Begin or deepen your Ngöndro practice at Shedrub Mandala’s only month-long Ngöndro retreat outside Nepal.
Why should I do a Ngöndro retreat?
Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche inspires us with these words:“The one-month Ngöndro retreat is a life-changing opportunity. To progress further on the path, it is essential to practice the ngöndro in depth and extensively. This foundational practice transforms us into true practitioners and gives us the confidence to practice daily and ensure that we never miss a session. After the month-long retreat, you will enjoy the practice, understand its importance and do it with enthusiasm.”
This retreat offers you the opportunity to get to know the practice of the “Preliminary Practices”, Ngöndro, in depth and to develop discipline for the daily practice of these.
How and what is practiced at the retreat?
Guided by learned and experienced learned and experienced monastics from Ka-Nying Shedub Ling and/or Nagi Gompa, selected by Rinpoche, we will engage in four practice sessions per day, each lasting around two hours (that is, a total of about eight hours daily.)
In each session, we recite the Ngöndro liturgy along with a selection of other important texts from the tradition—such as, Calling the Guru from Afar, The Noble Sutra of Recalling the Three Jewels, the Heart Sutra, the Boddhisattva´s Confession of Downfalls, Long Life Prayers, Dedication Prayers, and Chö—depending on the session.There will also be times for teachings and Q&A almost daily.
The full Ngöndro liturgy will be recited in every session, yet the emphasis will shift every few days to focus on one section at a time, enabling practitioners to learn the practice in a clear, detailed, and sequential manner.
The recitations will be in Tibetan. Upon arrival, you can purchase a printed text in pecha format, which includes the Tibetan script, phonetic transcription, and a translation in either English or German.
However, from the moment you register, we will also send you a PDF version of the text in booklet format, so you can begin reading and familiarizing yourself with the practice in advance. While this PDF version differs from the one used during the retreat—mainly regarding formatting and translation—it will still be very helpful for preparing. Indeed, we highly encourage you to familiarize yourself with the text and the practice beforehand, as much as possible.
Dates:
Preperation time from December 22:
Arrive as early as possible to settle in at Gomde. We start before the Christmas period (around December 22nd) with teachings and joint practice.
Empowerments from 25.12.:
For this retreat, Wang, Lung and Tri (reading transmission, empowerment and instructions) from Rinpoche is absolutely necessary.
These will take place from December 25.
If you already received the empowerments last year, you could also arrive at the start of the retreat on 27.12., but we do not recommend this.
Retreat start and end;
The retreat begins on December 27 and ends on January 25.
After the retreat:
Please plan to leave in the evening or afternoon of January 27th so that you can help clean up the house.
Practical items you need for the retreat:
- Mala (rosary)
- Bell and Dorje
- Mandala offering set
- “Sliders” for prostrations and a counter for the fingers or wrist
- When you learn the practice: Chöd drum
Costs
Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche has generously supported numerous Ngöndro retreats in Nepal with his personal funds, ensuring that anyone with a sincere interest in learning the correct way to practice Ngöndro could participate. The monastery provided breakfast, lunch, and dinner at no cost, creating a supportive environment where retreatants could fully immerse themselves and dedicate their time to practice. Last year’s retreat in Nepal welcomed 1,700 practitioners, many of whom described it as a life-changing opportunity.
Following Rinpoche’s generous approach, Gomde is offering this retreat free of charge so that all who wish to dedicate their time to a month of intensive Ngöndro practice can participate. Those who have the means and wish to support this endeavor are welcome to donate. Any amount will be appreciated and used to provide meals, heat Gomde’s rooms and facilities during the winter and support the precious teachers who will guide us.
If you would like to make a contribution:
5-10 euros per day would be a symbolic contribution to this worthy event.
35 euros per day would roughly cover Gomde’s costs.
70 euros per day would help to finance your participation and that of another person who is unable to make a contribution.
Any amount, big or small, will help make this retreat happen!
Prerequisites:
- Having taken Refuge (last opportunity before the seminar for empowerment with Rinpoche).
- Previous experience in Buddhist meditation practice.
- Participation in the Wang, Lung, Tri by Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche at the beginning of the retreat.
- Mental stability.
- Commitment to attend all sessions during the retreat.
- Previous experience of participating in a retreat is an advantage.
Accommodation
All participants will be accommodated in shared rooms and dormitories with a maximum of 10 beds. For those who wish to stay more comfortably, in a single room or with a partner or friend in a double room, a limited number of rooms are available. To reserve a private or double room with attached bathroom, a higher donation is kindly requested to reflect the increased accommodation costs.
