Celebrate the Lunar New Year (Tibetan and Chinese) with us at the Rime Institute. The year of the wood dragon will bring a stabilizing prosperity and nourishment that we need so much in our world. We will start the day with a traditional sang offering puja to purify karmic debt. As it is a celebratory time to spend with the community, enjoy breakfast with us at the Rime Institute. In Tibet they celebrate the whole week sharing food with the neighbors. Community is We will then perform offerings in the extremely powerful 21 Tara’s Wish Fulfilling Vase Practice (Drolmi Kazug) Puja to bring a Golden Age of wealth and abundance to our world. If you are online anywhere in the world, we encourage you to do the pujas along with us at home. You can do a simple form of the smoke offering by offering incense. If you have received the empowerments for Drolmi Kazug please practice along. Sponsor the Lunar New Year Pujas Start the year off with a fresh start. Create a karmic connection for your loved ones living and deceased by making an offering in their name to help repay their karmic debt and connect them to the causes of wealth and abundance. We will include them specifically in the puja dedications. May the thunderous roar of the wood dragon spread the Dharma for the benefit of all beings!
Central Europe and South Africa FRIDAY February 9, 2024 9:00 PM – Sang Offering with Prayers of Auspiciousness SATURDAY February 10, 2024 12:00 AM – 2:00 AM – Drolmi Kazug Wishfulfilling Vase Puja with Khentrul Rinpoche
Rinpoché has kindly accepted a request to bestow the Four Higher Empowerments of Kalachakra in Europe. This precious and rare opportunity is a major step on the Dharma path. To ensure the success of students on their paths, Rinpoche will only bestow these empowerments to pre-approved students who genuinely wish to deepen their practice. To bring more clarity to the preparation process, we have prepared an additional explanation. Regardless of whether you are a new or veteran practitioner, Rinpoché requests that everyone takes the time to read it. Download here: 2024 – Conditions for Participation in the Higher Empowerments for Wensum and 1st Vajra Yoga.
For new participants, by clicking on this link you can find more material to understand where you are currently on your path. After reading and reflecting on this material, we welcome you to present yourself as a candidate by sending your application here. Only upon approval will you be able to proceed with registration.
(Note: The Kalachakra Four Higher Empowerments are not the same as the Kalachakra “Seven Empowerments of a Growing Child” given by Rinpoché online. For further clarification regarding it and Guru Devotion, please read the respective chapters of Unveiling Your Sacred Truth Book 3.)
About the Event and Schedule
“Up to this point, our use of conceptual methods has been instrumental in removing our many layers of misconception, but as they are embedded in the dualistic mind, these methods function as a subtle barrier to experiencing our definitive nature. For this reason, we need to abandon them in favour of a direct approach that works without conceptual fabrications. We can achieve this transformation from conceptual to non-conceptual in two steps. Firstly we are introduced to the Kalachakra view by receiving the Four Higher Empowerments. Secondly, with the establishment of this view, we use the unique meditation technique of the Three Isolations (Wensum) to cut the proliferation of thoughts and abide in the nature of the mind.” (Khentrul Rinpoche, “Unveiling Your Sacred Truth 3”)
The event encompasses 1) a day of preparations with Preliminary Practices, Guru Puja, Kalachakra-Tsok, and a walk in the nature with Rinpoche, 2) The Kalachakra Four Higher Empowerments, 3) Teaching-Transmission of the Wensum (Three Isolations) Practice, 4) a printed booklet about the Empowerments and Practice, 5) “Secret Dakini Treasure” Sadhana oral transmission 6) If needed, a personal audience with Rinpoche (upon request), 7) Kalachakra Dark Meditation Retreat (Three Isolations / Wensum) with practice sessions guided by senior students, as well as 8)food and accommodations at the Dzokden Kalapa Retreat Center.
We aspire to offer new English materials written by the lineage masters about the practice in case the translation process is finalized before the event.
SCHEDULE
12th July afternoon – arrivals and welcome meeting with introductions (check-in 2 PM – 4 PM)
13h July – Kalachakra Preliminary Practices, Guru Puja Ritual and Kalachakra-Tsok, Walk in the nature around Dzokden Kalapa Retreat Center with Rinpoche
14th July – Four Higher Empowerments and teaching-transmission of the Three Isolations (Wensum) practice.
14th – 21st July – Kalachakra Dark Meditation Retreat; personal audiences with Rinpoche
21st July – full moon – concluding Tsok, and check-out after lunch
How to Prepare and Materials
How to prepare for this retreat: We strongly encourage you to prepare yourself as much as you can with the 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”. For the latter, you must register here for the recorded commentary Rinpoche gave recently if you have not already done so. 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.
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”. You bring also 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 Wensum practice are not allowed during the retreat period. If you have already participated before, bring also your “Four Higher Empowerments Booklet”, your blinddfold, and your meditation belt. If you are new, you will receive these as a gift during the empowerment ceremony.
Retreat Information and Guidelines
After the Four Higher Empowerments on July 14th, 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 Wensum practice sessions and additional activities such as occasional pujas, 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.
