Retreats
We offer a range of retreats throughout the year that you can attend in person or online, check the events calendar for upcoming dates.
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Lam Rim
Lam Rim is the essence of teaching from Lama Tsong Kapa. It explains the path of three stages for beings with small, medium and higher scopes. The key contents are three principle aspects of the path: renunciation, bodhichitta and emptiness.
This teaching by Lama Tsong Kapa comes from an authentic lineage. The skilled and compassionate Shakyamuni Buddha taught diverse types of Buddha Dharma within a collection of 84,000 scriptures for the diverse mental dispositions and spiritual inclination of his listeners. The essence of all these teachings is presented in such treaties as Master Atisha’s Lamp for the Path, which presents the systematic approach of an individual on the path to enlightenment. With this as a basis, Lama Tsong Kapa composed the Lam Rim Che Mo.
Buddha Dharma means bringing discipline and inner tranquility into our mind. Such training of the mind is instrumental in working out problems in life originated at the mental level. Negative emotional forces create mental unrest, such as unhappiness, fear, doubt, and frustration; these negative mental states cause us to engage in activities that harm others, which in turn bring us more problems and more suffering. Practicing Dharma thus protects us from unwanted suffering
Medicine Buddha
Medicine Buddha is the Enlightened Supreme Healer, King of Aquamarine Light. By reciting his mantra, one is protected from all sorts of mental and physical conditions. Ultimately, Medicine Buddha leads the path towards the full enlightenment. This retreat offers an opportunity for inner healing so that one can benefit one’s family and the world. The retreat is not an escape from the challenges of daily life and responsibilities towards one’s family. But it’s for clearing of past karmas and thus the healing of relationships in this and future lives.
The Medicine Buddha mantra are powerful purification of negative karma for both living and those passed away. It’s also good for helping animals. Lama Tendar will teach how to practice Medicine Buddha’s teaching and the recitation of Mantras.
During the retreat, Lama Tendar will talk about calm abiding meditation for developing mental concentration; and insight meditation about precious human life; impermanence; karmic effects of non-virtuous actions; faults of samsara; and taking refuge in the three jewels. There are four sessions each day, with teaching, guided meditation, chanting, and deep relaxation sound healing.
Upon requests from students, Lama Tendar might give the Medicine Buddha empowerment, so that one receives blessings from and connects well with Medicine Buddha
Tara
Green and White Tara is born from Avalokiteshvara’s loving tears for all sentient beings.
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Tara practice is very beneficial for living a fulfilling life. Tara is the mother of all buddhas and bodhisattvas. White Tara looks after all sentient beings just like a mother cares for her beloved children.
Connection to the White Tara energy facilitates long life, brings about prosperity, and good mental and physical health.
Green Tara is the manifestation of wind energy, instant rescue for those in destitution. Green Tara inspires us to rise up to virtuous actions motivated by great compassion. Tara protects us from eight external fears and eight internal fears.
During the retreat, Lama Tendar gives teachings on how to overcome fears so as to protect one’s mind and to live life positively. He also gives instructions about how to conduct daily Tara practice, teaches Tara mantras, and offers guided meditations.
The merits of this practice can be dedicated to oneself, one’s families, and to all other sentient beings.
Upon student request, Lama Tender might give White Tara long life initiation.
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Vajrasattva
Vajrasattva meditation and recitation is to purify all obscurations, defilements, negative karma and downfalls caused by ten non-virtuous actions and breaking of vows.
This is achieved by generating four powers: reliance, regret, antidotes and resolution, as strongly as possible.
Most of our actions are based on non-virtuous motivation, therefore most of our actions generate negative karma that leads to suffering.
We therefore need Vajrasattva practice to purify such negative karma.
In the retreat Lama Tendar teaches what is negative karma and how to apply four powers to purify them. Most importantly,
Lama Tendar teaches how to generate the mind of great compassion and Bodhichita as strong antidotes.
This is a great opportunity to generate a pure mind for the benefits of yourself and others.
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Om Benza Sattva Hum
Avalokitshvara
Avalokiteshvara embodies the great compassion of all the buddhas in the past, present and future.
This retreat offers an opportunity to learn to cultivate wisdom and great compassion through Avalokiteshvara practice and Lam Rim teachings.
Through daily meditation, chanting, and teaching sessions, you can learn how to connect with Avalokiteshvara’s pure body so as to mature your heart and mind.
This is the way to connect to the supreme good heart of Bodhichitta, the source of all happiness and peace of mind.
It gives you protection in your daily lives. This will be a life changing experience, you will leave with a more open heart.
Upon requests from students, Lama Tendar might give Avalokiteshvara initiation.
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Om Mani Padme Hum
Mandala Retreat
Lama Tendar teaches the authentic buddhist mandala in Gyuto Monastery tradition, that is originated from an unbroken oral lineage of the Buddha.
The retreat offers an unique way to discipline the mind. It has the effects of practicing calm abiding and insight meditation. It’s a supreme art therapy that removes mental obscuration, purifying mental habitual patterns that hinders the recognition of the true nature of mind. Confidence and positive energy arise through the joy of drawing and painting the symbols of the mandala. If proper concentration is applied, one hardly notices the passing of time. The process of constructing a full mandala generates one’s mind to be the same as the enlightened mind.
Lama Tendar teaches a wide variety of mandalas, depending on the mental disposition of the student. Starting with the compassion mandala, one could continue the journey with other mandalas such as peace mandala, wisdom mandala, eight auspicious symbols, medicine buddha, and Yamantaka mandala.
To paint the Medicine Buddha and the Yamantaka mandala, one needs to receive initiation. Each mandala, including each symbol of it, is the manifestation of the qualities of the deity. Therefore painting mandala is a great offering of positive energy to the universe. It is thus a great way to generate merits.
Yamantaka
In response to Sangha requests, Lama Tendar kindly offers opportunities of Yamantaka practice.
During the retreat Lama Tendar teaches:
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How to conduct daily practice of self-generation and visualisation;
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The correct manner of chanting mantras and performing mudras; and
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Theory and practice of generation-stage in the context of Yamantaka practice.
Yamantaka is the wrathful manifestation of Manjushri who protects practitioners from mental afflictions and obstructions.
Yamantaka practice is very important for practitioners in removing obstacles so as to attain full enlightenment. To benefit from the protection, one needs to receive blessings from Yamantaka initiation. Once having received the blessings, it is easier for practitioners to cultivate compassion and wisdom for the benefit of all sentient beings. Having received Yamantaka initiation is a pre-requirement for attending this retreat.
Only upon sincere requests from students, Lama Tendar may give Yamantaka Initiation during the retreat, if participants are committed to serious daily practice of Yamantaka.