2nd Vajra Yoga of Kalachakra: Empowerment, Teachings & Retreat with Khentrul Rinpoché

The Vajra Yoga of Stabilisation — Skt. Dhyāna, Tib. samten

The essence of the 2nd Vajra Yoga is to extend our realization of empty-forms so that all perceptions arise as awareness:

Through this Second Vajra Yoga, the perception of the empty-forms attained in the previous practice is unified indivisibly with the awareness of an inner perceiver, and therefore one’s speech, inner wind, and awareness become unwavering. While the First Vajra Yoga allows one to perceive the empty-forms of the ten signs as the objects of the mind, the Second Vajra Yoga enables the practitioner to “mix” these signs with the mind and experience the joy and bliss of analysis (special insight). Prior to this stage, you practice with the eye sense consciousness and visual forms. Here, you practice with each of the sense consciousnesses and their objects individually — including sound, smell, taste, and touch. At this stage, special conditions such as a dark room are not always necessary. 

The event for the 2nd Vajra Yoga encompasses 1) two days of preparations with Preliminary Practices, Guru Pūja, Kālachakra-Tsok, and a walk in the nature with Rinpoché, 2) The Four Higher Empowerments of Kālachakra (Rinpoché will bestow them again for the sake of your spiritual progress), 3) Transmission and Teachings for the 2nd Vajra Yoga, 4) If needed, a personal audiences with Rinpoché (upon request), 5) one week of Retreat with practice sessions guided by senior students, as well as 6) food and accommodations at the Dzokden Kalapa Retreat Center. 

Special session in 2025: on the opening day of the event, Rinpoché will bestow the third part of a commentary on Dolpopa’s inspiring text “Aspiration Prayer for the Two Stages of the Vajra Path.” To provide people around the globe with the opportunity to connect with these teachings and the Kālachakra Temple at Kalapa, we will stream this session online. The remaining sessions of the event will be in person only.

SCHEDULE (10 nights)

2nd of August afternoon — Arrivals, Welcome Meeting and Introductions, Teaching | Check-in 2 PM – 4 PM — PLEASE MAKE SURE TO ARRIVE WITHIN THIS PERIOD

3rd of August — Kālachakra Preliminary Practices, Guru Pūjā Ritual and Kālachakra-Tsok, Walk in the nature around Dzokden Kalapa Retreat Center with Rinpoché

4th of August — Guru Rinpoche Day – Four Higher Empowerments for the 2nd Vajra Yoga participants 

4th – 12th of August — Transmission and Teaching for the 2nd Vajra Yoga, 2nd Vajra Yoga Retreat; personal audiences with Rinpoché

12th August — check-out after breakfast (if you register for the Practice Retreat Week after, your retreat continues without interruption)

We recommend that you also attend the 1st Vajra Yoga retreat of this year so that you can be better prepared.

Please make sure to register for, study, and practice as much as you can the GURU PŪJĀ and the KĀLACHAKRA-TSOK to prepare yourself so that you know these rituals and their meanings very well beforehand. Both courses have texts and teachings translated into many languages. Inside you find the chantings and practical explanations as well. If you wish (not mandatory), bring your own vajra, bell, ḍamaru, or other ritual instruments.

Materials: You can borrow printed texts of Guru Pūjā and Tsok from the temple to use during the event. Please bring your printed practice book “The Profound Path of Vajra Yoga,” the “Four Higher Empowerments” Booklet; your blindfold, and your meditation belt. You can bring also Rinpoché’s commentary “The Hidden Treasure,” “Unveiling Your Sacred Truth 3,” and the 1st Vajra Yoga Booklet as a reference for your practice. Everything must be on paper because electronic devices are not allowed after the strict retreat begins. Reading materials not directly related to this practice are not allowed during the retreat period.

After the Empowerments on August 4th, the strict retreat will begin. It will be closed and in silence. During this period, participants are not allowed to receive visitors or use mobile phones, tablet devices, pads, smart watches, laptops, computers, and so forth. We can store these in our office if you wish. If someone needs to contact you in case of an emergency, they can email [email protected] or call +43 676 395 8898 and we will inform you. Rinpoché advises participants to follow the retreat guidelines respectfully, not only for the success of their own practice but also to avoid disturbing others. 

