A one month Dzogchen practice retreat – And two short options

The Chetsün Nyingtik retreat, from 5 June to 5 July 2027, is the opportunity to study and put into practice the precious teachings and instructions on trekchö and tögal taught by Khenchen Namdrol Rinpoche in 2022 in Lerab Ling.

“The Heart Essence of Chetsün, the Perfect Secret Bindu” was composed by Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo and outlines the complete Dzogchen path from the preliminaries up to the main practices of trekchö and tögal.

Khenchen Namdrol Rinpoche taught on Chetsün Nyingtik in 2022 at Sogyal Rinpoche’s request, especially for Dzogchen Mandala students to be able to study and practise tögal.

Traditionally these teachings were only given gradually according to the student’s abilities and progress, but nowadays it is different, and for practical reasons the complete transmission was given all at once so we can use the recordings to further our studies and deepen our practice

For this reason, Khenchen Namdrol Rinpoche asks us to come together as a group for a 1-month Chetsün Nyingtik Dzogchen retreat every year, in the most conducive retreat environment of Lerab Ling.

HOW WILL THE RETREAT UNFOLD

Each day we study the teachings Rinpoche gave in 2022, while training in the extraordinary Dzogchen preliminaries and the main practice.

The sequence is:

• 15 days on the extraordinary Dzogchen preliminaries, including rushen and purification of the 3 doors;
• 15 days on the actual practice of trekchö & tögal.

Khenchen Namdrol Rinpoche said that he will occasionally zoom in to give further teachings and advice, as he did last year.

SHORT OPTIONS

Khenchen Namdrol Rinpoche specified that the shorter options are exceptionally for those who cannot participate in the full retreat. Nevertheless, to benefit from the complete teachings and practice and in order not to disrupt the flow of the retreat, everyone is strongly encouraged to make every effort to attend the full month.

Please make sure you meet the requirements before applying (details below).

WHO CAN JOIN- REQUIREMENTS

For all options, this retreat is open to :

• Dzogchen Mandala students from the Rigpa sangha (see requirements below)
• Students from other sanghas who have received the necessary transmissions and a permission from a lineage teacher to study and practise these teachings (we may ask you to provide a written recommendation from your teacher), and meet the requirements below.

Students must :

• Have completed the Longchen Nyingtik ngöndro accumulations (or at least 75% and commit to complete them), or for students of other sanghas, the particular ngöndro of their tradition.
• Be ready and committed to practise the path of Dzogpachenpo, and :
  • Rigpa students : Have received the complete teachings on Tsik Sum Ne Dek from Sogyal Rinpoche or through the Dzogchen study
  • Students from other sanghas: must have solid grounding in the practice of Trekchö.
• Have received a Chetsün Nyingtik empowerment and a reading transmission for the commentaries, as well as a reading transmission for the practice. (If you are missing a reading transmission please let us know and we will try to organise it).
• Have accomplished a one or two month Chetsün Nyingtik preliminaries retreat in the way Khenchen Namdrol Rinpoche has advised. More information here on how to accomplish such retreat : Chetsun Nyingtik ngondrö retreat – Info page

Additional requirements for short option 2 – this second part is only for those who :

• have attended one of the 1-month Chetsün Nyingtik Dzogchen retreat between 2022 and 2026
• are practising the Chetsün Nyingtik ngöndro on a daily basis.
• commit to listen to the teachings that will be covered during the first part of the retreat. Or at least study one of the two commentaries on these sections.

MORE DETAILS ABOUT THIS RETREAT

The retreat will be held in English, with translations into French. German translation will only be offered if enough participants require it.

Students who join commit to attend every session for the duration of the entire retreat.

It is advised to stay on-site at Lerab Ling. Students can also stay off-site as long as their circumstances allow them to attend every session.

Khenchen Namdrol Rinpoche said the minimum daily commitment afterwards would be to recite the Chetsun Nyingtik Ngondrö, or at least the Lame Naljor (Guru Yoga) section.

There is no online option for this retreat.

PROVISIONAL SCHEDULE

The schedule is not fixed and there might be additional sessions early morning or late evening.

7.30 – 9.30 Session One
9.30 – 10.00 short break
10.00 – 12.30 Session Two
12.30 – 14.30 lunch break
14.30 – 16.30 Session Three
16.30 – 17.00 short break
17.00 – 19.00 Session Four
19.00 – 20.00 dinner break

GUIDANCE FOR PEOPLE SUFFERING FROM MENTAL ILLNESS

Retreats of this nature can often be challenging both mentally and physically. While we wish to offer all students the best possible environment and support for their spiritual practice, we are not able to offer professional support or adequate care for anyone who is struggling with a serious mental disorder. Attending a retreat such as this is no substitute for medical or psychiatric treatment and is not recommended for anyone with a serious psychiatric disorder.

FINANCIAL SUPPORT:

Please read all information on the Financial support webpage.

The deadline for applying for a Study & Practice Grant is 30 March.

In addition, Rigpa students who have completed their three-root practices and have the wish and commitment to study and practise further (especially Tögal) but really lack the financial means, have the opportunity to apply for a Three-root Practices grant here.

PRACTICAL INFORMATION

START
Saturday 5 June at 9am (full retreat and option 1)
Friday 18 June at 7:30am (option 2)

END
Monday 5 July at 2pm (full retreat and option 2)
Saturday 19 June at 2pm (option 1)

REGISTRATION AND BADGE/KEY COLLECTION
Friday 4 June: 4pm – 6pm
Saturday 5 June: 12:30pm – 2pm (during the lunch break)
Thursday 17 June: 2pm – 5pm (option 2)
If arriving after 6pm on Friday, please notify registration@rigpa.org

CONTRIBUTION
Full retreat: €828
Option 1: €444
Option 2: €516

TRANSPORT
Arrival bus – Friday 4 June, from Montpellier to Lerab Ling
Departure times:

• Montpellier Méditerranée airport: 3:15pm
• Sud de France train station: 3:45pm
• Saint Roch train station: 4:15pm
  No arrival bus for option 2.

Departure bus – Tuesday 6 July, from Lerab Ling to Montpellier
Departure from Lerab Ling: 8:30am
Approximate arrival times (may vary with traffic):

• Montpellier Méditerranée airport: 10:30am
• Sud de France train station: 11am
• Saint Roch train station: 11:30am

TIMELINE FOR REGISTRATION
Please fill in the application form:

• Before 21 January for accommodation sponsors
• Before 10 May for everyone else