Garchen Rinpoche at Tibet House
White Tara Empowerment / Retreat
H.E. Garchen Rinpoche will be conferring a White Tara empowerment, and doing the White Tara practice. This is a very rare and fortunate opportunity to practice with H.E. Garchen Rinpoche.
We will be practicing the White Tara text that was revealed to the previous incarnation of H.E. Garchen Rinpoche in a dream. The practice is suitable for all levels of practitioners and there will be a question/answer session on Sunday afternoon.
White Tara offers peace, prosperity, health and long life. She is depicted with the body of woman that is the brilliant white of a thousand autumn moons. She has a third eye in her forehead that symbolizes her vision of the unity of ultimate reality while simultaneously seeing the relative and dualistic world with her ‘usual’ two eyes. Her hands and feet also have eyes, showing that whatever she gives and wherever she goes is governed by her ultimate wisdom and compassion. She is the protective, helpful and comforting mother whose kindness, generosity and protection toward those tossed in the ocean of samsara knows no bounds.
TEACHING SCHEDULE
Sunday, January 28
9:00 am – 12:00 pm: White Tara Empowerment
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Teaching on the Practice of the Refined Drop of Immortality: A Longevity Mandala Practice of Arya Tara, the Wish-Granting Chakra
Monday, January 29
10:00 am – 12:00 pm: White Tara Practice
2:00pm – 5:00: White Tara Practice
Tuesday, January 30
10:00 am – 12:00 pm: White Tara Practice with H.E. Garchen Rinpoche
2:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Milarepa Tsok
BIOGRAPHY
H.E. Garchen Rinpoche is known around the world for his great kindness, vast realization and teachings from the heart, both profound and humble; a Drikung Kagyu lama who was known in the thirteenth century as the Siddha Gar Chodingpa, a heart disciple of Kyobpa Jigten Sumgon. In ancient India, he had incarnated as Mahasiddha Aryadeva, the lotus-born disciple of the great Nagarjuna. In the seventh century, he was known as Lonpo Gar, the minister of the Tibetan Dharma King Songsten Gampo.
He was recognized and enthroned in eastern Tibet by the former Drikung Kyabgon Zhiwe Lodro. Studying and practicing under the direction of the Siddha Chime Dorje, Garchen Rinpoche received vast and profound instructions on the preliminary practices (ngöndro), the fivefold practice of Mahamudra and the six yogas of Naropa. At the age of 22, he was imprisoned for 20 years during the political turmoil of China’s Cultural Revolution. While in the labor camp, he received meditation instruction from his root lama, the Nyingma master Khenpo Munsel. Enduring hardship and practicing secretly, Garchen Rinpoche attained realization of the lama’s wisdom mind.
In recent years, Garchen Rinpoche has made great effort to rebuild the Drikung Kagyu monasteries in Eastern Tibet, reestablish the Buddhist teachings, build two boarding schools for local children in eastern Tibet, while at the same time wholeheartedly giving profound teachings of the lineage to others.
A suggested donation of $25/day is welcome at the door, but is not required. Call (917) 721-5229 for further information.
This event is sponsored by the Nechung Foundation, NYC and Marge Ptaszek. Special thanks to the Tibet House.
White Tara Practice Text
Texts will be available free of charge, any additional contributions towards printing costs
will be gratefully appreciated.
Southwest Field Endowment Fund
We will be accepting donations for the Southwest Field Endowment Fund. Patrons who contribute a donation for $20 or more will receive a specially printed edition of the White Tara Practice Text.
Pre-Registration
Pre-registration is available, please email Marge at garregister@yahoo.com or call (973) 343-7369 for further details.
Housing
If you live in the NYC area and can provide an extra bed or couch or space or know of affordable housing, or if you need housing please email Marge at: garhousing@yahoo.com.
We are currently updating our mailing list – if your address has changed or if you prefer to receive upcoming teaching announcements by email instead, please contact info@nechungnyc.org and/or jhahn@jxiid.com
** May this benefit all beings **
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