Date(s) - June 4, 2020 - June 10, 2020
All Day
Exploring the Nature of Mind
Heart Advice on the Path of Awakening
Teachings by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche and Khenpo Kunga
University of St. Thomas
Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
This event has been postponed due to COVID-19 virus concerns. Communication will be sent to current registrants with instructions on refunds. We will soon be announcing a webpage on Tergar.org for ongoing updates and support for practitioners at this challenging time. Stay tuned!
Teachings are in English. Mandarin Chinese translation will be offered for Transmission 3 & 4.
True freedom of mind is something we can discover for ourselves through the practice of meditation. In Tibetan Buddhism, the most direct and powerful way to experience this inner freedom is by exploring the nature of awareness, a journey that puts us in touch with a source of equanimity, wisdom, and compassion that we can access anytime and anywhere.
This Path of Liberation retreat presents a rare opportunity to receive in-depth teachings from Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche on the nature of mind, drawn from the path of Mahamudra, the most profound meditative teachings of the Kagyü School of Tibetan Buddhism.
Transmissions and Prerequisites
There are two transmissions offered simultaneously during the retreat. You must select only one transmission during registration. Each transmission will receive one teaching per day from Mingyur Rinpoche, and one teaching per day from Khenpo Kunga.
- Transmission 1 & 2: Recognizing Pure Awareness
- Transmission 3 & 4: Deepening Recognition
Transmission 1 & 2: Recognizing Pure Awareness
This series of teachings introduces the unique lineage of nature of mind practice taught by Mingyur Rinpoche and includes the instructions for the first and second levels of the Path of Liberation – the path of formal Buddhist practice for those who wish to train under Mingyur Rinpoche’s guidance. Rinpoche will offer the first and second “pointing out” instructions in the Mahamudra lineage. These instructions introduce us to a direct experience of the nature of mind. This series also includes the other transmissions needed to begin Path of Liberation practice, including refuge vows, Vajrasattva empowerment, and the reading transmissions for Nectar of the Path and Ngöndro.
Transmission 1 & 2: Recognizing Awareness is open to all individuals who meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Have attended all three Joy of Living Levels, Calming the Mind (Level 1), Opening the Heart (Level 2), and Awakening Wisdom (Level 3), and completed the associated practice requirements
OR - Have completed the full preliminary practices (the 4 x 100,000 Ngöndro)
OR - 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
Transmission 3 & 4: Deepening Recognition
This series of teachings goes further into the unique lineage of nature of mind practice taught by Mingyur Rinpoche and includes the instructions for the third and fourth levels of the Path of Liberation. Rinpoche will offer the third and fourth “pointing out” teachings that help deepen our recognition of the nature of mind.
Transmission 3 & 4: Deepening Recognition is open to all those who have received the first and second pointing out instructions from either Mingyur Rinpoche or Khenpo Kunga and who have completed the practice homework for Path of Liberation Levels 1 and 2 (see pages 4 and 5 of What is the Path of Liberation?).
Retreat Program
The daily schedule will include teaching sessions with Mingyur Rinpoche and Khenpo Kunga, as well as six to eight hours of meditation per day (practiced in twenty- to thirty-minute sessions). The retreat will also include periods of silence, group discussions, and opportunities to have individual interviews with Tergar Lamas and Instructors.
Prerequisite Questions?
If you have any questions about what transmission you are qualified to attend, or if you were practicing an earlier version of Rinpoche’s path and want to see how your practice fits with the current Path of Liberation, please email [email protected].
Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche is a much-loved and accomplished Tibetan Buddhist meditation teacher. With a rare ability to present the ancient wisdom of Tibet in a fresh, engaging manner, Rinpoche’s profound teachings and playful sense of humor have endeared him to students around the world. His first book, The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness, debuted on the New York Times bestseller list and has been translated into over twenty languages. In early June 2011, Mingyur Rinpoche walked out of his monastery in Bodhgaya, India and began a “wandering retreat” through the Himalayas and the plains of India that lasted four and a half years. When not attending to the monasteries under his care in India and Nepal, Rinpoche spends time each year traveling and teaching worldwide. Read more…
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 participated in a traditional three-year meditation retreat. Following this period of intense meditation practice, he entered the renowned Dzongsar monastic college near Dharamsala in Northwest India. Khenpo studied there for eleven years and received his Khenpo degree (roughly equivalent to a PhD). Read more…
RETREAT DETAILS
Location:
The University of St. Thomas
2115 Summit Avenue
Saint Paul, Minnesota, 55105
The University of St. Thomas is situated in Saint Paul about halfway between downtown Minneapolis and downtown Saint Paul, just a few blocks from the Mississippi River. The closest major airport is Minneapolis/Saint Paul International (MSP) – seven miles or a 20-minute taxi drive away.
