Online: Machig Labdrön “Opening the Gate to the Sky” – Chöd Empowerment & Retreat with Khentrul Rinpoche
To register for the In-Person event in Australia click here.
About the Practice of Chöd
Chöd is a powerful practice of accepting willingly what is undesirable, cutting through our concepts, reducing our self-cherishing nature, leading us closer to our own true nature. The main obstacle to our own enlightenment is our clinging to our own ego, our own existence. When fear, fixation, and self-clinging are cut through, giving rise to the awareness of the pure nature of emotions and the emptiness of mental obscurations. Machig Labdron is the creator of a unique form of Mahamudra Chöd practice. She is the manifestation of Prajnaparamita, the Great Mother who gives birth to realisation of emptiness. Furthermore, Machig Labdrön is also the manifestation of Arya Tara, who gives birth to compassion. A chod practitioner can cut through anything and therefore his or her main intention should be to unify understanding of emptiness and loving kindness and compassion, just as Machig Labdrön did. Khentrul Rinpoche has received the Chod transmission in multiple traditions such as the Nyingma Kagyu, Jonang and the Gelug traditions. He had the pleasure of practicing Chod Retreat and receiving transmission from Kalka Jetsun Dhampa considered to be a reincarnation of Taranatha and the spiritual head of Mongolia. Throughout Buddhist history, female practitioners have been models of leadership in virtuous conduct, meditation, discipline and practice. Machig Labdron is an extraordinary example of a highly realised female practitioner. One of Rinpoche’s aspirations is to cultivate more realised female practitioners around the world and we hope this practice inspires the prominence and proliferation of more female Buddhist masters.
About the Empowerment This is an incredibly rare and precious empowerment of Chöd from master Jetsun Taranatha. We will include a booklet to follow along through the empowerment. Part of the transmission includes stories of Machig Labdron life in which we can all be inspired by this precious Dakini’s presence.
Who can attend (online and in person)?
This retreat is open to all.
Sunday 21th November 2021 – Free Online Pre-Teaching If you want to learn more about the retreat and the teaching tune into this teaching from Khentrul Rinpoche. 7 AM – Chöd, Prajnaparamita and Zhentong Emptiness
Who can Attend
Schedule by Timezone
Melbourne Time:
Saturday 11th December
|
Time |
Event |
Leader |
|
10.00 – 12.30pm |
Arrive and settle |
|
|
1.00 – 3.00pm |
Session 1 Chöd Empowerment |
Rinpoche |
|
3.00 – 4.00pm |
Break |
|
|
4.00 – 6. 00pm |
Session 2 Chöd Empowerment |
Rinpoche |
|
6.00 – 7.00pm |
Dinner |
|
|
7.30 – 9.30pm |
Session 3 Chöd Empowerment |
Rinpoche |
Sunday 12th December
|
Time |
Event |
Leader |
|
7.00 – 8.30am |
Breakfast |
|
|
9.00 – 11.00am |
Session 4 Chöd |
Karma Shedpa |
|
11.00 -1.00pm |
Free time & Lunch |
|
|
1.00 – 2.30pm |
Session 5 Chöd |
Rinpoche |
|
2.30 – 4.00pm |
Break |
|
|
4.00 – 5.30pm |
Session 6 Chöd |
Yeshe Wangmo |
|
5.30 – 7.00pm |
Dinner and free time |
|
|
7.30 – 9.00pm |
Session 7 Chöd |
Rinpoche |
Monday 13th December
|
Time |
Event |
Leader |
|
7.00 – 8.30am |
Breakfast |
|
|
9.00 – 11. 00am |
Session 8 Chöd Practice |
Karma Shedpa |
|
12.00 |
Lunch and Finish |
How does the Online Empowerments and Retreats Work
2) Before the empowerment, you will receive information on some simple supplies you should get to help make the experience as authentic as possible. If you are not able to get them all don’t worry. They are symbolic and you can still receive the empowerment. More important you must understand what is happening. 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.
3) You will receive access to the zoom for each of the sessions. You will be able to watch any of the course in learn.dzokden.org The empowerment must be received in real time. There are no recordings available of the empowerment.
Ritual Objects to Bring or Pre-order by November 18
- Chöd Drum Made by artisans in Nepal. Each Chöd ritual drum, comes with a brocade case and tail. This high quality damaru is made of Sengdeng wood. $225 AUD
- Kangling Thigh Bone Trumphet (made out of wood) Made by artisans in Kathmandu Nepal. It is very difficult to get a human bone Kangling in these modern times. Many people worldwide use Trumphets made from wood to look like Trumphet. It comes with a case. $110 AUD
- Dorje and Bell (Small or Large Size) Made with bell metal by artisans in Dehradun India. Brocade case color may vary from the one shown in the image. Ani Small Size – $150 AUD Large Size – $175 AUD
- Tingshaw
- Machig Labdron silk print or framed Thangka- Only Available on the Dzokden store website from USA
Offering of Dana and Sponsorship
Offer Dana to Rinpoché
* All donations are considered unrestricted contributions,
which allows the foundation to carry out our mission efficiently by allocating resources where most needed.
Speakers
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Karma Shadpa LamaKarma Shadpa Lama is a yogi living in California, USA. He practiced and received teachings from Khentrul Rinpoche’s root Guru, Lama Lobsang Trinle. He has practiced Chöd for a long time and completed several Chöd retreats in many traditions including the Nyingma, Kagyu, Gelug and Jonang. He received the Chöd empowerment in the Nyingma, Kagyu and Jonang traditions including the initiation in Taranatha’s Opening the Gates to the Sky empowerment which this retreat is based upon. He has taught students in the Dzokden community Tibetan language via private tutorship since 2018.
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Khentrul RinpocheNon-Sectarian Master of KalachakraKhentrul Rinpoché Jamphel Lodrö is the founder and spiritual director of Dzokden. Rinpoche is the author of Unveiling Your Sacred Truth, The Great Middle Way: Clarifying the Jonang View of Other-Emptiness, A Happier Life, and The Hidden Treasure of the Profound Path.
Rinpoche spent the first 20 years of his life herding yak and chanting mantras on the plateaus of Tibet. Inspired by the bodhisattvas, he left his family to study in a variety of monasteries under the guidance of over twenty-five masters in all the Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Due to his non-sectarian approach, he earned himself the title of Rimé (unbiased) Master and was identified as the reincarnation of the famous Kalachakra Master Ngawang Chözin Gyatso. While at the core of his teachings is the recognition that there is great value in the diversity of all spiritual traditions found in this world; he focuses on the Jonang-Shambhala tradition. Kalachakra (wheel of time) teachings contain profound methods to harmonize our external environment with the inner world of body and mind, ultimately bringing about the golden age of peace and harmony (dzokden).
