The May Retreat with Khenpo Sherab Sangpo

May 22 - 25, 2026 | Mount Olivet Conference & Retreat Center

Bodhicitta Teachings and Offerings

The topic for our residential retreat from May 22 – 25, 2026 will be Taking Happiness and Suffering as the Path by Dodrupchen Rinpoche. In addition to receiving these precious teachings from Khenpo Sherab Sangpo, we will also perform the flower offering ritual from the Chöjuk Metok using chapters 1, 2, 3, and 10 from A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life by Shantideva. Students will have the opportunity to take and renew refuge and bodhisattva vows.

Open to all who wish to practice meditation and to cultivate bodhicitta to benefit all living beings.

RETREAT REGISTRATION

Please choose one of the follow attendance options: In-Person Registration or Zoom Registration. All of our retreat pricing options include a retreat fee of $200 for Khenpo Sherab Sangpo’s teachings. The remaining difference in price is based on the attendance type you select. Please note that we cannot refund retreat registration costs after May 9, 2026.

1. Register for in-person attendance by filling out this form.

2. Pay the retreat cost via PayPal or see other payment options on our website for one of the following options:

  • $910: Single Occupancy for Medical Reasons Only (Includes lodging, meals, and retreat fee.)
  • $750: Double Occupancy (Includes lodging, meals, and retreat fee.)
  • $650: Dorm Occupancy (Includes lodging, meals, and retreat fee.)
  • $530: Commuter (No lodging. Includes meals and retreat fee.)

Single Occupancy is only available if you have a medical condition that requires lodging by yourself. There are a limited number of single occupancy rooms and we will do our best to accommodate requests due to medical reasons. Single and double occupancy rooms are limited and will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis by our Registrar.

You may also choose to pay a deposit of $200 for the retreat fee, with the remaining balance to be paid-in-full by May 9, 2026.

Please note that registration for in-person attendance will close after May 9, 2026. 

  1. Register for Zoom attendance only and pay the $200 retreat fee via this Zoom registration link.

 For more payment assistance or scholarship information, please email our Financial Coordinators Jeremy Hallett and Keith Ta at [email protected]. If you would like to donate to our scholarship fund or contribute to the flower offerings, you may donate online via PayPal or see other donation options on our website.

If you need any further assistance, please see the contact us page of our website. Please see more information about the schedule and location below. Thank you for your interest in the May Retreat!

Tibetan thangka painting of Manjushri, Shantideva, and Patrul Rinpoche painted by Khenpo Sherab Sangpo's nephew, Padma Chophel.

RETREAT SCHEDULE

Friday, May 22

  • 5:00 – 6:00 PM: Arrival and Registration (Chapel Sacristy)*
  • 6:00 – 7:30 PM: Evening Meal (Trillium Dining Room, Youngdahl Lodge)
  • 7:30 – 8:15 PM: Setting Our Bodhicitta Motivation for the Retreat and Guided Meditation with Khenpo Sherab Sangpo (Chapel)

Saturday, May 23 & Sunday, May 24

  • 7:00 – 8:00 AM: Seated Meditation (Optional, Chapel)
  • 8:00 – 9:30 AM: Breakfast (Trillium Dining Room, Youngdahl Lodge)
  • 9:30 – 10:30 AM: Teaching and Meditation with Khenpo Sherab Sangpo (Chapel)
  • 10:30 – 10:45 AM: Break
  • 10:45 – 12:00 PM: Teaching and Meditation with Khenpo Sherab Sangpo (Chapel)
  • 12:00 – 1:30 PM: Lunch (Trillium Dining Room, Youngdahl Lodge)
  • 1:00 – 2:30 PM: Practice Interviews with Khenpo Sherab Sangpo (Optional, Chapel Sacristy)
  • 2:30 – 3:30 PM: Teaching and Meditation with Khenpo Sherab Sangpo (Chapel)
  • 3:30 – 3:45 PM: Break
  • 3:45 – 4:45 PM: Teaching and Meditation with Khenpo Sherab Sangpo (Chapel)
  • 4:45 – 6:00 PM: Break
  • 6:00 – 7:30 PM: Evening Meal (Trillium Dining Room, Youngdahl Lodge)
  • 7:30 – 8:15 PM: Guided Meditation with Khenpo Sherab Sangpo (Chapel)

Monday, May 25

  • 7:00 – 8:00 AM: Seated Meditation (Optional, Chapel)
  • 8:00 – 9:30 AM: Breakfast (Trillium Dining Room, Youngdahl Lodge)*
  • 9:30 – 10:30 AM: Teaching and Meditation with Khenpo Sherab Sangpo (Chapel)
  • 10:30 – 10:45 AM: Break
  • 10:45 – 12:00 PM: Teaching and Meditation with Khenpo Sherab Sangpo (Chapel)
  • 12:00 – 1:30 PM: Lunch (Trillium Dining Room, Youngdahl Lodge)
  • 1:00 – 2:30 PM: Practice Interviews with Khenpo Sherab Sangpo (Optional, Chapel Sacristy)
  • 2:30 – 4:00 PM: Teaching and Meditation with Khenpo Sherab Sangpo and Dedication of Merit and Blessing Ceremony (Chapel)
  • 4:00 – 5:00 PM: Departure

*Check-out time is 10 AM on the day of your departure. Please strip your bed and prop your room door open when you leave. Keys should be turned in at the front desk in the Youngdahl Lodge.

