Vajrapani Institute
P.O. Box 2130
Boulder Creek, CA 95006
(831) 338-6654 

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Kopan West 2008
with Ven. Tenzin Chogkyi
October 31- November 9

The focus of this retreat will be to understand and stabilize various spiritual states of mind leading to enlightenment; teachings on these states have traditionally been arranged in what is known as the graduated path to enlightenment (Tibetan: lamrim) by masters like Lama Atisha and Lama Tsong Khapa. This course will introduce students to an experiential method of approaching these topics based on the famous Kopan course begun by Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche.  The retreat will include teachings, discussions and meditation: “Students can deepen their practice, and learn new skills that will enable them to apply Dharma principles to deal with their delusions, reduce their suffering and change their relationship to reality,” explains Venerable Tenzin Chogkyi.

The last weekend of the retreat will be a silent lamrim retreat. Students have the option to attend the entire retreat, or experienced students who cannot attend the full retreat are welcome to attend only the silent retreat on the final weekend, November 7,8 and 9. Partial attendance, apart from these two options, is not permitted except by special permission by Venerable Tenzin Chogkyi.


Tenzin Chogkyi became interested in meditation after reading Be Here Now and Autobiography of a Yogi in the early '70's. For the next 30 years, her spiritual path was meandering and haphazard, and included several dead ends, until she bought a one-way ticket to India in early 1991 with the intention of meeting His Holiness the Dalai Lama. She became a student not only of His Holiness, but also of Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche and Lama Zopa Rinpoche during the year she spent studying at Tushita Retreat Center in Dharamsala and Kopan Monastery. 


In late 1991, she was asked by Lama Zopa Rinpoche to come back to the US to become the co-director of Vajrapani Institute in California. In 1995, she began working at FPMT International Office, first as co-director and then later as center services coordinator. In early 2000, she began a long, solitary retreat that lasted 6 ½ years. Since emerging from retreat in the summer of 2006, she has been living at Land of Medicine Buddha, assisting with various aspects of the spiritual program, and readjusting to the world. Tenzin Chogkyi decided to become ordained in the third year of her long retreat, and then left retreat for a quick trip to India in 2004 for novice ordination with His Holiness.


This 10 day retreat can be done also to fulfill the FPMT program Discovering Buddhism Module 3, “Practicing the Path.” (http://www.fpmt.org/retreat/dbschedule.asp): “The retreat will be a very practice-oriented approach. By that I don’t mean just sitting on the cushion meditating, but also a practical approach: how do these teachings help us reduce our suffering? How do they help us deal with our delusions?” asks Venerable Tenzin Chogkyi. 


SUGGESTED READING
(Especially for students with little or no background in Buddhism)
- The Four Noble Truths by Geshe Tashi Tsering (Wisdom Publications)
- The Path to Enlightenment by His Holiness the Dalai Lama (Snow Lion)
-What Makes You Not a Buddhist, Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche (Shambala Publications)
-How to Meditate, Kathleen McDonald (Wisdom Publications)
-Guided Meditations on the Stages of the Path, Thubten Chodron (Snow Lion Publications)

WHAT TO BRING:
-Very comfortable clothing for sitting, lots of layers.
-A pen and a notebook for taking notes.

WHAT TO NOT BRING:
-Laptops
-Cell phones
- Work projects, etc


SCHEDULE


31st Oct.

3:00 to 5:00 pm

Registration

 

6:00pm

Dinner

7:30pm

Introductory session

 

 

 

November

7:00 – 8:00 am

Intro. to Meditation followed by Mindfulness Practice

1st to 7th

8:00 – 9:00 am

Breakfast

 

9.00 - 12.00pm

Two sessions of combined teaching and meditation, approx. 1 ¼ hours with a tea break in between.

 

12.00 – 2:30 pm

Lunch

 

2:30 – 3:30pm

Discussion group with assigned questions

 

3.30pm

Tea

 

4:00 – 6:00pm

Approx. ½ hour review of discussion groups, followed by
1 ½ hour teaching and meditation

 

6:00 pm

Dinner

 

7:30pm

Evening meditation session: purification with the four opponent powers

 

 

 

November

7:00 – 8:00 am

Mindfulness Practice

8th

8:00 – 9:00 am

Breakfast

 

 9.00 – 9.45am
10.00 – 10.45 am
11:00 – 11:45

Three meditation sessions

 

 

12.00 pm

Lunch

 

2.30 – 3.15 pm
3.30 – 4.15pm
4:30 – 5:15 pm

Three meditation sessions

 

5:15 - 6.00pm

Yoga or other exercise

 

6.00pm

Dinner

 

7.30pm

Evening meditation session: purification with the four opponent powers

 

 

 

November

7:00 – 8:00 am

Mindfulness Practice

9th

8:00 – 9:00 am

Breakfast

 

 9.00 – 9.45am
10.00 – 10.45 am
11:00 – 11:45

Three meditation sessions

 

 

12.00 pm

Lunch  (retreat will end Nov. 9 after lunch)


Fees: (inclusive of accommodation, meals, retreat fees)
  Non-Member Member
    10%
Camping $840.00 $756.00
Main Dormitory $880.00 $792.00
Semi Private Dormitory $920.00 $828.00
     
Private Room (single) $1,200.00 $1,080.00
Private Room (double) $1,080.00 $972.00
Cabin (single) $1,360.00 $1,224.00
Cabin (double) $1,160.00 $1,044.00
     
Scholarship Application deadline Nov 31st  

No one will be turned away for lack of funds

Click here for details regarding financial aid

Click Here for Course and Registration General Info

Cancellation Policy 

A position for Course Manager Scholarship is no longer available for this course. Click here for more information about the Course Manager position.