The people doing three-year retreat are among the best-trained meditators in the world.
They have completed an average of 12 years of rigorous study equivalent to any Ph.D. program in the world. They have also completed several 5-week silent meditations retreats to prepare their minds for the many challenges of long retreat.
Most importantly, these retreatants have dedicated their lives to teaching others, always for free. They have shared the courses they have studied, passing on the lineage to thousands of students around the world. Each retreatant intends to keep teaching, always for free, when they emerge from three-year retreat.
To prepare for retreat, their study has included the major teachings from the Tibetan Buddhist monasteries including the open and secret teachings. And many of the retreatants have studied teachings from the world’s major religions including the Yoga Traditions, Christianity, Judaism, and Islam.