A Special Study Retreat with Geshe Dorji Damdul
March 14 – 25, 2016
This study retreat is open to all. However, to make most of this experience having attended one of our Introduction to Buddhism Courses (or similar Lam Rim course) beforehand is highly recommended!
This Study Retreat can be attending by anyone interested in Buddhist philosophy and practice. Whether you are an older student looking to deepen your knowledge or a practitioner wanting to connect intelligence with your heart. New students are encouraged to attend and ask questions while older student encouraged share their experience and insights. An open mind and desire to learn and experiment are an essential criteria required.
Retreat Format
This Study Retreat, along with instructions for subsequent daily practice, is envisioned as a program of continuing evolution towards the realisation of bodhicitta and the wisdom that understands emptiness. This program is in line with the instructions of masters such as Arya Nagarjuna and Lama Tsongkhapa who urged seekers to follow the path to enlightenment in a graded manner. The aim of the Bodhichitta Retreat is to lay a solid foundation of knowledge and lead practitioners towards a stable realisation of the Buddhas teachings.
During this study retreat, retreatants are taken through a basic understanding of emptiness according to the four schools of Buddhism- Vaibhashika, Sutantrika, Cittamatra and Madhyamika. The style of teaching is interactive and supplemented with group discussion sessions, in order to bring about clarity regarding subtle differences in the concepts of conventional and ultimate reality according to the four schools. Thereafter the retreatants are instructed on how to deepen and bring to life their intellectual understanding of emptiness through reflection and meditation. This is done through group meditation sessions led by Ven. Geshe Dorji Damdul, as well as instruction for personal meditation sessions.
The journey to enlightenment however necessitates not only the realisation of emptiness but also the awakening of bodhicitta, i.e. the altruistic wish to attain enlightenment for the sake of all sentient beings which is grounded in great compassion and loving kindness towards all sentient beings. Therefore, equal focus is also given to the practice of the two meditative techniques which give rise to this altruistic wish, i.e. the seven fold cause and effect method and the exchanging self for others technique.
As this is an on-going program, the retreatants are also instructed on how to apply the teaching in daily life and continue the practices upon returning to their busy schedules. The retreat prayer book, along with detailed guidelines and advice given by Ven. Geshe Dorji Damdul, during retreat as well as the materials and instructions on setting up one’s own alter, are all very helpful in providing a format in order to gain an enriching daily practice.
Bodhichitta Retreat (Series II) is the post retreat, personal continuation of the process of gaining insight into emptiness and the development of bodhichitta. By taking the teachings and instructions given in retreat it provides a structure so that students can internalise this graded program of growth and development.
Retreat Schedule*
Check-in for this 12-day Study retreat will be on March 14th at 1pm and check-out March 25th at 1pm.
5:00 a.m. | Wake up |
5:30 – 6:00 a.m. | Personal morning practice |
6:00 – 7:30 a.m. | Morning practice in congregation which will include:
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7:30 – 8:30 a.m. | Breakfast and personal practice |
9:00 – 10:30 a.m. | Teaching followed by Q&A – I |
10:30 – 10:45 a.m. | Tea Break |
10:45 – 11:30 a.m. | Group Discussion (Among the participants) |
11:30 – 12:30 a.m. | Teaching followed by Q&A – II |
12:30 – 1:30 p.m. | Lunch |
1:30 – 3:00 p.m. | Time for personal practice |
3:00 – 4:00 p.m. | Teaching followed by Q&A – III |
4:00 – 4:20 p.m. | Tea Break |
4:20 – 5:20 p.m. | Group Discussion (with Geshe la) |
5:20 – 7:00 p.m. | End Dedication Prayers |
7:00 – 8:00 p.m. | Dinner |
8:00 p.m. | Personal Practice and sleep (silence till next morning session) |
*The schedule is subject to change during the course of the retreat
Bio of Geshe Dorji Damdul
In 1988, Geshe Dorji Damdul joined the Institute of Buddhist Dialectics, Dharamsala and went on to gained his Geshe Lharampa Degree in 2002 from Drepung Loseling Monastic University. He then joined Gyudmed Tantric College for Tantric studies. In 2003, recommended by the Office of H.H. the Dalai Lama Geshi La studied English language at Cambridge University, England UK.
Appointed as translator to H.H. the Dalai Lama since 2005, he also translates texts such as Arya Nagarjuna’s “Mulamadyamikakarika” (Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way), Acharya Shantideva’s “Bodhicaryavatara” (Wisdom Chapter). Geshi La has co-authored, scientific, philosophical, Buddhist and secular books with prominent professors in the UK and USA as well as with His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama.
