1st Vajra Yoga of Kalachakra: Empowerment, Teachings & Retreat with Khentrul Rinpoché

“Upon completion of the two outer, the five inner, and the two unique preliminary practices of the Kalachakra Path, we are ready to enter the indestructible and profound path of the Six Vajra Yogas. These advanced yogic techniques are like a wish-fulfilling jewel with the capacity to grant us everything our hearts desire in the blink of an eye. For a diligent practitioner whose mind is sufficiently pure, enlightenment can be achieved within only a few short human years. Even mastery of a single vajra yoga is enough to ensure one is never again reborn into the suffering cycle of death and rebirth.” (Khentrul Rinpoche, “Unveiling Your Sacred Truth 3”)

The event encompasses 1) two days of preparations with Preliminary Practices, Pujas, Kalachakra-Tsok, and a walk in the nature with Rinpoche, 2) The Four Higher Empowerments of Kalachakra (Rinpoché will bestow them again for the sake of your spiritual progress), 3) Teaching-Transmission of the 1st Vajra Yoga Practice, 4) a printed booklet about the 1st Vajra Yoga in English, 5) If needed, a personal audiences with Rinpoche (upon request), 6) one week of Retreat with practice sessions guided by senior students, as well as 7) food and accommodations at the Dzokden Kalapa Retreat Center. 

SCHEDULE (10 nights)

2nd August afternoon – arrivals and welcome meeting with introductions (check-in 2 PM – 4 PM) 

3rd August – Kalachakra Preliminary Practices, Guru Puja Ritual and Kalachakra-Tsok, Walk in the nature around Dzokden Kalapa Retreat Center with Rinpoche

4th August  – new moon – Puja and Four Higher Empowerments for the 1st Yoga participants 

5th – 12th August – Teaching-Transmission of the 1st Vajra Yoga, 1st Vajra Yoga Retreat (week 1); personal audiences with Rinpoche

12th August – concluding Tsok and check-out after lunch (if you wish, you can stay longer for weeks 2, 3 and 4 by registering here)

How to prepare for this retreat: We strongly encourage you to prepare yourself as much as you can with all the 9 Kalachakra Preliminary Practices. In addition to the longer sadhanas “Divine Ladder” and “Enlightening the Heart”, you will need to know the sadhana “Secret Dakini Treasure”. We encourage you to study all the sadhanas as much as you can, including the transliterations and chantings, because there will be some sessions of chanting in Tibetan without a recording during the retreat. We strongly recommend that you also register here for the Summer Wensum retreat so that you can be better prepared for the 1st Yoga Retreat.

During the retreat, Guru Puja and Kalachakra Tsok gatherings will also be held on special occasions. We strongly encourage you to additionally register for their two associated courses at our learning center to prepare yourself in advance so that you know the rituals very well beforehand. If you wish (not mandatory), bring your own vajra, bell, damaru, or other ritual instruments to use during the puja and tsok gatherings.

Materials: You can borrow printed texts of Guru Puja and Tsok from the temple to use during the event. Please bring your printed practice book “The Profound Path of Vajra Yoga” and your “Four Higher Empowerments” Booklet. You can also bring Rinpoche’s commentary “The Hidden Treasure” and “Unveiling Your Sacred Truth 3” as a reference for your practice (everything on paper, as tablets, phones, or computers are not allowed after the strict retreat begins.) Other reading materials not directly related to the 1st Vajra Yoga are not allowed during the retreat period. You need to bring your blindfold and your meditation belt. If you have already participated before, bring also your 1st Vajra Yoga Booklet. 

After the Empowerments on August 4th, the strict retreat will begin. The retreat will be closed and in silence. During this period, participants are not allowed to receive visitors or use computers, tablet devices, mobile phones, and so forth. We can store personal phones and other electronic devices in our office. If someone needs to contact you in case of emergency, they can email [email protected] or call +43 676 395 8898. Both e-mailbox and phone will be checked at least once each day. Rinpoche advises participants to follow the retreat guidelines respectfully, not only for the success of their own practice, but also to avoid disturbing others. 

