4 Higher Kalachakra Empowerments & Retreat with Khentrul Rinpoche

in-person only
August 14th – 23th (9 nights)

This is for registration for the Kalachakra Four Higher Empowerments and Retreat (week 1) only.
If you would like to participate in the following weeks 2-4 of the retreat, you also need to register here as well. 

Rinpoche has kindly accepted a request to bestow the Four Higher Empowerments of Kalachakra in Europe again. After receiving these empowerments, you will have all the qualifications to prepare yourself to enter the profound completion stage of Kalachakra in the future. To ensure that students succeed in their paths, Rinpoche bestows these Higher Empowerments only to pre-approved students who genuinely wish to deepen their practice of the Kalachakra path. This is an important step to reinforce the bond between vajra master and student in working together towards enlightenment. You are more than welcome to present yourself as a candidate to receive these empowerments by sending your application here. To make sure that we can evaluate your application in time, please send it in as soon as possible. However, if you have already been approved, you can simply register for this event directly. 

The last time Rinpoche gave these Higher Empowerments in Europe was in 2017. Do not miss this opportunity if you are considering applying, because it may take years for us to be able to receive them again. (Note: the Kalachakra Four Higher Empowerments are not the same Kalachakra Empowerments that Rinpoche has given in Hong Kong in 2020 and in other places such as in Vienna in 2019, which are called “The Seven Empowerments of a Growing Child”.)

About the Empowerments and Retreat
“Up to this point, our use of conceptual methods has been instrumental in removing our many layers of misconception, but as they are embedded in the dualistic mind, these methods function as a subtle barrier to experiencing our definitive nature. For this reason, we need to abandon them in favour of a direct approach that works without conceptual fabrications. We can achieve this transformation from conceptual to non-conceptual in two steps. Firstly we are introduced to the Kalachakra view by receiving the Four Higher Empowerments. Secondly, with the establishment of this view, we use the unique meditation technique of the Three Isolations (Wensum) to cut the proliferation of thoughts and abide in the nature of the mind.” (Khentrul Rinpoche, “Unveiling Your Sacred Truth 3”)

The retreat encompasses 1) a day of preparations with Preliminary Practices, Guru Puja, Kalachakra-Tsok, and a walk in the nature with Rinpoche, 2) The Kalachakra Four Higher Empowerments, 3) Teaching-Transmission of the Wensum (Three Isolations) Practice, 4) a printed booklet about the Empowerments and Practice, 5) “Secret Dakini Treasure” Sadhana oral transmission 6) A personal interview with Rinpoche (upon request; Rinpoche will be presented in-person only during the first days of the retreat), 7) one week of Kalachakra Dark Meditation Retreat (Three Isolations / Wensum) with practice sessions guided by senior students, as well as 8) food and accommodations at the Dzokden Kalapa Retreat Center. 

SCHEDULE
14th August afternoon – arrivals and introduction (check-in 2 PM – 5 PM)
15h August – Dharma Protector Day – Kalachakra Preliminary Practices, Guru Puja Ritual and Kalachakra-Tsok, Walk in the nature around Dzokden Kalapa Retreat Center with Rinpoche
16th August – New Moon – Four Higher Empowerments and teaching-transmission of the Three Isolations (Wensum) practice.
16th – 23th August – Kalachakra Dark Meditation Retreat; personal interviews with Rinpoche
23th August – check-out 12 PM – 2 PM

How to prepare for this retreat
If this will be your first time taking part, we strongly encourage you to prepare yourself as much as you can with the Kalachakra Preliminary Practices. In addition to the longer sadhanas “Divine Ladder” and “Enlightening the Heart”, you will need to know the sadhana “Secret Dakini Treasure”. For the latter, you must register here for the oral commentary Rinpoche gave recently if you have not already done so. We encourage you to study all the sadhanas as much as you can, including the transliterations and chantings, because there will be some sessions of chanting in Tibetan without a recording during the retreat.

