retreat

http://uma-tibet.org/edu/gomang/pdflinks.php

http://www.thubtenchodron.org/Publications/PreparingForOrdination/index.html

http://buddha-nature.tsadra.org/index.php/Main_Page http://dharmachakra.net/content/blogcategory/14/30/ http://www.thebookpatch.com/PrintBook.aspx#templates treasury of mantra http://www.naturalawareness.net/mahamudra.html http://www.nitartha.org/lotak_excerpt.html# http://www.nitartha.org/lotak_excerpt.html#

=shambhala 3 year retreat program= Our Three-year Retreats

This retreat was designed in 1989 by Ven. Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche for the Shambhala Buddhist community. Because he understood that the view of Vidyadhara Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche was to create an enlightened society, Thrangu Rinpoche wanted this retreat to be divided into segments that would allow practitioners to maintain relationships with family and careers.

In 2004, with the blessing of Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche and Thrangu Rinpoche, the decision was made to open up the retreat modules so that practitioners who were unable to attend the entire retreat could do one or more sections of it. This has proven to be a great success as people in our community discover the hidden treasure of Söpa Chöling.

Here is how the three-year retreat proceeds:

1. Mahamudra retreat

The first three months of this retreat are dedicated to **guru yoga sadhanas of Gampopa, Milarepa, and Marpa** (which require abhishekas).

These are followed by three months of silent group retreat in which we practice mahamudra investigations, using the text by the **9th Karmapa, Pointing Out the Dharmakaya, and a commentary by Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche.** This retreat is a rare and powerful opportunity to discover and practice vipashyana mahamudra.

2. Könchok Chidü retreat

Könchok Chidü, meaning "Embodiment of the Three Jewels," is a sadhana of Guru Rinpoche, with a commentary by Jamgön Kongtrol Lodrö Thayé. It includes outer, inner, secret, and long-life practice as well as an amending fire offering and feast practice. His Holiness Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche bestowed this abhisheka on our community in 1987.

3. Inner Vajrayogini retreat

This retreat is an excellent bridge between Vajrayogini practice and the Six Dharmas. It uses the same sadhana text as in our previous practice, but the commentary we follow is by Pawo Tsug-lak Trengwa, which offers a series of five recitations that progressively train in chandali and mahamudra. It includes drupchen and fire offering practices.

4. Chakrasamvara retreat

The sadhana text used in this practice is the same as the one used by other practitioners in our sangha, but the visualizations are different. We follow a commentary written by Karma Chagme, a ten-chapter practice manual for the outer, inner, secret, and very secret practice, which includes a drupchen and fire offering. Many people who completed the Chakrasamvara practice before coming into this retreat found this new commentary extremely beneficial. The retreat is also open to those who have received the abhisheka but have not done the practice.

5. Six Dharmas of Naropa retreat

The six dharmas are the practices of chandali, illusory form, dream, luminosity, bardo, and phowa. Together they represent the completion stage of Vajrayogini-Chakrasamvara practice and are methods for transforming all states of mind into the wisdom of mahamudra. At Söpa Chöling we have an ideal facility for these practices, with guided instructions for group and individual training. In particula,r each retreat has included older practitioners, many in their sixties, who have found this retreat most workable and beneficial.

6. Jinasagara retreat

Jinasagara (Tib: Gyalwa Gyatso), red Avalokiteshvara with consort, is a very important yidam practice in the Kagyü lineage, and like Guhyasamaja, it is of the father lineage—an emphasis on the upaya of compassion, completely transforming aggression.

The lineage comes from Rechungpa who received it from two sources. First he was asked by Milarepa to go to India and receive these teachings on the nine dharmas of the formless dakinis from Tiphupa.

Padmasambhava also gave instructions on Jinasagara to King Trisong Detsen and Yeshe Tsogyal. They were concealed as a terma that was later transmitted to Rechungpa by the terton Nyan Rolpa. Rechungpa’s lineage was transmitted to the second Karmapa, Karma Pakshi, and the practice of Jinasagara remains a heart practice of the Karmapas.

The practice in retreat is similar to Chakrasamvara in that it has outer, inner, secret, and very secret aspects; a drupchen and fire puja are included.

