Staying as a Guest
General introduction
If you would like to come for an overnight visit, please write to make a reservation.
All foreign nationals visiting Slovenia must register with the police within 3 days of arrival or risk paying a fine. The Monastery will usually do this as part of the check-in procedures. You will be asked to fill up a form with basic information that will be emailed to you by the guest monk before your arrival.
All visitors are asked to observe the Eight Precepts and to participate fully in the daily schedule of the Monastery. The main emphasis of the Monastery is seclusion and silence. There are no pūjas (group chantings) as is usually common for other monasteries, however, sometime there might be group meditations and teachings. The guests are expected to assist in meal preparations in the kitchen, work in the forest, or in the gardens.
We don’t charge for rooms, or for teachings. Everything is provided in the spirit of generosity by the monks and supporters of the Monastery.
Lodgings
Our accommodations are very simple. There is the main guesthouse at Nirodhā Hermitage, 10min walking from the headquarter of the Monastery. There are two rooms with two beds each. And if there is a free kuṭi in the forest available, a guest might be allowed to use it. The Guesthouse has a very modest bathroom with 1 toilet and 1 shower.
Before entering a shrine room or living space, it is necessary to remove one’s shoes. Indoor slippers are allowed in the bedrooms and in the kitchen.
Food
The sixth of the eight precepts limits overnight visitors to one main meal per day: no food can be consumed after midday. If you have a medical condition or other compelling reason to be exempted from this precept please inform the General Guardian of your situation and needs.
The food at the hermitages are not necessarily vegetarian as is sometimes assumed. The monks respect the generosity of all the laypeople and do not refuse any offerings of food. The food available to lay visitors is the same as offered to the monks. If you have special dietary needs due to illness or allergies, please inform the General Guardian so that the kitchen will be able to accommodate you.
Arranging for Transport
We do not arrange transport for guests and request that they organize their own transportation both to and from the hermitage before arriving. Guests are expected to arrive before 5pm. For information on how to get here, click here.
Retreat
The hermitages are a place for silence and contemplation. As guests are sharing in community life, it is not appropriate to come and go without notice or engage in external business during their stay.
To help make the hermitage a haven of quiet, simplicity, and solitude, guests are asked to limit their use of smartphones for calls or emails while staying here.
Pets at the Hermitage
The hermitages are friendly to dogs if they do not have a habit of barking. If a visitor or a guest brings a pet, we ask that a dog be leashed and be with the owner at all times when walking in the forest. The Guesthouse is fenced, which enables dogs to have freedom to move in the garden.
Items to Bring with You
– a set of sheets (no need if you are coming from abroad)
– pillow case (no need if you are coming from abroad)
– towel
– toiletries
– flashlight
– alarm clock
– sturdy work boots/shoes (in times of snow and rain)
– work clothes
– warm clothing and rain gear for the periods of cold and wet weather
– thermos (if you want to drink tea in your room)
We ask all overnight guests to dress fairly conservatively (i.e. wearing comfortable, loose fitting clothes). This includes wearing pants, long shorts or long skirts and to wear long or short sleeve shirts rather than tank tops.