Date(s) - October 12, 2018 - October 14, 2018
All Day
A Song of Freedom
Meditation, Compassion, and the Essence of Mind
Weekend Retreat with Khenpo Kunga
Steamboat Springs, Colorado, USA
Hosted by The Buddhist Center of Steamboat Springs
The eleventh century Tibetan yogi, Milarepa, is best known for spending decades wandering in the Himalayan mountains and practicing meditation in remote caves. As his reputation became widely known, dedicated students would travel long distances and endure much hardship to seek out Milarepa and receive teachings in remote locations. Often Milarepa would respond to his students’ questions in poetic verse. The teacher Shakya Guna once asked the hermit, “In the mountain retreats of other lands you have been to, how has your practice been enhanced and what kind of confidence have you given rise to?” During this weekend program, Khenpo Kunga will bring to life Milarepa’s response to that question.
Khenpo Kunga’s teachings, always filled with laughter and practical advice, will include explanations of these profound teachings, guided meditations, and periods of discussion. This program is suitable for anyone interested in Buddhism, including both beginners and advanced students.
On Friday evening, Khenpo Kunga will guide us the practice of meditation. In the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, the key point of meditation is to become familiar with awareness, which is the very essence of mind. Discovering this awareness allows us to experience mind’s natural qualities of ease, warmth and clarity at any time and in any situation.
Please note that the venue for the Friday evening event is the Bud Werner Library.
Saturday – Khenpo Kunga will show us how to access and expand the natural kindness and compassion that we discover in meditation as the abiding quality of awareness. The discovery of kindness and compassion connects us with our essential richness and becomes a bridge thorugh which we connect with others and the world altogether. This along brings a sense of deep well-being and confidence and makes our life meaningful.
The Friday night and Saturday programs are open to anyone interested in meditation and the path of awakening, both new and advanced students.
Sunday – The path of awakening culminates in a direct recognition of the vast and brilliant essence of mind. The teachings and the methods that lead to this recognition have been passed down to us from teacher to student since the time of the Buddha. This path has be kept particularly rich and alive by the great meditators of Tibet who have mastered and shared their wisdom to this very day. Khenpo Kunga will be guiding us through this path using a beautiful song of realization from the great Tibetan master Milatrepa. In this beautiful song, Milarepa guides us through the essential points of the entire path in a way that is clear, direct, and accessible. Khenpo Kunga will also offer instructions on the nature of mind, drawing on the tradition of “pointing out teaching” from the Kagyu and Nyingma lineages.
The venue for the Saturday and Sunday events is The Buddhist Center of Steamboat Springs.
Prerequisites – The Sunday teachings are open to anyone who has fulfilled at least one of the following requirements:
- You’ve had a daily meditation practice for the past five years
- You’ve received “pointing out teachings” from a qualified Buddhist teacher
- You’ve completed the three Joy of Living series of meditation trainings
Because of the nature of these teachings and our commitment to Khenpo Kunga, we ask that you honor this restriction. Due to the progressive nature of these teachings, in order to attend the Sunday program, you will need to have taken part in the entire weekend.
About Khenpo Kunga
Khenpo Kunga is a scholar, meditation master and a truly gifted teacher with the ability to share the heart of the path in a way that is clear, profound and completely delightful. At fifteen, he undertook the rigorous three-year retreat in eastern Tibet. Upon completion of the retreat he entered the renowned Dzongsar monastic college near Dharamsala in Northwest India. After studying there for eleven years and receiving his Khenpo degree (roughly equivalent to a PhD), he taught at Dzongsar college for three additional years. These days Khenpo Kunga travels internationally on behalf of Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche and his worldwide Tergar Meditation Community.
Cost:
Base: $175
Sponsor: $225*
Enrolled Student: $100 (college and high-school)
Friday night only – no charge – Friday and Saturday only – $80
* Your generosity at the sponsor level enables us to offer work/study scholarships to those who otherwise could not attend.
Fri. evening, 7-9pm – at Bud Werner Library
Sat., 9am-5pm – at The Buddhist Center
**Sun., 9am-5pm – at The Buddhist Center
**In order to attend the Sunday teachings, you will need to have taken part in the Friday evening and Saturday events.
For those of you who will be coming from out of town and would like to stay with a community member, there are a limited number of rooms available. Contact Denise – [email protected]
Here’s a list of good hotels to stay in in Steamboat – Here
For More Information:
This event is sponsored by The Buddhist Center of Steamboat Springs and is listed here as a service to the Tergar community. For more information contact Tim Olmsted at [email protected].
Location
The Buddhist Center of Steamboat Springs, Steamboat Springs CO, United States