7. Krishnachola drupchen

The lineage of instruction for the wisdom protector Krishnachola (Tib: Pernakchen) and his consort Mahakali comes from Guru Rinpoche who taught it to Trisong Detsen’s brother who was a ngakpa. The instructions were passed down through thirteen generations to Karma Pakshi, who then promulgated the practice. Throughout retreat, a group daily practice to Vajra Krishnachola is done, and this culminates in a two-month drupchen at the conclusion of the retreat. Other Practices and Trainings Included in the Retreat Fire offering

Adjacent to the retreat building is a beautiful fire offering shrine room that overlooks the sea. Amending fire offerings are included in Könchok Chidü, Vajrayogini, Chakrasamvara, and Jinasagara retreats.

Feast offerings

Werma and Padmasambhava feast practices are also included throughout the retreats, as well as Vajrayogini, Chakrasamvara, Könchok Chidü, and Jinasagara (the latter 10th day feasts are specific to those retreats).

Sadhana of Mahamudra

We follow the custom of performing the sadhana on full and new moon days, and a Sadhana of Mahamudra feast is offered at the conclusion of each retreat.

Rain of Wisdom

Normally within the retreat there will be at least one full day of reading the Rain of Wisdom, with the Milarepa sadhana.

Sur offering

On a daily basis, we perform a smoke offering to the six guests, including bardo beings and our karmic creditors.

Daily Vajrakrishnachola

The wisdom protector practice is done by the group daily, chanted in the traditional melodies. For most of the retreat, this is the only group gathering of the day, since all the other practices are done mainly in your rooms.

Monthly Vajrakrishnachola feast

In some of the retreats, a 29th day feast practice to the protector is performed.

Torma

All retreatants will receive extensive training in torma making, and will make permanent tormas out of clay for each practice as well as fresh tormas for offerings.

Music

We train in the use of cymbals and drum, conches and the long horns (radung). Gyaling (trumpet) and kangling (thigh bone trumpet) trainings are available for those who are motivated to learn.

=http://www.sopacholing.org/about-three-year-retreats.php=

=Reading= [|Medical Thangkas] medical tantras

bonpo
GOT IT [|Achard's translations on dzogchen] =taoist= GOT IT |Jerry allan johnson =bilingual= GOT IT GtK v4

indian root texts

 * 01	||The Bhikshu’s Individual Emancipation Sutra of Shakyamuni Buddha, ||dge slong so so thar pai mdo||
 * 02	||The Root Vinaya Sutra of Shakyamuni Buddha, ||dul ba mdo rtsa ba||
 * 03	||phags pa gzhi thams cad yod par smra bai dge tshul 1 ||of Shakya Od||
 * 04	||phags pa gzhi thams cad yod par smra bai dge tshul 2 ||of Nagarjuna||

05	The Abhidharmakosha of Vasubandhu, chos mngon pai mdzod [] [] [] []

06	The Abhidharmasamuccaya of Asangachos, mngon pa kun las btus pa []

07	The Root Middle Way Prajna of Nagarjuna, dbu ma rtsa ba shes rab []

08	Entering the Middle Way of Chandrakirti, dbu ma la jug pa [] [] 09	The Four Hundred Verses Treatise of Nagarjuna, bstan bcos bzhi brgya pa [] http://www.berzinarchives.com/web/x/nav/n.html_1949421541.html 10	The Seventy Verses on Emptiness of Nagarjuna, stong nyid bdun cu pa 11	The Sixty Verses on Reasoning of Nagarjuna, rigs pa drug cu pa [] 12	The Turning Away Arguments of Nagarjuna, rtsod pa bzlog pa 13	The Finely Woven of Nagarjuna, zhib mo rnam par thag pa 14	Entering the Bodhisatva’s Way of Shantideva, byang chub sems dpa spyod pa la jug pa http://www.berzinarchives.com/web/x/nav/n.html_1949421541.html [] JKLT's commentary 15	The Ornament of Manifest Realization of Maitreya and Asanga, mngon par rtogs pai rgyan [|Thrangu Rinpoche's commentary] 3 books http://www.berzinarchives.com/web/x/nav/n.html_1949421541.html 16	The Ornament of the Great Vehicle Sutra Section of Maitreya and Asanga, theg chen mdo sde rgyan 17	Distinguishing Centre and Extremes of Maitreya and Asanga, dbus dang mtha rnam par byed pa

