Date(s) - October 28, 2018 - November 2, 2018
All Day
Training the Heart and Mind
Autumn Retreat with Tergar Lama Khenpo Kunga
Assisted by Tergar Instructor Antonia Sumbundu
Winterberg, Germany
In this retreat Khenpo Kunga will share meditation practices and practical instructions that show us how we can relate to the ups and downs of daily life with kindness and compassion.
The lineage of Mingyur Rinpoche and Khenpo Kunga includes a powerful collection of meditation techniques and practical instructions, known in Tibet as lojong – “mind training”. The emphasis in these instructions is on using the incidents of everyday life as opportunities to open our hearts and gain insight into the workings of our minds, allowing us transform even the most difficult situations into occasions for growth.
The mind-training teachings are among of the most cherished teachings of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition. They have been passed from teacher to student for more than 1000 years and continue to be widely taught by great teachers like His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who praise their profound simplicity and effectiveness.
Details:
The first two days, Khenpo Kunga will teach all participants together. On the following days he will continue teaching a shared session for all participants and then there will be separate tracks for Joy of Living and Path of Liberation.
Participants in the Joy of Living program will then have an additional teaching session with Tergar Instructor Antonia Sumbundu that will include additional teachings on the mind-training texts and video teachings by Mingyur Rinpoche from the Joy of Living, while those in the Path of Liberation program will have an additional session with Khenpo Kunga.
The retreat is structured around periods of meditation that alternate with teachings on the key points of the texts and group discussions.
About 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.
About Tergar Instructor Antonia Sumbundu:
Antonia Sumbunduhas been practicing meditation and studying Buddhism since 1988, and has been a student of Mingyur Rinpoche since 2002. She is a psychologist and psychotherapist. Her work focuses on the clinical application of meditation, which she has been teaching internationally since 2004. In 2010, Mingyur Rinpoche invited Antonia to begin facilitating Joy of Living workshops for the Tergar Meditation Community. More information on Antonia here.
Prerequisites:
If you would like to attend this retreat, you need to meet AT LEAST ONE of the following requirements:
- Have attended a Joy of Living Level 1 program
or - At least one year of meditation practice and have attended an Introduction to Meditation course (You can take the Introduction to Meditation course online, for free, anytime. The online course consists of four video teachings. Click here for more information.)
- If you would like to attend Khenpo Kunga’s teachings on the Nature of Mind, you need to meet AT LEAST ONE of the following requirements:
- 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 received pointing out teachings from a qualified Buddhist lineage holder (a tulku or rinpoche)
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
Questions?
If you have questions about whether you meet the requirements, or if you have practiced an older version of Rinpoche’s path and would like to find out how your practice fits in with the current Path of Liberation, please contact [email protected].
Language:
Khenpo Kunga will teach in Tibetan, with translation into English and German.
Antonia Sumbundu teaches in English, with translation into German.
Arrival and Departure:
Retreat begins 7:30 p.m. Sunday, 28 October 2018
Retreat ends 11:00 a.m. Friday, 2 November 2018
In order to participate in the retreat it is necessary to arrive no later than the opening day, October 28. It is not possible to start the retreat later.
Check-in will be from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on the opening day of the retreat. The retreat will start at 7:30 p.m.
Location and Access:
Dorint Hotel & Sportresort Winterberg/Sauerland
Dorfstr. 1 / Postwiese
Neuastenberg
59955 Winterberg
Germany
hotel-sauerland-winterberg.dorint.com/en/
The hotel Dorint Sportresort Winterberg is located in the heart of the Hochsauerland region.
Due to the mountain location, you will find in and around the hotel area a lot of stairs. If you have any physical limitations that would make this difficult for you, please contact [email protected] prior to registration.
Transportation to and from the Dorint Hotel:
Click here for more information on getting to the Dorint Hotel.
Retreat Fees:
Base: €280 (without room and board)
Reduced: €220 (Reduced rate for students, unemployed, and others with limited income; without room and board)
Sponsor: As a sponsor, you can donate any amount beyond the regular fee. These donations allow us to offer the discounted price category. Thank you for your support!
If your ability to pay makes it difficult to attend, contact us by email at [email protected].
The retreat fees include only the cost of the teachings.
Accomodation and meals must be booked separately with the hotel.
Full payment is due at time of registration.
Cancellation Policy:
All cancellations will be charged a fee of €50.
We are grateful that the hotel helps us to keep the retreat cost-effective, and therefore we are pleased if you decide to stay in the hotel. It is also part of the idea of retreat to stay in one place together.
Hotel accommodation:
The Dorint Hotel has prepared a listing of the different room types and fees. Please read this listing first to decide which room category you want. Please note that you can book either entire rooms/apartments or single beds within these categories.
If you are ready for hotel booking, use the link to the form here. Complete the booking form and send it directly to the Dorint Hotel. If you require assistance with information or booking in another language, please contact the Dorint Hotel directly: Tel: +49 2981 897-0 • Fax: +49 2981 897-700 • [email protected]
If you would like to travel by motor home, you can contact [email protected] for more information.
Meals:
The Dorint Hotel offers three meals (vegetarian and vegan) for € 25.00 per day, which you can book directly at the hotel. Dinner on the day of arrival and lunch on the day of departure are included.
We recommend those who do not stay overnight to also take their meals at the hotel.
Contact the Dorint Hotel directly: Tel: +49 2981 897-0 • Fax: +49 2981 897-700 • [email protected].
Water and tea are available free of charge.
Precepts and Silence:
While attending this retreat all participants are expected to abide by the ethical precepts for lay practitioners. This includes abstinence from sexual activity. We will maintain periods of silence during this retreat.
Internet:
While it is possible to access internet at the hotel, we ask that – in keeping with the spirit of an intensive meditation retreat — you minimize internet activity, eliminating it altogether if possible.
Contact:
If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected].
Location
Dorint Hotel & Sportresort Winterberg/Sauerland, Winterberg , Germany