Buddhist Studies Institute

Vajrayogini Retreat with

Pema Khandro & Drupon Rinchen Dorjee

May 3 -May 5, 2024

Online
9am – 12pm PT | 12pm – 3pm ET | 5pm – 8pm GMT

Only 10 days left to register!

Join us for this special event, the Vajrayogini Empowerment, an initiation into the inner tantra practice of generation stage meditation ~ led by Drupon Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche and Lama Pema Khandro. Vajrayogini is the female buddha embodying radical presence. To practice Vajrayogini meditation is to cut through to innermost wisdom and innate clarity.

This exceptional program will feature three half-days of instructions, empowerment and meditations of Vajrayogini. It will be led by Drupon Rinchen Dorjee Rinpoche who will give the empowerment and Lama Pema Khandro who will give the instructions for practice.

Pre-requisites: This event is open to the public. In order to practice the generation stage Vajrayogini meditation, Drupon Rinpoche requires that one must have completed the ngondro, or preliminary practices, of Vajrayana first. One may, however, receive the empowerment and teachings before completing ngondro to receive the blessing and prepare for later practice. To do the practice, one has to have completed ngondro. However, the first two practices  may be engaged regardless of having completed ngondro or not.

Laughter of the Dakini’s Chod Retreat

with Pema Khandro

Online & at Dakini Mountain (for members)*
May 31 – June 2, 2024

Online Schedule

9am – 12pm PT | 12pm – 3pm ET | 5pm – 8pm GMT
*In-Person schedule differs and is located on the registration page linked below

Laughter of the Dakini’s Chod is a profound method of psychological transformation in esoteric Buddhism.  Chod is a class of meditation that points to the fearless transformation available when trusting our own innate wisdom. The practice opens a space beyond concepts that allows the inner knowing to emerge.Chod means cutting, referring to cutting through fictions to authentic presence. This cutting is not aggressive, yet it is assertive, wise and commanding, drawing from a place in being where one is capable of cutting what needs to be cut to move compassionately beyond self deception.

Morning sessions will begin with practicing the Black Dakini, the profound deity yoga meditation on the black wrathful dakini from the Jeweled Garland of Chod, (the Rinchen Trengwa) that was practiced by the first Pema Khandro and passed down from fourteenth century Tibet. This practice culminates in the generation of one’s own inner wisdom as the Black Fierce Dakini, Troma Nagmo.

*In-Person & Online:
This will be a hybrid event with large group teaching sessions broadcast online. Tsok, Chod dances and Secret Chod small group sessions will be for in-person participants only. Everything else will be available for the online group. Only students who have been accepted to the Vajra Sangha, and members, are invited to attend in person. Space is limited to the first 30 to register. The In-Person Schedule varies and can be found on the registration page linked below.

Access all the Chod Resources:
This retreat will include transmission and practice of all these methods and will include access to dozens of online self-paced videos on how to practice Chod. Watch the videos in advance to prepare for the retreat or watch them afterwards to continue your learning!

A Special Reunion:
The 2024 Chod retreat is a profound occasion of the sangha gathering in person at the glorious land of Dakini Mountain in the scenic Tahoe National Forest of Northern California. This retreat marks the special occasion of Saga Dawa, the birthday and enlightenment of the Buddha, the most auspicious time to practice together with spiritual community.

Choying Dzod Retreat : Treasury of Space

Online with Khenpo Yeshi and Dr. Pema Khandro

June 28 – June 30, 2024

9am – 12pm PT | 12pm – 3pm ET | 5pm – 8pm GMT

Khenpo Yeshi and Pema Khandro return for the next chapter of the Choying Dzod.

Beyond effort and achievement is the state of natural ease, the basic space of being. How to breakthrough to find this innate expanse is the focus of a profound Buddhist meditation manual known as The Treasury of Basic Space, The Choying Dzod (chos dbyings rin po che’i mdzod). It presents the essence of esoteric Tibetan Buddhism, known as Great Perfection, or Dzogchen (rdzogs chen) in verse form. Venerated as a manifestation of the expanse of reality itself,  is the quintessential Dzogchen text by the fourteenth century master, Longchenpa.  It refers to the expanse of reality and pure experience of meaningfulness as the revelation of the ground of being.

The Treasury of Basic Space is a manual for meditation and liberation, as well as being a text that one reads to a dying person to introduce them to the nature of mind at death. Read during dying, it offers the crucial support at the most important time, by guiding the dying person to realize the nature of mind. Indeed, The Treasury of Basic Space has been read at the time of death of many great Dzogchen masters.

The Treasury of Basic Space details the elements of breakthrough meditation (trek cho), instructions which cut through misunderstandings of emptiness and point to the vivid wakefulness of sublime knowing.

Join Buddhist Studies Institute for this special program taught online by Khenpo Yeshi, Dzogchen Nyingthig scholar and Drikung Kagyu teacher and Dr. Pema Khandro, Dzogchen scholar, lama and lineage holder of the Nyingma tradition. The three days of online classes will include the lung, the oral initiation into this profound text by Khenpo Yeshi, study, and practice led by Khenpo Yeshi and Dr. Pema Khandro.

Text to be studied: “The Precious Treasury of the Basic Space of Phenomena.” trns. Richard Barron

You’re Ready Enough

Pema Khandro for Lion’s Roar

“Every Tibetan Buddhist practice includes the bodhisattva vow to work for the benefit of others. However, the tradition is also full of assertions that we cannot benefit others unless we are wise and enlightened, lest our good intentions be misguided. So when, exactly, are we wise enough to help others? We all want to be better versions of ourselves, but when are we “better enough” to step up and act on a bodhisattva’s heroic intent?” asks Pema Khandro. Read the response in the full article by clicking below.

Are you interested in helping us spread the dharma?

The Buddhist Studies Institute is actively seeking a Manager to be available for 5-10 hours a week. This is a volunteer position.

Manager Responsibilities Include:

• Create clear project plans and goals.

• Establish a work plan at each stage of the project, and allocate resources accordingly.

• Create and manage project budgets.

• Review project plan to determine time frames

• Remind team members of deadlines and keep team members on deadlines

• Identify and remove any obstacles that might hinder the team’s ability to meet deadlines.

• Effectively communicate project-relevant details throughout the organization.

• Facilitate project-related team meetings.

• Share project reports with governance committee

• Collaborate on the Organization’s plans and priority

• Design and launch evaluation surveys among team and community members.

• Be the main point of contact for projects.

For more information, please email volunteer@buddhiststudiesinstitute.org or simply click the box below.

2024 Schedule of Events

ONGOING MONTHLY TRAINING

Daily Meditation Online
Vajrayana Training – 1st & 2nd Wednesday of each month
Ngakpa Training – 3rd Wednesday of each month

MAY

Vajrayogini Retreat – May 3 – May 5
Chod Retreat – May 31 – June 2

JUNE

Chod Retreat – May 31 – June 2

Choying Dzod Retreat – June 28 – 30
*All Times are noted in Pacific Time (PT) – Check your Timezone