Outer Tara Sadhana Retreat with Lama Ani Kunga
Sadhana of the Two Accumulations from the practice of Tara’s Triple Excellence
1-17 February 2020
The sadhana of the Two Accumulations is practiced by all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism and is the first of the sadhanas that participants of Tara’s Triple Excellence practice.
The sadhana, endowed with unique blessings and benefits, is a terma hidden by Guru Rinpoche and revealed by the great tertön, Chokgyur Lingpa.
It is also said to be the best practice to gather conducive conditions to make a dharma center flourish. This February, our practice will coincide with an important renovation goal for Gomde Pyrenees: We wish to make Gomde accessible for the disabled. We welcome you wholeheartedly to join and support us through your practice. By practicing the Outer Tara Sadhana whilst renovation activities are planned, we help ensure there are no obstacles.
Please take advantage of this auspicious opportunity for your practice and support of Gomde's development goals!
Tara’s Triple Excellence participants / Requirements
We advise you to be cautious about joining the sadhana practice if you have not had experience with sadhanas, recitations and/or long meditation sessions.
This sadhana belongs to the outer tantra class of Kryia and Charya tantra. Therefore, there are certain physical disciplines connected with this practice: specifically, body cleanliness, and abstaining from meat, alcohol, cigarettes, garlic, eggs and onions. The kitchen will prepare all our meals accordingly.
Even if you have not yet finished the first two Excellences, the retreat will be very beneficial for you and you are more than welcome to attend. However, please note that the retreat will not count towards your accumulation of 108 until you have completed the second excellence and received the empowerment.
You may attend the retreat even if you have not yet received the Outer Tara sadhana empowerment.
During this retreat you will complete a part of the Third Excellence Part I. For more information please feel free to contact us by email: hello@gomde.fr
Tentative daily schedule:
February 1
Participants arrive on February 1
15.00 - 16.30 Registration
17.00 - 18.00 Protector practice, Zur and Meditation
18.00 - 18.30 Dharma service job meetings
18.30 - 20.00 Dinner
February 2-15
06.00 - 08.00 Group Tara sadhana session with sang
08.00 - 09.00 Breakfast
09.30 - 11.30 Group Tara sadhana session in English
12.00 Lunch
14.30 - 16.30 Group Tara sadhana session
17.15- 18.00 Question and Answer session
18.00 Dinner
19.00 - 21.00 Group Tara sadhana session
February 16
06.00 - 08.00 Group Tara sadhana session with sang
08.00 - 09.00 Breakfast
09.30 - 11.30 Group Tara sadhana session in English
13:00 -14.30 Lunch at Restaurant in La Bastide for retreat participants and retreat helpers
16.30 - 17.30 Protector Practice, Meditation and Zur
18.30 - 19.30 Dinner
February 17
07.00 - 08.00 Concise Daily Practice with smoke offering and white Zur
08.00 - 09.00 Breakfast
09.30 - 11:00 Optional meditation session for Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche's anniversary
*All are welcome to stay for this extra session.
Please tell us before 1 Feb if you plan to stay for lunch on 17 Feb so our kitchen will be prepared.
Program fees and reservation:
The fee includes all meals, accommodation and the practicalities of running the retreat. Gomde Pyrenees is working hard to keep the cost for the retreat low, because we want to make this retreat affordable for all. The accommodation and meals are included for the period from 1 Feb until the departure on 17 Feb.
The retreat fees are: 560€ for the full retreat with Lama Ani Kunga (1 Feb - 17 Feb), accommodation at Gomde, and including all meals and teachings. A reduced rate of 420€ is available for students / unemployed or retired participants.
Please see below for additional information about reduced fee options / Please Note:
During this retreat period, renovations may be undertaken at Gomde to adapt one of our bathrooms to make it suitable for the disabled by providing wheelchair access. The Gomde house shrine room and the individual rooms for accomodation will not be affected by the renovation plans. Should the bathroom construction activities occur during the retreat, there may be some inconveniences such as unanticipated noise / dust.
In case this occurs we will do our best to minimise any inconveniences, and we will offer you a discount / partial refund of the retreat fee. We appreciate your understanding and your willingness to accomodate the changing situation.
Please reserve your retreat and accommodation in the booking form below.
Our fees are based on the costs that will include flying our teachers and translators over to Gomde, and hosting participants and helpers for the retreat. It also is based on the idea of contributing a small donation to support Gomde's growth and development. Taking this into account we have tried to make the price as affordable as possible. However, should you really wish to participate and the only thing keeping you from coming is a financial concern, please contact us and we will do our best to make an arrangement that will work for you.
You can contact us by e-mailing: hello@gomde.fr
Note on offerings
Our teachers, atterndants & translators do not receive any payment for their time and for the teachings. Gomde Pyrénées will make a small offering to them at the end of the program, but we encourage you to make a personal donation to them should you have the financial resources and as an expression of your appreciation for their offerings in time and dharma teachings.
