The Still Point of the Turning World:
Learning to Let Go of the Obstacles to Peace
A Madison Vipassana Meditation Retreat with
Ajahn Jayanto
Co-Abbot of Jetavana, Temple Forest Monastery
In person at St. Anthony Spirituality Center, Marathon, WI
May 15–22, 2026
Registration is open for our spring retreat with Ajahn Jayanto. Ajahn Jayanto is co-abbot of Jetavana, Temple Forest Monastery, a Buddhist monastery in the Thai forest tradition located in Temple, New Hampshire.
The retreat will be held May 15–22, 2026, in person at St. Anthony Spirituality Center in Marathon, Wisconsin, just west of Wausau. Situated on 40 wooded acres along the Big Rib River, St. Anthony’s offers quiet, seclusion, and lovely walking trails.
ABOUT THE RETREAT
The theme of this retreat is “The Still Point of the Turning World: Learning to Let Go of the Obstacles to Peace.” During the retreat, we will practice as we would if we were visiting a Theravāda Buddhist monastery. We will begin and end the day with chanting and follow the Eight Precepts. As part of this commitment, we will observe Noble Silence throughout the retreat, disconnect from electronic and other outside communication, and abstain from eating after midday. Our daily practice will include sitting and walking meditation and Dhamma talks and teachings. If you have questions about this eight-precept retreat or how it might differ from other meditation retreats, feel free to contact the registrar at registrar@madisonmeditation.org.
This retreat is designed for practitioners with an established daily meditation practice who have attended at least two residential retreats of three days or longer.
If you’d like an introduction to Ajahn Jayanto’s teaching, you’ll find many talks to choose from on these sites:
· Amaravati Buddhist Monastery
THE EIGHT PRECEPTS
In registering for this retreat, you are agreeing that you understand and will abide by the following training precepts during the retreat:
1. Refraining from intentionally killing or harming any living creature
2. Refraining from taking that which is not given
3. Refraining from any intentional sexual activity
4. Refraining from false or harmful speech (in the context of this retreat, this means keeping Noble Silence)
5. Refraining from consuming intoxicating drink and drugs which lead to carelessness
Please note: This does not apply to medically required drugs. Please continue to take any prescription or over-the-counter medications you normally take.
6. Refraining from eating at inappropriate times (specifically, from 1:00 pm until dawn the next day)
7. Refraining from entertainment, beautification, and adornment (not indulging in entertainment or adorning the body with jewelry, makeup, or other things that draw the attention of others or distract from turning inward)
8. Refraining from lying on a high or luxurious sleeping place (not overly indulging in sleep or using sleep as a means of distraction)
COST
Registration fees cover room, simple vegetarian meals, and fixed retreat costs (teacher transportation, accommodation, and meals; facility rental; and miscellaneous expenses). We set the midpoint at or below the per-person cost of hosting each retreat.
You may pay an amount within the range shown below that best fits your circumstances. We ask those who are able to pay at the higher end of the range to do so, helping make the retreat accessible to others. If even the lowest end of the range poses a hardship, please offer what you can.
All rooms at this retreat will be single occupancy.
Registration fee range
$398 – $795 – $1,193
In keeping with Theravāda tradition, there is no charge for the teachings, and no portion of your registration fee goes to Ajahn Jayanto or his monastery. However, toward the end of the retreat, there will be an opportunity to offer dāna (a voluntary donation) in gratitude for Ajahn Jayanto’s teachings. Dāna will be directed to the Jeta Grove Foundation, the nonprofit that stewards donations to Temple Forest Monastery.
HEALTH PRECAUTIONS
This is an in-person, residential retreat. To support the health and well-being of the community, the following policies are in place:
COVID testing is not required beforehand. However, if you are feeling unwell, please stay home and notify the registrar at registrar@madisonmeditation.org.
Masks are optional.
If you develop symptoms during the retreat, testing will be available. Anyone who tests positive for COVID will be asked to return home or isolate.
