| |
***REGISTRATION IS NOW CLOSED***
THE MOST SECRET HAYAGRIVA RETREAT
Welcome
to
the Hayagriva Retreat page. The retreat may be "Most Secret", but
this information is not!
It is no longer possible to register for the retreat, but this page and
our WELCOME LETTER
provide extra information for those who have already registered.
Please do
take
the time to read through the full page, to check if your question may
be answered here before contacting us.
|
 |
Tushita
|
Dear
Dharma friends,
As
many of you might
know, we
– generations of Tushita staff and other students of Lama Zopa
Rinpoche – have
been waiting for this retreat to happen for the last 15 years or so.
Tushita is therefore delighted to
announce our
good fortune in finally being able to host the Most Secret Hayagriva
Retreat
with our precious teacher Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and we hope that
you will
be joining us for this extraordinary event! The Tushita team will do
its
best to
provide all of our guests with a comfortable stay and to serve you as
best as
we can.
Saying
this, please remember
that this is India
– with
all its incredible blessings and challenges!!! India
is an amazing place to host
such an extraordinary retreat with our precious teacher and Dharma
brothers
& sisters from around the world, but also a great place to practice
a lot
of patience, to let go of our expectations and the comforts we
might be
used to in the West. We'd especially like to draw to your attention the
fact that Rinpoche's schedule often changes at the last minute, a
reality that Tushita has
no involvement in or control over. Therefore we would like to request
you all to be ready to
work
with these challenges and to help us to create a very harmonious
experience for
everybody.
To do this, we ask that you read through
the following information carefully BEFORE sending us your further
enquiries. We expect that some of Rinpoche's older
students may find some of the information on this page a little
patronising, but we ask you to bear in
mind that Tushita is a busy centre, popular among new and extremely enthusiastic people who
may be eager but unprepared to join the retreat, and it's our
responsibility to make sure that only qualified students are
accepted.
Be
assured that we will update this page as soon as we have any
new information and will clearly label any updates. But if, after
reading this page carefully and checking for updates, you still feel
that you have a question which remains
unanswered,
please don’t hesitate to contact us. We will try to answer your
inquiry as best
and as quickly as we can. However, please be aware that we are just a
small team
of volunteers and that part of our daily working conditions here on the
blessed
hill are frequent power cuts, non-existing internet connections for
days (and
much longer!) and broken computers, so if we are not able to reply
to your
mail
instantly, as in all aspects of this retreat, we would like to ask for
your
understanding, patience and flexibility.
Tushita
is indeed a special place, and we look forward to seeing you all
here in March.
With thanks and love,
The Tushita
Team
What
is Tushita Meditation
Centre?
Tushita
was established in 1972 by Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche as
a
retreat centre, which makes it the second FPMT
centre after Kopan
Monastery. In those days Lama Yeshe and Lama Zopa
Rinpoche
resided at Tushita for a few months every year, doing retreats. Over
the years,
many high lamas and experienced practitioners have visited, taught and
guided
retreats at Tushita, among them His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Ling
Rinpoche,
Trijang Rinpoche, Zong Rinpoche, Serkong Rinpoche, Geshe Rabten, Kirti
Tsenshab
Rinpoche, Denma Lochoe Rinpoche, Dagri Rinpoche and many others. But of
course not
just Tibetans, but also many well known Western teachers have shaped
Tushita’s
face during the last 3½ decades. It’s too hard to name
them all – we boldly
guess that almost every senior FPMT teacher has visited and taught at
least
once at Tushita! However, much gratitude goes especially to Venerable
Rita
Riniker, who
lived at Tushita for 17 years, leading meditations, retreats and
teaching
countless students. Thanks to all our teachers and students, Tushita
truly is a Place
of Joy.
