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2008 Retreat Program
 Thrangu Rinpoche at the 2007 Dolpopa Retreat Program
Summer Program 2008
As you plan your 2008 calendar, reserve Friday, June 20 through Sunday June 29 for this year's annual summer program.
Kenchen Thrangu Rinpoche will once again be teaching at a
residential retreat in Crestone, Colorado
near the site of the Vajra Vidya
Retreat Center. This will be the eighth Vajra Vidya retreat
held in Colorado.
Rinpoche is a master of mahamudra and a foremost scholar of
the Kagyu lineage of Tibetan Buddhism.
He was appointed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama to tutor Urgen Trinley,
the 17th Karmapa. Rinpoche
has numerous monastic, teaching, and social service centers around the
world. His main institutions in Nepal
include the Namo Buddha monastery and college in Nepal
the Tara Abbey nunnery. He founded the
Vajra Vidya Insitute in Sarnath, India
He serves as spiritual director for Gampo Abbey in Nova
Scotia, Canada. Please refer to www.rinpoche.com for further
information concerning Rinpoche’s activities.
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Retreat Text
Rinpoche’s teaching will follow mahamudra texts written by the
Tangtong Gyalpo. Tangtong Gyalpo lived about
1361 to 1485 and left a strong teaching and practice legacy, particularly
concerning the practice of deliberate action or behavior. He was a mahasiddha of the Shangpa Kagyu
lineage. In conjunction with his dharma
teaching, he constructed 58 iron bridges, established 118 ferries, 111 stupas,
and a great number of temples and monasteries in Bhutan
and India. Because of his construction works, he is sometimes
referred to as the king of the empty plain or the iron bridge builder and depicted with an iron chain.
Retreatants may wish to read Cyrus Stearns’ comprehensive
biography, King of the Empty Plain: the Tibetan
Iron-Bridge Builder Tangtong Gyalpo Snow Lion Publications, 2007.
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Retreat Schedule
Rinpoche will be assisted in the retreat by Khenpo Jigme and
Lama Wangdo, resident monks at the Crestone
Vajra Vidya Retreat
Center.
As with previous Vajra Vidya retreats, this retreat will include
teaching and practice sessions. In
general, there will be two daily teaching sessions; discussion groups will be
held in the afternoon. In the interest
of enhancing practice and focus on the teachings, retreatants will maintain
silence during the retreat except for discussion groups and function talking
during 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.
The White Eagle has been reserved for the retreat and can provide
accommodation for approximately 100 retreatants.
Registration
Space is limited for this retreat. Rinpoche will be teaching only a few retreats
in North America in 2008. The capacity of the teaching/shrine room at
the White Eagle will limit the number of retreatants who may be accommodated at
the 2008 Vajra Vidya retreat. We
anticipate that we may need to close registration for the retreat when our
maximum registration is reached.
Please print out the registration form from the main website, enclose a check for $400, and mail to:
Bob Schroeder
2008 Vajra Vidya Retreat
1706 Willow Drive
Juneau, AK 99801
Lodging
The retreat will be held at the White Eagle Village Crestone Inn, Retreat and Conference Center. Lodging and meals will be provided by the White Eagle.
The White Eagle can accommodate about 100 retreatants in its 44 rooms. You will need lodging for 9 days, June 20 through June 29. Room rates are as follows:
Single or double billed to one credit card $68.83 per night including tax
Shared double room billed to two credit cards $36.72 per night per person including tax
Hostel rooms (limited availability) $26.20 per night per person including tax
Other lodging is available in the Crestone area at bed and breakfasts and short term rentals. A listing of available housing will be provided in a subsequent email as well as being posted on our web site at a later date. There are public camp sites in Crestone that may be used by retreatants; however these may be some distance from the retreat site.
Meals
White Eagle will provide an inclusive meal plan covering 3 meals per day beginning with Friday, June 20 dinner and ending with a brown bag make-your-own lunch on Sunday, June 29. 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 White Eagle staff. Lunch will be the most substantial meal served during the retreat, except on Sat. June 28 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.
