Namchak Pudri Trekchod Retreat 2024-25

Namchak Pudri Trekchod Retreat

with Tulku Thadral Rinpoche

 December 28, 2024 to January 5, 2025

Registration is open

Here is the retreat schedule

Event Format

In person and online

Recordings will not be available. Teachings must be received in real time.

Location

Pema Osel Ling Retreat Center

2013 Eureka Canyon Road

Watsonville, CA 95076

Retreat Description:

Tulku Thadral Rinpoche will give step-by-step meditation instructions on Dudjom Rinpoche’s Vajrakilaya Namchak Putri Trekchod commentary.

These instructions, together with the requisite meditation practice, provide an unparallelled opportunity for students to gain stability in their meditation under the guidance of a genuine and experienced meditation master. 

“Namchak Putri is actually the king of all the collections of Vajrakilaya tantras from Tibet as it is a complete treasure cycle from ngöndro to the Togal clear light teachings," said Lama Sonam Rinpoche. "To receive this kind of teaching requires many positive circumstances and conditions coming together and therefore it is very precious."

Prerequisite: This retreat is restricted to practitioners who have completed their ngondro practice. However, if you believe an exception should be made, contact the office. 

You can find the Retreat Schedule here.

Pricing (download here)

Residential fees include 9 nights lodging (December 28, 2025 to January 4, 2025), all meals and sessions. 

Commuter fees include daily lunch and all sessions.

Lodging Options

Orchard House

Located in a private meadow, the spacious Orchard House features four bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a fully equipped kitchen. The living room has vaulted ceilings as well as a gas-burning fireplace. The great deck wraps around both the living and dining area and has a beautiful mountain view. Each large bedroom has a balcony and sliding glass doors. The downstairs master bedroom offers a queen-size bed, private entry, and a private bathroom. The three upstairs bedrooms have one or two queen beds each, and share a common bathroom. The Orchard House has WiFi and minimal cell phone reception.

Redwood Cottage
Just down the trail from the Orchard House, the Redwood Cottage is a quiet and private cabin with a balcony off the bedroom for relaxation among trees in the oak, madrone and redwood forest. It has a queen-sized bed and a small kitchen area.

Sangha House

Our Sangha House is a large, ranch style, four-bedroom lodge with a full kitchen and two group-size bathrooms, one with handicap access. The living/meeting room has an adjoined full-size terrace overlooking Monterey Bay. This house has 4 bedrooms with a total of 18 beds. Three of the bedrooms have queen beds, allowing couples to share a room for retreat. The Sangha House has adequate cell phone reception (Verizon) but no WiFi.

Yurt and Cabins

On a quiet hillside there is a Yurt and seven heated cabins with high ceilings and large sunny windows. Heated bath houses for both men and women are nearby. Most cabins contain a queen bed, a set of bunk beds, and a small clothing cabinet. We have one additional cabin in the shrine area.

Your RV

We will provide a parking space for your RV, but do not guarantee electric or any other hookups. A facilities fee is included for shower use. 

*We do not permit tent camping, as the weather in January is very unpredictable, and often is cold and rainy.

Pre-Retreat Information PDF

Please read the following information, as it could be helpful before and during your stay.

Directions, Parking and Driving on the Land

You will find directions for getting to Pema Osel Ling by car and public transportation here. If you bring a car, please park in Parking Lot A (sign-posted). You may park by the Orchard House or Sangha House only if you are staying there. Please do not park in front of the pond, down by the cabin area or behind the Sangha House. 

Unless you have a physical disability, please do not drive around on the land. If you need to drive to the Shrine Room or Dining Hall, contact the office for a Parking Permit. Please keep onsite driving speed to less than 5 mph. 

Arrival and Departure

If your housing assignment has not been sent to you by email, it can be found along with maps and welcome information at the Information Booth, across from the pond at the entrance to the property. Check-in time is noon the day before your retreat. Check-out time is 4:00 pm on the last day.

