In the words of Machig Labdrön:

Abandon the notion of permanence and reality.
Wander alone in desolate valleys, without concern for your body or life.
Work for the benefit of others and offer your body to feed the demons…
Since at the level of pure and ultimate truth, neither gods nor demons exist, 
You should understand that even the stains of karma, once ripened,
Are unable to affect the natural purity of suchness of all phenomena.

(In Jerome Edou, Machig Labdrön and the Foundations of Chöd, p.67)

We are pleased to announce that our inaugural, Magyu Biennial Gathering: an Honoring of the Mother Lineage, will be offered this summer on the land at Tara Mandala. This special retreat will provide a long-awaited opportunity to connect in-person with our cherished sangha and to dive deeply into the teachings of Machig Labdrön, while immersing ourselves in the natural beauty of the surrounding environment.

Tara Mandala extends a warm invitation to all of Lama Tsultrim’s students who are members of the Magyu program. An honoring of the Mother Lineage through this first Magyu Gathering is an acknowledgement of our shared commitment to hold this fresh stream of teachings from our beloved teacher, Lama Tsultrim, and is a recognition of our karmic connection to the great yogini, Machig Labdrön.

In this retreat, you will receive teachings from the Chöd lineage and engage in daily Chöd practice. There will be a special virtual teaching session with Lama Tsultrim Allione. (And there is a possibility that Lama Tsultrim will join us in person!) Other teachers will give dharma talks in person. We will focus our group practice on the Chöd of Chögyal Namkhai Norbu Rinpoche in the evenings, and will have opportunities to include the practice of Dentog Chigma Chöd for those who are familiar and have received the transmission

We will gather as a group for morning Prajnaparamita practice on our beloved Prayer Flag Ridge and each evening we will close the day in the main shrine room for Chöd practice. As a special highlight, there will be an optional overnight wilderness stay in the Kapala meadow, for those wishing to explore or even launch the start of their own personal experience of the Chöd Dulzhug Pilgrimage. Our morning and afternoon teaching sessions will include breakout groups for specific discussions, integrative Magyu practices (such as Feeding Your Demons®), instrument mastery workshops as well as special dharma talks to deepen our understanding and connection to our Chöd lineages.

Who Can Attend?

• This retreat is open to all members of the Magyu: The Mother Lineage program.
• If you are a member of the Magyu program as well as a member of one of our other long-term programs such as Gateway and Osel Nyingtig, please know that time and opportunity will be provided every day so you can maintain your samaya and practice commitments in these respective cycles.
• If you are a member of the Magyu: The Mother Lineage program and are unable to attend this gathering, a parallel opportunity to enter into a personal solitary retreat with select sessions from the onsite programming and virtual support will be made available for registration soon.
• Anyone facing financial limitations and desiring to contribute to Tara Mandala’s dharma activities while also attending this retreat, can consider our Work Exchange Retreat Program. With this program, we hope to make the experience of retreat at our Tara Mandala retreat center a possibility for everyone. Please visit this link to learn more and apply.

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, in order to attend this retreat, please note you will need to:

• To be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and provide proof of this vaccination.
• Please visit this page to submit a scanned image of your Covid-19 vaccination card (or similar form of evidence) and to review and submit acknowledgement of our Tara Mandala’s Visitor Release and Waiver of Liability and Tara Mandala’s Assumption of Risk and Waiver of Liability Relating to Coronavirus/Covid-19 which you will be asked to sign in-person upon arrival.
• Read our information on Tara Mandala’s Covid-19 Safety Protocols for In-Person Retreats.

Are There Prerequisites?

• Practitioners wishing to participate in this retreat must have already applied for and been accepted into the Magyu: The Mother Lineage Program before registering.
• It is encouraged but not required that practitioners receive the lung/transmission and teachings for CNNR Chöd and/or Dentog Chigma Chöd in advance of this retreat in order to benefit the most from support sessions and group practice.
• If you have not received the lung/transmission for any of the chöd practices mentioned above, below you will find opportunities to receive transmission and teaching before this event:
  • To receive the lung/transmission for CNNR Chod, please click here.
  • The Self-Paced CNNR Chöd Online Course is available for students year round once they have received the lung/transmission.
  • A CNNR Chod Daylong Intensive Virtual Retreat will be offered on April 30, 2022.  Dentog Chigma Chöd: The Method for Accomplishment on One Seat – VIRTUAL RETREAT will be offered June 4-8, 2022. 
  • If you are unable to receive the lung/transmission and teachings for these chöd practices and are a member of the Magyu program, you are still encouraged to attend and special instructions will be provided on how to receive the benefits of the practice of chöd during group practice sessions.

