Property:Previousretreatsdetails
From Tsadra Foundation Advanced Contemplative Scholarships
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2
Ngondro Retreat at Ka-Nying Shedrup Ling, Boudha which was from 28th December 2024 – 24th January 2025. +
Dathün - 15 (or more?) from 1990 - 2023?
as strictly a participant 2 times, as a staff/MI or leader the rest of the times.
Solitary retreat - 5 of a month or longer.
3 Year Retreat - Sopa Choling (group 'C)
Every year from 1990 on I have engaged in either a solitary or group retreat or both for anything from 10 days or longer. +
A
The longest is 50 days Nyungne unbroken or uninterupted with Wangchen Rinpoche. +
In the summer of 2015 I performed a Vajrapani Bhutadamara retreat at my family's home in Texas with 1 million short mantras & 100,000 long, which lasted six weeks. Afterwards I asked Lama Migmar to perform the puja for me but he indicated I should do it myself, which I did the following summer over two long days.
In the summer of 2017 I performed the Vajrayogini basic retreat, also in Texas. +
The only retreat I have taken part in is the one I am currently in at GP (07/2022-12/2025). +
In 2015 I completed the one-month November Course at Kopan Monastery. I spent the summers of 2016 and 2017 in retreat at Gomde California and spent five months in retreat in 2020 at Gomde Pyrenees, including participating in the three month sphere of refined gold retreat from March-June 2020. +
- January - February 2019 : two months solo retreat - Accumulation of Vajrasattva- at Amithaba Retreat Center in Nepal.
-Jully 2020-August 2020 : one month solo retreat (Drikung Kagyu Ngondro - Refuge and Vajrasattva) at Kagyu Samye Ling Belgium.
- October 2021- November 2021 : 6 weeks Sphere of Refined Gold Retreat - with Lama Tenzin Sangpo, in Gomde Pyrénées.
- February 2022 - May 2022 : 3 Months Sphere of Refined Gold Retreat, to which a 35 day Trinley Nyingo Retreat was added - with Lama Tenzin Sangpo and Erik Pema Kunsang - in Gomde Pyrénées and Gomde Danemark +
• January - February 2019 : two months solo retreat - Amithaba Retreat Center in Nepal (Vajrasattva)
• Jully 2020-August 2020 : one month solo retreat (Drikung Kagyu Ngondro - Refuge and Vajrasattva) at Kagyu Samye Ling Belgium.
• October 2021- November 2021 : 6 weeks Sphere of Refined Gold Retreat with Lama Tenzin Sangpo - Gomde Pyrénées.
• February 2022 - May 2022 : 3 Months Sphere of Refined Gold Retreat, to which a 35 day Trinley Nyingo Retreat was added - with Lama Tenzin Sangpo and Erik Pema Kunsang - Gomde Pyrénées and Gomde Danemark
• 22th of June 2022- 29th of December 2025 : Three Year Retreat in Rangjung Yeshe Gomde Pyrénées, under the guidance of Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche and Drupbön Tenzin SangpoOctober 2021- November 2021 : 6 weeks Sphere of Refined Gold Retreat with Lama Tenzin Sangpo - Gomde Pyrénées. +
B
1 year White Tara, 1982; 1 year Vajrayogini, 1984; 1 1/2 years Cakrasamvara and Six Doctrines of Naropa, 1986/7; and several other 1 and half year individual retreats under Kyabje Tenga Rinpoche's guidance, the last couple of years annual 3-4 month solitary retreats during winter in Yolmo/Nepal. +
I participated in a three month Vajrasattva group retreat in Gomde Pyrenees in the Spring of 2019.
In the spring of 2020 I did individual three month retreat in Greece, where I did 60,000 prostrations, 48,000 vajrasattva mantra recitations, and meditation on the nature of mind. +
5-month Longchen Nyingtig Ngondro individual retreat in Dzogchen Monastery, Tibet.
1-month Tsalung (Energy and Channels) group retreat in Namdroling Monastery, India.
1-month Dzogchen group retreat in Namdroling Monastery, India.
