Four Roads to the Diamond City
A journey along the four roads , body, feeling, mind, and phenomena ~ leading toward the Diamond City of indestructible awareness.
A Samatha & Vipassana Silent Retreat
“In order to have Vipassana you must have a malleable mind, meaning no agenda, no objective. Vipassana relies on no object. This is why you need Samatha practice. It makes the mind malleable and promotes calm abiding, but calm in itself is useless without insight. Vipassana is what opens your eyes, breaks open the box of our concepts, reveals the truth. Once you have glimpsed the truth you are not fooled anymore…”
— Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, teachings on Shantideva
This silent, practice-based retreat is dedicated to cultivating that malleable, steady mind, the ground from which genuine insight can arise.
Through the disciplined training of calm abiding (śamatha), we establish simplicity, composure, and clarity ~ a container rarely available within the complexity of daily life. As the mind settles and becomes pliable, clear seeing (vipassana) naturally unfolds, revealing patterns, softening conflicting emotions, and loosening the grip of fixed concepts.
Here, calm and insight are not separate paths but a living union. Stillness supports seeing; seeing deepens stillness. Wisdom emerges not as philosophy, but as direct experience.
This 10-day intensive retreat offers a rare opportunity to develop deep familiarity with mindfulness-awareness practices of sitting, standing walking and lying down. Extended meditation periods will be skillfully interwoven with intentional moments of rest — pauses that allow insight to ripen organically.
The “four roads” refer to the classical framework of the Four Foundations of Mindfulness taught in the Satipatthana Sutta: contemplation of body, feeling tone, mind, and phenomena. Moving steadily along these four pathways, we begin to see arising and passing directly. As the Buddha taught, one who truly sees arising and passing sees the truth.
What begins on the cushion gradually extends into daily life. The teachings of the Buddha become embodied — woven into perception, relationship, and action.
During the retreat there will be:
• Regular group meditation sessions
• Daily Dharma teachings with time for questions
• Individual meditation guidance with Terry and Mala
• Daily gentle body-awareness sessions
• Postural integration to support stability and comfort
Booking Information
Participants are encouraged to attend the full retreat whenever possible. If you are unable to join for the entire program, you are welcome to attend at least the weekend portion, space permitting. Priority will be given to those registering for the full retreat.
Solo retreat bookings during this time are available.
Mala Sikka and Terry Hagan have committed most of their lives to Dharma and have been practicing meditation for over 40 years. Together they completed a three year retreat in India under the guidance of Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche. Both Terry and Mala enjoyed their role as resident teachers of the Dharma Centre of Canada for over a decade and during this time served as spiritual advisors to the board. Terry also served a three year term as a spiritual director for the Dharma Centre. At present, they serve as the resident teachers of the Namgyal Dharma House and continue to support the Dharma Centre as Core Teachers.
Important Details
When: May 1-10, 2026
Please plan to arrive between 3-5pm on the first day. The retreat will begin with a property orientation at 5:30pm followed by a light supper and the first evening class and will finish at 5pm on the last day.
Rates: $1.242 - non-members $1,125 - members
(To find out how to become a member please visit our membership page)
Rates include: Single accommodation and all meals. They do not include instructor fees. Mala and Terry are sharing their experience within the traditional Buddhist understanding of Dana. To understand more about Dana, please read the following:
What is Dana? Teachers give the teachings of awakening (Dharma) freely so that anyone, no matter their financial means can attend classes. Each time one receives teachings, it is an opportunity to consciously practice generosity. Giving money and other means of support expresses gratitude and support to the teacher and helps to ensure that these teachings continue. Each person receiving Dharma teachings determines the kind and amount of Dāna according to one’s heart and one’s financial means. When deciding how much to offer, one should think about what these teachings mean to you and try to give accordingly. It is recommended that students make an offering of dāna at the beginning of a class or retreat to establish the intention to make the most of this opportunity for one’s own progression and for the benefit of all others.
Deposit: A 50% deposit is required to hold your space upon registration.
Cancellation Policy
All cancellations are subject to a $100 fee, which will support other low-income practitioners through our Practitioner Support Fund.
If cancellation occurs within 14 days of the retreat start date, 50% of the deposit (equivalent to 25% of the total retreat cost) will be forfeited. These funds will be directed to the Uplifted Property Fund to support the Renewal Project.