2019 Dzogchen Buddha Path Austria Winter Retreat

10 February 2019 (Sunday) - 16 February 2019 (Saturday)

The Dzogchen Shri Singha Foundation is pleased to announce our annual Dzogchen Buddha Path Austria Winter Retreat under the guidance of Venerable Bodhi Lama Orgyen Thabkey Dorje (Erik Jung), authorized by His Eminence Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche. This week-long retreat will be held at Kirchberg am Wechsel in Austria. This year presents an ideal opportunity to deepen your understanding and experience of the teachings of the Dzogchen Lineage.

The 2019 Dzogchen Buddha Path Austria Winter Retreat commences on Sunday, 10 February, 2019 and concludes on Saturday, 16 February, 2019. The curriculum includes in-depth teaching on the fundamental principles of Buddhism as presented in H.E. Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche’s practice text Buddha Path. This program’s engaging approach is designed to give students real-world skills for coping with the stressors of modern life by laying out a solid foundation for Dharma practice, on and off the cushion.

When making your travel plans, please plan your schedule so that you arrive at the retreat location before  5:00 PM Saturday, 9 February, and depart the location on Sunday morning 17 February.

Seating is limited to 16, so please register early.

About the Lineage and our Root Teacher

It is extremely precious to study under an authentic master, one whose lineage can be traced all the way back to Buddha Shakyamuni. Our precious Vajra Master, H.E. Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche, is a thirty-third generation lineage holder of the Dzogchen Longchen Nyingthig and the Dzogchen Khandro Nyingthig lineages, selected by previous Dzogchen Lineage Masters in Tibet because of his profound knowledge and realization. With more than seven years of solitary cave meditation experience in the high Tibetan holy mountains, Rinpoche truly embodies the qualities of a realized practitioner and yogi. Also a vibrant and dynamic teacher and scholar, Rinpoche is a lama of the Dzogchen Monastery and professor of the Dzogchen Shri Singha University. He is a published author of numerous books in both Tibetan and English, including The Buddha Path, a practice book that encompasses all of Buddha’s teachings. The Buddha Path is available in English, Chinese, Russian, and German, and is soon to be released in Nepali, Japanese, and Spanish.

Just as great master of the past, Atisha, was revered for always teaching refuge, Khenpo Choga Rinpoche is revered for always training teachers. His heartfelt effort to train knowledgeable, wise and compassionate teachers has reached a critical juncture, and he has authorized authentically trained and certified Dharma Teachers of The Buddha Path to teach under his guidance. Rinpoche has requested thatVenerable Bodhi Lama Orgyen Thabkey Dorje (Erik Jung) lead this retreat.

More about Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche »

About the teacher of the retreat

Venerable Bodhi Lama Orgyen Thabkey Dorje (Erik Jung) is a monk and authorized Lama under the guidance of his root teacher, Tibetan Meditation Master and thirty-third generation Dzogchen Lineage Holder, H.E. Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche. Thabkey Lama met and took refuge with Rinpoche in February of 2004 and has since devoted his life to Dharma and serving the Vajra Master. Bodhi Lama grew up in Portland, Oregon, studying and practicing Mahayana Buddhism with his father, a practitioner in the Nyingma School of Tibetan Buddhism. He first took refuge in 1989, monastic vows in 2008, was authorized as Archarya Lama in 2014 and as Illustrious Bodhi Lama in 2018.  Thabkey Lama has led many retreats, and conducted several overseas teaching tours, spreading the authentic Dharma in Europe, including Russia, Finland, Estonia, Austria, Germany, France, The Netherlands, Scotland, Iceland and widely across the U.S.  He is a passionate and inspiring teacher in the Dzogchen Longchen Nyingthig Lineage of Mahayana Buddhism.

Seating is limited to 16, so please register early.

What to Expect at the Dzogchen Winter Retreat

“Retreat” means withdrawing your body, speech, and mind away from busy, meaningless, and negative activities, freeing yourself to focus on helping all beings. Away from worldly distractions, you can wholeheartedly train your mind in the Way of True Happiness. In retreat you will practice Dharma with more joy, depth, and intensity than you have likely experienced before and the results may surprise you. By training your mind using the skillful means of the Dzogchen Lineage you will take steps toward your own awakening.

“Dzogchen” translates as “the Great Perfection” or “the Great Inclusion” because it contains all of Buddha’s teachings, including both sutra and tantra. The nature of mind is pure, luminous, and blissful, yet until we rid ourselves of negative thinking, we will generate suffering for ourselves and provide the conditions of others’ suffering. Through the practice of Dzogchen one can become Buddha in a single lifetime and never again be a negative condition for any being.

