- Dates: Saturday, October 24 to Saturday, October 31, 2026
- Arrival: Saturday, October 24, 3:00 to 4:30 PM
- Location: Gold Coast Dharma Realm, 106 Bonogin Road, Bonogin, Queensland 4213, Australia
- Instructors: Rev. Heng Sure, Ven. Jin Chuan, Ven. Jin Wei & other monastics (bios here)
- Cost: $350 for those staying entire week to cover room and board. Daytime attendance for Dharma activities are freely offered.
“Turn your hearing around. Listen to your nature within. This is the practice that leads to awakening.” — Surangama Sutra
In a noisy world of constant stimulation, it is easy to feel unheard, misunderstood, or disconnected from others, from the earth, and even from ourselves. This one-week Guan Yin retreat invites us to return inward, to reawaken the ancient art of listening as a path to rediscovering our own true nature.
At the heart of this retreat is the serene, rhythmic practice of reciting and meditating on the name of Avalokiteshvara or Guan Shi Yin, the Bodhisattva who “hears the sounds of the world.” Through walking, sitting, and chanting, we gradually soften the edges of the self. The repetitive invocation becomes like flowing water—smoothing, clarifying, quieting.
This is not merely a chant, but a spiritual technology—a tuning of body, speech, and mind toward deep presence and boundless compassion. As Master Hua teaches, “When the muddled thoughts are melted, one can return to the root and go back to the source.” From this stillness, a profound clarity emerges: we begin to hear not only the world’s cries, but also the whisper of our own wisdom.
Guided by the four dimensions of listening—Somatic, Empathic, Panoramic, and Sacred—this retreat is both a personal journey of healing and a collective cultivation of the heart that responds. By reciting Guanyin without, we awaken Guanyin within—the one who listens, who connects, who cares. Being one with everyone—this is Great Compassion.
Come join us for a week of recitation, meditation, service, and self-reflection immersed in a spiritual Buddhist community, the Gold Coast Dharma Realm. This is a chance to disconnect from our digital devices, reconnect to our inner wisdom and compassion, and form a true network of caring relationships with those around us.
What might we hear when we become quiet enough to really listen?
Our lives are full of noise: messages, opinions, expectations, and the constant chatter of our own minds. But beneath all that noise, what might we hear?
For one week, we invite you to slow down and explore the practice of deep listening: listening to the body, listening to the heart, listening to the natural world, and listening to the stillness within.
Set in the beautiful surroundings of Gold Coast Dharma Realm, this retreat offers space to meditate, walk in nature, reflect together, and explore practical Buddhist teachings that can help us meet our lives with greater awareness, wisdom, and care.
Listen to the body.
Listen to the heart.
Listen to nature.
Listen within.
The Practice of Deep Listening
During this retreat, we will explore listening as a meditation practice and as a way of meeting our lives more fully.
Listen to the Body
Learning to be present with sensations, movement, breathing, and the wisdom of the body.
Listen to the Heart
Creating space to recognize what we are feeling and what truly matters to us.
Listen to Nature
Stepping out of our usual routines and reconnecting with the living world around us.
Listen Within
Discovering the silence beneath the noise and learning to trust the clarity that can emerge from stillness.
Learning from Guan Yin
Listening can be more than simply hearing sounds. When we slow down and pay attention, we begin to notice what is happening in our bodies. We become more aware of our emotions and the movements of our minds. We hear others differently. We notice the wind, the birds, and the quiet spaces between our thoughts.
At the heart of the retreat is the practice of Guan Yin Bodhisattva, the embodiment of compassion and deep listening in the Buddhist tradition. The name Guan Yin means “one who listens to the sounds of the world.”
Guan Yin listens deeply to the cries of living beings and responds with wisdom and compassion. Her practice invites us to develop this same capacity within ourselves. Through walking, sitting, meditation, and the recitation of Guan Yin’s name, we will explore what happens when listening becomes quieter, deeper, and less centered on ourselves.
We will also explore four qualities at the heart that Guan Yin embodies:
- Kindness — the wish for ourselves and others to be well.
- Compassion — the capacity to meet suffering with care.
- Joy — rejoicing in other’s happiness and success.
- Equanimity — a steady heart that can remain open amid the changing conditions of life.
A Week to Slow Down
This retreat is not simply a week of classes. It is an invitation to step into a different rhythm of life.