In the Jonang Tradition, this practice is done using a special blindfold to generate complete darkness. If you are a new participant, you do not need to buy this in advance. We will buy it for you and you will receive it as a gift after Rinpoché has blessed it for you to practice. Also, if you are attending the Higher Empowerments for the first time, we will give you a meditation belt. If you arealdy have one, then we will ask Rinpoché to bless yours.
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.
Volunteer Opportunities
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 have already taken the Higher Empowerments and want to volunteer full-time for the whole period, you can also participate in the event for free.
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.
This event will be available both Online and In-person.
ABOUT MARICHI EMPOWERMENT Marichi is the life-long personal protector from Khentrul Rinpoche. She is also considered the proteress of the Sublime Realm of Shambhala. Rinpoche will bestow her Empowerment and transmit a Marichi sadhana written by him which is based on his own visionary experience with this buddhist goddess. This retreat will include a study of the Marichi Sutra, sadhana practice and the Marichi Puja.
THE BUDDHIST PROTECTRESS MARICHI In some lineages of the Vajrayana Buddhism, Marichi is considered to be one manifestation of Tara, appearing for example as the 21st Tara. There are other forms from her found also in other spiritual systems. She is the colour of the sunset, a wondrous, glowing orange. She comes with the sun and, as the sun, her blessings pervade everywhere.
This sadhana is also extremely helpful for those working with the Drolmi Kazug Puja. Beyond the empowerment and oral transmission of the Marichi Sadhana, Rinpoche will also give an introductory teaching on her and will join us in a Q&A session during the retreat. The practice sessions on the weekend will be transmitted online as well.
RINPOCHE’S PERSONAL CONNECTION WITH MARICHI Marichi (also known as Marīcī and Özer Chenma) came to Rinpoche’s life when he was a young boy herding yak cattles in Tibet. Without fences, it was quite difficult to take care of them. Some yaks hide themselves from the boy Rinpoche under rocks, and so used to spend the night in danger of being attacked by wolves. To help protect them, his family shared with him the Marichi mantra and the faith in her when he was still very young.
“I do not know exactly why, perhaps because of having no doubt when doing this or because of a special connection, when I recited her mantra and did the ritual according to the traditional manner of protecting the yaks, I have 100% guarantee that the yaks would be safe during the night. I never had problems with yaks being killed by the wolves since then, really never. So I kept that in mind and I recited innumerable mantras, many times, when I took care of them. So, afterwards, anytime when we had an obstacle I always relied on her.”
“So this is why Tibetan says that praying for Marichi helps. But, of course, it does not help everyone individually, as it depends for example on the individual connection and on the level of faith. You must have no doubt at all. I have indestructible faith in Marichi since my childhood, so this helped me to develop many connections with her during my life.”
Schedule by Timezone:
Central Europe and South Africa
FRIDAY December 29, 2023 5:00 AM – Arrival anytime if staying at the Rime Institute
9:00 AM – Public talk on the Realm of Shambhala
11:00 PM – 8 Shambhala Dharma King Empowerment
SATURDAY December 30, 2023 3:00 AM – 5:00 AM – 8 Shambhala Dharma King Teaching and Practice Session
11:00 PM – Marichi Tara Empowerment
SUNDAY December 31, 2023 3:00 AM – 5:00 AM – Marichi Practice and Teaching
11:00 PM – 1000 Buddha Sadhana Chanting and final consecration of the Shakyamuni Buddha Statues
MONDAY January 01, 2024 1:00 AM – 2:00 AM – Kalki King Sadhana Practice
3:00 AM – 5:00 AM – Closing Teaching and Practice with Rinpoche
This is a FREE event. It is traditional to make an offering to the Lama for this event. You may send your donation as an offering. This event will be available both Online and In-person.
Refuge Vow
Until you have taken refuge, you have not committed your spiritual practice to a life direction. And once you take the refuge vow, you are recognizing that you yourself have Buddha nature and can unveil it. To do that, you need the support of a guide, (the Buddha), instructions on how to reveal your nature (the Dharma) and friends on the journey to keep you moving in the right direction (the Sangha). Taking refuge changes your life priorities and firmly plants you moving in the direction towards your Buddha nature. This is the first step as an official Buddhist on the path. While you can take it in your heart which is the most important form, you can also take it with a Buddhist master. It represents turning toward a genuine spiritual path that can be of benefit not only to ourselves but to others as well. Khentrul Rinpoche will offer this vow to those who would like to take it. Since this is the moment you recognizing yourself as part of the family of the Buddhas, you are given a new name, a refuge name which has profound meaning based on the qualities of the ultimate truth which you will work to cultivate and reveal in yourself. You can receive one in person or request one online.
Bodhisattva Vow
For those who want to know the truth of their nature, but also want everyone else to know the truth of their nature – there is the Bodhisattva Vow. This is a ceremony to commit to or to validate your choice to help all sentient beings in the 10 directions and 3 times to know their own sacred truth. It’s a commitment to help others awaken no matter what it takes, no matter how long, and no matter when it happens. It is a commitment to be here for their benefit. This is a step to cultivating the heart of love and compassion and the warrior spirit and energy that will stop at nothing to help other people see their truth.