Today
Tushita is especially well known for its Introduction
to Buddhism courses, which
are very popular with the many travellers who visit McLeod Ganj. In
this
way
Tushita has been able to introduce many thousands of people from around
the
world to the Dharma (and to provide other FPMT centres with new
students –
because of the ever growing demand we will be hosting a record 15
“Introduction
to Buddhism” courses this year). We also organize shorter
courses (our 5-day “How to Meditate”
courses are
increasingly popular, especially with Indian students), a great array
of Intermediate
level courses (this year we
will have another Tushita record of 8),
an annual
Pre-Ordination course (now this is a one month
long
course and has
officially been made a pre-requisite for receiving ordination from His
Holiness
the Dalai Lama) etc. All these
courses are held in silence. Despite
having a very busy course schedule, Tushita still nourishes its roots
as a
retreat centre by hosting 4 annual
tantric group retreats (8 Nyung Nay Retreats at Saka
Dawa, a
3-month Vajrasattva
Retreat, Medicine Buddha & Green Tara
Retreats) and offering much
needed
retreat space for strict individual
retreats. You can see detailed statistical information about our
2009 courses and students here.
|
Retreat
Information
|
The Most Secret
Hayagriva Retreat at Tushita
The Most Secret Haygriva practice
is an excellent method for removing obstacles to realizations and
beneficial
activity. Hayagriva is a wrathful aspect of Chenrezig, the Buddha of
Compassion, and has a particular
emphasis on bringing together all those conditions needed
for successful practice and dispelling obstacles. The lineage of the
practice of Hayagriva comes from Buddha Amitabha and was introduced to
Tibet by the great Indian master Padmasambhava, who was invited to
Tibet by King Trisong Detsen to dispel the obstacles to the Dharma
taking root in Tibet. It is therefore considered to be an especially
helpful practice for the success of FPMT
projects
and services.
More information about the history of the practice can be found in an
article in the ABC Singapore centre's July/Aug 2009 newsletter, which
can be found here.
An interesting article about a former Hayagriva retreat at Sera-Je
Monastery can be read here.
Although the specific schedule will not be available until the start of
the retreat (and subject to unpredictable variation!), the format of
the schedule will be as standard for Tantric retreats, ie 4 sessions of
practice/ teaching a day. A Geshe from Sera-Je Monstery will be
appointed by Lama Zopa Rinpoche to lead sessions/pujas throughout the
retreat.
Tushita has a long-term connection with the Hayagriva practice. In Lama
Yeshe and Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s old room at Tushita, there is an
1-meter high statue which Lama Yeshe ordered in the early 80’s
and which has been blessed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and many
other high lamas.
For new and older students
alike this retreat will be an excellent and rare opportunity to meet
and spend
time with Lama Zopa Rinpoche in a focused way, to get inspired and
re-inspired and
gain a real taste of the variety and the depth of the Dharma practices
that
Rinpoche makes available to us.
For students who
have not yet
received teachings from Lama Zopa Rinpoche, we want to make you aware
of
Rinpoche’s very unique teaching style. Rinpoche is well-known for
often
unpredictable teaching hours and long teaching sessions into the night,
discerning perfectly which teachings are most beneficial to his
students. Long-term students of Rinpoche's know to expect surprises!
Lama Zopa Rinpoche teaches in English, but it may be worth mentioning
that those new to Rinpoche’s teachings may have initial
difficulties in understanding him. We hope to transcribe
Rinpoche's teachings on to a big screen as an aid.
The retreat will take place in our new Lama Tsong
Khapa gompa, which
can host approximately 150 people in a Western retreat setting. We also
have
two smaller meditation halls which retreatants can use for their
individual practice:
- the Vajrasattva
gompa, where we host our annual 3-month Vajrasattva
retreat and which houses a beautiful statue of Lama Yeshe in the aspect
of Heruka Vajrasattva.
- the Medicine Buddha
gompa, which contains eight life-size Medicine
Buddha statue
You can find more information about the
Holy Objects at
Tushita here.
Arrival/Departure Dates
The retreat is due to begin on Wednesday,
March 3rd, 2010 and to end on Wednesday, March 31st. The check-in date for the Hayagriva retreat
will be Tuesday March 2nd, 2010. Since Tushita will be hosting
the annual Pre-Ordination Course from February 3rd - March 1st 2010, we
will will be unable to accommodate any Hayagriva retreatants any
earlier than March 2nd.
Due to enormous demand, we will have one of our "Introduction to
Buddhism" courses shortly after the Hayagriva retreat, and therefore
will not be able to provide accommodation to Hayagriva retreatants
after the completion of the retreat. For information on alternative
accommodation options in the area before/after the retreat, see here.
Currently,
we have no further information
regarding the retreat schedule, but please be assured that we will
update this page as soon as we are given more information from
Rinpoche's office. Therefore, we'd be very grateful if you would use
this website as your first information source rather than contacting us
directly for updates.