Note on the retreat venue: Several community members have told us that holding the Tergar annual retreat at the University of St. Thomas creates a significant burden for many who identify as LGBTQ. This is due to opposition to same-sex marriages and other institutional practices of the Catholic Church, which oversees the University. Tergar is committed to creating a welcoming community for all. Tergar leadership is interested in pursuing ways to create a retreat container at the University of St. Thomas that actively supports our LGBTQ community members and others impacted. If you have any ideas that you would like to share, please email [email protected].
Schedule:
Check in for retreat begins at 3:00 p.m. on June 4. Dinner is at 6:00 p.m., and the first teaching is at 7:30 p.m. The retreat will conclude by noon on June 10, with an optional lunch at noon. In order to attend the retreat, you will need to arrive no later than the opening day. It will not be possible to start your retreat later in the program.
Food:
Three vegetarian meals will be served each day in a cafeteria that also offers non-vegetarian food. While the kitchen at the University of St. Thomas is not able to cater to special dietary needs, vegan protein and gluten-free options will be available.
Precepts and Silence:
While attending the retreat, all participants are expected to abide by the Five Precepts for lay practitioners, which are to abstain from the following: killing, taking that which is not given, engaging in sexual activity, telling lies, and taking recreational intoxicants. We will maintain periods of silence throughout this retreat, the length of which will vary, so there will be less silence in the beginning and end of the retreat and a period of complete silence in the middle.
Program Fee for Commuters: $785 per person. We are not able to offer a rate without meals.
Program Fee with Accommodations: There are four different room options. All options include six (6) nights of accommodations. No accommodations are available pre- and post-event dates.
1. Program Fee $785 plus Single Room in Apartment @$408 = $1,193 per person; Apartment with four single rooms with shared kitchen, living area and two shared bathrooms. Includes air-conditioning.
2. Program Fee $785 plus Single Dormitory Room @$252 = $1037per person; Traditional style dormitory rooms. Shared common rooms and bathrooms are located in each corridor. Does not include air conditioning.
3. Program Fee $785 plus Double Shared Room in Apartment @$318= $1103 per person; Large room shared by two residents with private bathroom, microwave, and refrigerator. Many rooms include air conditioning.
4. Program Fee $785 plus Double Shared Dormitory Room @$192 = $977 per person; Traditional style dormitory rooms. Shared common rooms and bathrooms are located in each corridor. Does not include air conditioning. All shared dormitory rooms are single-gender only.
Payment Notes:
- Donations: We strive to offer programs like this one as broadly as we can, regardless of ability to pay. Please consider adding an additional donation during registration or at the event to help share these teachings with as many people as possible.
- Partial Payment: You will have the opportunity to choose to make a 50% deposit while registering with the remaining balance due by May 14. The deposit option will only be available up to 21 days prior to the program.
- Discount for those on a limited income: Tergar offers a 20% discount (less $157) off the program price for those on a limited income, such as seniors and students. Please use the discount code: FAP2020 when registering.
- Requests for Financial Assistance of more than 20% off the program price: If your ability to pay makes it difficult to attend this program, we will make every effort to help. Please complete the financial aid form at this link. We will contact you within five business days to confirm and give you further registration instructions.
- Tergar Community Leadership Discount: If you would like to request a discount for leadership enrichment, please complete the request form here. A list of those eligible for the discount is included in the form. We will contact you within five business days to confirm and give you further registration instructions.
Cancellation Policy:
All cancellations up to April 23 will be charged a fee of $50. For any cancellations between April 23 and May 21, the fee is $250. After May 21, cancellations are subject to full penalty.
Please Note: If you are interested in also attending these programs, you must register separately.
- Joy of Living – Awareness, Compassion and Wisdom, May 30-June 4
- Path of Liberation Level 3 and 4 Retreat – Intrinsic Awareness, June 10-14
- Path of Liberation – Transmission 5, Recognizing the Buddha Within (White Tara), June 14-17
Contact:
If you have any questions about the retreat or registration, please contact us at:
[email protected].
This retreat has been cancelled.
Location
University of St. Thomas, St Paul MN, United States