Visiting DCL as an In-House Retreatant, Volunteer or Staff Member
Dechen Chöling welcomes visitors for in-house retreats and day visits. Only during the big summer programmes retreating might be difficult. Free meditation instruction is offered to visitors. People are encouraged to contact the main desk to make inquiries and arrangements.

Visitors are welcome either to participate fully in community life or to concentrate more on practice. Normal lodging and meal fees apply (€ 30 a day). If people work three hours a day next to their practice they get a € 1O discount.

DCL regularly needs volunteers and staff members, which is an excellent opportunity to live and work in a contemplative community. Positions vary according to season and projects, so please visit the ‘living and working’ section of the website for more information. You may also contact our personnel office directly personnel@dechencholing.org. 

Please note that DCL has a no-pet policy, so please do not plan to bring your pet with you.

Mail and Fax
Registration forms are available on the DCL website, which you can forward to the office by mail or by fax.

Online
Our preferred method of registration is online, which is very simple. You may do so in the programmes section of the DCL website 

Dechen Chöling can accept: cash, French bank cheques (payable to: Association Shambhala), deposits through country accounts (see website for account details or contact the finance office), Visa and MasterCard or Internet Banking.

Cancellations
Deposits are refundable up to two weeks before the programme begins, less a € 25 processing fee. If you cancel after the two-week deadline, DCL will retain your payment for up to one year as payment towards another programme. No refunds or credits are given for cancellations on or after arrival day.

What Will the Programme Cost?
The price listed for your programme includes: the tuition fee, based on the A, B, C graduated income scale listed below, basic lodgings, and meals.

For your calculations please consider that in addition to the programme price, you may have one or more of the following costs:

~ An additional lodging fee if you choose to upgrade
~ Additional lodging and meal fees if you stay longer than the length of the programme
~ A practice material fee (if applicable)
~ A membership fee
~ Childcare fee
~ Transportation fee

Dechen Chöling's legal name is "Association Shambhala Europe". This legal entity is a non-profit organization. By French law it is required that everyone participating in its activities should be a member and pay an annual fee. The membership fee is € 12.

Income Scale For Your Programme Price
To make programmes more affordable to all, programme tuition fees are priced based on a graduated income scale. Your income category equals net earnings plus any government support.

A Those earning more than € 1500 per month pay the full programme tuition.
B Those earning between € 1500 and € 750 per month pay 80% of programme tuition.
C Those earning less than € 750 per month pay 60% of programme tuition.

Students aged 13 to 18 wishing to attend programmes pay 50% of the programme tuition fee. It is suggested that families consider registering in one income category only. 

Programme Scholarships
For Shambhala Buddhist programmes—Sutrayana Seminary, Vajrayana Seminary, Rigden Abhisheka and Warrior Assembly—please visit the Shambhala International website for a scholarship application at www.shambhala.org.

You might also consider staffing a programme as a way to reduce the price of your programme.

Meal Prices
Food is charged at a fixed rate of € 17 per day and is included in your programme price. This includes a self-serve breakfast, tea snack, and two meals. The cost per day for children’s (3 – 12 years old) meals and snacks is € 8.50. Visitors wishing to stay for one meal are asked to make a suggested donation of € 6.

Food and Special Diet
Apart from vegetarian or meat: Please do not specify dietary preferences unless for medical necessity. Special dietary needs impact on the diet of the whole community.

Lodging Prices

Summer Season - May to September

Basic lodgings are € 13 per day and this is included in your programme price. It consists of furnished tents sleeping two people.

Summer Upgrades or Savings

When available you can have place in indoor dormitory-style rooms that sleep up to 10 people (+ 5 € a day), or a double shared room (+ 10 € a day). There are very few double rooms available. Elderly people and people with disabilities have priority.
If you bring a personal tent, you pay € 5 less per day.

Winter Season—October to April

Basic lodgings are € 13 per day and are included in your programme price. In winter time the basic lodgings consists of indoor dormitories, sleeping up to 10 people.

Winter Upgrades

When available you can have place in a double room (+ 10 € a day). There are very few double rooms available. Elderly people and people with disabilities have priority.

Please note:

• All programme prices listed include basic lodging and meals.
• Meals and lodging prices are fixed and the graduated income scale does not apply.
• Lodging rates for children are the same as above, except for children under the age of four, who are free.
• All lodgings include shared toilet and washroom facilities.
• Dechen Chöling is able to provide mattress covers and a pillow throughout the year. Please plan to bring your own sleeping bag and pillowcase. 
• There is limited bed linen available for an additional fee of € 3, especially for overseas visitors. Please notify the office during registration if you require linen.