Important: no ATM banking possibilities in vicinity
Please do note that there are no ATM / banking possibilities at Gomde Pyrénées or in the nearby vicinity. Please ensure that you have sufficient cash with you before you arrive at Gomde.
Accommodation and meals
Gomde Pyrénées can offer single room and shared accommodation. The accomodation fee is based on single rooms, but it may be possible to attend at a reduced rate in a shared room if we have sufficient space. Please write to us to enquire about this possibility. The rooms are quite simple, but comfortable and clean. Pillows and blankets will be provided. If you plan to attend, please make sure that you register without delay, since there are only a limited amount of rooms available.
We will serve three vegeterian meals daily and will also offer an afternoon tea break. A cook will spoil us with simple, delicious vegetarian food. If you have any food allergy, please inform us, so we can try to make the necessary arrangements. We will try our best to accommodate but due to limited facilities can not always guarantee this 100%.
This sadhana belongs to the outer tantra class of Kryia and Charya tantra. Therefore, there are certain physical disciplines connected with this practice: specifically, body cleanliness, and abstaining from meat, alcohol, cigarettes, garlic, eggs and onions. The kitchen will prepare all our meals accordingly.
Transport to and from Perpignan
The closest bigger city to Gomde Pyrénées is Perpignan. There is an airport with flights from Ryanair and Air France. There is also a train station with trains from Barcelona, Paris, Toulouse, Girona and other places.
From Perpignan to Gomde, the only really viable option is a car. Gomde can help organise pick-ups, but our ability to do so is limited, so please do not wait until the last minute to organize your transportation. Please understand that we may ask you to wait in Perpignan until a group assembles to avoid multiple trips for our driver. Please send us a message in advance of your trip if you will be needing a pickup.
http://bit.ly/Gomde-Pyrenees-Car-Pool
The drive from Perpignan to Gomde takes 1hr and 15 mins on very windy narrow roads. If you are prone to car sickness please prepare yourself in whatever way works best for you.
The most usual routes to get to Perpignan are:
For trains in France and Spain you can use the following site: https://www.trainline.eu/
Flixbus also runs long distance buses into both Girona and Perpignan. You can find more information at their site at https://www.flixbus.com/bus-schedule-bus-stop/perpignan
Retreat helpers needed
We need a couple of extra retreat helpers in order for this retreat to run smoothly. As a helper you will stay free of charge at Gomde during the retreat, and can attend at least one session a day. As Milarepa said, the yogi in retreat and the one serving him will attain enlightenment at the same time. Therefore, please do not underestimate the benefits of helping and supporting those doing sincere and authentic practice. If you would like to be a retreat helper, please contact hello@gomde.fr
Stay updated!
We have a lot of interesting events coming up. If you would like to receive the latest news, subscribe now by simply sending your email address to hello@gomde.fr or by filling in the subscription form on our website at http://www.gomde.fr/news/
Please also visit our website at gomde.fr or our Facebook page at facebook.com/gomdepyrenees
Financial sustainability of the Dharma Center
Having gone through extensive renovations, Gomde is well on its way to becoming the beautiful retreat centre that Rinpoche envisioned when he chose this magnificent location. The rooms have had their windows enlarged and offer magnificent views, new French balconies have been installed in each room; the lakhang has been renovated (wooden floor insulation, large ceiling to floor windows) and the centre has already hosted a number of long term retreats.
To accomplish all this work, however, we needed to take out a loan of 120,000 Euros. This loan does not cover what is needed to meet the daily running costs or the renovation work remaining necessary at Gomde to bring us into compliance with all health and safety codes needed for long term retreats and the larger programs. In order to sustain this beautiful place for our sangha to to be a perfect host to you for longer retreats we need your support!
You can support the development of Gomde by making a one-time or monthly donation (no matter how small!) by one of the methods listed below. Your contribution will help you to feel closer and become more of a supporting memeber at Gomde Pyrenees, and will generate a tremendous amount of merit for you and our sangha. Together we look forward to participating in this joyful effort. Thank you greatly for helping Rinpoche’s vision for our centre to unfold!
Support Gomde’s activities by becoming a monthly patron
3 Kayas patrons: 408 euros a month
6 Paramita patrons: 208 euros a month
21 Tara patrons: 108 euros each a month
37 Enlightened qualities patrons: 37 euros a month
Special Benefits for Monthly Patrons
Each category of giving carries certain benefits: 3 Kaya Patrons will receive one FREE seminar for ever year of Monthly Sponsorship; 6 Paramita Patrons receive a 70% discount for a seminar of their choice each year; 21 Tara Patrons receive a 40% discount on a seminar of their choice each year, and 37 Enlightened Patrons earn a 10% discount annually for a seminar of their choice. The discount includes seminar food and also room and board for the duration of the chosen seminar!
Support Gomde’s renovation work by making a donation
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us anytime at hello@gomde.fr
Looking forward to meeting and welcoming you soon at Gomde Pyrenees!
