RETREAT—2025 Winter Retreat: Dzogchen Practice Retreat—Weekend Only

Come practice Dzogchen meditation with a true master of the Bön tradition! Drupdra Khenpo Rinpoche is the Abbot of the meditation school at Triten Norbutse in Nepal. He is an exceptional teacher and practitioner, recognized for his deep knowledge and dedication to the practices of Tsalung and Trulkhor. Drupdra Khenpo Rinpoche will be supported by Marcy Vaughn as our retreat’s umze, and Tenzin Wangyal Rinpoche will join by zoom every other day to provide additional instruction and comments on the teachings.

Our focus this year is twofold. Our initial weekend will be oriented around the Invocation of Tapihritsa, a prayer of great beauty that describes and praises the qualities of the natural state. In the second phase of our retreat, Drupdra Khenpo will teach from the 21 Nails, among the most succinct and profound articulations of the natural state (the clear light of awareness) in any spiritual tradition. He will draw from this sacred text to support our recognition and resting in the nature of mind.

Attend this as a 2-day retreat. All participants will arrive on Friday, January 2, the day for checking in, settling into your room (if you are staying onsite), a light dinner and a guided practice. Our weekend guests will join us for teachings on the Invocation of Tapihritsa. Those continuing with the longer retreat will continue on. Beginning on January 03, the Drupdra Khenpo will begin to draw on the 21 Nails to guide our meditations. For those unable to attend in person, both options will be offered online via Zoom.

This is Rinpoche’s first visit to the United States.

About Drupdra Khenpo
Khenpo Tsultrim Tenzin Rinpoche’ was born in the Hor’ region of East Tibet (Kham’), in 1968 to a Bönpo family of nomadic cattle herders. As a boy, he tended his family’s sheep and yaks, and learnt reading and writing from his grandfather. At nineteen, he entered Lungkar Monastery. During this time, Tsultrim Tenzin completed the traditional preliminary practices and studied Tibetan grammar and poetry as well as Bönpo philosophy. Tsultrim Tenzin served as umze, or chant master, for three years in the Lungkar Monastery.

At the age of twenty-five, he went to Menri’s Monastery in Central Tibet to study with Pönlob Kalzang Nyima’ from whom he received teachings on Denö Dzö’ authored by Shardza Trashi Gyaltsen Rinpoche’ (1859-1935) and the A-Thril’ Bönpo Dzogchen manual. At this time he also gained the experiential understanding of Great Perfection.

In 1993, Tsultrim Tenzin made the arduous journey to Triten Norbutse Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal, to study intensively with his root Master, Yongdzin Lopön Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche, under whose guidance he deepened his knowledge of Sutra, Tantra and Dzogchen. He also learnt astrology, traditional Tibetan medicine, and Sanskrit. While studying, Tsultrim Tenzin served as the monastery’s chant master for six years, and as gekhöz (disciplinarian) for three years. After completing the 14-year study programme, he passed the Geshe examination in 2001 and received his degree.

In 2002, Tsultrim Tenzin was appointed by Yongdzin Lopön Tenzin Namdak Rinpoche as Drubdra Khenpo – Abbot of the Meditation School – in Triten Norbutse Monastery. Since then he has been teaching Dzogchen in the meditation school there as well as giving instructions on Sutra, Tantra, Dzogchen, astrology and mandala and painting in the monastic dialectic school.

Alongside teaching, Khenpo Tsultrim Tenzin Rinpoche practices Dzogchen meditation and Magyu tsalung, thrulkhor and tummo for two hours every morning. He sometimes travels to Tibet, China, Japan, Europe and England to teach Dzogchen, Tantra and tsalung. This is Rinpoche’s first visit to the United States.