Rolwaling Retreat Pack Have you heard about Rolwaling and thinking of doing retreat there? You may like to know more about the place, how to get there and what to expect whilst staying there. We’ve put this pack together to make your planning as easy as possible. If we’ve missed anything, or you have more specific questions please let us know via the contact information provided at the end. General Background Blessed by many powerful buddhist masters, Rolwaling is a high altitude east-west beyul (hidden valley) situated approximately 180 km northeast of Kathmandu near the border with Tibet. The very narrow valley stretches for over thirty kilometres through beautiful mountainous terrain of forest, glaciers, rivers and snow capped peaks dominated by Gaurishankar Mountain (7145m) marking the border with Tibet. It is home to a buddhist sherpa community predominately following the Nyingma lineage of buddhism. However, many of the children from the area became monks (mostly at Kopan monastery in Kathmandu) within the Gelug tradition. Rolwaling was also once home to Kyabje Thubten Lama Zopa Rinpoche, one of the most respected Gelug masters of our time, founder of Kopan Monastery and Spiritual Director of FPMT (Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition), a worldwide organisation committed to preserving and spreading the Buddhadharma. Born in 1946 in Thame, in Solu Kumbu region of Nepal, Lama Zopa Rinpoche was recognised as the reincarnation of the Lawudo Lama, Kunzang Yeshe. At the age of six he left his home for Rolwaling, where he spent some years of his childhood studying Buddhism with his uncle before going to Tibet to continue his studies. Spiritual History Khandro Rolwaling can be translated as The Playful Ground of the Dakinis or region where the dakinis play. As a beyul, or hidden valley, Rolwaling was visited and blessed by the great buddhist master Padmasambhava, also known as Guru Rinpoche. There are many sights in the valley associated with his time there such as the Guru Rinpoche rock and cave near Na. It is mentioned in the scriptures that there are many benefits for sentient beings spending time such places. As foretold by Guru Rinpoche himself, they provide refuge to those with a virtuous motivation, therefore allowing Dharma to be preserved in times of crisis. Furthermore, meditative experience and realisations are said to arise swiftly for whoever practices in the beyuls. Therefore, Beyul Khandro Rolwaling is a highly sacred and significant place. It has been blessed with many treasures and is one of the meditation places of Guru Rinpoche. This sacred hidden valley is protected by Kasung Tashi Tseringma and the treasures are safely guarded by the terdag (treasure-owner) Gora Nagpo. Many powerful lamas have spent time practicing in the valley including Dzatrul Ngawang Tenzin Norbu, His Eminence Kyabje Trulzhig Rinpoche, Kyabje Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, Dephug Rinpoche, Ngawang Tsering Dondrub, Ngawang Shedrub Tenpe Gyaltsen Rinpoche, Lama Ngodrub Dorje, Lama Ngawang Trinle Gyatso, Tulku Ngawang Labsum Rinpoche All these things combined make it a very conducive and powerful area to do retreat. Sacred Sites. There are many sacred sites in Rolwaling making it possible to do pilgrimage either side of your retreat if you wish, or for it to be the sole purpose of your visit. Beding - The Footprint of Guru Rinpoche - Rolwaling Sangag Chöling Monastery (Beding Gompa) - Kephur Tshamkang - The Kephur Hermitage above Beding - Karmapa Cave Beding - Na - Urgyen Dubkhang , the Meditation Cave of Guru Rinpoche - Thrones (rocks) of Guru Rinpoche and Khandro Yeshe Tshogyal. - 'Chag go nasa’ - a rock with the Imprints of the Karmapa's head, knees and hands - Zamdar Gora - Entrance to Rolwaling - Ah rangjung ("rangzen"), the self-arisen syllable ah - Gaurishankar mountain - Chenrezig Rangjung: Self arisen image of Chenrezig - Dzambhala Rangjung: Self arisen Dzambhala - "Ne Go" (The gate to the inner beyul) - Hayagriva & Dorje Phagmo mountains Na - Pema Chöling Monastery (Na Gompa) - Tshe bum, the Long Life Vase of Guru Rinpoche Above Na - Ome Tsho: Tsheringma's Lake - Ösel Phug: Milarepa's Clear Light Cave - Chi'i Gora: the outer kora Settlements in Rolwaling As a nomadic community, the people of Rolwaling move between three settlements throughout the year. However, the earthquakes of 2015 left their smaller winter settlement largely destroyed by a landslide, leaving their year mostly spent between the two larger settlements, Beding and Na. Beding (3600m) Beding is the main village of Rolwaling situated approximately 2-3 hour walk from Na in a narrow mountainous valley alongside a glacial river. People stay mostly stay here during the spring (March, April, May & June) and autumn (October/November & December) months. Na (4200m) The summer settlement is on a slightly sloped plateau further into the valley from Beding. Surrounded by mountains on three sides, it is a warm and pleasant place in the spring, summer and autumn (April - December). The community stay here for nearly six months of the year during summer and autumn. Places for retreat Rolwaling has different options for people wishing to do retreat, ranging from places where you can be highly supported staying within a local community, to those of varying degrees of seclusion (up to a three 3 hour walk from the closest village). Whilst the houses are closer together in Beding (and therefore a little noisier), they are quite spread out in Na giving more space and quiet which is worth considering depending upon your requirements and the time of year you would like to do retreat. Houses in Beding and Na Due to many of the local people moving to Kathmandu or abroad there are a number of houses in Beding which are not in use. Therefore, it is possible to use one of these vacant village houses to do your retreat. Doing retreat in this way will mean you will have the local people there to support you if need, whilst respecting the quiet and space required for the environment to be conducive. Please see the ‘Typical Sherpa Home’ section for an idea of what the accommodation will be like. People are usually in Na for most of the year apart from the winter months (end of December to march) when they go to Kathmandu. There are usually only a few people in Beding during the summer months (July & August) when they move to Na and in winter (end of December to March when they go to Kathmandu). It could still be possible to do retreat there during these times if you are fully self-sufficient and will not need anyone to deliver supplies. Please consider whether you will be able to cope with the cold in the winter which can be very bitter and make it difficult to collect water due to freezing pipes for much of the day as well as heavy snow fall in January, February and March while the monsoon months (July & August) bring torrential rain making everything very damp (including inside) and therefore increasing the risk of sickness. The ideal times to complete retreat in the villages is June/July if you think you’ll be ok with the damp and October/November/December before the weather gets too cold. Sherpa home interior Students of Kyabje Lama Zopa Rinpoche may like to consider this area as this is where Rinpoche spent most of the years he spent in Rolwaling as a child. If you wish to do retreat in Beding or Na please contact us through the contact form on our website http://www.rolwalingvalley.com/retreats.html so we can ensure a house is available for use and help you make all necessary arrangements to visit Rolwaling and complete the retreat. Urgyen Dubkhang (Guru Rinpoche) Cave. The most important site of Rolwaling from a spiritual point of view is Urgyen Dubkhang, a cave known as Guru Rinpoche Cave in English, situated on the northern side of the valley near Na. The cave lies below a large rock which is said to resemble the hat of Guru Rinpoche. It was inside this cave that Guru Rinpoche practised tantric meditation on the deity Vajrakilaya, subsequently achieving the realization of the deity. The upper left part of the ceiling on the inner part of the cave is said to be a representation of the moon, while the upper right side is the representation of the sun. Small droplets of water known as drubchu (blessed water) drip from the area representing the moon during the summer months of Shrawan and Bhadra (July-August). That sacred water is considered to be the blessing of Guru Rinpoche. The cave and its vicinity are said to be very suitable for meditators with pure motivation. Yogis from Tibet and various reincarnated lamas of Khumbu have stayed here for solitary retreats, whilst other advanced practitioners have completed three year or three month retreats at the cave. The closest village to the cave is Na. However, despite being able to see the cave from the village, it is approximately a one hour (uphill) walk to the cave and therefore staying there will be a solitude retreat unless there are others practicing at the cave at the same time as you (there are currently two retreat rooms available). Those with enough knowledge and who feel they can manage the solitude are welcome to use the rooms around the cave (one large and one small) and the kitchen to cook their own meals either using the small wood burning stove that is there or arranging to use a gas burning stove. If two people complete retreat at the cave at the same time the kitchen will need to be shared. You can purchase wood from local villagers and the kitchen already has all the utensils you will need to cook with.