The Most
Secret Hayagriva Initiation: Pre-requisites
& Commitments
Lama
Zopa Rinpoche will give the Most Secret Hayagriva initiation at the
beginning
of the retreat. The initiation might run over several days. The
actual dates and times of the
initiation will be available closer to
the start of the retreat.
Specific information about Pre-requisites and Commitments are as yet
unavailable, but:
Usual pre-requisites for students who
want to take Highest Yoga Tantra initiations are to have taken refuge
and to have a good
understanding of the Lam Rim (“The Graduated Path to
Enlightenment”).
Usual commitments are to do the Six
Session Guru Yoga three times each day and night on a daily basis
and
to keep
the Refuge, Bodhisattva
and Tantric
Vows. These commitments are for the
rest of
your life!
We also expect Rinpoche to give a daily mantra commitment
for initiates,
with the retreat being recommended, though not compulsory.
We
would like to emphasize that everybody
must attend all days of the
initiation,
including the preparation day. This means if you don't take the
preparation (on
the first night) then you can't participate in the second day of the
initiation. This way Rinpoche doesn’t have to repeat the
preparation for some
people while everyone else waits.
Retreat
Discipline
To make this retreat most beneficial and rewarding for
everybody we would like to emphasize that everybody keeps the retreat
discipline! We also encourage the older students to act as role models
to the
newer ones.
Basic retreat discipline includes:
-
Settling
all your travel
arrangements, emails, calls,
photocopying etc. BEFORE arriving at Tushita.
-
Depositing
your mobile phone,
laptop etc. in our safe for the
duration of the retreat.
-
Not
leaving Tushita
property, except for going on quiet
walks.
- Dressing respectfully, no short, tight or
revealing clothing (this is a semi-monastic environment).
- Being gentle in your behaviour, sensitive to
fellow group retreaters and flexible about changes in schedule.
-
Observing
the the 5 lay
vows.
-
Attending
all sessions.
-
Keeping
silence.
All retreatants are encouraged to take the Eight Mahayana
Precepts, provided their
health permits it. If you won’t be able to take the precepts,
please let us
know when you register, so we get an idea how many people will be
eating
dinner.
We
are aware that there is a tendency (especially amongst old
students) to
not attend sessions when Rinpoche is not teaching, and for there to be
a lot of
talk between sessions. All our courses at Tushita are held in
silence and we
know
that it’s challenging, but possible and very rewarding.
It’s our
sincere hope and
request that all retreatants will give their best in creating conducive
retreat
conditions for everybody, by attending all sessions and maintaining
silence.
Volunteering
In preparation for hosting the 4-week Most Secret Hayagriva retreat, we
are seeking volunteers to help our very small team. In general, our
volunteer positions
are based on a 6-day working
week
– food and board is provided, as well as a free 10-day
Introduction course/ Intermediate course after the Hayagriva
retreat.
We usually ask for a minimum commitment of 5 months and all volunteers
have a 1 month trial period, but
there are some full-time positions which last
only for the duration of the retreat. Full details of all
available
positions and contact information can be found here.
|
Practical
Information
|
Accommodation
All those
registered should have been contacted with more specific, updated
information. But...
Tushita can
accommodate approximately
100 people on the property. Since there are just a dozen single rooms
(and only half of these have
attached toilets -Indian, squat-style) at Tushita, this means that
most retreatants
will be in
dormitory rooms. We have only six small dormitories (which have 3 or 4
beds inside), while the rest of our accommodation is large dormitory
style, with up to 14 beds to a room.
At this point, we
expect to only
be able to make our single
rooms available to our benefactors - perhaps you’d like to
consider becoming
one! (contact our director here
if so). The
International Mahayana Institute (IMI) and Tushita will cover
the costs of the full retreat for all
ordained Sangha in large dormitory
accommodation (for small dormitory accommodation, a donation of $100
will be required from Sangha). We aim to accommodate all monks and nuns
on Tushita
property. Our standard retreat policy of
accommodating friends/family in separate rooms will apply as normal -
this is intended to support the silence! Again, as normal, there will
be same-gender dormitories only, and it will not be possible for men
and women to share a room.
