Ngondro, Tsalung and Dzogchen #2

Silent retreat with Gyetrul Jigme Rinpoche

Participation is subject to conditions: please make sure you fulfill the requested conditions before filling out the registration form.

This  retreat is a continuation of the journey through the three major approaches of the path in Vajrayana Buddhism that Gyetrul Jigme Rinpoche launched last winter. Each one of the three stages – preliminary practice of Ngondro, practice with the winds and channel in Tsalung, experiencing the Nature of Mind with Dzogchen –  is developed and the practitioners are guided further by the teacher, a realized Master in all three practices.

Ngondro

The gateway to entering the Vajrayana Buddhist path is taking refuge in the Three Jewels – the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha–. The condition to progress along the path is the development of Bodhicitta, a profound commitment to practice Dharma to alleviate the suffering not only of oneself, but of all sentient beings. As we engage in the Vajrayana path of Buddhism, the practice of Ngondro –or preliminary practices– paves the way to working with more subtle aspects of the mind: the practice of refuge and Bodhicitta as well as Vajrasattva, Mandala offering and Guru Yoga prepares the student’s mindstream by clearing away deep-rooted habitual patterns, emotional blockages and cognitive distortions. As a result, the mindstream becomes ready to enter into deeper levels of mind transmission, such as Tsalung and Dzogchen.

Tsalung

For the practice of Tsalung we train with the winds and channels. Within the body, the wind circulates along and rests on the subtle channels, bindus, the generative essences. When the subtle channels, winds and bindus are ready, awareness can shine forth vividly and clearly which causes our practice to bloom and gain in strength. Moreover, our bodies will blaze with the heat-bliss, be light and look younger. There are immeasurable qualities to Tsalung practice.

Dzogchen

In the practice of Dzogchen or Great Perfection, the lama with supreme realization will introduce the nature of mind in a very secret way to only a few disciples with unwavering faith and pure samaya in the certainty that they will practice. Moreover, those students practice in solitary retreat by meditating one-pointedly, depending on the path of shamatha, vipassyana and so forth, whereby they gradually progress through the four visions of clear light. This is the most extraordinary swift path on which one can certainly become free from suffering and the causes of suffering in this very lifetime.

On this occasion, Gyetrul Jigme Rinpoche has decided to share these precious teachings with a large audience, both for Ripa students and students of other lineages who fulfill the pre-established conditions, as per below. Persons who fulfill these conditions but could not attend last year are welcome and Rinpoche will give them the necessary empowerments.

 

PRE-REQUISITES:

1 – Have taken refuge in the three Jewels
2 – Have completed the Ripa Ngondro or be engaged in completing the Ripa Ngondros. Students outside the Ripa lineage can also participate if they have completed or are engaged in doing the Ngondro of their own lineage. For admission to Tsalung, persons who did not participate in winter 2022 to the first cycle of this retreat series, need to have completed Refuge and Bodhicitta and the Vajrasattva accumulations.

Anyone fulfilling above conditions can participate in the Ngondro and Tsalung parts of the retreat.

In order to participate in the Dzogchen part, in addition to conditions 1 and 2, one of the three below conditions needs to be fulfilled:

a – Have participated in a previous Dzogchen retreat with one of the RIPA Masters
b – Have completed or be engaged in the practice of Tsalung
c – Have received the Taksham cycle or the Gesar (new treasure) cycle of HE initiations.

 

DAILY SCHEDULE:

The daily schedule will be as follows from 26th December to 1st January:

26.12.	4 pm	Arrival of participants
27.12.	am&pm	Ngondro Teaching
28.12.	am	Tsalung & Dzogchen empowerment
	pm	Tsalung instructions
29.12.	am&pm	Tsalung instructions
30.12.	am&pm	Dzogchen teaching and practice
31.12.	am&pm	Dzogchen teaching and practice
01.01.	am	Dzogchen teaching and practice
		End of the retreat after lunch
Every day	06:30	Tsalung or Ngondro practice
Every day	17:30	Protectors followed by Narak Konchak

 

IMPORTANT:

Given that the Tsalung and Dzogchen parts need initiation, only the Ngondros part is open for online participation. The rest of the retreat is strictly reserved for residential participation.

Those who don’t fulfill the conditions to participate in the Dzgochen part, will devote the remaining days to either Tsalung practice or Ngondro accummulation.

 

PRICES: (excl. accommodation)

Full retreat :

Member : 230 CHF
Non-member : 320 CHF

Ngondro part (one day only)

Member : 50 CHF
Non-member : 60 CHF

Registration