The retreat is open to all. You can do the retreat on your own or join via Webex for the first and last sessions for the day. We would suggest that you join in for the first day to understand the flow of the retreat. If you wish to participate in the retreat, please note the following:-

· Geshe Gawa has advised that this retreat is open to all. There is no pre-requisite to have received a Chenrezig initiation. If you have received the initiation, you are allowed to generate yourself as the deity. If not, visualise the deity on front you or on the top of your crown. Geshe-la has emphasised that what is important is the motivation of bodhicitta, great compassion for other sentient beings and faith in Chenrezig.

· Geshe-la will set up the offerings and torma in the centre for the duration of the retreat. You don’t have to do to the set up at home. The retreatants just have to visualise them in the practice.
· As with last year, instead of the Dorje Khandro fire offering practice, for purification, Geshe Gawa-la has advise to do 1,000 Padmasattva long mantras as purification. This can be accumulated daily (at the last session of the day) and can be completed after the 4 day retreat. Post retreat, do the sadhana with minimal mantras and concentrate on accumulating the Padmasattva mantra until you reach 1,000.
· To maintain a vegetarian diet with no black food e.g. meat, eggs, onion, chives radishes and garlic during the duration of the retreat (until one has accumulated Padmasattva long mantra) as the Chenrezig practice is in the Kriya tantra tradition.

· Your retreat will complete once you have accumulated the 100,000 Manis and 1,000 Padmasattva mantras.

· The proposed schedule 4 sessions a day as follows:

§ Session 1 8am to 9.30am (1.5 hrs) Webex

§ Session 2 10am to 11.30m (1.5 hrs) Self practice

§ Session 3 2pm to 3.30pm (1.5 hrs) Self practice

§ Session 4 4pm to 6pm (2 hrs) Webex

For the sessions not on Webex or if you are doing the retreat on your own please feel free to adjust the session times to suit your situation.

· Retreat Prayers

o Session 1

Speech blessing, mala blessing and increasing mantra.

Refuge prayer (San.gye.cho.dang….) and accumulate some recitations.

Ganden Lha Gya practice

Heart Sutra

Chenrezig retreat text (excluding torma offering)

o Sessions 2 & 3 – Chenrezig retreat text (excluding torma offering)

o Session 4

Chenrezig retreat text, including accumulation of Padmasattva mantras after mantra recitation and includes torma offering.

Prayer to Reborn in the Land of Bliss

Long Life Prayers

Dedication prayers

· Geshe Gawa-la has not specified any retreat boundaries. Where necessary (for groceries, medication etc.) please feel free to go.

Webex details –
Tashi Choling Online Practice Room

Join by phone
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