Retreat Center, New York
The New York Retreat Center in McDonough is His Holiness Pema Norbu’s seat in North America. At this location are offered a sequence of month-long summer courses taught by qualified lamas. These courses are described below, but for more detailed information please go to the retreat center’s official site listed on the blogroll.
Year 1: Ngondro: Ngondro is variously known as the foundational or preliminary practices which form the basis for more advanced Vajrayana practices. During the retreat, qualified lamas will instruct participants and lead them in practice.
Year Two: Tsal Lung: Tsa Lung practice consists of working with the breath and the energy channels in the body. Participants should be in good physical condition because these practices can be quite strenuous.
Years Three and Four: Togyal: With Tögyal, participants enter into formal Dzogchen practice by working with posture, gaze, and the clear light.
Years Five and Six: Trekcho: Trekchö is described as a “cutting through” practice in which the participant trains to cut through ordinary deluded perception to recognize the true nature of mind.
Year Seven: Personal Instruction: During the seventh year participants receive personal “pointing out” instruction from His Holiness Penor Rinpoche which enables participants to recognize the nature of mind if they have not already done so and to stabilize this recognize if it has already occurred.