What to Bring:

• Implements for the practice of Chöd: Chöd drum, bell, and kangling. These implements are  available through our Dakini store. Note: it is not required that you have all of these items upon attending the retreat, however, eventually they are necessary to do the full practice.
• Your own copy of the respective Chöd sadhana practice texts

Entering into Solo Retreat
We invite Magyu practitioners to consider attending this gathering as a gateway to enter into solitary retreat directly after this retreat ends. Please visit this page if you are interested in securing a retreat cabin for solo retreat.

Tiered-Prices
Tara Mandala is working to expand opportunities for access to Buddhist teachings and practices while offering an equity-informed fee structure when possible. With our new tiered pricing, we strive to make the Dharma more accessible to all while furthering the important conversations that must happen around current structures that inhibit equal access to underprivileged communities. We encourage you to select the registration tier at the highest level within your capacity to assist Tara Mandala in covering the costs of offering these wonderful teachings. We thank you in advance for your support and your practice!

We have restructured lodging options and prices to make lodging more affordable and accessible to all participants – click here to learn more.

The Total Price for this retreat consists of a Room & Board Fee and a Program Fee, allowing each participant to select the options for each that are most appropriate and accessible:

ROOM & BOARD FEE

Commuting: $236
Participants choosing this fee option will have access to 3 meals a day (dinner on first day, and breakfast on last day) and the use of Tara Mandala’s facilities during their visit each day while commuting daily. Please note that this option may not be available for some select retreats.

Standard Room & Board: $472
On a first-come first-serve basis, participants choosing this fee option can choose from Camping,  Yurt Dorm, and Prajna Double Room lodging. Access to 3 meals a day (dinner on first day, and breakfast on last day) and the use of Tara Mandala’s facilities is included.

Prajna Single Queen Room & Board: $1,260
Participants choosing this fee option can choose to stay in a Single Prajna Queen Bed Room with shared bathroom. Access to 3 meals a day (dinner on first day, and breakfast on last day) and the use of Tara Mandala’s facilities is included.

PROGRAM FEE

$234 – Tier 1
Registration at this level covers the basic costs for this retreat and allows Tara Mandala to maintain sustainability.

$305 – Tier 2
Registration at this level covers the program costs for this retreat and provides additional support for the year-round work of Tara Mandala.

$187 – Access Level
Registration at this level is offered at 20% below the cost of holding this retreat to assist participants with financial limitations and encourage the exploration and practice of dharma.

Choosing the Tier 1 or Tier 2 levels allows Tara Mandala to continue to make dharma teachings accessible and inclusive while also allowing its year-round operations to continue and expand while being a repository for wisdom literature, a center for translation, a beacon for the feminine in Buddhism. Tara Mandala is an  active dharma organization, retreat center that provides refuge for deep practice and transformation.

There are many ways to support and engage with Tara Mandala’s worldwide activities. Click here to learn more. We appreciate your support and generosity!

Offering dana to the teacher: The practice of offering dana, which means “generosity,” is the traditional offering the student makes to the teacher as a symbol of appreciation, gratitude, and reciprocity for receiving the precious teachings. Information on offering dana to the teacher will be provided during the retreat. To learn more about dana and suggested dana ranges, please click here. 

Payment Plans and Financial Assistance
Tara Mandala offers Deferred Payment Plans and a Work Exchange Retreat Program as resources for anyone with financial limitations. Please note that scholarships are not available for our in-person retreats in Colorado. 

Sustaining Sangha:

If you are currently a member of our Sustaining Sangha, you may apply your Retreat discount to this course.

Click Here for Our Onsite Retreat Cancellation and Refund Policy