Chöd Empowerment and Retreat with Khentrul Rinpoche

online and in-person in Austria
This page is for registration to attend online only. If you would like to register to attend the event in-person at Dzokden Kalapa, please click here.

Bhutanese (English )
中文 (Traditional Chinese) Hong Kong / Taiwan
中文 (Simplified Chinese) China / Singapore / Malaysia
Монгол
Deutsche (Germany, Switzerland, Austria)
Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
Español (Puerto Rico, Spain and South America)
Italiano (Italy)
Magyar (Hungary)
Portuguese (Brasil & Portugal)
Română (Romania)
South Africa
Francais
Slovenian 

About the Practice of Chöd
Our attitude of self-cherishing is one of the main obstacles on our spiritual path. Although this attitude fuels biased feelings and the many afflictions, we can approach this challenge using either direct or indirect means. Indirect methods work with the conditions of self-cherishing, preventing them from arising in the future, whereas direct methods work with the actual mind of self-cherishing to remove its capacity to harm us. To this end, the practice of Chöd is universally recognised as one of the best ways to eradicate the self-cherishing mind. This unique practice lineage can be found in all of the major Tibetan traditions.

The Tibetan yogini Machik Labdrön developed her unique practice of Mahamudra Chöd. A chöd pa (Chöd practitioner) can cut through anything. Throughout Buddhist history, female practitioners have embodied the qualities of leadership in virtuous conduct, meditation and practice. Machik Labdrön is an extraordinary example of a highly realized female practitioner. Shar Khentrul Rinpoche has an aspiration to cultivate more realized female practitioners around the world, and we hope that this practice will support more female masters to manifest prominently.

Rinpoche has received the Chöd transmissions and practiced it in multiple traditions, including the Nyingma, Kagyu, Jonang, and Gelug traditions. He had the honor to receive a transmission directly from the 9th Kalka Jetsun Dhampa—former spiritual head of Mongolia, who is also considered to be a reincarnation of Jetsun Taranatha—and to practice a Chöd retreat with him.  

Khentrul Rinpoche with the 9th Kalka Jetsun Dhampa.

About the Empowerment and Retreat
This is a rare and precious empowerment of Chöd from the primordial mind of master Jetsun Taranatha. You will receive a booklet to follow along throughout the whole empowerment. Part of the text includes inspiring stories about Machik Labdrön’s life. 

This event includes the following:

1. Introductory Teaching
2. Preparatory Practice to the Empowerment
3. “The Chöd Empowerment that Opens the Gates to the Sky” written by Jestun Taranatha 
4. Oral Transmission of “Subduing Through Splendour” (a traditional Chöd Sadhana of the Jonang Tradition) 
5. Oral Transmission of “A Brief Practice of Object Severance” (a condensed Chöd Sadhana written by Shar Khentrul Rinpoche)
6. Translated Texts of the Empowerment Booklet and Sadhanas 
7. Daily group and individual practice sessions with senior students
8. Chöd Teaching with Rinpoche, including Taranatha’s Commentary on Chöd 
9. Q&A session with Rinpoche 

The elements below will also be included for those attending in person:
10.Group Dharma Discussions
11. Optional daily body practice guided by qualified yoga teachers
12. Optional personal/group interview with Rinpoche (upon request)
13. Optional Walk in the nature around Kalapa with Rinpoche
14. Printed texts
15. Food and Accommodation 

Participants online are encouraged to take part in as many live sessions as possible. However, all the teachings and the scheduled practice sessions will be recorded, and can be accessed later in our online learning center. As usual, the empowerment and oral transmissions must be attended live and will not be recorded.

Who can attend?
This event is open to all. There are no formal prerequisites to attend. However, previous Buddhist study and practice (such as the Ngöndro) are very helpful. If you are new to the Buddhist path, you may also like to study beforehand Khentrul Rinpoche’s course titled “What’s Real?” in our learning center and to read Books One and Two of Rinpoche’s trilogy “Unveiling Your Sacred Truth”. 