Accommodations

We currently provide indoor housing with 2 people per room, and some single rooms. Housing is assigned first-come-first-served. Each bed comes complete with sheets, a light comforter and pillow with case. A bath towel is also provided. Rooms and bathhouses are heated. Camping is discouraged this time of year due to unpredictable weather. We have space to park but no hook-ups for RVs. 

Food

We serve vegetarian options at all meals and meat dishes at most lunches. We will have gluten-free meal options but other than this, we apologize for not being able to accommodate individual dietary restrictions or requirements. If you have high protein needs please bring supplemental snacks. There is limited refrigeration by pre-arrangement. Tea and hot water are available at the Dining Hall at all times. Coffee is available at breakfast.

Thanksgiving dinner is pot-luck, with traditional dishes being prepared by our kitchen. You are welcome to bring something to share or make a contribution if you wish. Dinner at 5:30 will be the first meal of retreat.

Fall and Winter Retreats

The shrine room is unheated, so please come equipped to dress in layers during the program.

What to Bring 

• Water and/or hot drink bottles
• Rain gear: umbrellas, rain coat, waterproof clothing and shoes
• Flashlight
• Ear-plugs (if disturbed by noise)
• Comfortable warm- and cool-weather clothing (layers work best)
• Warm clothing, and a light blanket for the Shrine Room (windows will be open)
• Sensible shoes for uneven terrain
• Special chair and cushion, if needed (we provide both in the Shrine Room)
• Prescription medication, especially asthma medication and heart medicines. The nearest hospital or emergency care clinic is an hour away.

Phones and Computers

Verizon provides the best cell phone service for this area. The phone in the Information Booth can be used to make free local calls. Use your calling card for long distance. WiFi is available at the Dining Hall and the Bookstore, and the password will be available at check in. The only WiFi in the housing is at the Orchard House (for those staying there only). Please limit your WiFi use to a minimum, especially during sessions.

 
Work Assignments 

We ask everyone to contribute an hour of work each day towards the smooth running of our retreats. These assignments may include changing candles or water bowls, sweeping the shrine room, or preparing and cleaning up for tsok. If physical or other limitations affect your ability to do this, please let us know beforehand.

Payments and Cancellation Policy

Please review our Payment and Cancellation Policies here. Payment in full or an approved Payment Plan is due prior to the beginning of retreat.

Miscellaneous 

• This is a rustic location. Poison-Oak is a plant that induces allergic reactions in most people after contact so please keep to the paths to prevent contact with it. Tick Bites - If you feel a bite, and there is a small black spot on your skin you may have a tick bite. Some ticks carry Lyme disease. 
• Wildlife – do not feed or encourage the wildlife. Do not keep food in your room or tent as it will attract ants, skunks, wild pigs, raccoons, etc.
• Smoking, alcohol and recreational drugs are not permitted on the land at any time.  
• Candles, fires and incense are not permitted on the land at all.  We are at a high fire risk year-round.
• Pets are not permitted at Pema Osel Ling. If you have a service animal please contact the office.

Dharma Treasures Gift Shop

The store stocks practice items, sadhanas, photos, books, gifts, cards, thangkas and other artwork, a selection of clothing, snacks, basic toiletries and flashlights. Cash, checks and credit cards are accepted. Contact details: (831) 761-6274; store@vajrayana.org; www.dharmatreasures.com

Offerings
It is traditional for individuals to make an offering to teachers and translators at the end of retreats. Tibetan offering scarves (khatas) can be purchased at the Dharma Treasures store and we provide envelopes for monetary offerings.  Please bring enough cash as the bookstore is only able to offer limited cash back on debit purchases, and we do not have an ATM on the land.

Additional Information

*Housing is limited. We urge you to register early for your choice of housing.

*Financial Aid: We do not want finances to be an obstacle to participation and no one will be turned away from the teaching sessions. Please contact office@vajrayana.org if you have special circumstances and are not able to register at one of the suggested levels of donation for streaming.

 You are welcome to emailoffice@vajrayana.org or leave a message at (831) 761-6266 with any questions you may have. We hope you enjoy your retreat