This event is available Online only.
In-person event to be determined.
There is a reason why great spiritual teachers, from Rumi and Osho to many others throughout history, speak so much about love: the path to realization is the path of the heart. All of tantra is simple—it’s contained, from start to finish, in the path of devotion to the Guru. In modern times, we often want to know and understand everything, to elaborate and dive into details. For this, we have highly elaborate Tantras. But if you want to cut to the heart, to the essence, and follow the simplest and most direct path, then that is the path of Guru devotion. You can start with the Guru, but no matter what form of Tantra you choose to practice, and no matter where you begin, you are guaranteed to end up with the Guru.
All Vajrayana traditions may have significant doctrinal debates, but when it comes to the path of Guru devotion, there is absolute agreement. There is no debate between traditions because this path has been proven through centuries of experience.
A scholar who is currently the most respected and highly regarded at Larung Monastery, and whom Khentrul Rinpoche deeply respects, says:
“Unconditional love is the highest form of desire. Ultimate Bodhicitta is Buddha-nature, the Guru. As we increase this Love and Bodhicitta, our awareness increases. Devotion to this cause is devotion to the ultimate Guru, the ultimate love. Devotion is simply keeping the view.”
In Vajrayana, if you have the View, you have the key to everything. When you truly love your beloved, everything happens naturally and spontaneously. Does a mother need to think about whether she should try to save her dying child? No, she just acts out of love and attachment. This love and desire are incredibly powerful. If a mother can feel that love for her child, imagine how powerful that feeling could be if you have that same love for your Guru.
We all know that the most powerful force in the human mind is love, and there is no Buddhahood without ultimate love. Guru devotion means loving the Guru unconditionally and dedicating yourself to that path. In tantra, we integrate everything from our life experience into the spiritual path. We may not have direct life experiences with gods or Buddhas, but we can have direct experiences with the Guru. By doing so, we bring the path closer to us in our everyday lives through the human Guru. The most profound connection a human can have is the divine love for the Guru. Devotion is a process that helps uncover all of our limitations and self-cherishing, while also opening the door to a downpour of incomparable blessings.
This course will explore what it means to take devotion as the path.
Who is this for? This course is for those who want to understand the heart essence of all tantra paths and the fastest way to accumulate merit. You do not need to have a current Guru to whom you are devoted. You don’t need to take the Guru as your path just yet. If you want to explore and understand the ultimate path of Vajrayana, this course offers a good introduction.
Topics to be covered include:
Examining and understanding the three levels of Guru
Guru devotion as a process: gaining clarity on the maximum and minimum
Training your mind and heart through Guru yoga and Jonang Kalachakra Guru Puja
Clearly understanding how all aspects of the Kalachakra tantra path are the Guru
Approaching this path with honesty and clarity
Discussing pure view and authentic versus inauthentic Gurus
This is a FREE event and will be available both Online and In-person.
Please select the RSVP ticket if you wish to join for the Online or In-person event.
Khentrul Rinpoche and Judith Simmer-Brown sit down for a fireside chat on the feminine aspect of Buddhism. Tibetan Buddhism has for centuries been dominated by male Guru figures in patriarchal society. This lead women in Tibet to pray to be reborn a man and many women in western society question whether there are only male buddhas? This is far from the nature of what is actually taught in Dharma. In Kalachakra Tantra we have the ultimate union of both the feminine and masculine aspect both of which we need to realize enlightenment. So today Rinpoche and Judith sit down for a very special conversation to talk about the divine feminine aspect of practice and why all of us need these qualities in our lives. This is not a rejection of the male qualities. Sometimes when there is a talk on the feminine qualities or Khentrul Rinpoche has mentioned that there will be female Kalki in Shambhala, students wonder if this is a backlash or a rejection to the masculine. The answer is no. It’s an integration of all aspects of our nature. We are very fortunate to have Judith here to talk to us about this as she is the author of Dakini’s Warm Breath: The Feminine Principle in Tibetan Buddhism and has for a long time taught and explained this aspect.
About Judith Simmer-Brown
Judith Simmer-Brown, Ph.D., is Distinguished Professor of Contemplative and Religious Studies Emeritx at Naropa University in Boulder, Colorado, where she has taught since 1978. As Buddhist practitioner since the early 1970’s, she became a student of Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche in 1974, and served as an acharya in Shambhala from 2000-2022. Her books are Dakini’s Warm Breath (Shambhala 2001)and Meditation and the Classroom: Contemplative Pedagogy for Religious Studies (SUNY 2011). She and her husband, Richard, have two adult children and four grandchildren.