Additional Info for those attending in person:
If you are participating in person and need live translation, you must provide your own internet connection and bring earphones to listen to the translated teachings provided over the internet using your tablet or mobile device in the temple. Laptops or notebook computers are not allowed in the temple. Unfortunately, we cannot provide a wireless internet connection for participants owing to technical limitations. If you are a translator who is joining the retreat in person, please let us know in advance so that we can reserve a space for you to translate during the teachings. Space is available for a maximum of about four translators in total, and live translation will not be performed in the temple itself. Instead, in-person translators will participate in the event over an internet connection provided at the retreat center so that their translation can be broadcast to the online audience. You need also to register yourself as an in-person participant.

Food and On-Site Accomodations
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 are able to offer various male and female dormitory spaces from four to eight participants in each room. You can alternatively bring your own tent and camp near the Kalachakra Stupa (see registration options). As we wish to host as many students as possible and offer everyone the opportunity to meet Rinpoche in person, for this retreat it is not possible to reserve an individual room inside the retreat center. Parking in the area of Kalapa is very limited. If you are staying with us for the whole retreat, we encourage you to find a place in the town to park to help day 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.

Volunteer Opportunities
Rinpoche strongly encourages us to support our dharma brothers and sisters by volunteering. For this retreat, we need one or two volunteers to cook breakfast, lunch, and a light dinner for the participants. There is also an open position for a volunteer to help with technical aspects of setting up audio and video equipment, recording the event, and with Zoom transmissions. 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. Indeed, if you decide to be a full-time volunteer for the whole retreat (about. 8 hours volunteering each day), you can attend the empowerment and teachings without needing to register as a paying participant.

Schedule

Optional extras for practice
To enhance your practice, you can purchase some additional items as suitable. Our Dzokden store is run by volunteers, and all purchases directly support Rinpoche’s altruistic projects. Although you can take and receive the empowerment and participate in the retreat even without any of these items, they are recommended as traditional supports for Chöd practice.
If you are attending online, you can order Chöd supplies from the international Dzokden store based in the USA.
If you are attending in-person, you can order and reserve your implements online beforehand and pick it up upon arrival. (In this case, you need to order them before mid-June.)

• Chöd Drum (2 sizes)
  Made by artisans in Nepal. Each ritual drum comes with a brocade case and tail. This high-quality drum is made of Sengdeng wood.
• Kangling Thigh Bone Trumpet (made out of wood)
  Made by artisans in Kathmandu, Nepal. Naturally, obtaining a Kangling made of real bone is very difficult in these modern times. As an alternative, many people worldwide use trumpets made from wood. Comes with a case. 
• Vajra and Bell (Small or Large Size)
  Made with metal by artisans in Dehradun India. The color of the brocade case may vary from the one shown in the image. 

HOW THE ONLINE EMPOWERMENT WILL WORK
1) Register for each attendee that will be receiving the empowerment. You will receive a confirmation email. All of our online events use the Dzokden learning center where you will find everything. If you do not already have an account, you will be invited to learn.dzokden.org. 

2) Before the empowerment, you will receive information on some simple supplies you should get to help make the experience as authentic as possible. However, don’t worry if you are not able to get them all. They are symbolic, and you can still receive the empowerment. Most importantly, 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 that everyone receives the empowerment, we will provide an instruction booklet as an eBook so you can follow along and know exactly what is happening. You are not allowed to share the booklet with anyone else or give others access to the empowerment. This document is private, and is for your personal use only. Rinpoche typically allows the eBook to be uploaded the night before the empowerment.

3) You will receive access to the Zoom webinar for each of the sessions, and you will be able to watch any of the recorded sessions later on learn.dzokden.org. The empowerment and oral transmissions must be received in real time; no recordings will be available.

