June 12-20 - Troma Nagmo, with Lama Sonam Tsering Rinpoche
June 21-27 - Black Hayagriva, with Tulku Thadral Rinpoche
June 28-30 - Shitro Ngakso (One Hundred Peaceful & Wrathful Deities)
July 3-11 - Collection of Seven Treasures Guru Rinpoche Drupchen
July 11 - Register for Dance Day Only
Register for the full retreat (June 12 - July 11)
(To register for individual retreats click each one above.)
“Summer Retreat is our Dharma Party, where we gather together. It makes me happy. It also makes HH Dudjom Rinpoche and Kyabje Dungse Thinley Norbu Rinpoche happy because even though their physical body is not with us, their wisdom mind is always watching from Dharmakaya and their compassion and penetration of wisdom blessings is continuous. With practice, teachings, faith and devotion, their wisdom blessings penetrate deeply so we can truly hit the target. I am encouraging all of you to come to Summer Retreat.”
~Lama Tharchin Rinpoche
Lama Tharchin Rinpoche began Vajrayana Foundation’s annual month-long Summer Retreat over 25 years ago as his main vehicle for passing the Dudjom Tersar practices on to the Sangha. In this, he was tirelessly assisted by resident lamas, Lama Sonam Tsering Rinpoche and Tulku Jamyang Rinpoche, who continue to carry out Rinpoche’s intentions to this day.
Summer Retreat is open to everyone. You are welcome to come for the entire Summer, a single retreat, a few days or a couple of sessions --- as your schedule allows --- either as a commuter or as an onsite guest.
Available by Video Streaming
Black Hayagriva is very special, rarely practiced these days and little known. It is an incredibly effective practice for turbulent chaotic times, working quickly to restore balance and bring benefit to beings’ minds and thus the outer elements, able to cure disease and to eliminate demonic forces, etc. Padmasambhava himself achieved deathlessness through practicing Hayagriva.
Because of its power and relevance to the present day, both Lama Tharchin Rinpoche and Lama Sonam Rinpoche requested Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche to bestow the empowerment, which he kindly did in July of 2015. We have been including Black Hayagriva as one of our Summer Retreats annually since then.
Teachings on the practice of Black Hayagriva will be given again this year by Tulku Thadral Rinpoche. A revered lineage holder of the Dudjom Tersar, Tulku Thadral Rinpoche is an incarnation of Lama Thadral Rinpoche, a second generation student of Dudjom Lingpa who achieved rainbow body. He is a Khenpo and Principal and Director of Education at HH Dudjom Rinpoche’s shedra, the Nyingmapa Wishfulfilling Center for Study and Practice in Nepal. He is a master of ritual and philosophy, and when possible spends months of each year in retreat.
Lama Sonam Tsering Rinpoche translated the long Hayagriva sadhana, which will be used as the basis of practice again this summer. The empowerment will be offered on the first day of retreat, Friday, June 21 at 5:30 pm.
About Black Hayagriva, by Lama Sonam Tsering Rinpoche
"The emanation of all Buddha’s speech arises as Avalokiteshvara, the form of compassion. In order to tame the wildest beings, Avalokiteshvara manifests as extremely wrathful Hayagriva. In this time of degeneration the inner elements of beings are imbalanced with very strong clinging and passions. Externally, this causes war and the use of biological and chemical weapons. Many new diseases with no known cure appear and epidemics spread quickly. Even friends, husbands, wives, and children seem intent on cheating and manipulating each other, so that no one knows who to rely on. This naturally leads to imbalances in the outer elements. The water element causes floods, tsunamis, and hurricanes; the fire element causes volcanoes, drought, and heat waves; wind causes tornadoes and windstorms; and the earth element causes earthquakes and landslides. Likewise, all the different classes of spirits become upset. The whole world, whether it is the inner elements of sentient beings or the outer elements, is extremely turbulent and out of control. At times such as this it is difficult for Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and wrathful deities to penetrate beings’ minds. That is when this form of Hayagriva in union with Tröma Nagmo, who is the most wrathful and therefore the most compassionate, appears.
"Extremely Wrathful Black Hayagriva has special power to affect beings’ minds and benefit those who are depressed, dysfunctional, or crazy, as well as to cure disease. This is the condensed essence of all the billions of Hayagriva practices. It is easy to practice and highly effective. Even hearing this practiced will subdue all classes of spirits. Remembering it will eradicate all wrong views and demonic forces. Touching the image of this Hayagriva will pacify all disease and the passions of the five poisons. For whoever has a connection to this practice the seed of samsara will be destroyed.
"Padmasambhava accomplished deathlessness through practicing Hayagriva. He transmitted it to his heart disciples, Yeshe Tshogyal and King Trisong Deutsen to practice and hide as terma. This terma was later discovered by Dudjom Lingpa, who was the emanation of Khyeuchung Lotsawa and Guru Dorje Drolod in person. HH Dudjom Rinpoche compiled this whole practice to make it easy to practice."
