May bodhicitta, precious and sublime, arise where it has not yet come to be. Where it has arisen may it never fail, but grow and flourish more and more.
Unbroken lineages of wisdom traditions are rare in these times, and Kongtrul Rinpoche descends from a pure lineage of the Dzogpa Chenpo Longchen Nyingtik tradition of Tibetan Buddhism.
We have two main study and practice centers in America: Phuntsok Choling in Colorado and Pema Osel in Vermont. Rinpoche teaches the core MSB programs at these two centers. In addition, MSB has several city centers or groups around the world where people gather for group meditation and study, and to listen to the LINK teachings together.
Browse to any of the calendars to find out more about the teaching schedules of Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche, Dungse Jampal Norbu, or Elizabeth Mattis Namgyel. View the upcoming events at Phuntsok Choling, Pema Osel, or find out who is giving the next LINK talk.
MSB is a part of the Longchen Nyingtik and Khyen-Kong-Chok-Sum lineages. (Jamyang Khyentse Wangpo, Jamgon Kongtrul Lodro Thaye, and Terton Chokgyur Lingpa, collectively known as Khyen-Kong-Chok-Sum, were the heart of the Rimé, or nonsectarian, movement, which did so much to preserve and harmonize all schools of Tibetan Buddhism in the nineteenth century.)
Date: August 25–August 31, 2023 |
Location: Pema Osel |
Teacher: Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche
Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche will lead the Mahayoga Sangdrup at Pema Osel and all eligible students are welcome to attend in person or participate from home via live stream on Zoom. This program is open to everyone who has gone through the MSB Lineage Ceremony. It is preferable, but not required, to have received the empowerments for these practices. If you can’t join in person or online, you can still share the merit of these feast practices by making an offering and/or a prayer request.
During the 2018 NSS and at Pema Osel the summer of 2019, Rinpoche bestowed the empowerment for Chime Pakme Nyingtik, “The Heart Essence of the Sublime Lady of Immortality.” We will begin this year’s Mahayoga Sangdrup with three days of this practice. The following four days will be similar to the Sangdrup programs we’ve had at Pema Osel since 2009. We will practice the Rangjung Peme Nyingtik sadhana (a terma discovered by Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche) along with the Riwo Sangcho (a practice for purifying karmic debts). An important part of these practices is the feast offerings we make every day.
Making Offerings and Prayer RequestsThe feast offerings we make every day is a practice of “great giving without holding back” which reverses our habitual self-centered psychology and thus enable practitioners to overcome even our most tenacious obstacles. To cover the costs of hosting the practice from Pema Osel and for the tsok offerings, we suggest a $30/day contribution. You can make offerings to the tsok or make a prayer request.
August 25 – 31, 2023
Registration fee: $20 per day
Suggested offering: $30 per day
These will be read aloud each day before the period of accumulation and offering to the Three Jewels. Dzigar Kongtrul Rinpoche and the Mangala Shri Bhuti sangha will hold these prayers in their minds. Please include your name with your prayer. For example, “John Smith: Please pray for my brother Alex, who is sick.” A monetary offering of your choosing usually accompanies these prayer requests. Please submit your request by end of day August 28.
To participate in the practice at home via the live stream, simply:
To register, and for all the information about how to participate from home, visit the streaming website.
If you are participating in the program, you will need the Chime Pakme Nyingtik (CPN), Rangjung Peme Nyingtik (RPN), and Riwo Sangcho texts, along with all inserts. These are all available to order as hard copies. Please read the following carefully so you can make the best decision on what liturgies you might need and how to purchase them. Note: You must be logged in as a Member on the MSB website to make any of the purchases outlined below.
CPN:For CPN, there is a white travel pecha that contains CPN and the Riwo Sangcho liturgy. (This travel pecha also includes other liturgies we do not do during this program.) You can order the white travel pecha here. Please order this by August 14, 2023 to receive it before the program begins.
Note: If you took part in the Mahayoga Sadhana Retreat in 2019 through 2021, you should buy the new white travel pecha containing the Chime Pakme Nyingtik and all the inserts that go with that practice. Rinpoche would like everyone to have the white travel pecha and no longer use the temporary ones we made for the last few years of this program.
RPN:For RPN, we are still using the purple book from Celebrating the Return! (Khyentse Yangsi Rinpoche’s visit in 2010). You can order this book here. The RPN practice will include certain sections of the CPN that are in the white travel pecha, so be sure to have a copy of that as well. Please order this by August 14, 2023 to receive it before the program begins.
Riwo Sangcho:On the RPN practice days, we do the Riwo Sangcho practice; this short liturgy is included in the white travel pecha.
Cheat Sheets:Coming soon…
LunchPlease bring your own lunch and snacks. Water, tea, and coffee are available onsite. There will be a small refrigerator, a microwave, and a toaster oven available. Important: If you would like to bring any kind of beverage into the shrine hall, you must bring a beverage container that can be closed as no cups or open containers will be permitted there.
Frequently Asked Questions
HousingFor help with housing, contact Carol Eggers: 203-377-3919
Orientation MeetingOn August 21 at 8 p.m. EDT, Joey Waxman lead a Zoom meeting to give participants some basic information on how to do these practices. You can join the Zoom meeting by click on this link.
Directions to Pema OselFor directions, please see the Pema Osel’s Visitor’s Guide (Please see updated directions due to road closure). You can also view Pema Osel’s location on a Google+map.
All times below are Eastern Daylight Time (EDT):
This schedule is subject to change. Changes will be announced by email and on the web stream.The schedule for Thursday, the final day, is determined the day before and will be announced.
For general questions, contact: pemaosel@mangalashribhuti.orgFor practice questions, contact: joseph.waxman@gmail.com