DANA for KHENTRUL RINPOCHE
Beyond the empowerments, Khentrul Rinpoche has kindly agreed to give teaching sessions and to support the retreat leaders which will guide the practice sessions. If you wish to show your generosity to Rinpoche’s precious teachings and to his immense efforts, you can do it in-person at the end of the retreat or, if you are attending online, offer Dana for Rinpoche on the Dzokden website here.

Online or In-Person: 8 Shambhala Dharma Kings Empowerment & Retreat with Khentrul Rinpoche

Online or In-Person: Vajrapani Empowerment and Retreat with Khentrul Rinpoche

To attend in person in Austria you must register on the Suchandra Website Here.

The Empowerment is on Saturday July 2nd. Translation is available for the weekend but is to be determined for the retreat.

• South Africa – Register here
• Bhutanese Register Here (English & Znongkha)
• 中文 (Traditional Chinese)
• 中文 (Simplified Chinese)
• Монгол
• Deutsche (Germany, Switzerland, Austria)
• Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
• Español (Puerto Rico, Spain and South America)
• Italiano (italy)
• Magyar (Hungary)
• Portuguese (Brasil & Portugal)
• Română (Romania)
• Francais

VAJRAPANI: Tame Your Demons
Tap into the power of all the Buddhas to tame your internal and external obstacles to realization. Vajrapani, the embodiment of the power of all the Buddhas of the ten directions and the three times is a fearless Bodhisattva of the tenth level and the guardian of the Buddhist tantras.

Khentrul Rinpoche will bestow a very special empowerment of Vajrapani known as the Demon Destroyer and the practice that Lama Lutrin used in the retreat in which he cured himself of Leprosy. This empowerment and retreat will help practitioners embrace their fierce power within to tame their obstacles on their path.

KHENTRUL RINPOCHE PERSONAL CONNECTION WITH VAJRAPANI
“For me Vajrapani is personally special because my root lama, Lama Lobsang Trinley, was considered as the actual Vajrapani. When he practiced it, he could completely heal his leprosy during a long solitary retreat. At the end of his retreat he achieved the same realization of the great Indian mahasiddhas.
My root Lama’s teachings on Vajrapani were incredibly special. As many high Lamas came to our monastery in order to receive the Vajrapani empowerment from him, I could receive it many times. All these Lamas who came had no doubt about his realization. They said that he himself was the actual Vaprapani, as they were witnessing my Lama taming incredibly powerful demons who wish to bring harm to our regions.”

This practice has a very special connection to our institute as the Shambhala King Suchandra, who requested the Buddha the Kalachakra Tantra Teachings and established these teachings in Shambhala, was an emanation of Vajrapani.

INCLUDED IN THE RETREAT
Vajrapani Empowerment (Jenang), Oral transmission of the practice, a preliminary teaching, practice sessions and a Q&A session. The practice sessions will be guided by his senior students.

VAJRAPANI FOR KALACHAKRA STUDENTS
Rinpoche says that we do not necessarily need to practice Vajrapani separately, we just need to build a connection. Then, recollecting him, you can integrate it within your own practice, for example within the Kalachakra Path. You can either practice Vajrapani as your main practice and see it as non-contradictory with the Kalachakra Path, or you can focus on the Kalachakra system without seeing the separation from Vajrapani, as he is even included in the Kalachakra mandala.

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 are new to the buddhist path, you may also like to study Khentrul Rinpoche’s “What’s Real?” course from our learning center and to read Rinpoche’s books “Unveiling Your Sacred Truth” — Books 1 and 2. For knowing more about Rinpoche’s root Lama’s biography and his connection with Vajrapani, you can find more information in the book “The Realm of Shambhala” where Rinpoche wrote about the whole Kalachakra lineage he holds.

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. 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 but if this is a technical problem for you (you can’t read an eBook and be on zoom at the same time) please indicate on the registration form so we can work to accommodate you.
3) You will receive access to the zoom for each of the sessions.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? email [email protected]