Materials
Bring your practice book “The Profound Path of Vajra Yoga”. You can also bring Rinpoche’s commentary “The Hidden Treasure” as a reference for your practice. Other reading materials not directly related to the Wensum practice are not allowed during the retreat period.

Retreat Information and Guidelines
After the Four Higher Empowerments on August 16th, the strict retreat will begin. The retreat will be closed and in silence. During this period, participants are not allowed to receive visitors or use computers, tablet devices, mobile phones, and so forth. We can store personal phones and other electronic devices in our office. If someone needs to contact you in case of emergency, they can email [email protected] or call +43 676 395 8898. Both e-mailbox and phone will be checked at least once each day. Rinpoche advises participants to follow the retreat guidelines respectfully, not only for the success of their own practice, but also to avoid disturbing others. 

The daily schedule starting on the 16th August consists of four practice sessions and additional activities such as occasional pujas, interviews, and so forth. Participation in two daily group sessions is mandatory unless health conditions completely prevent you from taking part. The remaining two sessions can be practiced in your own room if you prefer. Practice sessions will be conducted in English and Tibetan. If you absolutely prefer, you can bring copies of the texts in your own language as well and read them silently while the group recites in English. 

In the Jonang Tradition, this practice is done using a special mindfold to generate complete darkness. You do not need to buy this in advance. We will buy it for you and you will receive it as a gift after Rinpoché has blessed it for you to practice. Also, if you are attending the Higher Empowerments for the first time, we will give you a meditation belt. If you arealdy have one, then we will ask Rinpoché to bless yours.

Registration
The fee for the retreat includes three vegetarian meals and shared accommodations at the beautiful Dzokden Kalapa Retreat Center. Please inform us ([email protected]) in advance if you have allergies, food intolerances, or other important health or mental conditions that we need to consider. Please email [email protected] in advance if you absolutely need a partial scholarship. 

We cannot offer space for individual rooms for participants of this event. However, you can alternatively bring your own tent and sleep outside near the Kalachakra Stupa (see registration options below).

Please note: Parking in the area of Kalapa is very limited. If you are staying with us for the whole retreat, we encourage you to drop off then find a space to park at a distance to help other travellers reach the site.

How to get to Kalapa?
Kalachakra Kalapa Center, Garanas 41, Bad Schwanberg, zip code 8541, Austria, Südweststeiermark.
The nearest airport is in Graz, Austria.

By train:
To travel to Kalapa by train, start at the main train station in Graz. From there, take the S6 or S61 S-Bahn towards Wies-Eibiswald for about an hour to the Bad Schwanberg station. (timetable information)

To travel from the Bad Schwanberg train station to the retreat center, a relatively inexpensive taxi service supported by the government is available that will take you directly to the Retreat Center, which is referred to as “Buddhistisches Zentrum” by this taxi service. For more information, please visit the following website: Regio Mobil. The taxi must be ordered at least one hour in advance, but visitors are recommended to do so much earlier or on the day before you intend to arrive. On weekdays, this taxi service operates between the hours of 6.00 a.m. and 8.00 p.m. On weekends it does not operate during the evening. As the journey is quite long (about 20 minutes), the service should be scheduled at least half an hour before the closing hours provided above. For trips on Sundays or public holidays please schedule the taxi service by 5 p.m. on the day before you intend to arrive.

To order: +43 (0)50 16 17 18
Cost: €6.00 total regardless of how many people are taking the taxi.
Alternatively you can book a normal taxi service or similar.

By car:
From the Graz-West motorway junction (A2/A9), get on the A2 towards Klagenfurt/Italy and take the Lieboch exit. Then, continue on Federal Road 76 towards Eibiswald. After about 30 km, you will reach Schwanberg. At the end of the main square in Schwanberg, turn left towards Garanas. After the bridge, turn right towards Garanas and follow the signs to “Kalachakra Kalapa Center” uphill for about 8 km to reach the center.