Tsembupa Avalokiteshvara Program
At Tsechen Kunchab Ling
At Tsechen Kunchab Ling
His Holiness the Sakya Trichen
Venerable Khenpo Kalsang Gyaltsen is delighted to announce that His Holiness the Sakya Trichen has consented to bestow the Tsembupa Avalokiteshvara Empowerment and Teachings at Tsechen Kunchab Ling in June, 2023. All teachings will be simultaneously translated into Mandarin and Spanish. His Eminence Ngor Thartse Khen Rinpoche has kindly consented to give the afternoon reteaching sessions.
Tsembupa Avalokiteshvara is a very special anuttarayoga tantra version of the practice of the Greatly Compassionate One. It originates from the great Tibetan mahasiddha Tsembupa, who led a very simple, secluded life in retreat. Due to his very high realization, many monasteries requested him to become their abbot, but he declined, always devoting himself to diligent solitary meditation. He practiced all gurus as one; all deities as one; all mantras as one; and all meditations as one, combined in the practice of the Greatly Compassionate Avalokiteshvara. The many pure visions and blessings that came to him gave rise to this special complete Avalokiteshvara practice, which supplements the meditation on the great compassionate one with sleeping yoga, arising yoga, washing yoga, tsog, fire puja, and rituals for the living and deceased.
His Holiness will begin the Tsembupa Avalokiteshvara program by bestowing a two-day Avalokiteshvara Major Empowerment on June 3-4. This is a pre-requisite for the teachings.
Following the empowerment, His Holiness will bestow four days of instructions on how to practice the Tsembupa Avalokiteshvara meditation and associated yogas, with afternoon teaching sessions led by His Eminence Ngor Thartse Khen Rinpoche followed by a fifth day on which students will make a long-life offering to His Holiness the Sakya Trichen.
Following the teachings, students are welcome to undertake a one-month retreat on the Tsembupa Avalokiteshvara practice in the Tsechen Kunchab Ling retreat cabins. Please contact sakya@sakyatemple.org for more information on doing retreat.
Because the teachings are highest yoga tantra teachings, they will be offered in person only, not online. We hope you will be able to make the journey to Tsechen Kunchab Ling to receive these profound teachings from His Holiness the Sakya Trichen and His Eminence Ngor Thartse Khen Rinpoche.
His Eminence Ngor Thartse Khen Rinpoche
Key Information
| Date | Time | Event |
|---|---|---|
| Friday, June 2 | Arrival of students participating in teachings | |
| 10:30 am | Audiences with His Holiness | |
| 12:30 pm | Registration and Welcome reception hosted by Venerable Khenpo Kalsang Gyaltsen | |
| Saturday, June 3 | 2:30 pm | Avalokiteshvara Major Empowerment. This is a pre-requisite for the teachings. |
| Sunday, June 4 (Vesak Day) | Tsembupa Teachings – Day One | |
| 9:30 am | Morning session | |
| 2:30 pm | Afternoon session | |
| Monday, June 5 | Tsembupa Teachings – Day Two | |
| 9:30 am | Morning session | |
| 2:30 pm | Afternoon session | |
| Tuesday, June 6 | Tsembupa Teachings Day Three | |
| 9:30 am | Morning session | |
| 2:30 pm | Afternoon session | |
| Wednesday, June 7 | Tsembupa Teachings Day Four | |
| 9:30 am | Morning session | |
| 2:30 pm | Afternoon session | |
| 6:00 pm | A Lakeside Tibetan Evening with the Holy Family. For more information, click here. | |
| Thursday, June 8 | Tsembupa Teachings Day Five | |
| 9:30 am | Morning session | |
| 2:30 pm | Afternoon session | |
| Friday, June 9 | Tsembupa Teachings Day Six | |
| 9:30 am | Morning session | |
| 2:30 pm | Afternoon session | |
| Saturday, June 10 | 10:00 am | Medicine Buddha Empowerment and Program hosted by Palden Sakya Centers |
The temple is offering the teachings free of charge. Sponsors are gratefully appreciated and make it possible for the temple to offer the teachings to everyone. See below for sponsorship opportunities.
An undertaking of this size and cost is only possible with the generosity of devoted Dharma sponsors. All those with fortunate means and motivation are invited to share in the great merit of hosting these profound teachings. In addition to the virtuous karma of being a patron of the Dharma, sponsoring this profound teaching cycle is a very special way to strengthen one’s connection to these profound teachings.
Gold Patron – $5,000
Silver Patron – $2,500
Patrons’ generosity covers the considerable costs of hosting the teachings. In appreciation for patrons’ kindness in making the teaching possible for all, patrons receive special priority patron seating in the assembly, a special table at Lakeside Tibetan Evening with His Holiness the Sakya Trichen and lamas on June 7th, gifts of appreciation, and recognition at a special audience with His Holiness on the afternoon of June 9th. Patron seating is provided for the patron themselves and one family member. Two people may join together to become a patron.