If we won’t be
able to
accommodate everybody on Tushita
property, we will consider renting rooms in quiet guest houses, which
will be
in walking distance from Tushita. These will all be double rooms or
small dorms
if needed, not single rooms.
When you register for
the
retreat please note your
preference of accommodation and if you have any physical condition that
might
require a single room. Please also let us know if you snore, and we
will
allocate a dormitory for this special requirement. Retreatants who
will attend
the entire
retreat will be given preference before those who will only attend
part-time.
Please be assured
that Tushita
will try its best to meet
your needs and to make your stay as comfortable and enjoyable as
possible.
However, please remember that this will be a large, complex and
ever-changing
retreat to prepare and while we will take your preferences into
consideration,
we will not be able to guarantee the fulfillment of any special
requests. We
also advise you not to expect Western room standards (judging from
previous
retreats with Lama Zopa Rinpoche, you won’t spend much time in
your room
anyway!).
We will
not be able to confirm final room allocation until check-in.
Your flexibility and understanding is greatly appreciated!
Visa
Please be aware that you need to
obtain a
valid Indian visa BEFORE you enter India
(this is different from entering Nepal, where you can buy
your visa
at the airport). If you haven’t had many Indian visas in the
past, most
nationalities should not have a problem to get a normal 6-month
tourist visa (sometimes
just 3
months) in their home country, but it may take a week to ten days to
process. Conditions vary greatly between nationalities, so contact your
nearest Indian embassy or consulate for more information.
If you are planning to go to Nepal before coming to India,
be warned
that it is becoming increasingly difficult to get an Indian
visa there. So
it may be
best to
get the Indian visa in your home country before you travel to Asia, as
long you are not
spending too much time in Nepal
- the validity of Indian visas counts from the time of issue, not when
you
enter India!
In the last few
months, there have been significant changes to the Indian Government's
Tourist Visa policy. It is a very complex and still unsettled
situation, one which is difficult to summarize and will affect
different nationalities differently. In essence, however, people on
long-term (5 or 10 year) Tourist Visas are now required to stay out of
India for 2 months after departure and those on 6-month Tourist Visas
must be out of India for one month after the expiration (note: not
departure) of their last visa, before another can be issued. This is
affecting a lot of frequent travellers to India, although if you have
not had a Tourist Visa for India in some time, then you won't have any
problems (just be sure to allow enough time for your visa to be
processed!).
Please see http://www.immigrationindia.nic.in/
or contact your nearest embassy/ visa agency for more information.
Weather
Tushita is beautifully located
on a
forested mountain slope at an altitude of 2100m (7000ft) in the
foot-hills of the Himalayas. March
will be spring time in
Dharamsala – one of the most beautiful, but also most
unpredictable times of
year. Please remember that especially in the mountains the weather can
change
very quickly and that like most other places in India, Tushita has NO
heating system!!! We cannot stress these two points strongly
enough. So
even if you come from a cold country and are used to the cold, it might
came as
a very unpleasant surprise that there is no warm room to escape to if
there is
a blizzard storming outside…
Let’s
all hope there won’t be too many blizzards during the retreat,
but the
occasional one is quite likely at that time of year and at this
altitude.
Generally in March the days are getting slowly warmer and sunnier
(sitting in
the mountain sun you might even be hot), though usually it is still
very cold
at night. So come prepared with a lot of warm clothes which you can
wear in
layers. Also some shawls/ light blankets come in very handy for sitting
in the
gompa or for wearing them outside “Indian style”. The
occasional rainy day or
even week is very likely, so please bring a raincoat and/or an umbrella
and
water proof shoes.
The weather reports you tend to find online for McLeod Ganj are
generally not very accurately reported
since the nearest weather station is located at a much lower elevation,
but the following gives a rough indication of average temperatures, and
how widely the seasons differ!:
| City |
 |
Month |
|
Maximum |
|
Minimum |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| McLeod Ganj |
|
March |
|
57 F/ 14
C |
|
32 F/ 0
C |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| McLeod Ganj |
|
June |
|
100 F/ 38
C |
|
72 F/ 22
C |
For
more information about how the seasons affect Tushita, please see here.
What to
bring
Please remember:
Tushita is
located on a forested mountain slope at an altitude of 2100m (7000ft)
in the
foot-hills of the Himalayas, where
the weather
is quite unpredictable and can change quickly.
