3rd Annual Summer Retreat 2017

July 3rd – 17th 2017 
Extensive Teachings on the Vajrayana PathJigme Tromge Rinpoche will continue a series of annual summer retreats covering all aspects of Vajrayana practice, including meditations, deity yoga sadhana, ritual arts and texts relevant to all nine yanas. These retreats are being offered under the auspices of Chagdud Gonpa Foundation, with the aspiration to enrich the sangha’s knowledge and application of the practices His Eminence Chagdud Rinpoche introduced to his students.  The retreat will run for two weeks.  Full attendance is required in order to participate in this retreat.

In 2016 Jigme Rinpoche expanded on 2015’s Lojong (Mind Training) teachings and gave instruction on the practice of the Dudjom Tersar Ngondro. Details of the 2017 curriculum will be announced in early 2017.

This program is open to both new and returning students. Retreatants new to the program, i.e. who did not attend in 2015 or 2016, should note that the Lojong (Mind Training) covered in the first year of the program is essential, fundamental training for the accomplishment of any Vajrayana practice, including Ngondro. Therefore, all new retreatants will be focusing on Lojong, even if they have previously completed a Ngondro.

Jigme Rinpoche explains: “For some dharma practitioners, the strength of their karmic connection with Vajrayana is such that they can almost immediately make sense of the concepts unique to Vajrayana Buddhism. But for others, if there is not a proper foundation, the extraordinary wealth of Vajrayana practices can become merely a trap. For example, instead of being understood as a form of meditation, ritual arts can become a distraction, or simply inflate artistic egos. Deity yoga can result in even more confused fixation on external phenomena, or become an avenue for self-aggrandizement, rather than serving as a method for understanding ultimate truth. We want to make good use of our time, and remove our confusion rather than add to it, so retreats like this can present a wonderful opportunity to really study and apply the sublime methods transmitted to us through generations of master practitioners.”

All participants will follow a schedule of daily meditation, sadhana study and reading assignments, and there will also be time for question-and-answer sessions. Ritual arts training will be presented in the context of the preparations for the Rigdzin Dupa drubchen that follows later in July.

COSTS: Prices for the whole retreat include accommodations as selected, three meals a day and instruction. Meals will be simple, vegetarian dishes with gluten-free and dairy-free options per advance request. There is an early-bird discount of $75 off the listed prices below for registrations completed before June 14th! If you have questions please email us.