Transportation Fees

Dechen Chöling provides a pick-up and drop-off service between 07.00 and 21.00. Service from the St. Victurnien train station is free of charge; from the Limoges train station it is € 15 one-way; from the Limoges Bellegarde Airport it is € 12 one-way. To arrange for a pick-up, please notify the office at least one week in advance.

Taxis are available at the Limoges Train Station for about € 45, and from the airport for about € 40.

How to Get Here
For train schedules and more detailed information, please visit our website and www.sncf.com.

By Car
Dechen Chöling is a 30-minute drive from Limoges, 350 km south of Paris.

By Train
From Paris, you will depart for Limoges at the Paris-Austerlitz train station. When arriving by train, please try to arrange to take the following connection, which will allow you to connect in Limoges to St. Victurnien, the closest town to DCL. The 14.02 train from Paris-Austerlitz arrives in Limoges at 16.52, where you can take the 17.08, arriving in St. Victurnien at 17.39.

By Plane

Limoges Bellegarde airport
From overseas: If you arrive at Charles de Gaulle Airport (Roissy) and plan to use the metro to travel to Gare d’Austerlitz (your departure train station to arrive in Limoges), be sure to allow two hours for the correspondence. Please note that Air France also flies into the Limoges Bellegarde airport for a few dollars more, which may make your travel considerably easier.

Arrival & Departure at DCL
Arrival day is the first day listed for your programme and departure day is the last day listed.  

On Arrival Day
Please plan to arrive by 18.00 on arrival day and notify the main desk with your travel information as soon as possible. There will be a DCL hospitality person in the dining room area to help you find your room or tent and to answer other questions.

If you plan to arrive or depart outside of normal hours, before 07.00 or after 21.00, please plan to take a taxi or contact the office to arrange special transport. You may also wish to take our emergency transportation number +33(0)6 30 66 76 49 in case you experience difficulties.

On Departure Day
Remember to make your return travel arrangements before arriving at Dechen Chöling. If you wish to remain after the programme has ended, please notify DCL before your arrival.

For international travellers, you may also wish to spend a few days in Paris or France before or after your programme. The Paris Visite website www.ratp.fr provides excellent information to start your plans.

You will need an Oryoki set for certain programmes (you will be notified in your programme confirmation letter). If you do not have a set, you can buy one in the DCL shop for € 80.

Please bring house shoes for the chateau. A raincoat and outdoor boots are useful too - it can rain a lot here.

Child Care Services
Dechen Chöling provides childcare during certain programmes. Childcare is available for 5 hours each programme day, divided in two sessions, and does not include arrival and departure days. This may not cover all of the schedule, so parents will need to make their own arrangements for childcare during these times, as well as during all meals.

Dechen Chöling provides childcare for children aged 5 to 13. For children under the age of 4, parents will need to bring their own childcare provider, or at least make special arrangements with the main DCL office.

All children under the age of 13 must be accompanied while on DCL land. Young adults between the ages of 13 to 18 are required to have a supervising guardian on the land. As well, they will be asked to participate in daily rota.

Please contact the main office to make arrangements and please try to notify the office at least two months in advance.

Child Care Fees
Childcare is offered based on a graduated income scale. The following is the cost of childcare per day:
A € 10    B € 9    C € 8

For your calculations, please consider that the total rate per day for your child will also include an accommodation fee and a meal price.

Programme staff pay a discounted programme fee of € 10 per day, which goes towards food and lodging.

If you have questions or would like to discuss upcoming opportunities, please contact our head of programmes programmes@dechencholing.org or fill out the programme staff application form.

Translation
Most programmes are taught in English, however we often provide interpretation into French, German or other languages when requested well in advance and an interpreter is available. Therefore we require you to register and make the interpretation request two months in advance so that we have time to find a skilled interpreter for the programme. Once you have made the request we will be in contact with you with specific information that will help us with the process of finding someone.

Links
Shambhala International
http://www.shambhala.org

Shambhala Europe
http://www.shambhala-europe.org

Shambhala Buddhist Practice Centres
Dorje Denma Ling
Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia, Canada
http://www.dorjedenmaling.com

Gampo Abbey
Pleasant Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada
http://www.gampoabbey.org

Shambhala Retreat Centres
Dorje Khyung Dzong
Colorado, USA
http://www.shambhala.org/centers/dkd/

Otsa Shingsa
Italy Cross, NS, Canada
milklake@shambhala.org

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