This summer the programme will take place under special circumstances, since the Centre can resume activities provided that sanitary measures are strictly observed.

Whether you are vaccinated or not, whether you have a negative PCR test or not, does not change the need to respect sanitary measures.

Your presence in Montchardon implies that you strictly respect sanitary measures in all circumstances.

We are now used to these measures:

  1. Wear a protective mask in the temple during the whole teaching or practice period, in the refectory until you start eating, and in all situations where it is difficult to maintain a 1m distance with others.
  2. Hand wash with hydro-alcoholic gel when entering and leaving the temple and refectory, whenever accessing the self-service area and on all occasions when touching a collective object.
  3. Maintain a distance of 1m around yourself, in the temple, in the refectory and when moving around in the Centre.

Access to the temple will be limited to 70/80 people to respect sanitary distances.

For accommodation, the rooms that accommodate several people will become individual rooms, except for couples or families. The number of places in the dormitory will be reduced to space out the beds. This will allow us to accommodate about 80 people.

The campsite area will be open, and the layout of the tents should follow the same guidelines. Disinfectant will be available in all places where necessary.

These rules must be maintained in Montchardon at all times.

Indeed:

We have a moral obligation to protect ourselves and others from disease, especially as we live in collective premises.

It is important to continue to protect Lama Teunsang, whose immunity is greatly diminished, even though he has been vaccinated.

For these reasons, we are asking all those who come this summer to commit to respecting sanitary measures. This commitment will take the official form of a box to be ticked on the registration form, which will allow everyone to come to the Centre with complete peace of mind.

If you cannot or do not wish to follow these guidelines, we ask you not to come to the Centre while these rules are in effect.

The same applies, of course, if you are ill or have symptoms of the virus.

When you leave, if you need to have a PCR test, this can be done in the cities in the area. However, it will be up to you to organise (making an appointment, travelling to and from the test site), because the Centre cannot manage these procedures.

Summer Courses in Montchardon during the Covid pandemic    

We wanted to bear witness to the Centre’s atmosphere at the moment, in the singular context of the pandemic.

The Shine-Lhaktong retreat went well, although over three weeks there was an average of only 25 to 30 people, which is little compared to previous years. Several factors could explain this significant drop in the number of trainees: we announced quite late that the Centre was reopening because we waiting for the authorities to take a stand, people’s fear of Covid or difficulty in complying with health constraints, the issue of public transport to the Centre or the fact that Lama Teunsang was not teaching this year.

However, this timid resumption of attendance was easier for the residents’ team, who had to reorganize everything according to the restrictive health guidelines. Having to welcome trainees with the necessity to impose strict guidelines was not an obvious thing for us. Fortunately, everything went very smoothly, everyone accepted the situation perfectly and we found that most trainees were reassured and even grateful for the Centre’s efforts to make their stay safe.

Attendance in August will be more important. Trinlay Rinpoche’s teaching is as usual already fully booked.

Sanitary context and current rules
Because of the 1m distance between people, we can only welcome a maximum of 85 people in the temple and no derogation is possible. It is a first in Montchardon to have to limit access to a teaching, and we feel sorry for this.

Since July 20th, wearing a mask is compulsory in closed places. We have just received confirmation from public authorities that wearing a mask is compulsory at all times in the temple during the teachings and daily collective practices. To this effect, please remember to bring enough masks for the duration of your stay .

People who come to the Centre must imperatively respect the sanitary measures. Registration for a course is a formal commitment to strictly follow the instructions. Residents are not security guards: the slightest breach of these rules can cause unnecessary confrontations that are painful for all, and lead to unfortunate consequences for the Centre placed in an unlawful position. Therefore, if you are not willing to follow these rules, we ask you not to come to the Centre until these constraints are lifted by public authorities. Likewise, if you have symptoms of illness, it is useless to come to the Centre as we will not be able to welcome you.