About Khentrul Rinpoché
Khentrul 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).
Schedule by Timezone
Boulder, Colorado – FRIDAY September 20, 2024 / 7:00 PM Melbourne, Australia – SATURDAY September 21, 2024 / 11:00 AM Hong Kong, Shanghai, Mongolia, Singapore and Taiwan – SATURDAY September 21, 2024 / 9:00 AM Hanoi, Vietnam – SATURDAY September 21, 2024 / 8:00 AM Romania – SATURDAY September 21, 2024 / 4:00 AM Central Europe and South Africa – SATURDAY September 21, 2024 / 3:00 AM Sao Paulo, Brazil – FRIDAY September 20, 2024 / 10:00 PM East Coast USA, Toronto – FRIDAY September 20, 2024 / 9:00 PM West Coast USA – FRIDAY September 20, 2024 / 6:00 PM
This event is available both Online and In-person. This page is for Online Registration Only. If you wish to register for the In-person event, please click here.
5-Day Practice Retreat w/ Khentrul Rinpoche February 7-12, 2025 in Thailand
The Jonang lineage is the only school of Buddhism that teaches the complete path of Kalachakra, the highest yoga Tantra, known as the Kign of Tantra, fro start to enlightenment. Khentrul Rinpoche is the only master currently bestowing the whole path from the Ngondro to completion stage upon qualified non-monastic practitioners globally.. Khentrul Rinpoche has made it his life’s mission to spread the teachings of Shambhala as it is prophesied that they will bring a Golden age of peace to our earth.
By the request of a sponsor in Singapore, Khentrul Rinpoche will bestow a Kalachakra Ngondro practice retreat in Thailand, a location that is very easy to visit for everyone across Asia. This 5-day retreat will help students who are in process or are just beginning to practice the very precious Jonang Kalachakra preliminary practices. Attendees will gain a deeper understanding of how to practice the Ngondro along with the precious Guru and Kalachaka Tsok pujas that tantrikas practice monthly. This is the perfect retreat to clarify your practice and if you wish to further prepare yourself to move towards the Higher Empowerments and the 6 Vajra Yogas of the completion stage that Rinpoche is currently bestowing through 2029.
Extraordinary Rare Vishvamata Empowerment, the Feminine Aspect of Kalachakra
Part of this path of transformation to enlightenment requires the harmonization and unification of female and male energies within ourselves. The Yab-Yum deity of the Kalachakra mandala is often referred to as Kalachakra but is actually the inseparable union of the ultimate masculine Kalachakra, in union with the ultimate feminine, Vishvamata. Their combined qualities represent the ultimate love, wisdom and compassion fused into immutable bliss and empty form. The empowerment of the feminine form, Vishvamata Empowerment (Jenang) is almost never bestowed. Khentrul Rinpoche will bestow this rare Jonang practice along with a practice text as part of the retreat. We can embrace the true energies of the female and male aspect within ourselves to transform our world. Khentrul Rinpoche will give teachings to clarify what these aspects are and various ways to work with them.
The retreat will be held at the Manjushri Center of the Karma Kagyu around 40 minutes of the International Airport Don Mueang. RETREAT PROGRAM FEES COVER
-5 Night Stay at the Manjushri Center of the Karma Kagyu in Thailand (for In-person attendees only) -Vishvamata Jenang and access to the Dzokden Learning Center -Ngondro practice text in digital form is included -Sadhana in digital form is included -Daily guided teachings, practice sessions, and or pujas by Shar Khentrul Rinpoche Jamphel Lodrö, monks and Julie O’Donnell -Authentic traditional accommodations, all meals included (for In-person attendees only) -Transportation is not included (for In-person attendees only)
Who can come?
Prerequisite While Khentrul Rinpoche welcomes everyone to join who wishes to practice Kalachakra. This practice retreat will dive into the preliminary practice of the Jonang Kalachakra Ngondro. This teachings is open to anyone who genuinely wants to practice Kalachakra but it is best suited to students who have some basic understanding of the Vajrayana buddhist path, experience with Guru and Deity yoga as well as a flexible mind. This is a great way to get to know Khentrul Rinpoche better in person in a small intimate environment. It’s important as a student of Vajrayana to develop an actual relationship with the Guru so that he can help you the most on your path. What languages will be offered? The event is in English but Chinese translation will be available if you bring a phone with a data plan and a headset to listen.