Since 2011 Geshe La has served as Director of Tibet House, Cultural Centre, New Delhi where he gives weekly teaching Buddhist philosophy, psychology, logic and practice. He has also lectured at Delhi University and presented papers for National and International Conferences held in Delhi and Mumbai and is presently writing two books; “Journey into the Paradox of Brain and Mind” and “What Constitutes the Ultimate Reality: The Effects of Understanding the Ultimate Reality.”
Geshe la’s passion is to help students gain deep understanding of the Nalanda tradition of Buddhist philosophy and imbue that knowledge with the heart of Bodhichitta, so that practitioners can transform their own continuum into the path of enlightenment. Geshe la’s knowledge of science and interactions with world renowned physicist give him the unique ability to teach Buddhist philosophy with a modern twist that many of his non-Tibetan students appreciate.
Guidelines for Behaviour
Since Tushita is a semi-monastic meditation centre and not a guesthouse, we ask all of our retreatants and visitors to observe the following rules of discipline in order to maintain an atmosphere conducive to inner reflection and meditation:
- Respect all life: do not intentionally kill any living being, even small insects.
- Respect others’ property: do not steal or take anything not freely given.
- Be honest and straightforward: do not lie or intentionally deceive others. This is easy when observing silence!
- Be celibate: no sexual activity. This also includes no holding hands, hugging, massages and other physical displays of affection.
- Be alert and mindful: avoid intoxicants such as alcohol, drugs and cigarettes (we encourage you to stop smoking while here, but if this is impossible, one can smoke at a designated place within the centre boundary).
- Be considerate of others’ silence: keep silence in the appropriate areas and at all times during residential courses, especially in the Gompa and the dormitories. No singing or playing music and in general, maintain a quiet demeanor while on the property.
- Be considerate of the monks and nuns: dress respectfully (please no shorts above the knee, tank-top shirts or tight and revealing clothing).
- Please settle all outside communication before the course begins. Telling friends and family that you will be out of contact for the duration of the course and sticking by that decision significantly reduces distraction from investigation into the workings of your own mind! Likewise, please settle your travel arrangements etc before you come to Tushita!
- You are expected to observe silence (no talking at all) from the evening of the first day until the end of the course.
- Do not leave Tushita property for the entire course.
- Participants must attend all sessions of the course and come to sessions on time.
- Please put all communication / entertainment devices (laptop / mobile phones /cameras / MP3/CD players) etc into our safe at check-in.
- Please be gentle in your behaviour and sensitive to fellow group members.
- Do not point your feet towards the teachers, the altar or any holy object.
- Do not put Dharma materials – prayer books, texts, Dharma books or notebooks with Dharma in them – on the floor, or sit or step over them.
- Do not lie down or do any yoga exercises in the Gompa at any time.
- No idle chit-chat in the Gompa (ie. You can ask the teacher questions during class, but do not talk with other students).
Registration
- To register for an intermediate course, please read ALL of the above and below information about the course.
- Then complete the online registration form in the Registration section of this website.
- Please don’t email just to ask about availability on the course; there will be enough space (unless indicated on our homepage that this course is full or has a waiting list), and you’ll save both yourself and Tushita volunteers time and effort by just completing the form.
- For our student’s convenience and to make the Dharma teachings as accessible as possible we keep this registration process as simple as possible.
Unfortunately up to 50% of the people who register don’t show up for courses! This results in long waiting list and a lot of uncertainty.
Therefore places on our Intermediate courses and group retreats will now be confirmed only after a non-refundable / non-transferable (to different course or person) deposit is received from the applicant. See this FAQ for more information. - If after being confirmed for a course you realize you cannot attend this course please let us know asap about your cancellation, so we can give your spot to somebody else.
- Check-in time is 1pm on the first day of the course. If you arrive after 2pm, you may lose your place to people on the waiting list.
- Most of our accommodation is dormitory-style and rooms can NOT be booked in advance. We have a very small number of single rooms, and a very high demand for them. Please let us know if you are of a mature age (i.e. over 50) or have a physical condition which would prioritise you for a single room; although we can’t guarantee any particular kind of room, we will do what we can to make you comfortable given our limited resources. See this link for more information about how our room allocation system works. For other queries please visit Frequently Asked Questions.
Please make sure you have read the information on this page first.You can register by filling out our online form.