There is NO HEATING
system at Tushita!!! Because of the very delicate Indian
electrical wiring we won’t be able to provide your room with
individual electrical
heaters and we would like to ask you to NOT use your own (otherwise the
system
won’t be able to handle it and we will have a lot more power
cuts!).
So bring enough warm clothes and come prepared for all kinds of weather
by
dressing in layers. Also bring your rain weather gear!
A
good sleeping bag will be absolutely necessary! We can just
provide you
with
ONE blanket each, which won’t keep you warm enough at night.
Unfortunately
Tushita cannot provide you with more blankets (or a duvet), since we
have a
very heavy monsoon season (with 3 months of almost constant rain) and
no space
to store all the bedding safely. It’s best to bring your own
sleeping bag
from the West because there is not much choice in McLeod Ganj and the
quality
might be
poor. If you don’t have a sleeping bag and won’t have use
for one in the
future, you could consider purchasing a duvet in Dharamsala. They are
readily
available and cost approximately 700 Rupees (single duvet with cover),
which
is 14 US$
or 10 Euros.
Here is a checklist for your complete
retreat kit. For your convenience and to lighten your luggage from
overseas,
we have also noted if the following items are readily available in
McLeod
Ganj/ Dharamsala, so you could consider purchasing them when you arrive
in the
area:
- A good sleeping bag
– best to bring your own from the West or buy a duvet in
Dharamsala.
- Mala – readily available in McLeod Ganj
- Implements for
Highest Yoga Tantra practice (optional) - dorje, bell, dameru, inner
offering available in McLeod Ganj
- FM radio with
batteries (for those who don’t understand English, in case
translation will be available) – better to bring a good quality
radio from the West; try to use rechargeable batteries, or take your
used batteries back to the West to dispose them properly.
- Plenty of warm
clothing which you can wear in layers. For the warm days, please do NOT
wear shorts above the knee, sleeveless shirts
or tight and revealing clothes. We will have many monks and nuns living
at Tushita (and such clothing is generally inappropriate in India),
so please dress respectfully!
- A couple of
shawls/blankets for sitting in the meditation hall or to wear outside,
Indian style – readily &
cheaply available in McLeod Ganj.
- Rainwear and/or an
umbrella – the latter readily
available in McLeod Ganj
- Waterproof Shoes;
boots/slip-on plastic sandals - very
small range available in McLeod Ganj
- A torch (flashlight)
and batteries – we have many power cuts.
- A digital alarm
clock, i.e. one which does not tick! (please refrain from using your
mobile phone as
an alarm clock, but rather put it in our safe so you won’t be
tempted to use it).
- Your own water
bottle. Filtered water is available in our dining hall and out of
concern for the environment, we strongly discourage retreatants from
buying water in plastic bottles.
- Your own drinking
cup for hot or cold liquids and/or a thermos.
- Bath towel, toiletries, sanitary
items (especially tampons), any vitamins and medicines you need. Soap, shampoo, toothpaste etc are readily
available in McLeod Ganj, but sanitary items and deodorants are
either expensive or of lesser quality than those from the West.
- A small
face/wash-cloth is useful for freshening up, given our frequent water
shortages.
- Toilet paper - Not
provided in each cubicle, but available
for individual purchase in our shop.
- Hand-sanitizing
lotion - useful in a group retreat environment, especially given our
ongoing water shortages.
- Earplugs –
bring from the West, not easily found in India.
Meals
Tushita
serves a tasty and
healthy
blend of Indian, Tibetan and Western vegetarian meals. None of our
meals
contain ‘black foods’ (meat, fish, eggs, onions, garlic and
radishes), so they
are ‘precept safe’. A light dinner will be available for
those who won’t take
the Eight Mahayana Precepts.
Safe filtered drinking water is
available 24 hours a day. Out of concern for the environment we
strongly
encourage retreatants to have their own water bottle to refill, and not
to buy
water in plastic bottles.
Considering the large number of people we cook for, as well as the wide
variety of food allergies/preferences, we unfortunately are NOT
able to provide for special dietary needs.
To help you to decide whether you will be able to eat the food offered
at
Tushita, here is some more information about our all-vegetarian meals:
some of
our dishes contain wheat, dairy, nuts, soy or other ingredients which
may cause
allergic reactions in some people. Almost all of our dishes contain at
least a
small amount of oil, spices, salt and/or sugar.
