Date(s) - September 16, 2016 - September 18, 2016
All Day
Pure Awareness
Teachings on the Nature of Mind
With Senior Tergar Lama Khenpo Kunga
Tergar Minneapolis / St. Paul, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
The practice of recognizing the nature of mind puts us in touch with an experience of openness and ease that is available to us all the time. Teachings on pure awareness, or the nature of mind, help us to see that we don’t have to control the mind or rein in our thoughts and emotions to experience lasting well-being. Instead, we learn to use whatever arises in our bodies, our minds, and our perception as a gateway to recognizing the spacious awareness that is always with us, but which often goes unnoticed.
In this weekend retreat, Senior Tergar teacher Khenpo Kunga will offer practical guidance on recognizing the nature of mind and integrating this recognition with everyday life. His teachings will center on the exploration of stillness, movement, and awareness – one of the most cherished teachings of the Mahamudra tradition of Tibetan Buddhism. The weekend will include periods of teaching and discussion, as well as guided meditations.
Khenpo will teach in Tibetan. English interpretation provided by Daniela Labra.
Schedule
Friday, September 16, 9am-5pm
Saturday, September 17, 9am-5pm
Sunday, September 18, 9am–5pm
There will be a midday break for lunch, as well as tea breaks in the morning and afternoon. Registration will open at 8 am on Friday.
Requirements
This retreat is open to anyone who meets at least one of the following requirements, including those who have attended a Path of Liberation retreat in the Tergar community. This includes the annual summer retreats at St. John’s University and winter retreats held in Madison, Wisconsin and elsewhere.
1) Have attended all three Joy of Living Levels, Calming the Mind (Level I), Opening the Heart (Level II), and Awakening Wisdom (Level III), and completed the associated practice requirements
2) Have attended the Path of Liberation Level I or Mahamudra Level I with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche and completed its practice requirements or will complete them prior to the retreat
3) Have completed the full preliminary practices (the 4 x 100,000 ngöndro)
4) Have received pointing out teachings from a qualified Buddhist lineage holder (a tulku or rinpoche)
5) Have had a daily meditation practice for at least five years and attended either group or solitary practice retreats (with 6+ hours of formal meditation practice each day) under the guidance of a Buddhist teacher for a total of at least thirty days
Program Fees
Base Fee: $195
This level covers the actual costs of delivering this program.
Sponsor Fee: $275
This level allows us to provide a reduced fee ticket option for those with limited financial resources.
Reduced Fee: $125
This level is available at a reduced rate for students, seniors, and others on limited incomes.
Limited work/study opportunities are available at a reduced rate for those who qualify. Contact [email protected] prior to registration to inquire.
Travel Information:
If you are coming in from out-of-town, please click here for travel and hotel information.
Cancellation Policy:
Please note: We make final arrangements for weekend events 10 days before the event start day. If you cancel after that time, there will be a $25 administration fee.
Contact:
Tergar Meditation Community of Minneapolis/St. Paul
(612) 460-8837
[email protected]
Khenpo Kunga
Khenpo Kunga became a monk at a young age and began his education at Tergar monastery, where he studied the rituals, prayers, and other traditional practices of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. At fifteen, he entered an extended meditation retreat and spent three years mastering the profound contemplative practices of the Kagyü lineage. Following this period of intense meditation practice, 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. Khenpo Kunga’s primary teacher is Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, though he has studied with many other revered masters as well. In recent years, Khenpo Kunga has taught in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the United States as one of the main teachers for the worldwide network of Tergar monasteries, meditation centers, and meditation groups.
Location
Tergar Meditation Center, Minneapolis MN, United States