Vajrayogini Retreat Information and Application Mahamudra Centre 24 September – 15 October, 2017

We are delighted and very fortunate Bhikshuni Lozang Yönten returns to lead Vajrayogini retreat again at our lovely centre. Venerable Yönten brings a lot of detailed knowledge about the practice and provides a lot of support and materials to help retreatants with visualizations and understanding how to do the retreat and sadhana.

In order to help you decide about attending the retreat, please read the following information thoroughly and carefully.

PRE-REQUISITES Participants in this retreat must have had a Vajrayogini empowerment from a qualified tantric master. Your empowerment must be from the Narö Khacho tradition as this is the practice we are doing. It is the one most commonly given in the Gelukpa tradition.

To accomplish a fully qualified approach retreat, participants must have kept their daily commitments since taking the initiation. People who have broken their commitments won't be qualified to do the fire puja and self-initiation. If their commitments have been broken, they can still attend the retreat and accumulate merit by doing the practice in a retreat environment, but won’t be accomplishing a fully qualified "approach retreat."

AIM OF RETREAT The aim of all retreats is to increase positive states of mind and decrease negative ones – in particular bodhchitta. It is also to generate a feeling of closeness with Vajrayogini. Each of us will also aim to complete the recitation of 100,000 mantras. For those participants who complete 100,000 mantras during the retreat, we will be performing a concluding fire puja on Sunday 15 October. However, if students request Ven. Yonten will lead a self-initiation after lunch until about 4:00pm, so you may wish book to book at least one extra night to participate.

ARRIVAL All students must arrive at the centre no later than 3pm on Sunday 24 September.

COST OF RETREAT The following package costs include discounted accommodation, food and a modest facility fee. We keep the cost of the retreat as low as possible to help make it available to anyone who would like to come while still covering our operating costs. We don’t have dorm and shared accommodation since retreatants should not share rooms for a highest yoga tantra retreat, however it is possible to save money by camping – we recommend bringing a van or camper van rather than a tent. Also, if you are unable to attend because of your financial situation, a limited number of discounted scholarships are available. Please contact Sarah at [email protected] with your request and circumstances for a reduced rate.

We have significantly reduced rates for sangha – please contact [email protected] for details if you are a monk or nun who would like to attend.

Prices are in NZD Chenrezig Cabin (single only) $ 1610 Single smaller Cabins (2 avail) $ 1480 Tara Cabin (outhouse/shared bathroom) $ 1240 Single Room (shared bathroom) $ 1240 Camping $ 700

Additional discounted rates for staying before 24 September or after 15 October  Single room per night: $ 21  Single smaller cabins per night: $ 30  Chenrezig Cabin per night: $ 33  Tara Cabin per night $21

Additional meal costs: Breakfast: $ 7.50/ Lunch: $ 15/ Dinner: $ 7.50

Rooms will be allocated in order of receipt of registration along with receipt of deposit. If we are unable to meet your first room preference we will offer the next best option.

Cost does not include personal offerings to teacher, other sangha attending the retreat, or tsog and torma offerings throughout the retreat, so you might want to budget for these.

We also ask if paying by credit/debit cards or wire transfers retreatants pay the additional fees (2.75% for cards, and bank fees for wires). There is no fee to pay by New Zealand check, cash of Eftpos.

Unfortunately we do not have a cash facility here at the centre and the nearest ATM machine is a 30-minute drive. Please bring your own cash for offerings and personal expenses.

RETREAT DETAILS There will be four sessions per day during the retreat. Typical practices each day: Vajrayogini Long Sadhana, Six Session Guru Yoga, and Torma offering each night. This is a closed retreat, so participants will be staying within set retreat boundaries and the centre will be closed to visitors.

24 September is a preparation day to settle, help set up the altar, and do the gektor and short first session. The retreat will then follow the below schedule through 14 October. 15 October is a fire puja in the morning and – if students request - after lunch a self- initiation till 4:00pm.

Overview of the Schedule:  Predawn session: Motivation, Precepts, Prostrations, Lama Chöpa and Sadhana (there will be a short break for a cup of tea and bathroom)  Breakfast  Morning Session: Prostrations and Long Sadhana with longer mantra recitation time  Lunch and longer break  Afternoon Session: Prostrations and Sadhana with extra time for building visualization  Discussion time - some days there will be group discussion and Q & A and other days there will be time for people to book appointments to talk about their practice if they so choose (not required).  Evening Session: Long Sadhana and Protector Practice

Please also note that it is FPMT policy that students attending FPMT centres should not be practitioners of Dolgyal/Shugden. For the complete policy and information, please see http://fpmt.org/teachers/zopa/advice/shugden/

Sadhana Text We’ll be using the Vajrayogini: Initial Practices of Vajrayogini book available from FPMT: http://shop.fpmt.org/Vajrayogini--Initial-Practices-of-Vajrayogini_p_543.html Please bring your copy if you have one – we will also have a limited number available to borrow, so please let Sarah know if you wish to use one so we make sure to have enough.

