Kalachakra Winter Dark Retreat: Wensum & Vajra Yogas
in-person only (event in English)
February 18th – 28th
We are delighted to offer, for the first time, a Practice Retreat combining both Wensum and Vajra Yoga practitioners, starting on the auspicious Losar day. This 10-night retreat in the Winter is a rare opportunity to practice similarly to how aspiring yogins practice during the traditional three-year Kālachakra retreat, in a uniquely beautiful natural setting in the Austrian mountains. Different from the 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 welcome to take part in the entire period or to leave earlier if absolutely needed.
Rafa Lobsang Dorje will lead the retreat with the Vajra Master Shar Khentrul Rinpoche’s blessing. Lobsang Dorje received the Higher Empowerments from Rinpoche in 2017 and has participated in more than fifteen Wensum and Vajra Yoga retreats in group and solitary settings. He led various long retreats at Kalapa. Rinpoche may join remotely via Zoom in case there is a request from participants for a personal audience.
As usual, practitioners will practice together in the Kālachakra Temple. Additionally, depending on the participants registered, special opportunities to focus on practices or study of the First and Second Vajra Yogas might be separately organized for those who have already received these teachings.
SCHEDULE overview
February 18 (Wednesday, Tibetan New Year): 14:00 – 16:00 arrival and check-in | 17:00 – 18:00 New Year Sang Offering Pūja at the Stūpa | 18:00 Dinner | 19:30 – 21:30 Kālachakra-Tsok with Saṅgha New Year Celebration
February 19 – 27: Practice Retreat
(February 27: break of silence after the 3rd session with a slow group walk in nature before dinner)
February 28: 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 – 11:00 check-out
REQUIREMENTS
All 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. If you are not sure that you have received them, write to us before starting your registration.
Retreat Infos and Guidelines
Retreat Infos and Guidelines
Between February 19 (morning of the second day of the event) and the 3rd session on February 27 (day before the last event day), the strict retreat part will take place, it will be closed and in silence. During this period, participants are not allowed to receive visitors or use computers, tablet devices, mobile phones, and so forth. We can store personal phones and other electronic devices in our office. If someone needs to contact you in case of emergency, they can email [email protected] or call/message +43 676 395 8898. Both e-mailbox and phone will be checked at least once daily (including the e-mail spam box).
The 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 in written form to the retreat leader. They can request personal audiences with Rinpoche (remotely via Zoom) as well.
How to prepare myself for this retreat
In 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. 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.
Guru Pūjā or Kālachakra-Tsok gatherings will be held on special occasions. 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 your own vajra, bell, ḍamaru, conch, or other ritual instruments to use during these gatherings.
Food and Accommodation
Food and On-Site Accommodations
The fee for the retreat includes three vegetarian meals and shared accommodations at the beautiful 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.
DARK MEDITATION APARTMENT available: the DRA — Dark Retreat Apartment — with two rooms, one separate kitchen, and separate toilets and bath, is available during the retreat period. If you would like to book the DRA additionally, see more info about the DRA here.
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteer Opportunities
We need one volunteer to cook breakfast, lunch, and a light dinner for the participants. A room separate from that used by the retreat participants will be provided for the volunteer, who will be able to enjoy all the areas in the retreat center except for the Kālachakra Temple itself, where the participants will practice. Unlike the participants, 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. 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 TBA).
If you are considering this opportunity, please write as soon as possible to [email protected] 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, in case you plan the breaks from your volunteer work accordingly.
Getting to Kalapa
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 participants are recommended to do so much earlier or on the day before they intend to arrive. On weekdays, this taxi service operates between 06.00 and 20.00. On weekends, it does not operate after 18:00. As the journey is quite long (about 20 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 17:00 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 or similar (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 Schwanberg. At the end of the main square in 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.
Speakers
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Khentrul RinpocheKhentrul Rinpoché Jamphel Lodrö is the founder and spiritual director of Dzokden. Rinpoche is the author of Unveiling Your Sacred Truth, The Great Middle Way: Clarifying the Jonang View of Other-Emptiness, A Happier Life, and The Hidden Treasure of the Profound Path.
Rinpoche spent the first 20 years of his life herding yak and chanting mantras on the plateaus of Tibet. Inspired by the bodhisattvas, he left his family to study in a variety of monasteries under the guidance of over twenty-five masters in all the Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Due to his non-sectarian approach, he earned himself the title of Rimé (unbiased) Master and was identified as the reincarnation of the famous Kalachakra Master Ngawang Chözin Gyatso. While at the core of his teachings is the recognition that there is great value in the diversity of all spiritual traditions found in this world; he focuses on the Jonang-Shambhala tradition. Kalachakra (wheel of time) teachings contain profound methods to harmonize our external environment with the inner world of body and mind, ultimately bringing about the golden age of peace and harmony (dzokden).
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Rafa Lobsang DorjeRafa Lobsang Dorje (Rafael Nassif) started his contact with Buddhism in 2008, after practicing in other systems of spiritual practice in his homeland Brazil. In Europe, India and Tibet he had precious opportunities to receive teachings, transmissions and empowerments from masters from almost all schools of Tibetan Buddhism and from the Theravada Tradition as well, and took part in different group and solitary retreats. He was fortunate to met his precious Guru Jamphel Lodrö (Khentrul Rinpoche) in Austria in 2015, from whom he has been receiving a vast and profound wealth of Dharma, from the foundational subjects until the Kalachakra Vajra Yogas. Since 2016 he has been teaching Lu Jong (Tibetan Healing Yoga). In 2018 he received from Rinpoche authorization and encouragement to teach the Dharma. Recently he reduced his professional activities as a composer in order to serve the altruistic ideals of his Guru as a full-time volunteer. He serves the community a.o. as a translator, editor, and coordinator of translation groups, and as a retreat leader and program coordinator.