[] 18	Distinguishing Dharma and Dharmata of Maitreya and Asanga, chos dang chos nyid rnam par byed pa [] [] [] 19	Great Vehicle Highest Continuum Treatise of Maitreya and Asanga, theg chen rgyud bla mai bstan [] http://www.berzinarchives.com/web/x/nav/n.html_1949421541.html

Compendium of Valid Cognition by Dignaga Pramanavarttika by Dharmakirti Ascertainment of Valid Cognition by Dharmakirti Treasury of Valid Reasoning by Sakya Pandita Clear Differentiation of the Three Sets of Vows (sdom gsum rab dbye) by Sakya Pandita

[|Jamgon Kongtrul]
retreat manual To provide guidance for fortunate disciples, he composed and edited the ninety volume collection of texts universally renowned as the ‘Five Great Treasures’: 1. The Treasury of Encyclopedic Knowledge, which brilliantly reveals the ground, path and fruition for the whole of sutra and mantra, from the paths of the common sciences all the way up to Dzogchen Atiyoga, which is the culmination of the nine vehicles in the uncommon approach. ཤེས་བྱ་ཀུན་ཁྱབ་མཛོད་, shes bya kun khyab mdzod https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/the-treasury-of-knowledge/id651630070?mt=8 2. The Treasury of Precious Instructions, which is a compilation of the most profound maturing empowerments and liberating instructions belonging to the eight great chariots of the practice lineage. http://gdamsngagmdzod.tsadra.org/index.php/Gdams_ngag_mdzod_Catalog གདམས་ངག་མཛོད་, gdams ngag mdzod 3. The Treasury of Kagyü Mantras, which is a compendium of mandala rituals, maturing empowerments and liberating instructions, such as Yangdak, Vajrakilaya and Yamantaka from the Nyingma kama, and the tantra cycles from the new translation lineages of Marpa and Ngok. བཀའ་བརྒྱུད་སྔགས་མཛོད་, bka' brgyud sngags mdzod 4. The Treasury of Precious Termas, which distills the quintessence of an ocean of profound termas within the Nyingma school. རིན་ཆེན་གཏེར་མཛོད་ཆེན་མོ་, rin chen gter mdzod chen mo 5a) The Uncommon Treasury, which contains the unique secret treasures of his own profound terma revelations. 5b) The Treasury of Extensive Teachings, which includes various related works, such as praises and advice, as well as compositions on medicine, science and so on. རྒྱ་ཆེན་བཀའ་མཛོད་, rgya chen bka' mdzod GOTIT commentary on '7 points mind training'

Nam Thar Electronic versions: Shabkar JKLT Rechungpa TOgden Ugyen CHokyi Wangchuk Dolpopa Milarepa mandarava Marpa tilipa 84 SIddhas Paper Versions: Dudjom Lingpa Jigmed Lingpa Need: guru rinpoche yeshe tsogyal thangtong gyalpo karma pakshi kalu rinpoche

Jigme Lingpa
yeshe lama

kagyupas
=karma kamtsang= http://rywiki.tsadra.org/index.php/2nd_Pawo_Rinpoche

6th Sharmapa = drukpa kagyu= kunchen pema karpo

shangpa
kalu rinpoche

gelugpa
[| clear light, nyuku] [| chos drug]

[Tara]

====Finances Goal: 30 Current: 2.6 (8.4%) 3.0 (10%)          3.64 (12%)

====Personal items Medications Toiletries Razorblades (8/month, 40 months = 320 cartridges, $2 each = $620   Soap

writing
pens, https://www.allartsupplies.com/billing.php notebooks Computing 3 laptops 2nd gen ipad mini back up laptop w/ 128m SSD, lenovo business design, $800 http://www.bestbuy.com/site/13.3%22+ThinkPad+Notebook+-+4+GB+Memory+and+128+GB+Solid+State+Drive+-+Black/1306203454.p?id=mp1306203454&skuId=1306203454&st=ssd&cp=1&lp=15 http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/ssd-reliability-failure-rate,2923-9.html