We will wake early, meditate together, eat simple vegetarian meals, walk among the natural surroundings of the monastery, practice Guan Yin recitation, listen to Dharma teachings, share in small groups, and contribute to the life of the community. For several days, we will also enter noble silence, creating space to turn our attention inward.
There is nothing special you need to achieve. Just come ready to listen.
What You’ll Experience
- Meditation — guided sitting meditation, silent meditation, and simple instructions suitable for both beginners and experienced practitioners.
- Guan Yin practice — walking, sitting, chanting, and silent recitation centered on Guan Yin Bodhisattva.
- Nature — time outdoors to walk, breathe, notice, and reconnect with the natural environment of Gold Coast Dharma Realm.
- Dharma teachings — accessible Buddhist teachings on listening, compassion, wisdom, and bringing practice into everyday life.
- Noble silence — five days to listen deeply inside without the need to talk.
- Small circles — opportunities to reflect and listen to one another in a supportive environment.
- Community — living, eating, practicing, and serving together within the rhythm of a Buddhist monastery.
- Simple living — a chance to step away from our usual habits and experience a quieter and more intentional way of life.
Photos from Past Retreat
A Retreat in Nature
Gold Coast Dharma Realm is a Buddhist monastery surrounded by the natural beauty of the Gold Coast hinterland. Away from the usual pace of everyday life, the monastery offers a rare opportunity to live close to nature and practice within a Buddhist monastic community.
During the retreat, the Buddha Hall, walking paths, gardens, shared meals, and surrounding landscape all become part of the practice.
Sometimes we listen in meditation. Sometimes we listen while walking beneath the trees. Sometimes we simply stop. And notice.
SCHEDULE
SAT (Oct 24, 2026)
| 3:00–4:30pm | Arrival / Settle In |
| 5:00pm | Tour of the Monastery |
| 6:00pm | Simple Dinner (fruits + bread + bars) + Cleanup |
| 7:00–8:30 | Welcome & Orientation |
SUN (Oct 25)
| 5:30am | Morning Ceremony (optional) |
| 6:15 | Meditation + Instruction |
| 6:45 | Community Service |
| 7:15 | Breakfast + Cleanup |
| 8:00 | Yoga + Meditation |
| 9:00–11:00 | Morning Class: Introduction |
| 11:00 | Lunch |
| 1:30–3:30pm | Afternoon Class: Nuts & Bolts of Practice |
| 4:30–5:15 | Dinner / Break |
| 5:30–6:30 | Evening Ceremony |
| 7:00–8:30 | Evening Class Dedication of Merit |
MON – FRI (Oct 26-30)
| 5:30am | Morning Ceremony (optional) |
| 6:15 | Yoga + Meditation |
| 6:45 | Community Service |
| 7:15 | Breakfast + Cleanup |
| 8:00–9:00 | Precept Ceremony with Explanation (Monday only) |
| 8:00–10:15 | Morning Guan Yin Practice |
| 10:20 | Break |
| 10:30–10:50 | Meal Offering |
| 11:00–12:00pm | Meal Chant + Lunch |
| 1:30–3:20 | Afternoon Guan Yin Practice |
| 3:20 | Break |
| 3:30–4:20 | Afternoon Class |
| 4:30–5:15 | Dinner |
| 5:30–6:30 | Evening Ceremony |
| 7:00–8:30 | Evening Class Dedication of Merit |
SAT (Oct 31)
| 5:30am | Morning Ceremony (optional) |
| 6:15 | Yoga + Meditation |
| 6:45 | Community Service |
| 7:15 | Breakfast + Cleanup |
| 8:00–11:00 | Morning Guan Yin Practice + Cleanup |
| 11:00–12:00pm | Lunch |
| 1:30–2:30 | Cleaning dorms + Various locations (all areas) |
| 2:30–4:00 | Closing Circle Dedication of Merit Group Photo |
Noble Silence
Noble silence not only creates an opportunity for us to listen deeply to ourselves, but also provides a space for others to reflect inwards as well. Beginning Monday, we will observe five days of noble silence. This also does not mean total silence, but rather speaking only when necessary, for instance, doing community service, during group reflections, and in classes when you have questions.
Retreat Guidelines
During the retreat, we will follow the Eight Precepts, Buddhist guidelines that help create a simple, safe, and supportive environment for practice. They invite us to practice:
- Compassion — refraining from intentionally harming living beings.
