An Integrated Week of Teachings and Practice: Mahāmudrā and 9 Yānas Retreat and Empowerments
For the first time, Kyabgön Phakchok Rinpoche will guide the retreatants to integrate the practice of Mahāmudrā, the path of meditation, with the broad understanding brought by essential study of dharma the laid out in the traditional, progressive path of the 9 Yānas.
The week of teaching, practice periods and discussion groups is designed so that participants develop clear understand and gain some experience these two paths and the richness that results from their integration. Students will be divided into groups depending upon their previous study, retreat attendance and practice experience.
We invite all students to arrive at Gomde on Thursday, September 8 in the morning for daily practice sessions. Registration will open at 2 pm. Phakchok Rinpoche will meet all retreatants starting at 5pm for group interviews. After dinner, Rinpoche will give an introductory teaching for the retreat.
We are very fortunate that, throughout the retreat, Tulku Migmar will be offering teachings and assisting with programs. Tulku Migmar is the resident lama of our sister center in Singapore, and he is appointed as a senior lama by Phakchok Rinpoche. Tulku-la completed three-year retreat under the guidance of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. To learn more about Tulku Migmar, please click here https://gomdecooperstown.org/our-teachers/tulku-migmar-tsering/ .
The daily retreat schedule will consist of Sang practice and four sessions. These will be divided into teaching, practice, and discussion periods. The individual daily schedule will be announced at the retreat itself.
On Sunday morning, September 11, Rinpoche will offer the 9 Yānas empowerments for the students who are engaged in each level of study.
Sunday, September 11, Guru Rinpoche Day, Kyabgön Phakchok Rinpoche will continue the Tukdrub Barché Kunsel empowerment cycle begun in 2015. This year he will bestow the empowerments of Amitayus, Avalokiteśvara and Guru Rinpoche.
The longer retreat will end at 12:30 pm on September 15.
We encourage participants to arrive a day or two in advance or to leave a day or two after the programs to take advantage of the practice opportunities and to discuss practice with Tulku Migmar Tsering or Matthew Zalichin. Please advise us by email at [email protected] if you wish to add extra days. Our room and board charge per day is $40.
Retreatants may register for one of two options:
Short Mahāmudrā and 9 Yānas Retreat and Empowerments September 8-11
Dorms are FULL. Only Camping or Off Site available.
Weeklong Mahāmudrā and 9 Yānas Immersion Retreat and Empowerments September 8-15
Dorms are FULL. Only Camping or Off Site available.
| Choice of Accommodation |
Retreatants who wish to arrive on September 7 or earlier should advise us by email at [email protected].
We also encourage retreatants to remain at Gomde from September 15-18 to continue the practice with the guidance of senior teachers. If you wish to register for these practice sessions, please let us know at the time of registration so we can make arrangements for meals, etc.
Sponsorship and contributions
The fall teachings during Guru Rinpoche year present a particularly joyous and potent opportunity for merit-making. The costs associated with bringing the lamas, teachers and their staff to the center are substantial. Additionally, ritual items and thangkas and texts needed for the events must also be ordered and transported.
We encourage you to help us to continue to host the Dharma by making offerings for this purpose in advance. You can do this easily here by clicking the donate button or by writing us at [email protected].
Transportation:
Bus service from New York City is via Adirondack Trailways (www.trailwaysny.com; 1-800-858-8555) to Cooperstown. Buses run more frequently to Oneonta, which is 45 minutes south of Cooperstown. Please let us know in advance if you will be arriving by bus and will require a pickup. Cost for pickup is $10 and must be booked at least a week in advance to allow us to schedule our limited vehicles.
Please note: The village of Cooperstown is about 10 minutes south of Gomde. You will not require transportation during the retreat unless you are staying off property.