http://curiousminds.co.uk/http://curiousminds.co.uk/rainbow-spectrum-kit

http://wordpress.tsadra.org/?author=22

8 great texts of dakpo kagyu

Items Needed for the Three-Year Retreat

SHRINE AND PRACTICE ITEMS: 	Two sets of dunsar (shrine offering bowls): one set of seven offering bowls and one of nine bowls (or two sets of seven plus two extra bowls) 	Two pokong (aka serkyem) (offering goblet which holds tea) 	Two to four candle holders, all for votives. Butterlamp holder ideal. 	Kapala (skullcup—may use half a coconut, with inside waxed if can not find a metal kapala) 	Two small kapalas 	Two mandalas (one for shrine, one to use) 	A statue of a Buddha or a Yidam, a Dharma text wrapped in cloth, and a statue or picture of a stupa. (These three items are recommended but not absolutely necessary. They represent the body, speech and mind of the Buddha) 	One small covered vessel for chab (blessing water) 	One small covered pitcher (for shalchu – rinse water) 	One small covered pitcher (for chopa kaso) 	One small bowl or vessel (for chopa kaso, covered is best) to hold rice For the last two items, a sugar and cream set is perfect, especially if the creamer is covered. Little pitchers for soy sauce like in Japanese restaurants could also work. 	Incense holder and incense (unless you are allergic) X	Dorje and bell 	Chötor set (for a morning water offering practice. Set includes a small pitcher and seven plates). Places that sell them may call them “Gutsay,” “Torjang” or “Dzambhala offering set” 	Tingshak (chimes, for Chutor) 	Small damaru (hand drum) X	Chöd damaru (large hand drum) and 	kangling (thigh bone trumpet) 	Two malas. Or more. 	Mandala apron or cloth to catch rice X	Several katas (white offering scarves) 	Two or three silk/dried flowers for dunsar 	Small silk den (or piece of cloth) for bell, dorje, and small damaru 	Larger silk to put on your shrine as base cover, if you like, but not absolutely necessary 	Water pitcher to fill shrine bowls 	Shrine towel(s), nice quality 	Copper/brass/silver polish as you need – KTC uses Wright’s polish, and usually does a group order before retreat, so you can probably purchase a tub then. 	Tupperware-type containers of assorted sizes for storing rice, tsok, etc.(e.g. one 10 gallon air-tight container with compact shape, taller better than wider, one gallon container, 2-3 eight cup containers, a few smaller ones) 	Glass jars or Tupperware for chutor cereal, miscellaneous 	Plastic tray for tormas

The following should be new or previously used only for shrine. The list is for the minimum number needed; more of each size plate is better. 	Three tiny spoons 	One dinner plate (10”) 	One medium-sized plate (8 inch diameter) 	One salad-size plate (5”) 	Two dessert-sized plates 	Three tiny plates (for torbul; Chinese condiment size ideal) 	One tiny bottle with top to hold tsokchang (beer) 	Six small torma plates (from Chinatown ideal) 	One rectangular plate (about 2”x6”)

