet. He was born in 1952 and spent many years in India studying with Buddhist scholars. In 1980, he began to travel and teach in various Buddhist centers throughout Asia and the West. He organized the Bodhi Path Buddhist Centers in 1996.
Rinpoche is the author of several books. In his most recent book, “The Path to Awakening”, (German: ‘Lojong – der buddhistische Weg zu Mitgefühl und Weisheit’), Shamar Rinpoche provides an extensive commentary on Chekawa Yeshe Dorje’s Seven Points of Mind Training.
Do I have to be a Buddhist to attend the teachings?
Bodhi Path is open to all, whether or you are a Buddhist or not. We firmly believe that learning to meditate is of benefit to everyone.
Is there a commitment?
Each individual determines his or her own level of commitment. While participation in some practices and ceremonies requires deeper commitments, each center offers a range of activities and opportunities to learn and practice that require no commitment.
What qualifications do the teachers have?
All Bodhi Path teachers have received extensive training in accordance with traditional Buddhist methods. All teachers have been appointed by Shamar Rinpoche according to their qualifications and are held to the highest standards of moral and ethical conduct. Many teachers have completed multiple 3-year meditation retreats.
Bodhi Path Centers in Europe
Switzerland
International
