Tara’s Triple Excellence Ngondro Retreat – Detailed Information
Rescheduled dates from 22nd Sept to 30 Sept 2021.
The 7 day Tara’s Triple Excellence Preliminaries (Ngondro) retreat with Lama Tenzin
Despite all the difficulties, and if all goes well Gomde Scotland will be hosting their second TTE retreat, sadly postponed from 2020 due to the pandemic. It is very exciting, the retreat will be based on the Ngöndro practices of the Third Excellence, part III and Gomde Scotland is honoured to host a retreat based on these precious teachings.
This is an on-site event and dependent on the Covid situation. Numbers will be limited with all retreatants staying in single retreat cabins. The teachings and practice sessions will be held in the Temple and given in person, but recorded for later access through the TTE programme.
When the retreat is held, Lama Tenzin will give instructions on and we will train together in the extraordinary preliminary practices which consist of: taking Refuge and doing Prostrations, cultivating Bodhicitta, reciting and visualizing Vajrasamaya, offering the Mandala, and practicing Guru Yoga.
In this retreat, Lama Tenzin will give instructions on and we will train together in the extraordinary preliminary practices which consist of: taking Refuge and doing Prostrations, cultivating Bodhicitta, reciting and visualizing Vajrasamaya, offering the Mandala, and practicing Guru Yoga.
If you are interested and would like more details and a booking form, please email info@gomdescotland.org .
Anyone interested in the practice of Ngondro is welcome to join the retreat, with particular encouragement for Tara’s Triple Excellence program participants. By attending this retreat, you will receive a very helpful introduction in to the Third Excellence Part III.
The Triple Excellence online meditation program established by Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, in which the profound pith instructions known as The Triple Excellence come directly from Tara, female Buddha of wisdom in action, and they reveal a complete path to awakening that covers all three vehicles of Buddhism from the Vajrayana perspective. Nothing is left out. The instructions were received directly from Tara by the great terton Chokgyur Lingpa (1829-1870) and have since been passed down in an unbroken precious lineage of accomplished gurus. Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, a close descendant of the great treasure revealer himself, received Tara’s Triple Excellence from his own masters.
The retreat will be under the guidance of Lama Tenzin Sangpo, and will involve at least two intensive sessions of group sadhana practice each day, interspersed with guiding instructions by Lama Tenzin.
Daily Retreat Schedule
The retreat will unfold over seven days. We will begin in the afternoon of Sept 22nd and finish on 29th and Lama Tenzin will leave on the 30th Sept. 2021. It would be best if you can arrive at least a day before for orientation and to get settled and ready for the practice.
There will be four group sessions per day, at least one of which will be dedicated to the practice of the Outer Tara Sadhana. During the other sessions we will receive explanations and instructions from Lama Tenzin and be guided by him in meditation and particular contemplations.
Approximate Timetable (subject to change)
1st session 6.00 – 8.00
Breakfast 8.30 – 9.30
2nd session 10.00 – 12.00
Lunch 12.30 – 1.30
3rd session 2.00 – 4.00
Afternoon tea
Teachings with Lama Tenzin 5.00 – 6.00
Dinner 6.00 – 7.00
4th session 7.00 – 9.00
Registration, Payment and Costs
This retreat is open to all who are interested in the instructions on the Preliminaries (Ngondro). These teaching will be based on the Third Excellence, part III of the Tara’s Triple Excellence Programme, and if you wish to practice the Ngondro practice based on this cycle of teachings, it is best if you have already received the Inner Tara empowerment from an authentic master.
To ensure everyone will comfortable in the woodland shrine room, we are restricting the numbers to 15 practitioners. Once that number is reached, we will prepare a waiting list. Registration is open until 14th Sept 2021.
To register, please email to request a booking form at info@gomdescotland.org.
For any questions please contact info@gomdescotland.org. It is important to tell us of any specific dietary and health requirements you may have and to complete the booking forms. Please bring any personal items you will need, but we will also have retreat helpers on hand with local knowledge, whose job it will be to keep us all as comfortable as possible.
Please note that when you make your travel arrangements it might be wise to make sure you are insured or on a flexible ticket to allow for a refund from those companies in case we cannot go ahead with the retreat. Gomde Scotland will not be liable for any refunds related to travel costs.
Deposit
To secure your place on the retreat we request you make a deposit of £200 and your reservation will then be confirmed. If you cancel BEFORE 14th Sept we can refund 50%. Refunds after that date will be dependent on if we can fill your place.
Please arrange for the full balance to be paid before the start of the retreat (so we can buy food and the offerings :).
Bank details for transfers are:
Bank of Scotland, 102 High Street, Forres, IV36 2OP
Account Name: Gomde Trust
Account No. 06020261
Sort Code: 80 06 81
BIC: BOFSGB21290
IBAN: GB90 BOFS 8006 8106 0202 61
For online payment options through Paypal, please use this link:
In the event of the retreat filling quickly and your name going to a waiting list, we will keep you informed and return your deposit if we cannot offer a place.
Please understand that our accommodation at Gomde Scotland is very basic, ‘glamping’ style and still largely under construction. There are a single and shared wooden retreat huts which are not yet insulated. We are currently improving the shower and toilet facilities, which hut dwellers/campers will be able to use. There are also rooms available in the nearby neighbourhood, towns and villages.
Additional Costs & Offerings
Our teachers, atterndants & translators do not receive any payment for their time and for the teachings. Gomde Scotland will make a small offering to them at the end of the program, but we encourage you to make a personal donation to them should you have the financial resources and as an expression of your appreciation for their offerings in time and dharma teachings.
Retreat Costs (teachings, translation, utilities, food & accommodation)
Gomde Scotland is keeping the cost of this precious retreat as low as possible, so that it can be affordable to all. All categories are inclusive of all meals and full support during the retreat.
Full seven days retreat (accommodation & food for 8 nights from 21st to 30th Sept 2021)
In single accommodation (bedding provided) all inclusive, we suggest a contribution of £380
There are very few single wooden cabins available, so if you would like to guarantee a retreat hut, please register and prepay the full amount as soon as possible, as it is on a first paid first served basis. The cost for 8 days in a single cabin on the land will be £380 inclusive, and it would be great if you can deposit the full amount in advance by bank transfer or paypal by 1st Sept 2021.
If you are a couple or considered a family for the Covid regulations, a shared retreat cabin would be available and with bedding provided, all inclusive contribution £240 per person.
NB. We have a sliding scale for accommodation, so people can give according to their income: £380 adds a little to help the development of Gomde and £240 is the lowest, discounted rate; for practitioners, students and anyone without an income. This contribution to the retreat justs about cover costs.
Camping: if you are interested in this option, please contact us at: info@gomdescotland.org
Accommodation off-site
This applies if you choose to stay in privately organised accommodation off site. You will pay your host direct, and the suggested minimum contribution for the retreat is £200 for 7 days, payable to Gomde, to cover all meals, teachings, Lama travel and other resources. For those interested in this option, please contact us: info@gomdescotland.org
Bursary Fund
These suggested contributions are based on the costs that will include flying our teachers and translators over to Gomde, and hosting participants and helpers for the retreat. It also is based on the idea of contributing a small donation to support Gomde’s growth and development. Taking this into account we have tried to make the price as affordable as possible.
However, should you really wish to participate and the only thing keeping you from coming is a financial concern, please contact us and we will do our best to make an arrangement that will work for you, because we know even though we are keeping costs to a minimum, some people will still not be able to afford to come on the retreat.
If this applies to you, please let us know: info@gomdescotland.org
Likewise, if you are able to give a little extra, it means that together we can support genuine practitioners who could not otherwise attend.
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