BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
METHOD:PUBLISH
CALSCALE:GREGORIAN
PRODID:-//WordPress - MECv7.36.4//EN
X-ORIGINAL-URL:https://kalapa.org/
X-WR-CALNAME:Dzokden Kalapa
X-WR-CALDESC:Kalachakra Retreat Center in Austria
X-WR-TIMEZONE:Europe/Vienna
BEGIN:VTIMEZONE
TZID:Europe/Vienna
X-LIC-LOCATION:Europe/Vienna
BEGIN:DAYLIGHT
TZOFFSETFROM:+0100
TZOFFSETTO:+0200
TZNAME:CEST
DTSTART:20260329T030000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=03;BYDAY=-1SU
END:DAYLIGHT
BEGIN:STANDARD
TZOFFSETFROM:+0200
TZOFFSETTO:+0100
TZNAME:CET
DTSTART:20261025T020000
RRULE:FREQ=YEARLY;BYMONTH=10;BYDAY=4SU
END:STANDARD
END:VTIMEZONE
REFRESH-INTERVAL;VALUE=DURATION:PT1H
X-PUBLISHED-TTL:PT1H
X-MS-OLK-FORCEINSPECTOROPEN:TRUE
BEGIN:VEVENT
CLASS:PUBLIC
UID:MEC-a292f1c5874b2be8395ffd75f313937f@kalapa.org
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Vienna:20270205T140000
DURATION:P8DT21H
DTSTAMP:20250307T080737Z
RDATE;TZID=Europe/Vienna:20270205T140000
CREATED:20250307
LAST-MODIFIED:20261001
PRIORITY:5
SEQUENCE:22
TRANSP:OPAQUE
SUMMARY:Kalachakra Winter Dark Retreat: Wensum & Vajra Yogas
DESCRIPTION:In-person only (event in English; practice sessions in Tibetan and English; practice materials available in multiple languages)\nFebruary 5 (Friday) – 14 (Sunday) \nWe are delighted to offer a Practice Retreat combining both Wensum and Vajra Yoga practitioners of various levels, around the auspicious Losar period. This 9-night retreat in the Winter is a rare opportunity to practice similarly to how aspiring yogins practice during the traditional three-year Kālachakra retreat of the Jonangpas, in a uniquely beautiful natural setting in the Austrian mountains. Different from the large teaching events in the Summer, the practice retreat in the Winter has a much smaller number of meditators and an intimate atmosphere inspiring deep contemplation. You are encouraged to take part in the entire period, but you can leave earlier if absolutely needed. \nRafa Lobsang Dorje will lead the retreat with Vajra Master Shar Khentrul Rinpoche’s blessing. Lobsang Dorje received the Higher Empowerments from Rinpoche in 2017 and has participated in more than twenty Wensum and Vajra Yoga retreats in group and solitary settings. He has been leading long retreats at Kalapa since 2021. Rinpoche may join remotely via Zoom in case there is a request from participants for a personal audience.\nWe welcome any level of practitioner from Wensum onwards. Depending on the level of practice of the participants registered, specific spaces or opportunities to focus on their main practice might be separately organized. Details will be announced in a preparation email 1-2 week(s) before the event starts.\nSCHEDULE overview\nFebruary 5 (Friday): 14:00 – 16:00 arrival and check-in | 17:00 – 18:00 Sang Offering Pūja at the Kālachakra-Stūpa | 18:00 Dinner | 19:30 – 21:00 Introductory Ritual in the Temple\nFebruary 6 – 13: Strict Practice Retreat (February 13: break of formal silence after the 3rd session)\nFebruary 14: 06:30 – 08:20 Practice Session | 08:30 – 09:00 Breakfast | 09:00 – 10:00 Karma Yoga | 10:00 – 10:30 Kalapa Shop open | 10:30 – 11:30 Check-out \nREQUIREMENTS\nAll participants must have received at least the Four Higher Empowerments of Kālachakra from Shar Khentrul Rinpoche. Everyone who has already taken them is automatically approved for participation. If you have not received them yet and have the aspiration to do so in the future, fulfill the request here. \nPHYSICAL & MENTAL HEALTH: Attending a retreat at Dzokden Kalapa is a serious undertaking that will require your mental and physical health. If you are currently suffering from, or have recently suffered from, any significant physical, psychiatric, or psychological illness, it is your responsibility to obtain written permission beforehand from your healthcare providers or your therapist to participate.\n\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				Retreat Infos and Guidelines\n				\nRetreat Infos and Guidelines\n\nBetween February 6 (morning of the 2nd event day) and the 3rd session on February 13 (day before the last event day), the strict retreat part will take place; it will be closed and silent. During this period, participants are not allowed to receive visitors or use computers, tablets, mobile phones, electronic watches, and so forth, even for Dharma purposes. We can store personal phones and other electronic devices. If someone needs to contact you in case of emergency, they can email office@kalapa.org or call/message +43 676 395 8898. Both the e-mailbox and phone will be checked at least once daily (including the spam folder). \nThe daily schedule consists of four practice sessions and occasionally additional dharma activities. Practice sessions will be conducted in English and Tibetan. If English is a strong language barrier to you, you can bring copies of the texts in your own