Pundarika UK

Tuesday, November 29, 2011 16:47:59

BOOKING FOR 2012 RETREAT - IMPORTANT INFORMATION

RETREAT FULL.   At present we have a short waiting list and are happy to put you on it.   It is likely some spaces will become available as time goes by.   We always have some cancellations.

 

Wednesday, November 02, 2011 11:52:24

Consecration of new Tsoknyi Gargon Ling Nunnery, Muktinath, Nepal.

After much hard work by so many, the final construction of the new nunnery is completed and the consecretion took place in October.   The event was attended by many Rinpoches including HH Khamtrul Rinpoche, as well as the King of Mustang and people from the surrounding community.   Funds raised by retreats held by Pundarika UK contributed to this project.   In his closing speech Tsoknyi Rinpoche said:

To have a beautiful place to practice is both rare and sacred in these difficult times.   This is one of the hidden places of virtue and inner transformation this world so desparately needs.

For more information and the full speech please go to www.pundarika.org/news

 

Thursday, September 16, 2010 16:43:00

Report on 2010 Crestone US Monthlong Retreat

2010 Month-long retreat with Tsokyni Rinpoche in Crestone, Colorado

 

Report from Michelle Bernard.

 

‘There will always be space for all of you in my mind’. Thus Rinpoche ended the 2010 month-long retreat in Crestone, Colorado, including all his students, not just those present, in his mind, heart and mandala forever. It was a truly inspiring retreat, focusing on the text on the view of Dzogchen: ‘The Special Teaching of Khepa Shri Gyalpo Three Words Striking the Vital Point’, written by Paltrul Rinpoche, including Garab Dorje's three incisive precepts.

 

The first week of the retreat was on the topic of renunciation, and we were delighted to also have the presence of Rinpoche’s schoolmate at Tashi Jong, mahamudra master HE Choegon Rinpoche, who taught us each day, in addition to Rinpoche’s teachings.

 

For the last three weeks we moved from Colorado College to Pundarika Foundation’s Yeshe Rangsal retreat land, where Rinpoche taught for two-three hours every day in a huge beautiful decorated Tibetan tent. Retreatants were expected to practise for eight-ten hours each day for the three weeks, including Rinpoche’s teachings.

 

Rinpoche worked through the text, elucidating the three vital points: recognize your nature; decide on one thing; and gain confidence in liberation. He offered instruction on techniques for sustaining rigpa and making the subtle body more pliable. Rinpoche placed emphasis on how to enable the cognitive and subtle body to work together to improve meditation and sustaining the view.

 

The retreat also included Rinpoche giving a pointing out instruction on the nature of mind and a Guru Rinpoche empowerment.

 

Retreatants greatly enjoyed the stunning retreat land and surrounding landscape. The land is situated in the rugged Sangre de Cristo mountains, with bears, coyotes, and an abundance of birds. Cactus and scrub dot the landscape. Mountain lions are also present. The Yeshe Rangsal retreat land contains the Enlightenment Stupa, dedicated to Rinpoche’s father, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, with a huge crystal atop the stupa, shining out rainbow lights, and a shrine to Yeshe Rangsal’s protector: Dorje Yudronma. The statue of Yudronma has now arrived and the shrine received many visits from retreatants. Retreatants walked up a winding path to the tent each day, through the retreat land, as deer ate calmly on the slopes, under the huge blue sky and bright sun.

 

We were also honoured during the retreat by a visit from HH Dilgo Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche, the reincarnation of HH Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche, who was in the US for the ‘Celebrating the Return’ tour, marking the hundredth anniversary of the birth of HH Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche. Black suited bodyguards ran alongside his car up the hill to the tent as we lined the path holding katags. HH Yangsi Rinpoche gave a short lung and address. He is also Tsoknyi Rinpoche’s nephew and said, with a smile, that he felt he was ‘not the best nephew in the world’. It was an incredibly inspiring and touching visit and all were impressed by his calm, dignified presence.

 

Other events during the retreat included each retreatant receiving a ten-minute personal interview with Rinpoche in his house nearby on the retreat land. Lama Tashi also gave various extra classes, including a class for retreatants practising the ngondro, and Rinpoche gave three extra classes, to those focusing on the ngondro, deity practice and Dzogchen practice.

 

The retreat ended with everyone enjoying a wonderful tsog, presided over by Rinpoche.

 

Notes

1) Rinpoche will not teach a month-long retreat in Crestone in 2011, but will teach two short retreats there, as well as his other worldwide retreats. Also, in 2011 he will lead a pilgrimage to Bhutan, Nepal and the four Buddhist sacred sites of India, to which students are invited, with details to be announced on the Pundarika Foundation website: www.pundarika.org some time early in 2011. His month-long retreat in Crestone will resume in 2012.

 

2) The text taught is included in The Crystal Cave compendium, published by Rangjung Yeshe Publications. This is a restricted text and you need to have received the pointing out instruction on the nature of mind from a qualified teacher in order to read it.