Estimated meal plan cost:
Full Plan ($38@day + Fri., June 20 dinner $13, Sun., June 29 breakfast and brown bag $19) $336
Lunch only during 8 retreat days ($19@day) $152
Sat., June 28 banquet for persons who do not purchase a meal plan $19
Total Cost for Lodging and Meals
Single occupancy & full meal plan: $955.47
Double or shared occupancy & full meal plan: $666.48
Hostel & full meal plan: $571.80
Retreatants need to contact White Eagle directly to make arrangements for lodging and food. Cheyenne Mendel and Ani Kelsang will be handling bookings. Your credit card will be charged for food a few weeks before the retreat commences. Room charges will be submitted when you check out. Please call:
White Eagle Village
67485 County Road T
Moffat, CO 81143
Ph. 719 256 4865, 800 613 2270
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Letter from Bob Schroeder
Clark
and Pat Johnson have spent endless hours for decades taking on the work
of organizing Thrangu Rinpoche’s programs and retreats. So many of us
have benefited from their selfless dharma work. They will continue to
be closely involved in the Crestone retreat center, Namu Buddha
publications, and other dharma work.
At the 2007 Keystone, Colorado retreat, I mentioned to Rinpoche and to
Pat Johnson that I had retired and now had some time available for
dharma work. I was really thinking of doing a bit of English language
tutoring with Khenpo Jigme and Lama Wangdu in Crestone or assisting
with organization of the 2008 Sarnath retreat. Little did I expect
that I would be asked by Rinpoche and by Pat to take on coordination of
the 2008 Vajra Vidya Retreat in Crestone! I am just beginning to
understand what this entails. So far I have noted a number of things
about our sangha and the Vajra Vidya retreat organization; I would like
to mention a few:
1. We have real treasures in our resident lamas in Crestone, Kenpo
Jigme and Lama Wangdu. They are excellent teachers and dharma friends,
and the Crestone Vajra Vidya Retreat Center is a developing jewel of
practice.
2. Clark and Pat Johnson have shouldered an incredible workload in
handling Rinpoche’s teaching schedule, organizing retreats, publishing
Rinpoche’s teachings, and establishing the Crestone Center. Lots of
merit there, and the sangha is appreciative.
3. The sangha is rich in expertise and comes through when needed.
The retreat volunteers, setting up the shrine room, managing
transportation, running Rinpoche’s household in Crestone, handling
registration, and doing countless other tasks, have made previous Vajra
Vidya retreats successful. Kudos also to sangha lawyers, accountants,
web masters, photographers, graphic designers, and others who
contribute their time and energy.
I hope to continue the tradition of excellence established in the
previous seven Colorado Vajra Vidya retreats. We benefit more than we
understand from the opportunity to receive teachings from such a great
Kagyu master and to together create and share a vessel for Buddhist
practice.
I am reachable with any questions concerning the 2008 Vajra Vidya Retreat-
a. until Jan. 2, 2008, at my home phone 907 586 5843, and cell 907 209 0418
b. Jan. 2-9 at a cabin phone 251 650 0088
c. Apr. 22 onwards at home phone 907 586 5843, and cell 907 209 0418
d. Via email at garuda@gci.net
I will be in India Jan. 11 thru April 22, 2008. In my absence, Elaine Schroeder will be receiving and processing registrations.
While I am in India, please contact Khenpo Jigme or Deb Wolfe at the
Crestone Vajra Vidya Retreat Center 719 256 5539 with any questions
concerning the retreat.
I look forward to hearing from you and seeing you at the 2008 Vajra Vidya Retreat with you.
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We are fortunate students again this year as Rinpoche has kindly offered to come teach on mahamudra in spite of the long journey.
Vajra Vidya Retreat Center Newsletter 1-1-08 (copy of above 2008 Program information)
2007 Program Website (Dolpopa Retreat)
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