Red Chenresi Retreat and Empowerment
With Lama Sonam Gyatso
October 30 to November 3, 2020
In 1972, Ven. Sonam received full ordination as Karma Konchog Sonam Gelong from His Holiness the Sixteenth Karmapa. At the request of the Ven. Namgyal Rinpoche, His Holiness gave Red Chenresi to Ven. Sonam as his yidam deity. In 1982 he received lay ordination as Lama Karma Sonam Gyatso from HE Kalu Rinpoche. An embodiment of Compassion and Bliss, Red Chenresi, was the main practice (yidam) of Karma Pakshi, the Second Karmapa.
Retreat schedule:
Saturday, October 31st PRELIMINARY WORK I
9:30 AM Preliminaries – Blessings of the Inner and Outer Offerings, Body-Mind Purification and Protective Circle.
3:00 PM Mandala - Creation of the Celestial Palace. Visualisation of Red Chenresi and Circle of Deities - Consecration and Sealing.
Sunday, November 1st PRELIMINARY WORK II
9:30 AM Preparation - Blessing the Vases: Namgyal Vase, Karma Vase and Full Sadhana of the Front-Arising Deities - Offerings and Praise.
3:00 PM Ritual of the Four Offerings and Four Praises (Outer, Inner, Secret and Most Secret). Invocation and lineage prayers-Torma Offering.
Monday, November 2nd CONSECRATION CEREMONY I
9:30 AM Preparation - Long Mandala Offering - Circumambulating the
Outer Mandala - Vows, Pledges. Self-Arising Visualisation –
Bodhicitta, Vajra Songs - Making Firm and Entering the Mandala
(casting flower)
3:00 PM VASE Consecration. (Secret) Vajra Name - Vows.
Tuesday, November 3rd CONSECRATION CEREMONY II
9:30 AM SECRET Consecration - WISDOM Consecration. FOURTH Consecration - VAJRA-ACARYA Consecration.
2:00 PM: Authorisation of Body, Speech and Mind, and Conclusion.
Lama Sonam Gyatso
Born in England in 1942, Sonam Gyatso is currently the Spiritual Director and Resident Teacher of the Namgyal Centre of Toronto.
In 1961, while studying Mathematics at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, he met his Root Lama, Namgyal Rinpoche, then known as Bhikkhu Ananda Bodhi, in London, and became his lifelong student.
Graduating from Cambridge in 1963, he moved to London and was ordained as Vanaratana Samanera by Venerable Saddhatissa Mahathera, with Ven. Ananda Bodhi as Acariya, learning Pali from Ven. Saddhatissa and meditation from Ananda Bodhi.
In 1965, following two years of intensive training in the Theravada tradition, he came to Toronto as the attendant of the Ven. Ananda Bodhi, assisting him in the founding of the Dharma Centre of Canada, and between 1967 and 1974 embarking on several pilgrimages to India, Burma, Sri Lanka and other Asian countries.
Acknowledged as a Lama by Namgyal Rinpoche in 1972, Lama Sonam then received full ordination from H.H The 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, at the Dharmachakra Monastery in Rumtek, Sikkim, and lived as a Buddhist monk for ten years. Back in Canada in 1982, he received lay ordination vows from the Ven. Kalu Rinpoche, who named him Sonam Gyatso, as well as from the Ven. Sayadaw U Thila Wunta and the Ven. Namgyal Rinpoche.
During years of constant travel and meditation retreat work with Ven.Namgyal Rinpoche, he met and studied with many high Lamas, including H.H. 16th Gyalwa Karmapa, H.H. Sakya Trizin, H.E. Chogye Rinpoche and the Ven. Kalu Rinpoche, receiving all the major Empowerments of the Tibetan lineages, and translating numerous Sadhana and Wongkur texts into English.
After further retreat work, in 1998 Lama Sonam Gyatso was authorized by Ven. Namgyal Rinpoche to transmit the Vajrayana Empowerments. He currently teaches in Toronto and on request, visits other Centres to give WongKur and teachings.
Important Details:
When: Friday, October 30th to Tuesday November 3rd. Please plan to arrive between 3-5pm on the first day. The retreat will begin with a property orientation at 5:30pm followed by a light supper. The first class will be on Saturday morning at 9:30am. The retreat finishes after the afternoon class on November 3rd.
Rates: Non-members: $440, Members: $380
Rates include: Single accommodation and all meals. They do not include instructor fees. Lama Sonam is sharing his experience within the traditional Buddhist understanding of Dana. To understand more about Dana, please read the following:
What is Dana?: Teachers give the teachings of awakening (Dharma) freely so that anyone, no matter their financial means can attend classes. Each time one receives teachings, it is an opportunity to consciously practice generosity. Giving money and other means of support expresses gratitude and support to the teacher and helps to ensure that these teachings continue. Each person receiving Dharma teachings determines the kind and amount of Dana according to one’s heart and one’s financial means. When deciding how much to offer, one should think about what these teachings mean to you and try to give accordingly. It is recommended that students make an offering of Dana at the beginning of a class or retreat to establish the intention to make the most of this opportunity for one’s own progression and for the benefit of all others.
Deposit: A 50% deposit is required to hold your space upon registration.
Cancellation policy: Full refund up to 7 days before the commencement of the course. For cancellations less than 7 days prior to course begin, a $100 administrative fee will be charged.