Stephen Mugen Snyder, Roshi has been leading meditation retreats for nearly 20 years. Most of these retreats were hosted at the Cloud Mountain Retreat Center and in Europe. These retreats were successful but in 2023, it became clear that it was necessary for Mugen to begin self-hosting retreats to be able to guide students into even deeper practice.
Self-hosting has enabled smaller group sizes, a warm-hearted, supportive environment, more personalized attention including daily interviews, and longer two-to-three week retreats. Self-hosting has also proven that Mugen’s intuition was correct. Students are going deeper and there is demand for these retreats. Self-hosting has also come with challenges. Renting houses is increasingly expensive and creates extra logistical challenges.
Now is the time for an Awakening Dharma Retreat Center. The most basic version of this vision is simply a house in a quiet location capable of housing a dozen yogis. The most elaborate version of this vision includes property for trails, enough space to host a couple of dozen yogis, and a dedicated meditation hall. This center will be a place for deep practice, helping students awaken to their true nature.
One of our first actions towards fundraising was to create a self-paced course called Anatomy of Awakening. It is a series of in-depth interviews with leading spiritual teachers, exploring what it means to awaken, and the skillful practices used to do so. Please support us by purchasing this course and consider making a donation.Donations
$14,380.37 has been raised so far as of October 2, 2025.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where would the retreat center be located?
Most likely in Michigan near Mugen’s current home. Property is affordable and it is a generally beautiful area. Proximity to a major airport is an important consideration. Other locations could be considered, especially if a significant donation or property was offered.
What kinds of offerings would the retreat center provide?
The retreat center would primarily host silent meditation retreats on the topics of awakening, cessation, jhana, the heart practices, and related topics. It would also be a location for solo retreats for Awakening Dharma students. When the retreat center was unused, renting it out to other groups is a possibility but not a primary goal.
How much money needs to be raised? Is it realistic?
On the low end, we’ve seen houses for sale that would be sufficient for less than $500k. A portion could be financed making this a realistic and quite achievable option.
On the high-end, it would take $1.5-3 million which is probably not realistic currently without a wealthy donor, or foundation, taking an interest in the project.
Who would teach at the retreat center?
Stephen Mugen Snyder, Roshi would be the primary teacher. Mark Sando Mininberg, Roshi would also join as a teacher as other commitments allow. Together they will train the next generation of teachers. Mugen is currently training teachers across the US, Europe, and Asia. The Buddha’s Heart Training program is now on its third cohort of students. Thomas Zenshin Jedensjö is the first assistant retreat teacher in training.
Are donations tax deductible?
In the US, your donations are tax deductible to Stephen’s 501 (3)(c) non-profit, called “Awakening Dharma.”