Hand sanitizer will be available in high-traffic areas, and its use will be required before meals.
All retreatants must agree to a waiver of liability as part of registration.
RESERVED SPACES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE AND PEOPLE OF COLOR
In keeping with our commitment to diversity and inclusion, we reserve the last few spots before the retreat fills up for young people (age 25 and under) and people of color who haven’t yet registered. These spots will be held until three weeks before the retreat (April 24). After that, any remaining reserved spaces will be offered to those on the waiting list.
If you identify with one or both of these groups, please check the appropriate box(es) on the registration form. To inquire about space availability, contact the registrar at registrar@madisonmeditation.org.
MEALS
On each full day of the retreat, there will be a vegetarian breakfast and lunch in the dining hall. In line with the Eight Precepts, everyone attending the retreat will refrain from eating solid food between 1:00 pm and dawn the next day. Those with medical conditions that make it impossible to abide by this precept should contact the registrar at registrar@madisonmeditation.org to discuss their situation. Clear fruit juice and tea will be available at 5:00 pm.
While the retreat kitchen staff endeavors to provide nutritious vegetarian meals with a range of options, the cooks are unable to fully accommodate special dietary needs. If you have questions about dietary needs or other concerns, contact the registrar at registrar@madisonmeditation.org.
SPECIAL NEEDS
If you’d like to use one of our assistive listening devices, please indicate this on your registration form. For best results, we recommend using them with your own earbuds or headphones. For device-related questions, contact Brandon Warner at warnerbrandon24@gmail.com. For other special needs, contact the registrar at registrar@madisonmeditation.org.
CHEMICAL SENSITIVITY
Out of consideration for those with chemical sensitivities, please refrain from using perfumes or scented shampoos, ointments, or lotions during the retreat.
RIDE SHARING
If you’d like to request or offer a ride to or from St. Anthony’s, please indicate this on the registration form or contact the registrar at registrar@madisonmeditation.org.
SCHEDULE
Friday, May 15
4:30 pm – Check-in
6:00 pm – Orientation (optional)
7:00 pm – Retreat begins
Please arrive no later than 6:30 pm to allow time to check in, get settled, and be present in the hall when the retreat begins.
Sunday, May 22
12:00 pm – Retreat ends
TO REGISTER
Please complete online registration by Friday, May 8. We recommend registering early, as our retreats fill quickly. If the retreat is full, you may ask to be placed on the waitlist. If we are unable to offer you a spot, your payment will be refunded in full.
Please note: Your place in the registration queue is not secured until we receive both your completed registration form and your payment.
CANCELLATIONS
· Cancellations by April 15 will receive a refund minus a $50 processing fee.
· Cancellations after April 15 will be refunded only if we are able to fill your spot.
ONLINE PAYMENT
Once your registration form is complete, you will be prompted to pay online. If you prefer not to pay electronically, contact the registrar at registrar@madisonmeditation.org to make other arrangements.
If you’re unable to pay when you register, you may return to this page later and use this payment link.
Once your registration and payment are received, you’ll receive a confirmation email. Additional retreat details will be sent closer to the time of the retreat.
For registration questions, please contact the registrar at registrar@madisonmeditation.org.
Born in Boston in 1967, Ajahn Jayanto grew up in Newton, Mass. and attended the University of Wisconsin at Madison, during which time a period of world travel kindled a great interest in the spiritual life. While living at the Insight Meditation Society in Barre, Massachusetts, he made plans to join the monastic community of Ajahn Sumedho, and became a postulant at Amaravati Monastery in England in 1989. Taking higher ordination at the related Cittaviveka Monastery in 1991, he trained there and at Aruna Ratanagiri Monastery until 1997, at which point he embarked on a period of practice in Thailand and other Asian Buddhist countries. He returned to the UK in 2006, where he served at Amaravati until moving to Temple in 2014. Since 2009 Ajahn Jayanto has helped to lead the efforts to establish a branch monastery in New England, and he now serves as co-abbot of Temple Forest Monastery.