This is a paid event and available both In-person and Online.
It takes courage to transform. It takes courage to change. It takes courage to bring about a time of abundance and peace. We are in an incredible moment in time right now. The world is changing rapidly. While some people may think it is getting worse with the riots, pandemic, economic and political problems, it’s a rare opportunity for rapid transformation.
Do you have the courage to be one of the people who transform it for the better? We are not passive observers in the world. Through our genuine dharma practice, we have a profound opportunity to change our world into the Golden Age of peace, harmony and abundance.
What does it mean to manifest peace and harmony?
Khentrul Rinpoche will give teachings on the meaning and origin of Dzokden Dharma (Golden Age Dharma) referred to by Taranatha and Dolpopa. He will explain how the Kalachakra tantra prophesizes a time of peace and harmony for our planet and how we can speed up that time. Form a stronger connection to Shambhala by understanding the stages that Shambhala pure land went through to realize peace and harmony. Learn and decide what you can do yourself to contribute to the manifestation of Dzokden, the golden age.
Through discussion, questions, and answers and sharing throughout the day we will come to an understanding of how we personally can be part of this global shift to bring about the Golden Age now.
Teachings and Course Materials Rinpoche will teach most of the sessions. Rinpoche often has senior students lead prayer practice sessions and some teaching sessions. Recorded materials will also be available from a previous retreat so that Khentrul Rinpoche can dive deeper into new topics.
Request for Questions on the Golden Age If you have specific questions about the Golden Age, please write to [email protected] so that Rinpoche can answer them during the retreat. He would like your questions as he writes his book on the Golden Age to ensure he answers everyone’s curiosities, doubts, and concerns.
Schedule by Timezone
Hong Kong, Shanghai, Mongolia, Singapore and Taiwan Saturday, February 24th 6:00 AM – 7:30 AM – Session 1: Dzokden – A Vision for an Abundant Harmonious World
8:00 AM – 9:30 AM – Session 2: How Shambhala transformed themselves into a Golden Age Through the Kalachakra tantra
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM – Session 3: Kalachakra and the Golden Age
12:00 PM – 2:00 PM – Session 4: Connecting with the Sublime Realm of Shambhala
Sunday, February 25th 6:00 AM – 7:30 AM – Session 5: Connecting to the sublime realm of Shambhala
8:00 AM – 9:30 AM – Session 6: What is Dzokden Dharma?
10:00 AM – 11:30 AM – Session 7: Dzokden Activities and Values
12:00 PM – 2:00 PM – Session 8: Group Discussion: How to Manifest the Golden Age
All the teachings will be recorded and accessible to participants if you miss a session due to timezone. We have tried to do our best to accommodate as many timezones as possible for the live teachings.
Languages Rinpoche will be teaching in English. Other language translations are yet to be decided.
How does the Online Retreat Work? After you register prior to the online retreat, you will be sent an email containing all of the information to log in and follow along.
The course will be held through “Zoom“. In order to access the sessions, you need to download the Zoom App onto the device through which you want to join. We will provide you with the Zoom link (as well as Zoom Meeting-ID and Password) created by Dzokden. You will need this link (or alternatively Zoom Meeting-ID and Password) to access the online sessions. The Zoom link (as well as Zoom Meeting-ID and Password) will be provided at the latest two days before the online event in your email as well as in the Dzokden learning center.
Access to Video Materials Afterwards The retreat access and all the prayers will be provided for you in Dzokden’s new online learning center. We encourage everyone to connect to the live-streamed retreat in real-time, but if that is not possible, you can still log in to the learning center after the retreat and access all of the retreat content. We never post-recorded oral transmissions in the learning center. Rinpoche says that has to be received in real time when he bestows them.
Make an Offering to Khentrul Rinpoche The retreat costs support the program fees of the organization. If anyone wishes to make an offering to Khentrul Rinpoche for the retreat, you can do so here.
In honor of the Lunar New Year, Khentrul Rinpoche is sharing the text of his new prayer to help remove all obstacles. In 2023 there were so many obstacles globally, wars and conflicts, as well as personally for Rinpoche with his health and the Dzokden community due to moving all the events. Rinpoche did many prayers of the Jonang lineage to remove obstacles throughout all of last year. One day he had this vision that he needed to write a new prayer to help us rely on all the Kalki Kings of Shambhala for the strength and power of the compassionate warriors to remove the obstacles.
As Khentrul Rinpoche just completed writing the prayer, there may not yet be any translations completed in time for the Lunar New Year. Either way, he will bestow the oral transmission of the prayer and a brief commentary to help us understand the meaning.
Khentrul Rinpoche requested the former chanting master, Sonam Tampa, of Dzamthang Monastery to chant this prayer for us. Rinpoche requests that you listen to this as much as you can up to the Lunar New Year.
Please register below to join the event for FREE.
Special Fundraiser to support the Solitude Retreat of Lama Sonam Tampa
Lama Sonam Tampa is a very pure monk and former chanting master of Dzamthang monastery. He is preparing to enter into a lifelong solitude retreat. He comes from a poor family and has had to borrow money to build his small home in a holy forest that has no road to it to do the retreat in. Rinpoche wants to help him as much as he can. This is a rare opportunity for those who feel inspired to make an offering to dedicated yogi practitioner of Kalachakra. Many monks ask for money for chantings and for pujas for everything. Whenever Rinpoche reaches out, Lama Sonam Tampa never asks for anything and has always been generous in his help to Rinpoche and our community. He is also the Lama who chanted the Drolmi Kazug puja for us. Support his dream of lifelong retreat by donating here:
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Schedule by Timezone:
Melbourne, Australia – SATURDAY February 10, 2024 / 10:00 PM – 12:00 AM Hong Kong, Shanghai, Mongolia, Singapore and Taiwan – SATURDAY February 10, 2024 / 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM Hanoi, Vietnam – SATURDAY February 10, 2024 / 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM Romania – SATURDAY February 10, 2024 / 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM Central Europe and South Africa – SATURDAY February 10, 2024 / 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM São Paulo, Brazil – SATURDAY February 10, 2024 / 8:00 AM – 10:00 AM East Coast USA, Toronto – SATURDAY February 10, 2024 / 6:00 AM – 8:00 AM West Coast USA – SATURDAY February 10, 2024 / 3:00 AM – 5:00 AM
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!
Hong Kong, Shanghai, Mongolia, Singapore and Taiwan SATURDAY February 10, 2024
4:00 AM – Sang Offering with Prayers of Auspiciousness 7:00 AM – 9:00 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:
Hong Kong, Shanghai, Mongolia, Singapore and Taiwan
FRIDAY December 29, 2023 12:00 PM – Arrival anytime if staying at the Rime Institute
4:00 PM – Public talk on the Realm of Shambhala
SATURDAY December 30, 2023 6:00 AM – 8 Shambhala Dharma King Empowerment
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM – 8 Shambhala Dharma King Teaching and Practice Session
SUNDAY December 31, 2023 6:00 AM – Marichi Tara Empowerment
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Marichi Practice and Teaching
MONDAY January 01, 2024 6:00 AM – 1000 Buddha Sadhana Chanting and final consecration of the Shakyamuni Buddha Statues
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM – Kalki King Sadhana Practice
10:00 AM – 12:00 PM – Closing Teaching and Practice with Rinpoche