PERSONAL ITEMS, ESSENTIAL: Clothing: 	Robes: at least one summer set and one winter set. Inquire at KTC Store. 	At least 2 shirts, a belt, and a misham (underskirt) to go with the shamtab and zen (robes). Helpful to have an extra misham. 	Several pairs warm wool socks in maroon (red or brown also ok) 	Chöpon (shrine master) scarf: a red cloth to tie over your mouth while making offerings Furnishings/Bedding: 	Pad for box – cotton zabuton and/or high-density foam and/or rug 	A Bucky travel neck pillow also works well for when sleeping upright. 	Sleeping bag or warm comforter (WARM) 	Blanket(s) (wool is warmer than fleece) 	Cushions and pillows as you need 	Lamp(s) 	Door curtain 	Window curtain Kitchen: 	Eating bowl, plate and cup (unbreakable is best) 	Assorted tupperware-type containers for personal use (cannot mix with shrine) 	Utensils 	Sturdy thermos for tea/hot water Bath: 	Toiletries, medications you need 	Towel Office: 	Blank notebooks, paper, pens, pencils Miscellaneous: 	Prostration board, pads, foam 	Digital recorder, mp3 format X	Headphones or ear buds 	Alarm clock OPTIONAL (but recommended as useful): Shrine: 	Mala string 	Extra counters 	Picture frames in large and small sizes, for deity and Lama pics (at least 1 of each size) X	Hand counter for prostrations or wrist mala 	About one ounce saffron (for mandala) 	Jewels to add to mandala rice 	Piece of leather (not suede) for re-stringing counters, repairing bell 	Silicon spray or Butcher’s Wax for prostration board if you use that Clothing: 	Slip-on, indoor shoes with soft soles (no hard soles, make noise on hard floors) 	Sports bra 	Warm boots – waterproof 	Sneakers 	Watch (note: cell phones not allowed in retreat) 	Outdoor work gloves 	Rain coat 	Various layers for the four seasons in maroon, as needed Furniture/Bedding: 	Foam for the back of your box (thick), which reaches up to the back of your neck (so you can rest your head on it when sleeping); pillow(s) to support the small of your back when sleeping. 	Wastepaper basket X	Crates or shelves or furniture for clothes; laundry basket 	Electric fan (Niguling already has window fans for each room) 	Extension cord or power strip 	Rug Kitchen: 	Pocket knife 	Plastic water bottle Bath: 	Washcloth 	Nail clippers 	Spray bottle (for water, in hot weather) Office: 	Yellow highlighters and red pencils (for pechas) 	Green highlighters and blue pens (for commentaries) 	Other office supplies, ex. stapler, whiteout, post-its, etc. 	Filing system for dharma papers 	Storage system for pechas (Tibetan texts) 	CD player or digital media player with headphones (this is optional but may be useful) 	Scissors 	Stationery and holiday/birthday cards, stamps 	Rechargeable batteries & recharging machine if your digital recorder/CD player takes batteries 	Small Elmer’s glue 	Utility knife 	Calculator 	Small paintbrushes (especially optional) Miscellaneous: 	Sewing kit with maroon and yellow thread 	Flashlight Heating/Cooling: 	Air conditioner, small, must be energy efficient. Seasonal charge annually $140.00 	Electric heater, must be the radiator, oil-filled type, monthly charge $15.00 special extension cord must be used if needed, ask caretakers.

THE FOLLOWING ARE PROVIDED FOR YOU DURING THE RETREAT: •	Offering rice (for mandala) and cereal (for chötor) •	Toilet paper •	Matches •	Bleach, dish & laundry soap, hand soap •	Light bulbs •	Candles •	Hot water (for thermoses) •	Cardboard boxes, basic tools •	Bandaids & other first-aid items •	Basic cleaning supplies •	Each room is furnished with a shrine, a meditation box, and a pecha table.

RECOMMENDED BOOKS: English and Tibetan: 	Torch of Certainty 	Chandra-Das’ Tibetan-English Dictionary English: 	Seven Points of Mind Training 	The Life of Marpa 	The Life of Milarepa 	100,000 Songs of Milarepa 	The Jewel Ornament of Liberation 	Words of My Perfect Teacher [all available through retreat library as well]

RECOMMENDED PHOTOGRAPHS: X	Your Root Lama(s) X	Kagyu Refuge Tree 	Dorje Chang alone 	Marpa 	Milarepa 	Gampopa 	Karma Pakshi 	Micho Dorje w/ dakinis (Tunshi) 	Dorje Pagmo (from Samyeling) w/ kor good 	Korlo Demchok (two armed) best w/ kor & consort 	Gyalwa Gyamtso (Samyeling) best w/ kor 	Lhashi 	Korlo Demchok without kor (Gyu De Nga) 	Bernachen 	Chadrupa X	Dorje Phurba 	Machik Labdrön 	Dorje Sempa alone 	Dorje Sempa w/ consort 	White and/or Green Tara (both best) 	Chenrezig (helpful) 	Amitabha 	Amitayus 	Guru Rinpoche 	Tamdrin X	Medicine Buddha

Don’t worry if you forget something! The drupkang provides monthly shops.

UTTERLY INDISPENSIBLE: 	Devotion 	Patience 	Joy 	Pure perception of fellow retreatants 	Tolerance 	Open mind for learning new things 	Diligence

Please note: Cell phones are prohibited for any purpose in retreat. We will be glad to store your cell phone in a locked cabinet to be returned to you when you leave.

A personal computer is permitted for audio storage, transcribing teachings, making notes, writing letters, etc.

Internet and email are strictly prohibited in retreat.