Register for Online

Please register for only one of the formats: Online or In-Person.

For In-Person Attendance: Space is limited. We suggest registering as soon as possible to reserve your seat. If the available seats fill up early, there will be an option to add your name to a waiting list. Registration closes on Friday, October 10th at 6:00pm Pacific Time.

Join us for a special Daylong Dzogchen Ngondro Retreat with Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche on Saturday, October 11th!

Ngondro teachings set the foundation for the practice of Dzogchen. Success in Dzogchen practice depends on the strength of our Ngondro practice.

When Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche was preparing to offer Dzogchen teachings and practice several years ago, Rinpoche felt it was important to create opportunities for people to establish and deepen their Ngondro. We are happy to continue this tradition by holding a Daylong Dzogchen Ngondro Retreat, and we hope you will join us as we strengthen our Ngondro practice together. Rinpoche will guide us in the practice and will teach on the importance of Ngondro. 

During this Daylong Retreat, we will be practicing The Clearly Illuminated Path to Liberation Ngondro by Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche. A PDF of Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche’s translation of this practice will be provided to all participants.

This program is open both to Ngondro practitioners who have been formally introduced to the practice previously, for example during our Online Ngondro Retreat, as well as those who are new to Ngondro practice but have an interest in meditation that involves mantra recitation and visualization, particularly including practices associated with Vajrasattva and Guru Rinpoche Padmasambhava.

In particular, for those who will be attending the Dzogchen Retreat in November, Rinpoche has strongly recommended you attend this Daylong Dzogchen Ngondro Retreat as an important way to strengthen your Ngondro and prepare for the Dzogchen Retreat. Rinpoche encourages participants in the Dzogchen Retreat to join this daylong since establishing a strong Ngondro creates the firm foundation needed for the main practice. When Ngondro is strong, the main practice of Dzogchen is strong. When Ngondro is weak, the main practice is weak. Without Ngondro, the main practice is not effective.

Important Note: Attending this Daylong Retreat does not fulfill the prerequisites for attending the upcoming Dzogchen Retreat. This Daylong Dzogchen Ngondro Retreat is simply meant as an opportunity for group Ngondro practice.

For more information about Ngondro Practice and the practice of Dzogchen, please visit the description and FAQ’s on our Ngondro Retreat page.

Schedule:

Saturday, October 11th
10:00am – 12:30pm Pacific Time: Morning Session
12:30pm – 2:00pm Pacific Time: Lunch Break
2:00pm – 5:00pm Pacific Time: Afternoon Session

Pricing:

Online
$50 – Program Price
$51 – $250 – Program Price + Donation
$10 – $49 – Scholarship Rate

In-Person
$75 – Program Price
$76 – $500 – Program Price + Donation
$25 – $74 – Scholarship Rate (Limited seats available for in-person scholarship rate. Please contact us if you no longer see this option available upon checkout.)

No one will be turned away for lack of funds as space allows. Please contact us if you need to make special arrangements.

Ngondro Meditation Manual:

Rinpoche based the Ngondro teachings on Jamgon Mipham Rinpoche’s The Clearly Illuminated Path to Liberation. Orgyen Chowang Rinpoche has translated this practice.

After registering, a PDF of this practice text will be sent to you.

Prerequisites:

• This practice includes visualization and mantra recitation. There are no prerequisites and no background is necessary so anyone interested in this type of meditation practice is welcome to attend.
• Important Note: Attending this Daylong Retreat does not fulfill the prerequisites for attending the upcoming Dzogchen Retreat. This Daylong Dzogchen Ngondro Retreat is simply meant as an opportunity for group Ngondro practice.

Live Stream and Recording:

• This retreat will be live-streamed on Zoom for participants attending Online. We will send you the live stream link closer to the retreat.
• Video recordings will be available for all participants (In-Person and Online) approximately one week after the retreat. The recordings will be available for 1 month.

In-Person Participants:

• This is a commuter retreat. If you’re coming from out of town and need local accommodations, here are several hotels within a 20 minute driving distance of the retreat:
  • • Novato Oaks Inn (Best Western) Discount available after registering.
    • Inn Marin and Suites Novato Discount available after registering.
    • Marriott Novato Discount available after registering.
    • Sheraton Petaluma
    • Hampton Inn Petaluma
• Please bring your lunch as there will not be time to leave during the lunch break. There will be plenty of refrigerator space and a microwave available for your use. We also recommend bringing a bottle or thermos of water if you wish.
• We ask that anyone who is not feeling well or has any recent symptoms of illness prior to the event not attend in-person. If you are no longer able to attend in-person, please let us know by emailing us at [email protected] as far in advance as possible so that we may offer your seat to someone else.

Additional Notes:

• If you have a different time zone, you may convert the time to your local time here.