Guidelines on Donations

Below are  a few guidelines on giving donations for the meditation retreats and what they will be covering:

1. Two donations will be asked for at the end of the retreat, one for room and board, and one for Burgs and the teachings he offers. The donations will be discussed at the end of the retreat, but below are some guidelines about donations to help give you some idea on how it works.
2. You will be invited to make a donation to Burgs. This is a time to reflect on how the teachings and practice you have learnt from Burgs has helped you. The amount you would give is entirely personal to you, and is your expression of gratitude if you feel you have benefited from what has been offered here.
3. A suggested donation to cover the room and board costs is £250 for a one week retreat, and £170 for a four day retreat. These costs include any deposit you may have already paid. This covers any admin costs, food costs and also provides payment to the venue for the duration of your stay. We are aware that some people may not be able to pay the full suggested price, and these people have already contacted us prior to the retreat and asked for our support in being here. It is hoped that this will be made up for by the generosity of others.
4. So please do not feel under pressure to pay more than you can afford. But similarly do not take this as an invitation to give the least amount you can as the success of everything depends on your generosity, and willingness to support this effort to make the teachings available to all in future.
5. Perhaps make the reflection that a donation of £250 will pay for someone to sit the next available week retreat (or £170 for a four day retreat), in the same way that your current place has been paid for by those who have come before you. The change from fixed price to donation based retreats is not to make it cheaper for those who can afford to pay, but to give access to the teachings to those who cannot afford to; please remember this when giving. Your support is your merit and generosity and something you should delight in; before, during and after the act of giving.
6. If you are attending on a concession or a fully supported place, please do not feel uncomfortable that you can only give a small donation. We are delighted to be able to make these retreats more freely available and offer you this opportunity.
7. Please be aware that in our efforts to allow as many people as possible to come and learn meditation for the first time, we will only be able to subsidise an individual once per year to come on one of our meditation retreats. We encourage all those who have been inspired by the practice of this meditation to make as much effort as possible to save up for themselves (at least the suggested donation to cover room and board for the retreat), and come on retreat again. In this way it is our hope that all those that wish to come on retreat, can do so.

May All Beings Be Happy