Mantra Recitations: The required mantra count in order to complete the retreat to qualify for fire puja Is 100,000 of the main mantra minimum (400,000 is great if you can); and an extra 10% (for example another 10,000 if you're doing 100,000) of the wisdom rain mantra (which is the same as the main mantra plus a few extra syllables) to help purify mistakes in recitation.

COMMUNICATION There is no email or telephone facility available during the retreat (unless there is a life or death emergency). Therefore all necessary communication should be made before you arrive at the centre, and you should plan to not communicate with friends and relatives (except in emergency situations), including not using cell phones for the entire retreat. We will take cell phones and lock them in the office for safekeeping. Participants should be prepared to be in complete silence for part of the retreat. Please give your immediate relatives the centre’s office phone to contact in case they need to reach you in an emergency. +64 (0)7 866 6851

FOOD Mahamudra will supply three simple and wholesome vegetarian meals a day. The centre also provides both dairy and soy milk. If you have any medical condition which means you have food restrictions, please let us know, but we cannot cater to specialty diets. If you like gluten-free bread or special snack food, please purchase these before you arrive, bearing in mind that the centre has limited fridge space. Many specialty items are not available in our remote location (or else very expensive).

WHAT YOU NEED TO BRING In September and October the weather can be quite cool and it can be very changeable. Please prepare for wet days as well as sunny days. Layers are good. Make sure you bring warm clothes to layer - it can be quite cold in the gompa in the early morning. Cabins have heaters but rooms do not (our electrical system in the building isn’t strong enough), so if you are in a room a hot water bottle makes sleeping much more comfortable.

You will be asked to stay within the retreat boundary for the duration of the retreat, so try to bring anything with you that you may need. This includes:  a torch  alarm clock to use instead of a phone  insect repellent  easy slip-off shoes  gumboots/waterproof shoes  a hot water bottle (warmer sleeping at night)  a rain coat/umbrella  shawls  sun cream  toiletries  medicines  inner offering (or small jar to make one once here)  bell, dorje, damaru is you have them  any Vajrayogini or highest yoga tantra commentaries to look at between sessions  a journal and pen is advised rather than electronic devices  one item of white clothing for wearing at the fire puja (for non-monastics).

Mahamudra will supply all bedding and a towel.

Please note that all registrations must be received by 10 September. A 50% non-refundable deposit must be made within seven days of your acceptance of registration. Final payment will be due on arrival and is also non- refundable.

TRAVEL ARRANGEMENTS Details about how to get to our centre are on our website at http://mahamudra.org.nz/contact-us/getting-here/

As you make your bookings, please let us know your specific arrival and departure dates. If you have a car and can help offer a ride from Coromandel Town to the centre, please let us know and we’ll try to help arrange rides for people coming by ferry or bus. However depending on your arrival date you may still need to book the Coromandel Cab for the final leg of the trip.

If you have any questions about the retreat, please do not hesitate to ask by emailing me at [email protected].

To register, please fill out the form below and email it to me at the above address.

I look forward to hearing from you, and hope we’ll see you in September!

Kind regards,

Sarah Brooks Spiritual Programme Coordinator

Mahamudra Centre Registration Form

Vajrayogini Retreat With Ven. Lozang Yönten 24 September – 15 October, 2017

1. FIRST AND LAST NAME:

2. GENDER:

3. DATE OF BIRTH:

4. ORDAINED: YES / NO IF YES, ORDAINED NAME:

5. POSTAL ADDRESS (include country):

6. EMAIL:

7. PHONE:

8. COUNTRY OF CITIZENSHIP:

9. VAJRAYOGINI INITIATION RECEIVED? YES / NO

Initiation received from: Date: Place:

10. PERSON TO BE CONTACTED IN CASE OF EMERGENCY

First and Last Name: Country: Relationship to you: Cell phone number: Additional phone numbers: Email:

11. HOW DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THIS RETREAT?

12. ARE YOU TAKING ANY MEDICATION? [For any mental and/or physical problems. Give specifics]

13. HISTORY OF ANY MENTAL ILLNESS: YES / NO (If yes, give details)

14. DO YOU HAVE ANY MEDICAL CONDITION WHICH COULD IMPACT ON YOUR RETREAT INCLUDING RESPIROTARY PROBLEMS OR FOOD ALLERGIES OR INTOLERANCES? YES / NO (If yes, give details)

15. ARE YOU A CURRENT PRACTITIONER OF DOLGYAL/SHUGDEN? YES/NO

16. TYPE OF ACCOMMODATION REQUESTED:

17. DATE & TIME OF INTENDED ARRIVAL AT MAHAMUDRA CENTRE:

18. INTENDED DATE OF DEPARTURE FROM MAHAMUDRA:

19. ANY OTHER DETAILS YOU THINK WE SHOULD KNOW?

Please return your completed application to Sarah at [email protected], who will get back to you as soon as possible about approval for the retreat and confirming room assignments and a deposit.

Thank you!