Details:
Date: Friday 4th – Sunday 6th September
Retreat Leader: François Schick
Requirements: Everyone is welcome
Cost: Generosity Model – Donation only (by clicking the ‘Donate Here’ button below). Land of Joy provides: All meals, accommodation, workshops, materials and good firewood for soulful nights.
Format: Onsite only / Retreat begins: 7pm on the 4th September / Retreat ends: with lunch on 6th September
Recommended arrival: 3pm – 5pm on the 4th September to join for supper and get settled into the space
Accommodation: Land of Joy wishes for everyone who visits the centre to feel welcome, accepted, safe and secure. Our accommodation options are very limited, with mostly single-sex shared accommodation and a very limited number of single rooms. Single accommodation can therefore only be offered on a priority basis. Please read the relevant sections of the booking form carefully.
About the Retreat
This weekend at Land of Joy, François Schick will guide us into a gentle exploration of the second pāramitā — ethics and morality. Together, we will deepen our understanding of this essential practice and the ways it supports a meaningful life.
Throughout the retreat, François will invite us to reflect on how ethical conduct nurtures inner peace and how our choices shape both our present and future through the law of karma. Rather than abstract philosophy, we will focus on how these timeless teachings can be applied to the small moments of daily life — in our words, our actions, and our relationships.
The retreat will weave together guided reflections, simple practices, and quiet time for personal contemplation. Through this balance, we will discover how living with integrity can bring steadiness, clarity, and ease to the way we move through the world.
Who Is This For?
This retreat is for anyone wishing to live with greater clarity, compassion, and purpose. Whether you are new to Buddhist practice or have years of experience, you are warmly invited to join. If you are curious about how the teachings on ethics and karma can help bring balance to modern life, or if you simply wish to pause and reconnect with what matters most, this weekend offers gentle yet profound support.
What to Expect
- Guided teachings on the second pāramitā: ethics and morality
- Reflections on karma and how it shapes our experience
- Practical guidance on applying ethical principles in everyday life
- Space for silence, contemplation, and gentle practice
- Opportunities to ask questions and share insights in a supportive environment
- A nurturing setting that encourages inner stillness and personal discovery
What to Expect
To help create the best conditions for meditation practice, this retreat will be held within a supportive framework:
- Quiet: We ask participants to maintain periods of quiet to support reflection and inner stillness. This includes being mindful of conversations outside the teaching sessions.
- Respectful conduct: Please approach yourself, others, and the environment with care and kindness. This retreat is grounded in the pāramitā of ethics, and mutual respect creates a safe and supportive space for all.
- Technology: To support presence and focus, we encourage you to switch off phones and devices during the retreat, or use them only when essential.
- Punctuality: Please attend sessions on time so the group can move together with ease.
- Participation: You are warmly invited to take part in all aspects of the retreat while honouring your own limits and needs.
These boundaries are not restrictions but supports — creating a safe, focused space in which the mind can settle and deepen.
About François Schick
François Schick has a unique skill in facilitating the practice of meditation. He can present the traditional treasures in a non-traditional way, bridging the classic buddhist texts to our times, taking into account the unique challenges we encounter nowadays.
Formerly trained as an actor, François discovered Buddhism via Japanese poetry. An avid meditator for almost 15 years, François Schick completed a five-year study program at Nalanda Monastery, which he followed with a three-month solitary retreat in the Sierra Nevada mountains. He is certified with the FPMT. Since then, he has dedicated his life to the dharma, alternating periods of study and teaching, with spiritual retreats (including a six-month solitary retreat in 2022 in the Alps on calm abiding, guided by Alan Wallace). This is a subject that is close to his heart. He is currently writing a book about it.
He has taught, among others, “Discovering Buddhism”, “Science of the mind”, “Taking care of the planet”. François Schick is appreciated for his approach to teaching that is as rigorous as it is modern, accessible and lively.