Tour Schedule
There is a tentative daily 7 am morning yoga class.
Day 1 (FRIDAY – February 7th) – Arrival and Check-in. Check in to your room between 2pm to 5pm. Enjoy the welcome dinner and first teaching of the retreat.
Day 2 (SATURDAY – February 8th)
Day 3 (SUNDAY – February 9th) – Vishvamata Jenang and Teachings. The masculine and feminine aspects of the Kalachakra path with the Vishvamata Jenang.
Day 4 (MONDAY – February 10th)
Day 5 (TUESDAY – February 11th)
Day 6 (WEDNESDAY – February 12th)
Our retreat will end with a celebratory Kalachakra Tsok and Guru Puja.
Suggested Reading
There is no required preparation. If you want to familiarize your mind with any of the material related to the trip we have selected a few of the texts.
The Kalachakra Path offers a profound method for actualizing your greatest potential and contributing to greater peace and harmony within this world. For the first time ever, this extraordinary path is revealed in a step-by-step manner, allowing students to gradually approach this uniquely comprehensive system in a structured and methodical way.
Please bring the Profound Path of Vajra Yoga Prayer Book or the Ngondro prayers with you. Available at store.dzokden.org Please access the learning center in advance for the Vishvamata texts.
OFFERING DANA TO RINPOCHE
As this is an online event, you can make the offering of Dana to Rinpoche here.
8 Shambhala Dharma Kings Empowerment with Khentrul Rinpoche
Khentrul Rinpoche will bestow his mind terma of the 8 Shambhala Dharma King Empowerment at the Boulder Shambhala center. This is a rare opportunity for establishing a direct connection with the Rigdens of Shambhala. Rinpoche will also give an introductory teaching and a Q&A session after the empowerment as well as oral transmission of the mantras and the text.
About the Kings of Shambhala The Kalki Kings are the Dharma Kings of the Sublime Realm of Shambhala who were able to skillfully unite their entire realm through the Kalachakra teachings. Their effort went much more beyond only alleviating biased differences like races, conflicting religious approaches, classes etc. They helped propagate and make the Kalachakra teachings in such a way, that their realm transformed into a pure Bodhisattva realm, happy and peaceful, where spiritual practice flourishes. Differently from wordly kings which are focused on protecting and expanding their territories, the Kalkis are Kings of the dharma, bodhisattva beings who manifest as great leaders out of their compassion and wisdom.
“In general we say that the Kalki Kings are inseparable from the 8 great bodhisattvas and the 10 wrathful dakas. They are incredibly powerful. For me, the Shambhala kings are much more special because of their particular connection with our own world. The Bodhisattvas and dakas possess a subtle body form, like a body of a being of the god realm, and so, only some individuals can connect with them. But the Shambhala Kings and Kalkis appeared in Shambhala as human beings, so that many people could benefit through connecting with them. And, of course, they manifest themselves not as an ordinary human being, but as an exceptional, extraordinary human being.
I have been dedicating myself intensively to prepare for this empowerment. I feel a strong connection with the Kalkis and I have no doubt that they are the greatest hope of our world for the manifestation of the Second Golden Age of Peace and Harmony.” (Khentrul Rinpoche)
WHO IS THIS FOR or HOW TO PREPARE MYSELF? There are no prerequisites at all. It is suitable for all levels of practitioners. If you want to prepare yourself, you can do the online course Introduction to the Ngöndro available at our learning center. If you are already practicing dharma, you may benefit from the oral commentaries Rinpoche gave about his Shambhala prayers; they can be accessed in his official Youtube Channel. For knowing more about Shambhala and the Kalki Kings, we suggest the book “The Realm of Shambhala” by Rinpoche.
