The Earth is rapidly changing. The rising temperatures, wildfires, floods, and storms long predicted have arrived. The sixth great extinction is underway, bringing incalculable loss to the abundance and beauty that is this living world. This is not only a planetary emergency—it is a spiritual reckoning.
Amidst the grief and disruption of eco-social loss and further peril, the world feels increasingly dangerous. This is hard on all beings, including us humans. Yet even as social structures and ecosystems falter, the Earth remains alive with wonder. Beneath the storms and heat, the living world continues to speak: animal kin, rivers, fungi, stones, forests, and birds—all revealing the Dharma in their own way. Through these cycles, Earth rains with teachings. We are not separate from this web of life; we are expressions of it.
Buddhist teachers, facilitators, and community leaders are being called to a new level of presence and response. How do we meet the suffering of this moment without collapsing into despair or turning away? How do we support others to face social fragmentation, ecological distress, and spiritual disorientation? And how do we teach the Dharma—still ancient and more relevant than ever—at a time of planetary transformation?
Over four days at the beautiful Seven Oaks Retreat Center, held by the forested hills and flowing waters of the Blue Ridge Mountains, we will listen deeply to this teaching. The land itself will be one of our primary guides.
PLEASE NOTE:
This retreat is for mindfulness and Dharma teachers. Supported financially by the BESS Family Foundation and in partnership with IMCW and One Earth Sangha, we are offering a space of collective inquiry, practice, and renewal for those who wish to integrate ecological truth into their teaching and leadership. Qualified teachers need only pay the $100 deposit to attend. Invitations to register will be sent to approved applicants by January 15, 2026.
