Khenchen Thrangu Rinpoche will once again be teaching at a residential retreat in Crestone, Colorado, near the Vajra Vidya Retreat Center. This will be the ninth Vajra Vidya retreat held in Colorado.Many of you have attended previous retreats where Rinpoche has taught, have experience with Rinpoche’s teaching in the west, and are familiar with his activities in Asia. As you probably know, he was appointed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to tutor Urgen Trinley, the 17th Karmapa. His main institutions in Nepal include the Thrangu Tashi Choling monastery in Bodhnath, the Namo Buddha Retreat Center and Monastic College in Namo Buddha, the Tara Abbey nunnery in Swayambunath Nepal, and the Shree Mangal Dvip Boarding School in Bodhnath, all in Nepal. He founded the Vajravidya Institute in Sarnath, India, where monks and nuns go for advanced study. Please refer to rinpoche.com for further information concerning Rinpoche’s activities and his publications.

In previous Crestone teachings and at teachings given at Big Bear in southern California, Rinpoche's teachings have been based on a number of Kagyu lineage mahamudra texts. This year’s teaching will provide further instruction concerning the view, practice, and experience of mahamudra. Rinpoche will base this coming year’s teachings on a number of mahamudra dohas or songs. These are likely to include a commentary of Khenpo Gangshar on Mipham Rinpoche's doha, "The Song of the View of the Great Perfection," a commentary by Ju Mipham on a Changkya Rolpai Dorje doha comparing mahamudra to a mother, and a mahamudra doha composed by Chogyam Thrungpa.

Khenpo Gangshar Wangpo (b. 1925) was the root lama for Thrangu Rinpoche, Khenpo Karthar Rinpoche, and Chogyam Thrungpa Rinpoche and taught at the Sechen monastery in Tibet. Thrangu Rinpoche’s teaching following Khenpo Gangshar’s text, Naturally Liberating Whatever You Meet: Instructions to Guide You on the Profound Path, is available on audio CD. Mipham Rinpoche (also known as Ju Mipham Jamyang Namgyal, 1846-1912) was a major scholar and teacher in the Rime movement. Changkya Rolpai Dorje (1717–1786) was a noted teacher in a number of lineages. The teaching texts and further background information will be provided to retreatants as soon as they are available.

Rinpoche will be assisted in the retreat by Khenpo Jigme and Lama Wangdu, resident monks at the Crestone, CO., Vajra Vidya Retreat Center. Tulku Damcho from Namo Buddha, Nepal, Ani Kunsang from Karma Tashi Ling in Edmonton, Alberta, Lama Tashi Dondup from Karma Tekchen Zabsal Ling in Toronto, Ontario, and other western and Tibetan teachers may assist with the retreat and with interviews with retreatants.

Rinpoche decided on a 12 day teaching retreat for 2009. During this year’s retreat Rinpoche will teach for five days, have two rest days, and then teach for an additional five days. Our other dharma teachers will lead practice and instruction on the two days while Rinpoche is resting. Rinpoche will give a public talk Friday evening, September 18; this will be the only retreat activity on that day. September 30 will be a full retreat day with an evening banquet and talent show. Plan on September 18 and October 1 to be your travel days.

As with previous Vajra Vidya retreats, this retreat will include teaching and practice sessions. In general, there will be two teaching sessions daily; discussion groups will be held in the afternoon. There will be two daily shamatha practice sessions and two deity sadhana sessions daily. Retreatants should plan to participate in all the teaching, shamatha, and deity sessions if they are able to do so. In the interest of enhancing our practice and our focus on the teachings, retreatants will maintain silence during the retreat except for discussion groups, dinner, and functional talking during other meals. A number of empowerments will take place during the retreat.

Location of Retreat:

The retreat will be held at the White Eagle center in Crestone, Colorado. See lodging information below

Registration:

Space is limited for this retreat. The capacity of the teaching/shrine room at the White Eagle determines the number of retreatants who may be accommodated at the 2009 Vajra Vidya retreat, setting a limit of about 150 retreatants. We anticipate that we may need to close registration for the retreat when our maximum registration is reached. I will keep a waiting list once the retreat is full to capacity. In 2008, not all persons who were on the retreat waiting list were able to attend.

Retreat fees:

I encourage all retreatants to sign up for and to attend the full retreat program. This will allow all of us to better build and maintain the container for the dharma teachings and for our practice. We will, however, accommodate Rinpoche’s students who simply cannot attend the full retreat. They may register for either the first or second half of the retreat period (September 18 through 23, or September 26 through 30); persons registering for half of the retreat may participate in the retreat on September 24 and 25 if they wish to do so. The teaching fee for the full retreat is $400; teaching fee for either half of the retreat is $250. The teaching fee does not include lodging or meals; please see below.

Your place at the retreat will be assured only after you have registered, paid retreat fees, and received a registration number via confirmation email or letter from us.

Cancellation of registration may be done until August 1, 2009, subject to a $50 cancellation fee. Refunds of 50% will be made for any cancellation of registration between August 1 and September 1, 2009 up. Refunds will not be possible after September 1.

How to register?