- Trust — not taking what has not been freely given.
- Respect — refraining from sexual activity during the retreat.
- Wise speech — refraining from false, harsh, frivolous, or divisive speech.
- Clarity — refraining from alcohol and intoxicants.
- Simplicity — traditionally, practitioners refrain from eating after midday. A simple evening meal will be available for those who need it.
- Focus — refraining from entertainment, perfumes, and unnecessary adornment.
- Contentment — living simply and refraining from luxurious sleeping arrangements.
These precepts help simplify our lives for one week so that we can give more attention to what is happening within and around us.
Life at the Monastery
Meals
Vegetarian meals will be provided during the retreat. Breakfast and lunch are the main meals of the day. A simple evening meal will also be available. Meals are another part of our practice: an opportunity to slow down, receive what has been offered, and eat with awareness.
Community Service
Each day includes a short period of community work. This may include helping with meals, cleaning shared spaces, caring for the grounds, or other simple tasks. Rather than seeing this as time away from practice, we invite participants to explore whether washing a dish, sweeping a floor, or working alongside another person can itself become a form of meditation.
Clothing
Please bring comfortable, modest clothing suitable for meditation, walking, and community work. The monastery is a contemplative environment, so we ask participants to avoid revealing clothing, perfumes, and heavily scented products.
Accommodation
Residential participants will stay in simple monastery accommodations. Living simply is part of the retreat experience. We begin to discover how happy we can be with so little.
Who Is This Retreat For?
This retreat is for anyone interested in slowing down, listening more deeply, and exploring contemplative practice.
You might be completely new to meditation. You might have practiced Buddhism for many years. You might simply feel that life has become very noisy.
You do not need to be Buddhist to participate. Instructions will be offered throughout the retreat, and the practices will be introduced in an accessible way. Welcome!
Instructors
Rev. Heng Sure
Rev. Heng Sure has practiced as a Buddhist monk for more than five decades. He is known for making traditional Buddhist teachings accessible, practical, and deeply relevant to contemporary life. From 1977 to 1979, he undertook a remarkable pilgrimage for world peace, traveling more than 600 miles along the California coast while practicing “three steps, one bow” and maintaining silence throughout the journey. During this retreat, Rev. Heng Sure will offer evening teachings exploring Guan Yin Bodhisattva, deep listening, compassion, and Buddhist practice in everyday life.
Bhikshu Jin Chuan
Bhikshu Jin Chuan was born in New Jersey and grew up in the Silicon Valley. In high school, he began exploring Christianity and Buddhism, and discovered his “calling” to be a monk–to the surprise of his family (and himself). While studying physics and religious studies at Stanford, he joined Dharma Realm Buddhist Youth and frequented Berkeley Buddhist Monastery. In 2005, he became a resident at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas. He became a novice in 2011 and a bhikshu in 2013. In 2016, he received an M.A. in Buddhist Classics at DRBU where he now serves as an assistant professor and chaplain. Since 2021, Jin Chuan has served on the Buddhist Global Relief Board and recently the BGR Sangha Council.
Bhikshu Jin Wei
Bhikshu Jin Wei was born in Poland and began his meditation practice in 1999. After living a fun but unfulfilling bohemian lifestyle, he encountered a Polish translation of the Sixth Patriarch Sūtra that inspired him to dedicate himself to Dharma practice and service. He volunteered in various hospitals and helped organize DRBA Delegations to Europe. In 2013, he came to the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas as a Sangha and Laity Training Program student. In 2015, he took novice ordination, and in 2017, full ordination. In 2020, he graduated from the DRBU M.A. in Buddhist Classics. Jin Wei Shi serves on the Buddhist Global Relief Sangha Council.
Supported by the Monastic Community
Meditation instruction, Guan Yin practice, small groups, ceremonies, and daily retreat life will also be supported by Buddhist monastics and members of the Gold Coast Dharma Realm community.
What to Bring
- Comfortable, modest clothing
- Clothing suitable for community work
- Clothing for cooler mornings and evenings
- Walking shoes
- Personal toiletries and a towel
- Water bottle or thermos
- Notebook and pen
- Flashlight
- Battery powered alarm clock, if needed
- Ear plugs, if helpful
We encourage participants to keep belongings simple.