language as well and read them silently when the group recites in English. Practitioners are welcome to address their questions related to the practice to the retreat leader. They can also request one personal audience with Rinpoche (remotely). \nHow to prepare myself for this retreat\nIn addition to the sādhanas “Divine Ladder” and “Enlightening the Heart,” you will need to know the sādhana “Secret Dakini Treasure”. For the latter, you must register here for the oral commentary Rinpoche gave if you have not already done so (chanting recording is inside the course). We encourage you to study beforehand all the sādhanas as much as you can, including the chantings, because there will be regular sessions of chanting in Tibetan. Get access here ( https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1u30nIEbVqunEiA81F5beEfSZMtOYjqK- ) to the Divine Ladder chantings of our lineage.\nGuru Pūjā and Kālachakra-Tsok will be held on special occasions; please bring your own vajra and bell, and your Vajra Robes (if you do not have them, we can borrow Dzokden Sangha Robes for you). We strongly encourage you to additionally register for their two associated courses at the learning center to prepare yourself in advance. If you wish (not mandatory), bring also ḍamaru, conch, or other ritual instruments to use during musical offerings.\n\n			\n\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				Food and Accommodation\n				\nFood and On-Site Accommodations\nThe fee for the retreat includes three vegetarian meals and shared accommodations at the beautiful Dzokden Kalapa Retreat Center. Please inform us in advance if you have allergies, food intolerances, or other important health or mental conditions that we need to consider. Although we cannot promise to avoid using items you cannot eat, we will inform you daily in writing which dishes contain items you should not eat. \nDARK MEDITATION APARTMENT available: the DRA — Dark Retreat Apartment — with two rooms, one separate kitchen, 2 separate toilets, and one separate bath, is available during the retreat period. It can be used by one or two participants. If you would like to book the DRA additionally, see more info about the DRA here.  ( https://kalapa.org/dark-meditation-apartment-rental )\n\n			\n\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				Volunteer Opportunities\n				\nVolunteer Opportunities\nWe need one volunteer to cook breakfast, lunch, and a light dinner for the participants. Unlike the participants, the volunteer can access electronic devices, the internet, and so forth. This is an extraordinary opportunity to generate merit and create the causes to be able to engage in this practice yourself in the future. If you are part of the Enlightened Activities Program and need to gather participation for attending Completion Stage teachings with Rinpoche, your participation as a volunteer for this event can be counted (around 100 EAP hours in total).\nIf you are considering this opportunity, please write as soon as possible to office@kalapa.org so that we can arrange a video call to plan your participation. During your stay, we can provide free access to a recorded retreat/course at our digital learning center. Alternatively, if you have already received the Four Higher Empowerments and want to volunteer full-time for this event, you can then participate in all activities of the retreat for free, so far you can plan the breaks from your volunteer work accordingly. \n			\n\n				\n				\n				\n				\n				Getting to Kalapa\n				\nHow to get to Kalapa?\nDzokden Kalapa Retreat Center, Garanas 41, Bad Schwanberg, ZIP-Code 8541, Austria, Südweststeiermark. The nearest airport is in Graz, Austria.\nBy car: From the Graz-West motorway junction (A2/A9), get on the A2 towards Klagenfurt/Italy and take the Lieboch exit. Then, continue on Federal Road 76 towards Eibiswald. After about 30 km, you will reach Bad Schwanberg. At the end of the main square in Bad Schwanberg, turn left towards Garanas. After the bridge, keep to the right towards Garanas and follow the signs to “Kalachakra Kalapa Center” uphill for about 8 km to reach the center.\nBy train: To travel to Kalapa by train, start at the main train station in Graz. From there, take the S6 or S61 S-Bahn towards Wies-Eibiswald for about 50 minutes to the Bad Schwanberg station. (timetable information) ( https://www.oebb.at/en/ ) To travel from the Bad Schwanberg train station to the retreat center, we will send additional info via email 1-2 week(s) before the event.\n\n			\n
URL:https://kalapa.org/events/kalachakra-dark-retreat/
ORGANIZER;CN=Dzokden:MAILTO:office@dzokden.org
CATEGORIES:Completion Program,Retreats
LOCATION:Garanas 41, 8541 Bad Schwanberg, Austria
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://kalapa.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/Leave-the-English-one-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR