Details:

Date: Saturday 4th until Friday 10th May

Retreat Leader: Hans Berghardt

Requirements: Relevant Empowerment

Cost: Generosity Model – Donation only (via the donation form at the bottom of the page; no suggested amount).

Format: Onsite & Online. Please note you will still need to book a place if attending online.

Start and Finish times: The retreat starts at 7:00 p.m. on the 4th of May and finishes mid-afternoon on the 10th of May.

Accommodation: Land of Joy wishes for everyone who visits the centre to feel welcome, accepted, safe and secure. Our accommodation options are very limited, with mostly single-sex shared accommodation and only one single room (which is sometimes needed by volunteers). This means single accommodation can only be offered to those who need it the most, but still won’t always be available. Camping can be an option at certain times of year if you have your own tent but space is very limited. Please read the relevant sections of the booking form carefully.

About the Retreat

“There are 160 million mother tantras, and of these the one that has the greatest and the swiftest blessing in this degenerate era is this very tantra of the Glorious Heruka Chakrasamvara.” – Ngulchu Dharmabhadra

The purpose of this retreat is to get familiar with the practice of Heruka Five Deities in a retreat setup, to enhance our daily practice and as a foundation to perform the action – enabling retreat (an approximation retreat to the deity in which one completes the number
of mantra recitations that permit one to perform mandala actions such as the fire puja and the self-initiation among others).

We will use the sadhana composed by Yangchen Drupai Dorje. The daily schedule will consist of four sessions a day in which we will deepen different sections of the sadhana.
Hans will give instructions, guidance, and individual support—if required—to all participants.

Participants are encouraged to do all sessions, but it is not a strict requirement. Recordings will be available for a limited time.

Implements
Participants should bring a vajra, bell, damaru, and inner offering (or at least a suitable receptacle to hold it) and a mala with 111 beads.

Offerings
Participants are invited to contribute to the offerings presented during the retreat (altar offerings, tsog offerings, and fire puja offerings).

Important advice about the mantras
It is highly advised to learn and become familiar with the mantras that are recited during the retreat before it, to make sure that one is fluid enough in reciting them by the time of the retreat.

Resources
It is highly advisable to read or get the following book before starting the retreat:
 Source of Supreme Bliss. Heruka Chakrasamvara Five Deity Practice
Commentary by Ngulchu Dharmabhadra & the First Panchen Lama Losang Chökyi
Gyaltsen. Wisdom Publications.
Also, the following books are of interest in the context of this particular practice:
 A Teaching on Heruka by Lama Zopa Rinpoche. Lama Yeshe Wisdom Archives.
The following books might be of interest to those wanting to deepen their understanding of
the tantric path:
 Tantra in Tibet. by The Dalai Lama, Lama Tsong Khapa, and Jeffrey Hopkins. Snow
Lion Publications.
 Introduction to Tantra by Lama Yeshe. Wisdom Publications

About the Teacher

Hans has completed the Master’s Program of Advanced Buddhist Studies of Sutra and Tantra at Istituto Lama Tzong Khapa (Italy) and several personal retreats for up to one year.

He holds a BA and an MA in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and a PhD from the University of Barcelona, where he spent seven years doing research.
He has been meditating since 2002 and is a student of great Buddhist masters including His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Kirti Tsenshab Rinpoche, Lama Zopa Rinpoche, Lama Jampa Monlam, Khensur Jampa Tegchok and others.

He currently leads retreats and teaches Buddhism at Tushita Meditation Center Spain and other FPMT centers. He is also co-author of the FPMT’s Buddhist Mind Science Course to be released in 2024.

A Way to Say Thank You

As we don’t receive any subsidies from other organisations we rely solely on the kind generosity of others. If you would like to make a donation to help us cover our considerable monthly costs (including via an online bank transfer or postal cheque), please choose the amount you would like to offer using the form below (or enter a custom amount), click ‘Donate’, then choose a payment method and provide all the details we require to process your donation. Your generosity will help us continue to offer beneficial services to yourself and others.

You may also like to make a regular contribution to the centre by becoming a Branch of Joy. This kind of support gifts us a steady and ongoing income, which in turn provides the confidence and means for us to continue to flourish for many years to come.

Thank you and may you be happy.

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