The Bodhisattva Vow can only be taken after you have taken the Refuge Vow. In taking this vow, you move from a path of individual awakening to one of communal awakening commit to love and compassion as your path.
Schedule by Timezone:
Melbourne, Australia – SATURDAY December 09, 2023 / 07:00 PM Hong Kong, Shanghai, Mongolia, Singapore and Taiwan – SATURDAY December 09, 2023 / 04:00 PM Hanoi, Vietnam – SATURDAY December 09, 2023 / 03:00 PM Romania – SATURDAY December 09, 2023 / 10:00 AM Central Europe and South Africa – SATURDAY December 09, 2023 / 09:00 AM Sao Paulo, Brazil – SATURDAY December 09, 2023 / 06:00 AM East Coast USA, Toronto – SATURDAY December 09, 2023 / 03:00 AM West Coast USA – SATURDAY December 09, 2023 / 12:00 AM
If you have taken these vows formally in the past this is a good time to renew them. If you are taking the Refuge Vow for the first time, you will be asked to request a refuge name.
The ceremony comes with a free digital book for the practice. For those that reserve a spot by the 1st of December, we may have a physical book in-person.
Questions? If you have any questions, please send an email to [email protected].
Marichi is the life-long personal protector from Khentrul Rinpoche. She is also considered the proteress of the Sublime Realm of Shambhala. Rinpoche will bestow her Empowerment and transmit a Marichi sadhana written by him which is based on his own visionary experience with this buddhist goddess.
THE BUDDHIST PROTECTRESS MARICHI In some lineages of the Vajrayana Buddhism, Marichi is considered to be one manifestation of Tara, appearing for example as the 21st Tara. There are other forms from her found also in other spiritual systems. She is the colour of the sunset, a wondrous, glowing orange. She comes with the sun and, as the sun, her blessings pervade everywhere.
This sadhana is also extremely helpful for those working with the Drolmi Kazug Puja. Beyond the empowerment and oral transmission of the Marichi Sadhana, Rinpoche will also give an introductory teaching on her and bestow a new Sadhana on the 21 Taras that focuses on Marichi. RINPOCHE’S PERSONAL CONNECTION WITH MARICHI Marichi (also known as Marīcī and Özer Chenma) came to Rinpoche’s life when he was a young boy herding yak cattles in Tibet. Without fences, it was quite difficult to take care of them. Some yaks hide themselves from the boy Rinpoche under rocks, and so used to spend the night in danger of being attacked by wolves. To help protect them, his family shared with him the Marichi mantra and the faith in her when he was still very young.
“I do not know exactly why, perhaps because of having no doubt when doing this or because of a special connection, when I recited her mantra and did the ritual according to the traditional manner of protecting the yaks, I have 100% guarantee that the yaks would be safe during the night. I never had problems with yaks being killed by the wolves since then, really never. So I kept that in mind and I recited innumerable mantras, many times, when I took care of them. So, afterwards, anytime when we had an obstacle I always relied on her.”
“So this is why Tibetan says that praying for Marichi helps. But, of course, it does not help everyone individually, as it depends for example on the individual connection and on the level of faith. You must have no doubt at all. I have indestructible faith in Marichi since my childhood, so this helped me to develop many connections with her during my life.”
WHO IS THIS FOR or HOW TO PREPARE MYSELF? There are no prerequisites at all. It is suitable for all levels of practitioners. Previous Buddhist study and practice are helpful but not mandatory. If you want to prepare yourself, you can do the online course for the “21 Taras Practice Retreat” available at our learning center.
SCHEDULE BY TIMEZONE
California, West Coast USA SUNDAY October 01, 2023 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM 2023 USA Marichi Empowerment 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM 2023 USA Marichi Teaching and Practice
Central Europe SUNDAY October 01, 2023 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM 2023 USA Marichi Empowerment 10:00 PM – 12:00 AM (MONDAY October 02, 2023) 2023 USA Marichi Teaching and Practice
HOW THE ONLINE EMPOWERMENT WILL WORK
1) Register for each attendee that will be receiving the empowerment. You will be added to the course onlearn.dzokden.org 2) You must receive the empowerment online in real-time. We do not record the empowerments. Just attending an empowerment does not mean you receive it. You must know what is going on. To ensure everyone will receive the empowerment, Rinpoche will kindly make his instruction booklet available to you as an eBook so you can follow along so you know exactly what is happening. You are not allowed to share this program book with anyone else or give them access to the empowerment. This is private for your personal use. Rinpoche typically gives the eBook out the night before but if this is a technical problem for you. 3) You will receive access to the zoom for each of the sessions.
SUGGESTED OFFERINGS We have created 3 offering levels to help make this affordable to a range of attendees as we must raise funds to cover the cost. The cost has been adjusted for the cost of living in various countries. Thank you for understanding so that we can make this accessible to our global family. If your ability to pay makes it difficult to attend this program, we will make every effort to make attendance possible. OFFERING DANA TO RINPOCHE As this is an online event, you can make the offering of Dana to Rinpoche here.