Schedule by Timezone
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
SATURDAY September 21, 2024
10:00 AM — Empowerment and Teaching
1:00 PM — Oral Transmission and Practice
Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne, Australia
SUNDAY September 22, 2024
2:00 AM — Empowerment and Teaching
5:00 AM — Oral Transmission and Practice
Hong Kong, Shanghai, Mongolia, Singapore and Taiwan
Hong Kong, Shanghai, Mongolia, Singapore and Taiwan
SUNDAY September 22, 2024
12:00 AM — Empowerment and Teaching
3:00 AM — Oral Transmission and Practice
Central Europe and South Africa
Central Europe and South Africa
SATURDAY September 21, 2024
6:00 PM — Empowerment and Teaching
9:00 PM — Oral Transmission and Practice
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Sao Paulo, Brazil
SATURDAY September 21, 2024
1:00 PM — Empowerment and Teaching
4:00 PM — Oral Transmission and Practice
East Coast USA, Toronto
East Coast USA, Toronto
SATURDAY September 21, 2024
12:00 PM — Empowerment and Teaching
3:00 PM — Oral Transmission and Practice
West Coast USA
West Coast USA
SATURDAY September 21, 2024
9:00 AM — Empowerment and Teaching
12:00 PM — Oral Transmission 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 on learn.dzokden.org 2) You must receive the empowerment online in real-time. We do not record the empowerments.
3) You will receive access to the zoom for each of the sessions. They will NOT include any oral transmissions or Empowerments.
Included in the event: – Empowerment of Marichi Tara – Oral Transmission of 2 Marichi Sadhanas – Teachings on Marichi and Shambhala
The Goddess Marichi, 21st Tara and the Dharma Proctor of Shambhala
The radiant Goddess Marichi is the 21st Tara, blazing ahead of the sun. She is the Dharma protector of Kalapa at the center of the pure land of Shambhala. In Jetsun Taranatha’s teachings on the Taras she is at the completion stage of the Tara practice. Very powerful, she is the color of the sunset, a wondrous, glowing orange. She comes ahead of the dawning sun of great bliss and, like the sun, her blessings pervade everywhere.
She is worshiped all across Asia in many traditions. In Chinese astrology she is known as the Mother of the Big dipper, the goddess of astrology and of all 9 planets. In Japan the Ninja warriors worshiped her for her magical power of invisibility, a power the Ninja desire to possess. Khentrul Rinpoche’s Personal Dharma Protector 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 the 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.
Kalachakra Practitioners – She is the protector of the pureland connected to Shambhala. Dzokden Practitioners – This empowerment helps your Drolmi Kazug Wishfulfilling Vase Practice
SCHEDULE BY TIMEZONE
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
SUNDAY September 22, 2024
10:00 AM — Empowerment and Teaching
1:00 PM — Oral Transmissions, Shambhala Teachings Marichi Practices
Melbourne, Australia
Melbourne, Australia
MONDAY September 23, 2024
2:00 AM — Empowerment and Teaching
5:00 AM — Oral Transmissions, Shambhala Teachings Marichi Practices
Hong Kong, Shanghai, Mongolia, Singapore and Taiwan
Hong Kong, Shanghai, Mongolia, Singapore and Taiwan
MONDAY September 23, 2024
12:00 AM — Empowerment and Teaching
3:00 AM — Oral Transmissions, Shambhala Teachings Marichi Practices
Central Europe and South Africa
Central Europe and South Africa
SUNDAY September 22, 2024
6:00 PM — Empowerment and Teaching
9:00 PM — Oral Transmissions, Shambhala Teachings Marichi Practices
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Sao Paulo, Brazil
SUNDAY September 22, 2024
1:00 PM — Empowerment and Teaching
4:00 PM — Oral Transmissions, Shambhala Teachings Marichi Practices
East Coast USA, Toronto
East Coast USA, Toronto
SUNDAY September 22, 2024
12:00 PM — Empowerment and Teaching
3:00 PM — Oral Transmissions, Shambhala Teachings Marichi Practices
West Coast USA
West Coast USA
SUNDAY September 22, 2024
9:00 AM — Empowerment and Teaching
12:00 PM — Oral Transmissions, Shambhala Teachings Marichi Practices
HOW THE ONLINE EMPOWERMENT WILL WORK 1) Register for each attendee that will be receiving the empowerment. You will be added to the course on learn.dzokden.org 2) You must receive the empowerment online in real-time. We do not record the empowerments.
3) You will receive access to the zoom for each of the sessions as well as the recordings after the event for everything except for the oral transmissions and empowerment.
