We all wish for spiritual realizations, but these depend upon creating certain inner conditions such as purifying negativity, accumulating merit, and receiving blessings. To do this we need to practice the four great preliminary guides. As a result, we will gain mahamudra realizations – the quick path to enlightenment. In this retreat we focus on the preliminary practices of receiving blessings and accumulating merit.

During this 2-day retreat, we practice fasting, making prostrations, and offering chanted prayers to the protector of the world, the Buddha of Compassion Avalokiteshvara.

This beautiful practice emphasizes compassion for all living beings and is a powerful way to purify negativity, pacify strong delusions, receive blessings, and increase our love, compassion, and Bodhichitta.

You are welcome to participate in one or both days. Both retreat days begin with taking the Mahayana precepts at dawn. The precepts involve maintaining a fast with only a simple meal at lunch, however you can drink water, juice, tea, etc. throughout the 24 hour period.

Participants are encouraged to attend the introductory talk for this retreat.

Going for refuge is the first of the four great preliminary guides which lead us to the state of full enlightenment. Through training in sincerely going for refuge we enter the gateway to Buddhism; and training in the compassionate mind of bodhichitta we enter the gateway to the Mahayana – the main path to the state of enlightenment.

Although Buddha taught many different methods to purify negative or non-virtuous actions and other obstacles from our mind, the supreme method is the practice of meditation and recitation of Vajrasattva, the Buddha of purification.

Venerable Geshe-la says, “This practice is the scientific method to purify our mind and to transform our mind from an impure mind into a pure mind using Tantric technology.”

This retreat provides an opportunity to learn and gain deep experience of this important spiritual practice.