Retreats

The institute organises different kinds of retreats at Veneux-Les Sablons:
- Study retreats allow people who regularly attend Venerable Dagpo Rinpoche's discourses to deepen their understanding of the fundamental notions of Buddhism and to practice them. They are held on weekends and are open to Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike.
- Practice retreats last from two to seven days and are devoted notably to the purification of negative karmas.
- Lamrim retreats, devoted to meditation on the stages of the path to enlightenment, are for more advanced practitioners.

Retreat Details

I – STUDY RETREATS
These retreats are for practitioners and beginners, Buddhist or not, who usually follow the teachings of Venerable Dagpo Rinpoche and wish to deepen the basic concepts. The sessions are divided between periods of study, meditation-like concentration and analytical meditation, under the direction of a group leader of the Institute who follows the retreat with the group.

II – PURIFICATION RETREATS
These retreats consist of purification practices reserved for Buddhists. The prayer text, used for study, reflection and meditation, can be the prayer to the 35 Buddhas, or the praise to the 21 Tara, or the Ganden Lha Gyama. Please indicate a preference in the registration letter for the retreat. The sessions are devoted to the study, reflection and meditation about the confession and the law of causality; some sessions will include practices of large prostrations.

III – LAMRIM MEDITATION DAY
These one-days meditation on the stages of the path to enlightenment are for those who have already completed one of the long Lamrim retreats. They aim to maintain the embers of the insights obtained so that they do not die. Meditate consists into getting the mind accustomed to a certain object. We entered this process of familiarization with the stages of the path, and we certainly got a first taste of it, as if a kind of warmth came from this process to us. If we now interrupt this work, the warmth will quickly cool, and we risk losing our achievements. To cultivate and strengthen it, it is desirable to keep meditating on a regular basis.

IV – LONG LAMRIM MEDITATION RETREAT
This is a series of retreats led by Venerable Dagpo Rinpoche during which all stages of the path leading to the complete awakening (Lamrim) are meditated, step by step, over many years. Are concerned those who have a desire for deeper engagement in spiritual practice: participation to these retreats implies to have already devoted a certain time to "study and reflection" since they consist of meditations: the Venerable Dagpo Rinpoche first provides instructions for meditation on a theme, then retreatants apply to meditate. Registration is subject to certain conditions.