The daily schedule consists of four practice sessions of 2nd Vajra Yoga practice and additional activities such as occasional teachings or personal audiences, and pūjas. Participation in two daily group sessions is mandatory unless health conditions completely prevent you from taking part. The remaining two sessions can be practiced in your own room if you prefer. Practice sessions will be conducted in English and Tibetan. If you absolutely prefer, you can bring copies of the texts in your own language as well and read them silently while the group recites in English. 

The fee for the retreat includes three vegetarian meals and shared accommodations at the Dzokden Kalapa Retreat Center. Please inform us ([email protected]) in advance if you have allergies, food intolerances, or other important health or mental conditions that we need to consider. We cannot offer space for individual rooms for participants of this event. However, you can alternatively bring your own tent and sleep outside near the Kālachakra Stūpa (see registration options below). 

Off-Site Accommodations If you absolutely need an individual room, many options for accommodations are available near the retreat center’s area, in the Garanas region, and in the town of Bad Schwanberg. In this case, please search for and book the necessary reservations yourself. 

FAQ:  Please note it takes incredible merit to have the conditions for this project to happen: 1) We have made a large effort to keep the cost reasonable. We encourage practitioners to save up and create the conditions to participate. In the past, people have given everything they had to the Vajra Master for this opportunity. 2) If you cannot commit to attending for the entire period, please let us know in advance the exact date and time of your earlier check-out. Leaving earlier is not recommended by Rinpoché but we can make an exception if you have no other option or really cannot stay the entire period (please let us know the reasons by email). Please note that we cannot offer you a special registration cost. The cost is for the entire event, regardless of whether you can stay for the entire period or not.

We need one volunteer to cook breakfast, lunch, and a light dinner for the participants, and a second volunteer as a cook helper. The volunteers will be able to enjoy all the areas in the retreat center except for the Kālachakra Temple where the participants will practice. Unlike the participants, the external volunteers 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. Rinpoché strongly encourages us to support our dharma brothers and sisters by volunteering. During your stay, we can provide free access to an online course or recorded retreat at our digital learning center if you would like to support your practice and study while you are volunteering.

If you are considering this opportunity, please write as soon as possible to [email protected]. You can also volunteer for only a portion of the event; you can offer as much as possible according to your capability. That being said, we prefer the participation of someone who can commit to the whole period.

Dzokden Kalapa Retreat Center, Garanas 41, Bad Schwanberg, zip code 8541, Austria, Südweststeiermark. The nearest airport is in Graz, Austria. 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 an hour to the Bad Schwanberg station. (Timetable information)

To travel from the Bad Schwanberg train station to the retreat center, a relatively inexpensive taxi service supported by the government is available that will take you directly to the Retreat Center, which is referred to as “Buddhistisches Zentrum” by this taxi service. For more information, please visit their website: Regio Mobil. The taxi must be ordered at least some hours in advance, but visitors are recommended to do so much earlier or on the days before you intend to arrive. On weekdays, this taxi service operates between the hours of 6.00 a.m. and 8.00 p.m. On weekends it does not operate during the evening. As the journey is quite long (about 20 minutes), the service should be scheduled for at least half an hour before the closing hours provided above. For trips on Sundays or public holidays please schedule the taxi service by 5 p.m. on the day before you intend to arrive.

To order: +43 (0)50 16 17 18 Cost: €6.00 total regardless of how many people are taking the taxi. Our Station Number for the Regio Taxi: 41080 / Buddhistisches Zentrum.

Alternative: if you are arriving or departing outside the Regio Mobil taxi working hours, you can book another taxi service e.g. the Wein Mobil taxi for €37,50, working hours from 10:00 to 23:30. In this case, the station number is D927. The reservation is made by calling the same number as above.

By 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, turn right towards Garanas and follow the signs to “Kalachakra Kalapa Center” uphill for about 8 km to reach the center.