Publication Sponsor – $1,000
Publication sponsors cover the cost of preparing, printing, and distributing the prayers, sadhanas, and other publications distributed during the teachings. Publication sponsors are recognized during the teachings and acknowledged in the publications distributed to the assembly. All Publication Sponsors are invited to attend the Lakeside Tibetan Evening with His Holiness the Sakya Trichen and a special audience with His Holiness on June 9.
All Gold and Silver Patrons and Publication Sponsors are also recognized as members of Tsechen Kunchab Ling for one year.
In addition, those who wish to sponsor empowerments, meals for the sangha, tea, and flowers, please inquire onsite at the registration desk after you arrive.
Membership Opportunities
We welcome you as a member of Tsechen Kunchab Ling, the seat of the Sakya Dolma Phodrang in the Americas. As a temple member, you are an official part of His Holiness the Sakya Trichen’s temple Dharma family. Your membership offering makes the daily activities of the temple possible and supports the efforts of Khenpo Kalsang Gyaltsen and the resident sangha as they strive to carry out His Holiness’ intentions for the growth of the Dharma in the West. New members are welcome.
The temple welcomes those who wish to accumulate merit by offering service to the temple and sangha during their stay. Volunteers may help in various ways, including parking, cleaning and resetting the shrine room each afternoon. A regular commitment of an hour a day is requested from those who wish to become official volunteers from June 2 through June 9. Official volunteers who offer their service diligently during the teachings will be recognized during a special audience with His Holiness at the end of the teachings. Please note the jobs with which you would like to help on your registration form.
- Strict enforcement of the rule that everyone wears a mask indoors at all times.
- Ventilation fans turned to the maximum in the shrine hall.
- Windows opened at all times in the shrine hall. As this may make the room too hot or cold, students who are temperature sensitive should bring extra layers of clothing to warm themselves and/or a handheld personal fan to cool themselves.
- Drinks and snacks served as part of traditional tea offerings will be distributed in sealed containers so that those who wish to do so can consume them later outside the building in an outdoor or private place.
A large number of people are expected to attend His Holiness’ teachings in Walden. As space in Tsechen Kunchab Ling’s shrine room is limited, seating in the shrine room will be prioritized for monks and nuns, gold and silver patrons, publication sponsors, and temple members. Attendees who are not monks, nuns, patrons, sponsors, or temple members should expect to sit in the event room below the shrine hall, where they will be able to receive the empowerments and teachings via large-screen video monitor.
Because young children find it difficult to sit quietly for several hours to listen to teachings, children 11 years and under, and their parents will be seated in a child-friendly space with a carpet, books, and toys in the event room immediately below the shrine hall, and the child and their family will receive the teachings via large-screen video monitor.
- Bring your vajra and bell.
- Bring your own masks.
- Please do not bring audio or video recording equipment as no individual audio or video recording will be allowed. Students wishing to have a copy of the teachings will be able to purchase a professionally recorded copy of the teachings for a reasonable price at the end of the teaching cycle.
- Also, please no pets.
Please make your own arrangements. There are many restaurants nearby.
Please arrange your own housing. A list of local options is available on our website . A forum for students looking to share housing and transportation is available–please see below for more information. We regret that there are no accommodations available at the temple, and camping on the temple grounds is not allowed during the teachings and empowerments.
If you would like to coordinate housing arrangements with other students, this forum is available to use. To use the forum:
- Click on the Google groups button:
- Sign into your Google (i.e. Gmail) account, or create one if you don’t already have one
- Click on the discussion category “Accommodation: Looking for roommate(s)”
- Create a new topic with your request or respond to one of the existing ones to find a roommate
For information on how to get to the temple from airports, click here.
Please arrange your own transportation. A car may be necessary for travel in the temple area as there is no local public transportation. Please keep in mind that there is limited parking lot space on site, so ride sharing is highly encouraged. If you would like to coordinate rides with other students, the Google Group linked to below is available as a resource.
- Click on the Google groups button:
- Sign into your Google (i.e. Gmail) account, or create one if you don’t already have one
- Click on the discussion category “Transportation: Looking for car ride”
- Create a new topic with your request or respond to one of the existing ones to find a roommate
Some parking is available onsite. An overflow parking lot is also available nearby. At the request of the local police and our neighbors, please do not park on the streets.
His Holiness the Sakya Trichen has explained that the Avalokiteshvara empowerment that he will bestow on June 3 is a required prerequisite for receiving the remainder of the teaching program. Even if a student has received a two-day Hevajra or Chakrasamvara empowerment in the past, this does not satisfy the prerequisite. Concerning the commitments, it is good to practice the sadhana and mantra recitation after receiving the teachings, however there are no specific promises.
The teachings will be simultaneously translated into Mandarin and Spanish.
To listen to the translations, you must bring:
- An FM radio (example)
- Headphones
- Batteries