This year you may register via email by sending me a completed registration spreadsheet. You may do this by filling in your information and emailing me at garuda@gci.net. You may open this information and the spreedsheet in a document file, or a rich text format. Fill out the needed information, and send the file to me as an attachment to the email. This way of registering is an experiment to insure that I get accurate contact information from you. Your registration will be confirmed via email after I have received your registration fees. Please send registration fees by regular mail to:

Vajra Vidya Retreat
C/O Bob Schroeder
1706 Willow Drive
Juneau, AK 99801

If you do not have computer access or email, you may send in the registration information via mail. I am again requesting payment by check or money order to avoid paying credit card or pay pal fees. This arrangement saves funds that may be used for Rinpoche’s dharma activities.

Transportation.

Getting to and from Crestone is easier than going on pilgrimage to receive teachings in Tibet, Nepal, or India, but it does take some time, energy, and finances. I will be chartering a bus to and from the Denver airport. The bus will cost about $60 each way. The bus will leave the Denver airport on Friday, September 18 at 2 pm; the return trip will leave Crestone, on Thursday, October 1 at 8 am. Figure about 4 hours for the trip, depending on weather, traffic, and imponderables. You need to sign up for the bus at time of registration so that I know how large a bus to charter.

Some retreatants may wish to fly to Denver to Alamosa although this option is likely to cost a bit more than the bus transportation. Great Lakes Airlines (reservations@flygreatlakes.com, 800 554 5111) flies this route; currently 21 day advance purchase is $99 one way. Windhorse Transportation (719-256-4177, http://windhorse.crestonecolorado.com/) will provide ground transportation between Alamosa and Crestone for a current rate of $65 for as many people as their car can hold.

Lodging:

The retreat will be held at the White Eagle Village Crestone Inn, Retreat and Conference Center. Lodging is available at the White Eagle. The White Eagle can accommodate about 100 retreatants in its 44 rooms. White Eagle gets fully booked early for Vajra Vidya retreats. For the full retreat, you will need lodging for 13 days, September 18 through September 30. Room rates are as follows:

Single or double billed to one credit card $68.83 including tax.
Shared double room billed to two credit cards $36.72 per person including tax.
Hostel rooms (limited availability) $26.20 per night, per person including tax.

Retreatants need to contact White Eagle directly to make arrangements for lodging. Cheyenne Mendel and her staff will be handling bookings. Your credit card will be charged for room charges when you check in.

Please call:

White Eagle Village
67485 County Road T
Moffet, CO 81143
Ph. 719 256 4865, 800 613 2270
Fax 719 256 4853 (same as phone #)

Other lodging is available in the Crestone area at bed and breakfasts, short term rentals, and perhaps at other retreat centers. See www.CrestoneVisit.com or contact Cal Michael Cali at CAVA, (719 256 5210,
cava@CrestoneVisit.com) concerning rentals and general visitor information for the Crestone area. There are public camp sites in Crestone that may be used by retreatants; however these may be some distance from the retreat site. See the USDA Forest Service site for a description of their campground: http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/riogrande/recreation/camping/cg_sag_north_crestone.shtml

Meals

White Eagle will provide an inclusive meal plan covering 3 meals per day beginning with Friday, September 18 dinner and ending with a brown bag make-your-own lunch on Thursday, October 1. A lunch only option will also be provided. The meals provided by White Eagle cooking staff will meet most dietary needs. All meals will include food appropriate for persons following non-vegetarian, vegetarian, vegan, and non-gluten diets. Persons with allergies or specific dietary needs should discuss these with me and the retreat meal coordinator. Lunch will be the most substantial meal served during the retreat, except on Wednesday, September 30 when the large meal will be an evening banquet.

We encourage retreatants to sign up for a meal plan. Other food possibilities in Crestone near the White Eagle are limited.

Meal plan cost.

Meals at the White Eagle are $38 per day for the full plan and $19 per day for lunch only. Lunch is the more substantial meal of the day. Example cost for the full Plan ($38@day x 12 days + Friday, September 18 dinner $13, Thursday, October 1 breakfast and brown bag $19) is $488. Lunch only during 12 retreat days ($19@day) is $228. The Wednesday, September 30 banquet for persons who do not purchase a meal plan $19.

The following meal plan selections will be available:

1. Dinner, Sept. 18

2. All meals, Sept. 19-23

3. All meals, Sept. 24-25

4. All meals, Sept. 26-30

5. Breakfast and sack lunch, Oct. 1

6. Lunch only, Sept. 19-23

7. Lunch only, Sept. 24-25

8. Lunch only, Sept. 26-30

9. Banquet only, Sept. 30

Please make your selections and use the registration spreadsheet to figure your food costs.

Although White Eagle will be providing food and will be billing your credit card for meals, my meal coordinator and I will be figuring out our food order. We will be providing White Eagle with a listing with the number of retreatants signed up for each meal plan, credit card information and any cash received for food, and directions concerning who should be charged for what food. Please see the registration spreadsheet (below) for details. Your credit card will be charged for food and/or checks for food cashed no earlier than August 18, 2009, one month before the retreat commences.

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Please feel free to contact me with any questions concerning the 2009 Vajra Vidya Retreat by phone or email.

1. Home phone, 907 586 5843, cell 907 209 5049

2. Email at garuda@gci.net

You may also contact Lama Wangdu or Ani Seltong at the Crestone Vajra Vidya Retreat Center 719 256 5539 concerning this retreat and other opportunities to study and practice dharma at our Crestone center.