These services are held everyday, but their details are only listed on the first day of the month.

 

You are welcome to join us for all or part of our morning services, called "tsokpa", to sit in meditation. Chanting is in Tibetan, so for those interested in participating in the chanting, transliterated copies of the text are available for use in the shrine room. Morning Tsokpa includes Tara and Medicine Buddha.

(Free of charge)

Once a month, the KTC staff will be engaged in a one-day silent retreat. This retreat will provide an opportunity for resident staff to spend time together in meditation and to rejuvenate.

Lama Norlha Rinpoche will be bestowing the Chöd Empowerment.  The profound practice of Chöd (Cutting Through the Illusion of Ego), traditionally practiced in charnel grounds by wandering yogis,  is a sacred meditation that dissolves fear and ego-clinging into the expanse of luminous awareness.

Refuge is required for those participating in the empowerment and will be offered at the beginning of the empowerment.  Both Chinese and English translation will be provided.

1:30pm | Refuge

2:00pm | Chöd Empowerment

Pricing: $25 Non-members | $20 Members
Fees do not include charges for meals or accommodations.  Please arrive 20 minutes early to allow for registration.

Reservations are required one week in advance if you plan to join us for meals and/or need overnight accommodations. Please see General Information about Events at KTC for details. Please send an email to reservations@kagyu.com if you are joining us for meals only.

Lama Tenam, Executive Secretary of Chamgon Tai Situ Rinpoche, will be visiting Kagyu Thubten Chöling Monastery.  Lama Tenam became a monk at the age of eight, training at a small monastery under the tutelage of Very Venerable Drubsing Rinpoche. He received his novice ordination from HH Sixteenth Karmapa and his bikkhu (full) ordination from the Second Jamgon Kongtrul. He studied many of the fundamental Tibetan Buddhist texts with the Very Venerable Khunnu Lama Tenzin Gyaltsen Rinpoche -- one of the teachers of His Holiness the Dalai Lama--including Jewel Ornament of Liberation, Precious Garland of the Supreme Path, The Bodhisattva's Way of Life, and the Tibetan Grammar Situ Drelchen by the Eighth Tai Situpa.  Lama Tenam graduated first in his class in both his undergraduate and graduate Buddhist studies.

With the blessing of Chamgon Tai Situ Rinpoche, Lama Tenam joined the Palpung Sherabling Monastic Seat of Palpung congregation in 1983 after completing his graduate school studies at Varanasi Sanskrit University. In 1985, Lama Tenam spent 6 months with the Very Venerable Saljay Rinpoche who is the teacher of many great high lamas and the retreat master of Palpung Sherabling Monastery. Since then, Lama Tenam has served as personal executive secretary to Chamgon Tai Situ Rinpoche, who is regarded as a great living bodhisattva and an emanation of the next Buddha, Maitreya. He received complete transmissions of the eight major lineages of Vajrayana Buddhism and detailed instructions on the three main Mahamudra  texts by the 9th Karmapa from Chamgon Tai Situ Rinpoche. He also served and received many personal instructions from His Holiness 17th Gyalwang Karmapa, from 2000 to 2002.

Lama Tenam relies on Chamgon Tai Situ Rinpoche as his root lama and guide for his personal dharma practice. 

There will be two teaching sessions; the topics and times are listed below:

10:00 am | Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye's Advice On How To Do One Perfect Session Of Any Practice

2:00 pm | Ah! How Amazing! - A Vajra Song Composed By Chamgon Tai Situ Rinpoche

Pricing: $25 Non-members | $20 Members
Fees do not include charges for meals or accommodations.  Please arrive 20 minutes early to allow for registration.

Reservations are required one week in advance if you plan to join us for meals and/or need overnight accommodations. Please see General Information about Events at KTC for details. Please send an email to reservations@kagyu.com if you are joining us for meals only.

May 31 - June 16, 2011     

PLEASE NOTE: The registration deadline is May 18, 2011.

Venerable Lama Norlha Rinpoche and the KTC Sangha will be participating in another 8 consecutive sets of Nyungne - the Fasting Ritual and Meditation of Thousand-Armed Chenrezig. This retreat will be held during the auspicious month of Sakadawa, the month commemorating the birth, enlightenment and parinirvana of Shakyamuni Buddha. It is said that, during this time, the merit accumulated through performing virtuous activity is multiplied 100,000 times.

The Nyungne practice is a profound kriya tantra meditation ritual based on loving-kindness and compassion in the form of Thousand-Armed Chenrezig.  The practice involves maintaining strict vows and meditating while reciting mantras and prayers, and performing prostrations and visualizations. Undertaken in sets of two days, the first day includes one vegetarian meal at noon, drinking water throughout the day as needed. The second day is a complete fast performed in noble silence. The Nyungne is renowned as a superior means to purify negative karma and accumulate great merit.

Chenrezig himself declared that completing even one Nyungne prevents rebirth in the lower realms, and the practice of eight consecutive Nyungne leads to birth in Amitabha’s pure land of Dewachen.

Guests are welcome to participate in any or all of the Nyungne sets but please note - it is necessary to arrive at KTC by 8pm the evening before any set as the practice begins as early as 5 am every day throughout the retreat.  The dates for each set are as follows:

Set 1   Begins May 31 (Tuesday) at 5:30 am.  Ends June 2 (Thursday) about 6:00 am.
Set 2   Begins June 2 (Thursday) at 5:00 am.  Ends June 4 (Saturday) about 6:00 am.
Set 3   Begins June 4 (Saturday) at 5:00 am.  Ends June 6 (Monday) about 6:00 am.
Set 4   Begins June 6 (Monday) at 5:00 am.  Ends June 8 (Wednesday) about 6:00 am.
Set 5   Begins June 8 (Wednesday) at 5:00 am.  Ends June 10 (Friday) about 6:00 am.
Set 6   Begins June 10 (Friday) at 5:00 am.  Ends June 12 (Sunday) about 6:00 am.
Set 7   Begins June 12 (Sunday) at 5:00 am.  Ends June 14 (Tuesday) about 6:00 am.
Set 8   Begins June 14 (Tuesday) at 5:00 am.  Ends June 16 (Thursday) about 6:00 am.

Reservations are required.  Please submit an on-line reservation by May 18, 2011.  This will help us to ensure that the proper number of texts are available as well as to ensure proper meal planning. 

Guests attending a nyungne for the first time must speak to Lama Dechi before doing this practice.  Please contact her by emailing dechi@kagyu.com or calling 845-297-2500 (leaving both your name and phone number so that she can get back to you). We do suggest that guests try to come for the 1st day of any given nyungne set, but if that is not practical, it is still possible to participate any day of the retreat.  For further details for how to participate in this way, please follow the contact instructions above.

The price for each nyungne set includes all meals and accommodations.  Prices per set are:

• Dorm: $80/ Non-Members   $60/Members
• Double occupancy: $100 per person/Non-Members   $80 per person/Members
• Private room: $110/Non-Members    $90/Members
• Participation in all 8 nyungnes: get 1 free.