FIRST Vajra Yoga of Kālachakra: Empowerment, Teachings & Retreat with Khentrul Rinpoche

Upon completion of the two outer, the five inner, and the two unique preliminary practices of the Kālachakra Path, we are ready to enter the indestructible and profound path of the Six Vajra Yogas of Kālachakra. These advanced yogic techniques are like a wish-fulfilling jewel with the capacity to grant us everything our hearts desire in the blink of an eye. For a diligent practitioner whose mind is sufficiently pure, enlightenment can be achieved within only a few short human years. Even mastery of a single Vajra Yoga is enough to ensure one is never again reborn into the suffering cycle of death and rebirth. (Shar Khentrul Rinpoche, Unveiling Your Sacred Truth 3)

The event encompasses 1) two days of preparations with Preliminary Practices, Guru Pūja, Kālachakra-Tsok, and a walk and practice in the nature with Rinpoche, 2) The Four Higher Empowerments of Kālachakra (Rinpoche will bestow them again for the sake of your spiritual progress), 3) Transmission and Teachings for the First Vajra Yoga, 4) a printed booklet about the First Vajra Yoga in English (Romanian and German are also available, other languages TBA), 5) If needed, a personal audiences with Rinpoche (upon request) to discuss your practice, 6) one week of Retreat with practice sessions guided by senior students, as well as 7) food and accommodations at the Dzokden Kalapa Retreat Center. 

SCHEDULE (10 nights)

July 27 afternoon — Arrivals, Welcome Meeting and Introductions, Ritual | Check-in from 2:00 to 4:00 PM 

July 28 — Kālachakra Preliminary Practices, Kālachakra-Tsok, Walk and practice in the nature around Kalapa Retreat Center with Rinpoche

July 29 (Full Moon) — Four Higher Empowerments and First Vajra Yoga Transmission 

July 29 – August 6 — First Vajra Yoga Practice Retreat, First Vajra Yoga Teachings & Personal Audiences with Rinpoche

August 6 — Last practice session and Check-out from 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

*If you wish/need to stay one or more additional nights at the Retreat Center (either dormitory or tent), write us ([email protected]) so that we can inform you of the conditions.

How to prepare: We strongly encourage you to prepare yourself as much as you can with all the Nine Kālachakra Preliminary Practices. In addition to the longer sādhanas “Divine Ladder” and “Enlightening the Heart”, you will need to know the sādhana “Secret Ḍākinī Treasure.” For the latter, you must register here for the recorded commentary if you have not already received it previously (there you also find the recorded chanting). 

We recommend that you also attend the Practice Retreat in the Winter so that you can be better prepared.

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.

We encourage you to study all the sādhanas and pūjās as much as you can, including the chantings.

Materials: You can borrow printed texts of Guru Pūjā and Tsok to use during the event. Bring your printed books “The Profound Path of Vajra Yoga“, the “Four Higher Empowerments” Booklet; your eye mask, and your meditation belt. You can also bring Rinpoche’s “The Hidden Treasure” and “Unveiling Your Sacred Truth 3” 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 is not allowed during the strict retreat period. If you have already participated before, bring also your own “First Vajra Yoga Booklet.”

After the Empowerments on July 29, the strict retreat period 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, etc. 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. Rinpoche advises participants to follow the 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 the First Vajra Yoga and occasional teachings or audiences. 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. 

During this retreat, a participant accumulates at least 30 hours of First Vajra Yoga practice, or more if one does longer sessions or practice/study in between.

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. You can alternatively bring your own tent and sleep near the Kālachakra Stūpa.

Off-Site Accommodations If you absolutely need an individual room, options for hotel accommodations are available in Bad Schwanberg town. Please search for and book the reservations yourself. You will also need to organize a daily taxi (if you have no car).

FAQ:  Please note that 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 within our context. 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 similar teachings. 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, 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 beforehand by email). 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, external volunteers can access electronic devices. This is an extraordinary opportunity to generate merit and create the causes to be able to engage in this practice yourself in the future. Rinpoche 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. Alternatively, if you have already received the First Vajra Yoga teachings and want to volunteer full-time for the whole period, you can also participate in the sessions of the event in the temple for free.

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 possibilities. That being said, we prefer the participation of someone who can commit to the whole period.

If you are part of the EAP — Enlightened Activities Program — and need to gather participation for attending Completion Stage teachings, your participation as a volunteer for this event can be counted: Main Cook — around 132 EAP hours in total | Assistant Cook — around 112 EAP hours in total

To again take part in this important event, in the interest of your spiritual progress, Rinpoche requests that all his students reaffirm their commitments to the path, the lineage, and to him. This can be done in the registration process when booking your participation. Thus, those who have previously received the First Vajra Yoga and want to receive it again do not need to submit a separate application.

If you have found, however, that unfortunately, your confidence in your own choice for the Jonang Lineage, the Kālachakra path, or Shar Khentrul Rinpoche has weakened in the time since you last took the First Vajra Yoga, Rinpoche has stated that you should refrain from registering on this occasion. He feels there is a greater benefit to waiting for the next opportunity and, in the meantime, reigniting your confidence through further practice of the preliminaries of the Jonang Ngondro, listening to his teachings and reading his books as much as you can, and dedicating yourself as much as you can to the Enlightened Activities Program. In this way, you will accumulate stores of merit for this path while rebuilding your confidence. Thus, by changing your conditions, your future participation will be one of benefit and success. The important thing is to keep in the right direction and not to give up. 

How to get to Kalapa? Dzokden Kalapa Retreat Center, Garanas 41, Bad Schwanberg, zip code 8541, Austria, Südweststeiermark. The nearest airport is in Graz, Austria.

By 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 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 sponsored 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. The taxi must be ordered at least one hour in advance, but it is recommended to do so much earlier or on the day before they intend to arrive. On weekdays, this taxi service operates between 6 AM and 8 PM. On weekends, it does not operate after 6 PM. As the taxi journey is quite long (about 22 minutes), the service should be scheduled at least half an hour before the closing hours provided above. For trips on Sundays or public holidays, make sure to book it by 5 PM on the day before.

To order: +43 (0)50 16 17 18 Cost: €7.00 total, regardless of how many people are taking the taxi. Alternatively, you can book a normal taxi service (costs around € 37 or more if you take the taxi from the Bad Schwanberg station).

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