The Dzogchen Winter Retreat is one week of diligent learning, contemplation, meditation, prayer, and discussion surrounded by precious sangha and experienced Dharma teachers. It is a unique opportunity to increase your love, compassion, and wisdom. During this week you will learn how to increase your happiness, causes of happiness, and the happiness of all beings, while decreasing the suffering and causes of suffering of all beings. By committing to spend a week practicing to this end, your mind will be transformed and you will have a more positive effect on your loved ones and all beings.

Accommodations

This one week retreat will be held in the Alps in Austria near the town of Kirchberg am Wechsel. This traditional mountain guesthouse is located on a peaceful plateau with beautiful sceneries. This is an ideal opportunity to deepen your understanding and experience of the teachings of the Tibetan Dzogchen Lineage of Buddhism. You will be skillfully guided through the practice of The Buddha Path, delving deeper into learning, contemplation and meditation on Buddhadharma. It is a perfect opportunity for all students to expand your practice, whether you are brand new to Buddhism or quite advanced in your studies and practice.

Retreat Pricing

As always the teachings and ceremonies themselves are offered free of charge, but it is traditional in Buddhism for the student to make an individual offering to the teacher during the retreat. You may voluntarily make an offering to the teacher at anytime during the retreat. It is most auspicious to do this at the beginning of the retreat at the end of the opening ceremony.

The retreat fees listed below are used to pay for accommodation, food and supplies.

  1. Adult (18–64) ~ €520
  2. Senior (65 and up), students and unemployed ~ €400
  3. If paying the retreat fee is a problem for you, please kindly contact the retreat director

The retreat fee includes:

  • Three meals per day, from dinner 9 February through breakfast 17 February.
  • 8 nights of lodging at the retreat location.
  • 1 week of amazing Dharmic experiences.

Please Read the Fine Print

Please carefully review the Retreat Details, Conditions and Policies before registering.

Open retreat details, conditions and policies

If you have any questions about anything, don’t hesitate to Contact Us.

Cancellation and Refunds

There are no refunds after February 3, 2019, except in the event that your application is not approved. In that case, any payments you have made will be returned to you in full.

You may cancel any time before February 3, 2019 and receive a full refund (100% of any fees you have paid) if we are able to fill your spot with another retreatant.

Retreat Schedule

This retreat will last for one week, from 12 PM on Sunday, 10 February through 3 PM on Saturday, 16 February, 2019. Retreatants will need to arrive Friday, 9 March in the evening and attend all sessions to participate in the retreat. Retreatants can leave on Sunday, 17 February.  Retreatants cannot miss any of the sessions and then continue to participate in the remainder of the retreat without special permission. You may leave the retreat early, but you should not enter the retreat with that intention.

Meditation and Sitting Practice

Meditation practice will be incorporated and keyed to the daily teaching subjects, with the goal of moving from a superficial understanding of the Buddha’s teachings to a profound and incontrovertible realization of their truth in our present moment thinking. During teaching and meditation sessions you are welcome to sit in a chair, but most people choose to sit on a cushion on the floor. Many people bring their own personal seating, but chairs and cushions are available here for those who are unable to bring them.

Daily Retreat Schedule and Sessions

This will be an active retreat with a 12-14 hour per day schedule. Everyone is expected to remain in all teaching and practice sessions without creating disturbances. It’s OK if you need to step out briefly, for example as a result of a bathroom emergency. There are breaks between sessions, which typically last 1.5 to 2.5 hours each, with up to five sessions per day. There will be eight to ten hours of scheduled practices and teachings per day. In addition, during break times, yoga, music, dancing, art, and other Dharma activities may take place. 

As part of your daily practice, for an eight-hour period at night you will be required to maintain a vow of silence and not engage in any normal waking activities except using the bathroom. These times may vary from day to day, but the idea is that you will be lying down resting your body for eight hours every night, whether you are at the retreat location or not.

Transportation

If you need to book flights after your application is approved, most people will travel to Vienna, Austria.

At the Vienna international airport follow the signs to the train.  Take a train to the direction of “Salzburg” or “Bregenz”. At the first stop “ Hauptbahnhof” (= main station) change trains at the same platform.  On the other side of this platform take a train to the direction of “Graz” or “ Villach”. Get off the train in “ Wiener Neustadt”, there your shuttle will wait for you. The retreat directors will help arrange local transportation to the retreat location if you provide your itinerary well in advance.

Google maps:  Kampsteiner Schwaig

The Food

The cost of the retreat includes three buffet style meals a day as well as limited snacks. The food will be primarily vegetarian, though not necessarily vegan. Sangha money from retreat fees will not be used for the purchase of meat, but individual Sangha members have the right to donate meat which will be made available to the omnivore members of the Sangha. Tea and water will always be available.