One year of personal retreat in Asura Cave, Pharping, Nepal. +
Shiné, No Death and Immeasurable Love +
C
02/2014-04/2014: Vajrayogini (basic) Retreat, Schneverdingen/Germany
11/2008-02/2009: Vajrayogini (basic) Retreat, Pharping/Nepal
05/2007-07/2007: Vajrayogini (basic) Retreat, Pharping/Nepal
09/2006-10/2006: Vajrayogini (basic) Retreat, Pharping/ Nepal
05/2006-06/2006: NgÑndro Retreat, Pharping/Nepal
01/2005-04/2005: NgÑndro Retreat, Boudanath/ Nepal
During my time as retreat caretaker, I had the good fortune to do several closed retreats, but most of the time I remained (due to the difficult life conditions in Nepal which forced me to stay flexible) in semi-retreat with an upheld practice of daily 4 sessions Vajrayogini, the study of her rituals and practice plus the self-study of Buddhist philosophical texts.
Beside the closed retreat times, I frequently commuted to Jamchen Lhakang, located in Boudanath to further learn and participate in the Vajrayogini Sindhura Mandala Ritual lead by H.E. Chogye Trichen Rinpoche and additionally received on three more occasions privately the Vajrayogini empowerment and teachings. Furthermore, I was also blessed to receive private instructions on Vajrayogini from RinpochesХ sister, H.E. Jetsunma Kunzang Tendrol, who had been upholding this practice for decades and was respected as a highly accomplished Vajrayogini practioner.
In all those years my Gurus told me to focus on contemplative mediation, especially this particular Yidam practice and dispelled all ideas of practicing other Yidams. +
One three-year retreat program completed in Chanteloube, France (2009-2012).
Semi-closed retreat living at Chanteloube for the following years till present. +
2009: Vajrasattva groupretreat, 3 months, Tushita FPMT Dharamsala, India
2011: 2 x 6 weeks individual ngondro retreat, Benchen retreatcenter Pharping, Nepal
2011: 1 month individual ngondro retreat, Lari Gompa, Spiti, India (completion 1st set)
2012: 7 weeks individual Longchen Nyingtik ngondro retreat, Tso Pema, India
2013: 1 x 7 weeks solitary Longchen Nyintik ngondro retreat, cave, Spiti, India
2014: completing at present LN ngondro in Bir, Himachal Pradesh, India +
retreat the Vajrasattva purification
and other less duration like Mandarava long life,etc +
Two three-year retreats:
July 2003 to May 2007
July 2008 to December 2012 +
Technically I have completed the 108,000 or more of each preliminary practice as Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche has instructed us to do via Dharma Gar Asia but because of this year being a fire monkey year of Guru Rinpoche he would like us to continue with the guru yoga practice of accumulating the 7 line prayer.
I was in Bodhgaya between October 2014 and March 2015 to attend the Dzongsar monlam and then I was accumulating the vajrasattva practice and when that was completed the kusali practice.
From June to August 2015 I was in Gamru, Himachal Pradesh, India, accumulating the kusali practice and self study of madhyamika teachings by Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche via audio, video and text commentary.
From October 2015 to February 2016 I was in Boudhanath, Nepal accumulating the kusali, guru yoga, pre three year retreat practices and continuing madhyamika study. Also attending the annual Shechen monastery drupchens from the end of January when the Yamantaka begins until end of February when the Vajrasattva drupchen ends.
Currently I am in retreat accumulating the pre retreat practices and guru yoga in a group setting since April 2016 in Portugal at one of Pema Wangyal Rinpoche's retreat centres. +
retreat the Vajrasattva purification
and other less duration like Mandarava long life,etc +
16 Nyung Ne in group.
3 months of Dorje Naljorma in solitary retreat.
A solitary retreat from october 2002 to may 2003.
A group retreat in Samten Tse Retreat Center in Mussoorie, India, from the 2nd of January 2006 to the 15th of November 2007 (with short breaks for visa renewal).
And in this period, a retreat and teachings of Khandro Rinpoche in Lotus Garden, Stanley, Virginia, USA from the 1st of August 2006 to the 15th of September 2006. +
