Teaching at Thrangu Sekhar Retreat Centre, 2011–2012

Drupon Rinpoche returned to the retreat centre at the beginning of December, where the group of lamas from the Tilo Ling side of the retreat centre were waiting for his return so that they could conclude their retreat with their Drupon (retreat master) present. They also strongly wished that Thrangu Rinpoche would be present, but due to poor health Thrangu Rinpoche couldn’t be there.

Another group of Thrangu Gompa monks soon arrived at the retreat centre to embark upon four years of retreat in Tilo Ling.

Whilst Drupon Rinpoche was resident at the retreat centre he undertook a teaching schedule that was intensive to say the least. He spent the mornings from 8am until 12.00/12.30 p.m teaching the two groups of monks of Tilo Ling and Naro Ling. From 13.00 until evening time he would teach the retreatants in Kacho Ling.

The retreatants who stay in Kacho Ling are either at different stages of the long retreat programme or engaged in shorter retreats. Many of those who come for short retreats, do so with the wish to receive teachings for the practice that they are doing from Drupon Rinpoche. Due to his great kindness and commitment to those who genuinely wish to practice Dharma, Rinpoche almost always fulfills his students' wishes, even if his timetable is already full (by normal standards at least). This means that Rinpoche can be teaching in Kacho Ling continuously from 13.00 until as late as 21.00. This year to make life a little easier for Rinpoche one of the rooms in Kacho Ling was set-aside as a teaching room, so students come to him rather than him going to each individual’s room, as he did previously. This means that he regularly taught for 12 hours a day and rarely taught for less than 9 hours a day.

During his time in the Sekar Retreat centre this year, between December 2011 and June 2012, he gave teachings on: The Profound Inner Meaning; The Six Yogas of Naropa; Chakrasamvara; The Seven Points of Mind Training; The Way of A Bodhisattva; Vajrakilaya; The Torch of Certainty; Marpa, Mila, Gampopa, and Karma Pakshi guru yogas; Notes On The Creation Stage; Mahamudra, The Ocean of Definitive Meaning, Mahamudra, Pointing Out The Dharmakaya; as well as spending time guiding retreatants individually.

Written by Kunga.