Joining a course in Emst - daily schedule and house rules

Typical daily program for a course weekend in Emst

Arriving in the center
Welcome! If you travel with public transport, we can pick you up from the bus stop Oranjeweg in Emst (line 90s from Apeldoorn or Zwolle). Please call 06-17332375 when your bus leaves, and your expected arrival time.
Weekend courses normally start sat 20.00 at Friday evening and last until Sunday afternoon 17.00. The door is open on Friday from about 18.00 onwards. Coffee and tea are available. When you arrive the first time, please let us know, and there will be someone to give you a short tour of the center, and show you to your room. Next you can make up your bed with the linen provided by the institute. At 18.30, you can join the simple evening meal with soup and bread for which we ask € 4,-.

The course
Most of the courses in Emst are in Dutch. The teachings by Geshe Sonam Gyaltsen are translated from Tibetan to Dutch, but some other teachers teach in English, like Ven. Kaye Miner, Ven. Sangye Khadro and Andy Weber. The web-pages with information on the specific course are written in English when they are held in English.

Meditations and discussions are often led by experienced students, rather then the main teacher.

An example of a typical daily schedule during a weekend course by Geshe Sonam Gyaltsen: 

During a weekend there is usually a possibility to have a personal meeting with the teacher. Please ask the translator or course leader.

Meals
Our professional cook serves vegetarian meals. We usually have the hot meal for lunch. Feel free to take from the buffet.

Karma yoga
We ask students to help with an hour or so of karma yoga during the course; these are various light jobs of house-keeping to enable the course to run well, and to keep the costs low. Much work in Emst is done by volunteers to keep our course fees low. Besides this, the karma yoga is a practice part of of the course; practicing positive karma means doing positive things for others.

House rules

To make your and others stay in Emst pleasant and meaningful, there are some house-rules for the entire property of the Maitreya Instituut. We ask you to try to stick to the following Budddhist precepts:

1. not killing (not even insects)
2. not stealing (not taking what is not given)
3. no sexual activities
4. not lying
5. no alcohol, drugs or cigarettes.

Smoking and open fire is prohibited on the entire property. If you need to smole, please use the designated spot at the Heemhoeveweg.

Fire safety
All open fire, including the burning of incense and candles outside the gompa is prohibited, including smoking.
Fire regulation: Please note your presence at arrival and when you leave before the end of the course on the attendance-list in the dining hall.

Some practical issues and requests

Absence and cancellation
Because of the shortage of rooms and the food shopping, please let us know as long as possible beforehand when you cannot come. (For possible restitution of course fees, see the page registration and course fees.

Bed linen and towels
On arrival, you should find bed linen and a towel on your bed, which are included in the course fees. Please make up your bed completely. If you need help, p[lease ask a fellow student for help. Please never sleep on a bed that is not completely made up. After the course, please put the sheets, pillow cover and towel in the metal laundry trolley. Please do not remove the matress covers, and put all other laundry (even if white) in the plastic baskets, not in the trolley.

Shoes
To keep the center clean, please leave your outside shoes at the entrance. You can take your own slippers or use the slippers from the cupboard next to the main entrance.

Thinking of others
Please be mindful that the building is very poorly sound-proofed. Switch your mobile phones off during teachings, and outside teachings only in vibration mode. Switch off all sounds from your laptop. If you bring children, please take care they do not disturb students or the teh teachings. Pets are not allowed, unless with prior agreement of the director.

Lost and found objects are kept for one month only. Please take all your toiletries, notebooks and clothes with you when you depart.

See also the page on Registration and course fees.