Khenpo Sherab Sangpo teaching in the chapel at May Retreat in 2023.
The chapel at Mount Olivet Conference and Retreat Center in May 2023.
Mount Olivet Retreat Center Outdoor Patio Area
Mount Olivet Retreat Center Pool Area
Mount Olivet Retreat Center Hotel Room

MOUNT OLIVET CONFERENCE & RETREAT CENTER

 

Enjoy teachings, meditation, and quiet time at a retreat center surrounded by 150 acres of woods, lakes, and prairies.

 

Mount Olivet Conference & Retreat Center
7984 257th Street West
Farmington, MN 55024

The retreat center is located approximately 45 minutes from downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. You can call Mount Olivet Conference & Retreat Center at (952) 469-2175. In case of an emergency, you can reach the on-call manager at (952) 201-1663.

MEDITATION SEATING
We will have chairs and fifteen sets of meditation cushions and mats. If you have your own meditation cushion and mat, you are welcome to bring it and place it in the chapel for the duration of the retreat.

PACKING LIST
Optional items to bring with you:

  • reusable water bottle or thermos mug
  • meditation mat and cushion, if you prefer to use your own
  • personal practice texts and mala
  • Tibetan ceremonial prayer scarf (katak) and teacher’s donation for Sunday evening’s blessing ceremony
  • alarm clock, preferred bed pillow, or earplugs, if you are sensitive to sounds at night while sleeping
  • necessary medications
  • notebook and pen
  • flashlight or headlamp for campfire area
  • bathing suit and towel for pool and sauna
  • suitable clothing for a variety of cold to warm weather conditions
  • flower offering (potted flowers or flowers in a vase) for the shrine

What will be provided to you:

  • chairs in the meditation chapel, including 15 sets of meditation mats and cushions
  • retreat folder with printed retreat schedule and retreat text
  • sheets, towels, linens, and pillows are provided by the retreat center
  • vegetarian/vegan meals
  • water, coffee, tea, and snacks during breaks
  • thank you cards for our teacher’s donation for Sunday evening’s blessing ceremony

LODGING & ACCESSIBILITY
Overnight room check-in time is 3 PM on the day of your arrival and check-out time is 10 AM on the day of your departure. Please strip your bed and prop your room door open when you leave. Keys should be turned in at the front desk in the Youngdahl Lodge.

The retreat center has hotel-style rooms and dorm rooms. The Cornell House hotel-style rooms include two full-size beds. Single occupancy means one person per hotel-style room. Double occupancy means two people per hotel-style room (one bed for each person). Dorm rooms sleep eight people in four single beds and two sets of bunk beds. These rooms can accommodate nine people with the addition of a roll-away bed.

All of the retreat center buildings are handicap accessible and have automatic front doors. Elevators are located in both multi-level buildings. All guest room door handles are lever style. Handicapped bathroom stalls exist in all public bathrooms. Lodging room 301 is ADA-compliant.

When you fill out your registration form, you can state your preference for lodging and meals.

DINING
Vegetarian and vegan meals will be served in the Trillium Dining Room on the main floor of the Youngdahl Lodge. Breakfast starts at 8 AM, lunch at 12 PM, and dinner at 6 PM as noted on our retreat schedule. Mt. Olivet’s kitchen can accommodate special dietary requests, such as gluten-free, lactose-free, and nut-free. Please note that Mt. Olivet cannot 100% guarantee to maintain a gluten-free, lactose-free, or nut-free kitchen environment. If you have severe food allergies, please bring your EpiPen or other emergency food allergy medication.

When you fill out your registration form, you can state your preference for vegetarian or vegan meals. You can also let our coordinators know of any special diet needs you may have, including gluten-free, lactose-free, and nut-free. Please communicate any special diet needs no later than May 9, 2026, as we must give Mt. Olivet’s kitchen staff two weeks notice.

RELAXATION & RECREATION
Recreation amenities will be available to our group, including the pool, whirlpool, sauna, campfire area, and hiking trails. For more information and hiking maps, see Frequently Asked Questions about Mount Olivet Conference & Retreat Center.

Map of Mount Olivet Retreat Center

HOTELS NEAR OUR RETREAT CENTER

There are four hotels within 10 miles (16 kilometers) of our retreat center. If you would prefer to stay in a hotel, please select the commuter option when you register. We won’t be able to provide shuttle service from these hotels to our retreat center. You will need to arrange your own transportation.

Compare hotels options and pricing in Lakeville, Minnesota on Tripadvisor:

  • Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites (20800 Kenrick Avenue, Lakeville, MN, 55044)
  • Hampton Inn (20851 Keokuk Avenue, Lakeville, MN 55044)
  • Candlewood Suites (21060 Keswick Loop, Lakeville, MN 55044)
  • Baymont by Wyndham (17145 Kenyon Avenue, Lakeville, MN 55044)