Communication/Internet
Telephone/Internet
at Tushita
will be available for emergencies only! We do
not have a telephone line
for
outgoing long distance calls.
Messages can be taken for
you in
cases of emergencies only. You can give the following contact
information to loved ones on the understanding that they only be used in the event of urgent
circumstances. Our telephone line is often unreliable, so it's
best to use our email address.
+91-1892-221866
spc@tushita.info
To create a conducive retreat environment, please settle all
travel arrangements, emails, calls, photocopying etc. BEFORE arriving
at
Tushita. There are many internet shops in McLeod Ganj where you can
make long
distance calls and use the internet (some have generators in case of
power
cuts). In order to help you and everybody else to focus on the retreat
we will
ask you at arrival to put your mobile phone and laptop (and any other
electrical
device that could distract you) into our safe for the entire duration
of the
retreat.
Please do respect our
emergency only policy and do not put
our volunteers in an awkward position by asking them to allow you to
retain your equipment, or to use our office
computers for your travel arrangements etc. We are a small team of
volunteers, who face the daily challenge
of
power cuts, non-existing internet connections and broken computers and
do have
to run a busy centre in a retreat environment.
Library
Tushita has an extensive and excellent library of items for
loan and sale, which you are very welcome to visit during your retreat.
We always try to keep our library stock updated, so if you have
extra space in your luggage, we'd be very
happy (make that extremely
appreciative!) to accept your
Dharma book/DVD donations!! Contact us if in doubt.
Water
Not just Tushita, but this whole area is suffering from a
chronic water shortage. There is just not enough rain and snow fall to
satisfy
the huge demand which the many tourists in this area create, and recent
winters and monsoons have been unseasonably mild and dry. Therefore
Tushita
frequently
runs out of water, so please help us to conserve the resources we have:
by not
taking daily or long showers, not washing laundry yourself but rather
using our
excellent laundry service, by using the communal washing-up water
(thereby not
washing dishes under running water), turning off taps etc.
Toilets
& Showers
At Tushita we have a mixture of “Indian Style” (squatting)
and
“Western style” toilets. Please remember NOT to put any
toilet paper or
sanitary items into the toilet, but in the baskets provided, otherwise
the
toilets will block.
There are communal “Western style” showers and
“Indian
style” bucket showers at Tushita. We have geysers (electrical
boilers), so
there should be
hot water 24 hours a day (except during long power cuts). Because of
our
constant
water shortages, we ask all
retreatants to refrain from
having daily and/or
long showers. We will probably operate a shower-rota system
during the retreat, both for water economy and to ensure that everyone
gets equal opportunity (you may find it helpful to bring a
small face/wash-cloth with which to freshen up in between your shower
days). Please be prepared for this eventuality, but we will give you
more information about it at our group check-in.
Laundry
Service
An inexpensive, good quality laundry service is available.
Because of the water shortage in this area at any time of year we
ask all
retreatants not to do their own laundry, otherwise we will run out of
water
very quickly. We will give you more details of how the laundry service
works at the group check-in.
How to
get to Tushita
Tushita’s Location
& Directions link provides you with comprehensive and
detailed
information
about how to get to Tushita from Delhi
by train, bus, taxi or plane. We always keep this page very up-to-date
and
there is really very little we could add. Please read all the
information
carefully and remember that we are a very busy centre with just a few
volunteers (and not a travel agency!) before sending us any questions
or
requests regarding travel or ticket details.
If you are interested in the easiest and most comfortable
options (rather than the cheapest ones), then we would suggest the
following two
ways to get here from Delhi:
- take
the plane from Delhi
to Kangra/Dharamsala
Airport
and from there a taxi to Tushita.
- take
the train (we
recommend the overnight
“Jammu Mail” from Old Delhi Train station, go by 2nd
AC) to
Pathankot and from there a taxi to Tushita.
You'll find all the information about both
these options (and many more!) here. It is not hard
to get here and it can be actually quite
comfortable
& enjoyable!
Tushita
wishes you safe & happy travels!
Where to
stay before and after the retreat
Tushita is a very busy centre, and
it won't be possible to stay here before or after the retreat. The
Pre-Ordination course will end 2 days before the Hayagriva retreat, and
due to enormous demand, we
will schedule an "Introduction to Buddhism"
course shortly after the retreat ends. There is a huge number of
clean
and safe budget guesthouses, mid-range and
luxury hotels in McLeod Ganj and the surrounding villages of Dharamkot
and Bhagsu.