The daily schedule consists of four practice sessions and additional activities such as occasional pujas, teachings, interviews, and so forth. Participation in two daily group sessions is mandatory unless health conditions completely prevent you from taking part. The remaining two sessions can be practiced in your own room if you prefer. Practice sessions will be conducted in English and Tibetan. If you absolutely prefer, you can bring copies of the texts in your own language as well and read them silently while the group recites in English. 

The fee for the retreat includes three vegetarian meals and shared accommodations at the beautiful Dzokden Kalapa Retreat Center. Please inform us ([email protected]) in advance if you have allergies, food intolerances, or other important health or mental conditions that we need to consider. We cannot offer space for individual rooms for participants of this event. However, you can alternatively bring your own tent and sleep outside near the Kalachakra Stupa (see registration options below). Please note: Parking in the area of Kalapa is very limited. If you are staying with us for the whole retreat, we encourage you to drop off then find a space to park at a distance (in the city, if possible) to help other travellers reach the site.

Off-Site Accommodations If you absolutely need an individual room, many options for accommodations are available near the retreat center’s area, in the Garanas region, and in the town Bad Schwanberg. In this case, please search for and book the necessary reservations yourself. 

More Info and Registration for this event at the Kalapa website by clicking here.

This is a strict retreat, and participants should avoid engaging in too much physical activity and interacting with others unnecessarily. We need one volunteer to cook breakfast, lunch, and a light dinner for the participants, and a cook helper. The volunteers will be able to enjoy all the areas in the retreat center except for the Kalachakra Temple itself where the participants will practice. Unlike the participants, the external volunteers can access electronic devices, the internet, and so forth. This is an extraordinary opportunity to generate merit and create the causes to be able to engage in this practice yourself in the future. Rinpoche strongly encourages us to support our dharma brothers and sisters by volunteering. 

If you are considering this opportunity, please write as soon as possible to [email protected], so that we can arrange a video call to plan your participation. You can also volunteer for only a portion of the event rather than for the whole retreat; you can offer as much as possible according to your capability. That being said, we prefer the participation of someone who can commit to the whole period. During your stay, we can provide free access to an online course or recorded retreat at our digital learning center if you would like to support your practice and study while you are volunteering. You can also choose a dharma book of your choice in our Kalapa Shop that Kalapa will give you as a gift.

Kalachakra Kalapa Center, Garanas 41, Bad Schwanberg, zip code 8541, Austria, Südweststeiermark. The nearest airport is in Graz, Austria. To travel to Kalapa by train, start at the main train station in Graz. From there, take the S6 or S61 S-Bahn towards Wies-Eibiswald for about an hour to the Bad Schwanberg station. (Timetable information)

To travel from the Bad Schwanberg train station to the retreat center, a relatively inexpensive taxi service supported by the government is available that will take you directly to the Retreat Center, which is referred to as “Buddhistisches Zentrum” by this taxi service. For more information, please visit the following website: Regio Mobil. The taxi must be ordered at least one hour in advance, but visitors are recommended to do so much earlier or on the day before you intend to arrive. On weekdays, this taxi service operates between the hours of 6.00 a.m. and 8.00 p.m. On weekends it does not operate during the evening. As the journey is quite long (about 20 minutes), the service should be scheduled at least half an hour before the closing hours provided above. For trips on Sundays or public holidays please schedule the taxi service by 5 p.m. on the day before you intend to arrive.

To order: +43 (0)50 16 17 18 Cost: €6.00 total regardless of how many people are taking the taxi. Alternatively you can book a normal taxi service or similar.

By car: From the Graz-West motorway junction (A2/A9), get on the A2 towards Klagenfurt/Italy and take the Lieboch exit. Then, continue on Federal Road 76 towards Eibiswald. After about 30 km, you will reach Schwanberg. At the end of the main square in Schwanberg, turn left towards Garanas. After the bridge, turn right towards Garanas and follow the signs to “Kalachakra Kalapa Center” uphill for about 8 km to reach the center.