Retreatants with special dietary needs should note that during their retreat registration and also discuss this with the Retreat Director.

Attendance

Without exception students are expected to attend every session of the retreat, which will run from 7:30 am to 9:00 pm (or 8:00 am to 8:30 pm) every day. Students who leave the retreat once it is in progress are not permitted to return to the retreat. Exceptions are sometimes made in cases of emergency or when given advance written permission from the retreat director and teacher guiding the retreat.

Packing list

Here is a suggested packing list. Remember that snow and rain are possible at this time of the year in Austria.

What to Bring

  • Computer (with charger) OR notebook and pens
  • Toiletries
  • Water bottle – covered water is the only drink allowed in the shrine
  • Headlamp OR flashlight (with extra batteries)
  • Ritual objects i.e., your bell and dorje, drum, mala, etc.
  • Copy of The Buddha Path practice book. Contact the retreat director if you don’t have one.
  • Sitting cushion or chair of choice (some chairs and cushions are available on site)
  • Lap blanket (to keep knees warm for long sessions in the shrine)
  • Plenty of socks and underwear
  • Warm winter clothing for daytime and evenings, enough changes of clothes to get you through the retreat.
  • Warm mittens, hat and scarf for outdoor practice
  • Nice clothing for special occasions like Tsok feast
  • Bath towel
  • Slippers or woolen socks to wear while moving indoors
  • Rain coat, umbrella, or poncho

What NOT to Bring

Below is a list of things not to bring:

  • Cigarettes, tobacco products, or other smoking materials
  • Drugs that have not been prescribed to you by your physician
  • Marijuana or its derivatives in any form even if you have a prescription
  • Drinking alcohol for personal consumption
  • Weapons such as guns
  • Fireworks
  • Pets

Possession of drugs, cigarettes, personal alcohol or weapons can be grounds for expulsion from the retreat. 

Weather

When packing just before the retreat, please check the online weather forecast for Austria. This will be the middle of winter, so please plan your clothing accordingly. Bring layers just in case!

Health

Retreatants should be prepared to take care of their own health, bring along any emergency supplies such as antidotes to any life-threatening allergies, and expect to be able to handle the somewhat rigorous teaching and practice schedule of the retreat. If you are taking any type of pharmaceutical that can influence your mental state (including but not limited to anti-depressants and diabetes and thyroid medications), we require that you bring an adequate supply for your entire visit here, and that you consistently follow the usage pattern and medical advice prescribed by your physician. You must inform the event director of your special medical conditions when you register.

Children

Because of the limited space, we regret that we cannot accommodate children at the retreat location.

Additional Requirements

Everyone will be expected to follow the rules of the retreat which are outlined on this page. The rules are subject to revision. Also you must adhere to the schedule of the retreat and unless sick, attend all the scheduled events of the retreat. You may leave the retreat at any time, but you cannot leave the retreat and then return to the retreat.

To attend the retreat one has to be a non-smoker, drug-free, and mentally stable.

Possession or use of smoking materials, illegal or mind-altering drugs, or non-prescribed pharmaceuticals are not permitted. You may of course bring with you and ingest any prescribed medication except medicinal marijuana which is not permitted.

You should bring any supplies you need with you for the entire duration of the retreat, as there may not be time for shopping. You should bring with you to the retreat adequate supplies of things like clothing, toiletries, and medicine. No pets are allowed on property.

You must have the willingness and commitment to practice with the group during all sessions of the retreat. You should have enough physical and mental stamina to sit with the group for the daily schedule, and a temperament that enables you to get along with others.

Offerings

Retreat costs do not include any payment or donation to the guiding teacher. Any offering to the teacher or to the hosting organization that you would like to make should be prepared separately from your payment for the fees for this event.

The Buddhist teachings during the retreat are free, but note that within Dzogchen Buddhist tradition, the teacher does not charge the organizers for the teaching services, and therefore individual offerings by retreatants to the teacher are always welcomed and needed in order to support the teacher’s Dharma activities. This is also a gesture of appreciation, respect, and aspiration for the promulgation of Buddha’s teachings.

Register now

Q&A

If you have any questions, or are just wondering if this event is for your friends, family or coworkers, you should contact us in advance to discuss.

If you have any questions about anything, don’t hesitate to contact the retreat director.

Dzogchen Shri Singha
Perttu Ilmarinen, Retreat Director

(+358.50.3234929)

    [honeypot your-name]

    Thank you for joining our Retreat. We are looking forward to see you soon!

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