The same is true of restaurants.
We usually do not recommend any specific guesthouses, hotels or
restaurants
since there are so many, of various standards. Additionally,
most
guesthouses/
hotels do not accept advance reservation unless they are in a higher
price
bracket, so almost everyone staying in the less expensive guesthouses
(our usual clientele!) finds
their accommodation when they arrive.
If you are a bit flexible about time and money, just come and have
a look around! Early March
won’t be
tourist season yet (especially since the 2-week Losar teachings with
His
Holiness are cancelled for 2010 and His Holiness will instead only
teach on the morning of the 28th of February),
so you will have many options and can just choose your room
directly.
However, if you prefer the less spontaneous option or would like to try to book ahead, below is a short list
of some of the many hotels and guesthouses in McLeod Ganj.
Please
contact the hotel / guesthouse directly.
Telephone numbers of Hotels
& Guest
Houses in McLeod Ganj (Prefix +91-1892)
Higher Price Hotels
| Chonor House |
221077/221006/221468 |
| Surya Hotel |
221418/ 221419 |
Bhagsu Hotel
Hotel Tibet
Kashmir
Cottage
Guest Houses |
221091/221902
221587/221426
224929 |
| Green Hotel & Restaurant |
221121 |
|
| Om Hotel |
221313 |
| Losel Ling Guest House |
221087 |
| Kalsang Guest House |
221709 |
| Kunga Hotel |
221180 |
| Ladies Venture |
221559 |
| Pema Thang Hotel |
221871 |
| Seven Hills Guest House |
221580 |
| Snow Lion Hotel |
221289 |
| Ashoka Guest House |
221763 |
|
General Tourist
Information for India
The official Indian Tourist
Information Department website can be found here.
McLeod Ganj is located in Himachal Pradesh state, and it's official
tourism site is here, while the link for its page on
Dharamsala/McLeod Ganj is here. Lonely Planet guidebooks for India can be
found in most bookstores.
|
Donation and Registration
Our Donation
Policy
Tushita Meditation
Centre operates entirely on
the basis of donations, most of which come from people attending our
courses
and retreats.
We are happy to offer this
retreat free of charge to all ordained Sangha (in large dormitory
accommodation). The entire
retreat costs for all monks and nuns will be shared equally between IMI and Tushita.
Of
course, if individual Sangha have independent financial resources, or
are able to
find a sponsor on their own, then that would be very much appreciated
and a
great financial help for Tushita. We still require Sangha to pay
a $100 deposit to secure their place on the retreat, but this will be
refunded on arrival.
In order to enable everybody to join the retreat, the retreat
costs listed below are the minimum which will cover accommodation, 2
meals a day, utilities, basic administrative and
retreat
materials for the non-ordained. Still, an event of this magnitude
involves considerable
additional expenses (eg. travel and other expenses for hosting Rinpoche
and
entourage) so we are relying on your
generous support to make this
happen, and to help us to break even!
Tushita's costs per
person for the duration of the retreat by accommodation option: (IR = Indian
Rupees)
- Big
Dormitory (7 - 14 beds)
Entire retreat – 30,000 IR
(approx. 600 US$,
440 Euros)
Per week – 10,000 IR (approx. 200 US$,
145 Euros)
- Small Dormitory (3 - 4
beds)
Entire retreat – 35,000 IR
(approx. 700 US$,
515 Euros)
No part-time option available at this
point!
- Single
Rooms - Become a retreat
benefactor!
Single Rooms
for benefactors only - Donate 1,500 US$ (approx. 1100
Euros) or more and receive a host of benefits: Single accommodation at
Tushita,
a special dinner with Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche, and a signed &
blessed thangka.
If you are interested in becoming a Retreat Benefactor, then please
contact our Director here.
Please note that a non-refundable
deposit of 5,000 Indian Rupees (100 US$)
is required to reserve your place on the retreat (this deposit
will also be required of ordained Sangha, but they will be refunded
this amount after their arrival,
unless they are in a small dormFor your convenience, you can check
currency exchange
rates here.
