Trekcho: Recognizing Mind Essence
with Richard John
a Hybrid program — in-person with our teacher at the Sonoma Shambhala center • online via zoom
Presented by northern california shambhala
While still a monk in Tibet, Chögyam Trungpa was an accomplished yogin and dzogchen master. The depth and volume of his teachings from that time, diligently gathered by his nephew Karme Senge Rinpoche, have only recently come to light.
The highest teachings of the Buddhist path are mahamudra and dzogchen, and the pinnacle of those lineages is the transmission of mind essence. For over a thousand years, great masters have distilled these teachings into upadesha — pith instructions that penetrate the minds of students and enable them to open to glimpses of the awakened state.
Both of the Sonoma programs — this weekend program and this vajrayana retreat — will be based on these pith instructions, which appear in the brief publication “Songs of Realization.” We will practice according to Trungpa Rinpoche’s incomparable instructions on recognizing mind essence that appear in “Songs of Experience.” These will be elucidated by teachings and commentary by other masters.
Each day will include periods of silence, meditation, instruction and time for discussion. Tantrikas coming to all or part of the vajrayana retreat are strongly encouraged to prepare by attending the weekend program, Don’t Wander! A Weekend of Deep Meditation.
This retreat is for vajrayana practitioners — those who have received transmission from a Kagyu or Nyingma lineage holder. Students who recently received transmission or abhisheka are especially invited, and all tantrikas are strongly encouraged to attend the previous weekend of meditation.
Attendance options
Richard John will teach at Sonoma Shambhala. The program will be recorded and a link sent out to registrants post-program.
- Attend in-person at Sonoma Shambhala.
- Attend live via Zoom from anywhere.
Richard John
Richard John has been a student of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche since 1975. He served as acharya to Sakyong Mipham Rinpoche for 20 years, and completed the first three-year group retreat at Gampo Abbey. Richard has led Buddhist and Shambhala retreats in North America, Chile and New Zealand for 40 years. Richard and his wife Liz reside in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Heart Gifts
It is customary to offer a monetary Heart Gift to the teacher, whose livelihood is entirely from teaching programs. The gift is completely voluntary according to your inspiration, and there is no suggested amount — any amount is appreciated! We will let you know how you can do that during the program.
Trekcho: Recognizing Mind Essence
Monday to Wednesday, November 4-6 • 9:00 am to 5:30 pm (Pacific Time)
Please register early — space is limited
Prerequisites This retreat is for vajrayana practitioners — those who have received transmission from a Kagyu or Nyingma lineage holder. Students who recently received transmission or abhisheka are especially invited, and all tantrikas are strongly encouraged to attend the previous weekend’s program, Don’t Wander! A Weekend of Deep Meditation.
- $225 Program Price
- $285 Patron Price — this amount allows us to offer a ‘Limited Income’ option for those who are not in a position to pay the full program price at this time
- $150 Limited Income
- Generosity policy (type-in an amount)
When you register, you will indicate your attendance option: attending in-person at the Sonoma Center or online via Zoom from anywhere. If that changes, please get in touch with the coordinator. If you feel unwell the day of the program, for the sake of others please attend from home.
If you have questions, please contact coordinator Irv Kirschbaum at kirschi3 [at] gmail [dot] com
After completing your registration, you will receive an email acknowledgement. Closer to the program date, we will send out the ‘welcome’ email containing all pertinent information, including the Zoom link, to the email you provide.
For online programs Shambhala uses Zoom for online programs which is available for computers, smart phones, and tablets. You need to download the free app on your device before joining the session. Once it’s loaded, click the link and follow the prompts to join the session. Please join at least 5-10 minutes in advance so that you’re ready when the program begins, and make certain that your mic is muted when you join to avoid background noises which are multiplied with many participants. Note that the Zoom experience seems to be most predictable when you are signed into your Zoom account and have the most current version installed on your computer. Learn more about Zoom • read Zoom FAQs.