How to Make Your Donation
Once you have completed the
registration procedure, and have received our confirmation email, you
are welcome to pay your donation, which we hope will cover the
outstanding retreat costs in full (minus
the US$100 deposit).
There
are two ways you can make your donation:
- By Credit Card, through the secure
international FPMT
website. Remember to select "Hayagriva Retreat" from the 'Project'
drop-down option bar).
- In
Indian Rupees cash in the Tushita office when you check-in for the
retreat (unfortunately, we are unable to
accept any payment by credit card, foreign currency or traveller's
cheque).
If you want to
change money, there are many
moneychangers in McLeod Ganj and
there is one ATM at the State Bank of India on Temple Road. There are
also 2
ATMs in Dharamsala (20 mins by bus/taxi).
Please be aware
that the ATM often does not function for days at a
time, so it
is wise to not wait until the last minute to use it.
Sponsorship
In hosting the 4 week
Most Secret Hayagriva retreat with our precious guru, Kyabje Lama Zopa
Rinpoche, it is Tushita’s hearfelt wish that as many people as
would like to attend this unique retreat will be able to do so.
We
have less than a month left to prepare Tushita in the best way we can,
to support this event happening.
This is a great opportunity to contribute to this
amazing event, create mountains of merit and, for those who are not
able to attend to plant positive seeds to be able to do retreat in the
future.
Below you will find information on the
preparations that we would like to make, and the major costs behind
hosting the Most Secret Hayagriva retreat here at Tushita. All costs
are estimated, based on current prices and our projected figure of 100
retreatants.
All donations received will be greatly appreciated.
OVERVIEW
OF SPONSORSHIP SOUGHT
Travel costs for
Rinpoche and entourage $11,000
Travel costs for
Geshe & 2 Lama Gyupas $650
Gompa Preparation
Technical equipment
(soundsystem, portable microphone, big screen etc.) $6,400
Additional altar
lighting – SPONSORED!!!! $730
Meditation
cushions $750
Printing of prayer
books and sadhanas - SPONSORED!!!! $400
Building/Accommodation preparations
Dining area
extension & additional dining
furniture $1500
Kitchen Improvements
(eg multi sink, extra stove, additional
equipment) $400
Re-painting &
repairs to Lama Zopa Rinpoche’s
house $400
Additional beds
& bedding for temporary
dorms $800
SPONSOR A
SANGHA MEMBER!!!!
IMI and Tushita will
be jointly sponsoring all sangha wishing to attend the retreat.
We are expecting approx. 40 sangha members to attend. Sponsorship
of
a sangha member is a wonderful contribution
to the retreat.
Sponsor a sangha
member – FULL RETREAT $600
Sponsor a sangha
member – PER WEEK
$200
TOTAL SANGHA
SPONSORSHIP REQUIRED (TUSHITA & IMI)
$24,000
Hosting costs of
Rinpoche & entourage ($40 per day x 30
days) $1200
Daily offerings (for
3 gompas, Lama Yeshe room, Rinpoche’s rooms, 3
stupas) $2000
Tsog
offerings (estimate of 5 tsog
offerings) $1000
Additional power
bills due to filming, recording, typing and lighting of late night
sessions $250
Additional staff
wages (extra staffing for Hayagriva period & long
shifts) $250
TOTAL
SPONSORSHIP REQUIRED (PREPARATIONS & RETREAT
EXPENSES) $27,730
+
TOTAL SANGHA SPONSORSHIP REQUIRED (TUSHITA & IMI)
+$24,000
- SPONSORSHIP RECEIVED THROUGH
BENEFACTORS - $11,700
- ADDITIONAL SPONSORSHIP - INDIVIDUAL
SPONSORS - $1,130
REMAINING
SPONSORSHIP REQUIRED $38,900
One Hundred Thousand
Thank You's from Tushita and all those involved in the preparation of
the Hayagriva Retreat!
Donations can be made
by credit card via FPMT International office, using this link to their
secure website.
If you have any
queries, please contact Linda via director@tushita.info
(also accessible through this
link).
|
So many thanks for your attention and
interest in The Most Secret Hayagriva Retreat at Tushita Meditation
Centre. We hope to see you for this amazing opportunity to study and
practice with
Lama Zopa Rinpoche in Spring 2010!
MAY ALL BEINGS BE HAPPY!
|
|
