Dzogchen Cycles
Why Dzogchen Cycles?
Dawn Mountain is blessed to hold lineage teachings from Longchen Rabjam, Jigme Lingpa, and their spiritual heirs, including Ad.zom Paylo Rinpoche and the late Khetsun Sangpo Rinpoche, our teacher for several decades. Especially destined for our era and conditions, Dzogchen teachings are a further blossoming of the ancient Dzogchen Nyingthig traditions, which we practice in light of wisdom writings by Longchenpa and Jigme Lingpa.
In Dzogchen,the Great Completeness tradition of TIbet, wisdom is there from the start. Recognizing this makes a huge difference in our hearts and in our lives. Dzogchen Cycles introduces and furthers our path to our innate wisdom.
We invite you to join Dawn Mountain, on a transformative path of practice, study, and personal growth, especially destined for our era and conditions.
Starting this May, our annual 2022-2023 Dzogchen Cycles on-line program celebrates a revelation from one of the most illustrious Dzogchen masters in Tibet today. These teachings unite the compassion of Avalokieshvara with Dzogchen spaciousness with poetic songs revealed by Adzom Paylo Rinpoche.
Rinpoche received these teachings during his day-long direct encounter with Avalokiteshvara on Potu Island, off the coast of Shanghai. This mountainous isle has for centuries been revered as the home of Avalokiteshvara, known in China as Kuan Yin.
With Rinpoche’s encouragement and blessings, these profound and simple poems from his Lotus Heart Essence cycle of Dzogchen will be taught for the very first time in the West by Dawn Mountain founders Lamas Rigzin Drolma and Namgyal Dorje (Anne C. Klein & Harvey Aronson), who report that “ Rinpoche revealed that during this encounter he received the entire Dzogchen teachings of Avalokiteshvara. We and Dawn Mountain are beyond honored and inspired to be sharing them with you all.”
The Lotus Heart Essence: Avalokiteshvara’s Dzogchen
Monday, May 9th through Sunday, May 15th
This week-long retreat immerses us in six pithy Dzogchen practice poems received from Avalokiteshvara. It includes prayers, a way of becoming Avalokiteshvara oneself, odes that liberate through hearing, and pith practices that reveal the inner meaning of Om Mani Padme Hum. All are methods for realizing our own mind nature, all contain quintessential instructions for awakening.
Lotus Heart Essence: The Very Heart of the Great Compassionate One’s Liberation of All Beings
Friday September 30th to Sunday October 2nd
This weekend retreat takes us more deeply into the main practice introduced in May, a sadhana that seamlessly unites us with Avalokiteshvara, universal compassion, and the wisdom of Dzogchen. Rinpoche closes the text by saying “Those who practice this with excellence gain liberation in this life. Those with middling skill find realization and freedom in the Bardo. Others find the supreme pure land. In the end, self and others find liberation.”
Liberation through Hearing the Seven Syllables: A Vast Golden Heart
Friday February 24 to Sunday February 26, 2023
During Losar, the Tibetan New Year, wholesome activities are said to be amplified a hundred thousand times. The Dzogchen transmission of the seven syllables Om Mani Padme Hum are our focus in this retreat. Sounding the syllables with such understanding yields liberation simply through hearing. Rinpoche introduces it as “…a method for ending the continuing of bad times while bestowing both ordinary and supreme feats of accomplishment. Practice it and be fortunate.”
Unique Features of Full Dzogchen Cycles Program
We encourage those of you who want to deep your overall practice and understanding of Dzogchen to take our Full Cycles program. Each year is carefully planned so that its retreats support and strengthened each other, and also complement previous years. Your learning is additionally supported because you have access to a mentor, a senior student whom we have trained to help guide you, you are also invited to a peer bi-monthly peer support group, as well as follow-ups to each of our three retreats so as to give you more time to process and received feedback on it. All included in your annual Cycles fee.
A La Carte Participation
This provides maximum flexibility; some students are attracted to one or more courses from different years. Once you are accepted to Cycles, you may take any course appropriate to your level of experience at that time. There are no other meetings nor a mentor option. Should you wish to join full cycles at some point, you need only write us, you need not reapply.
Please submit an application here. If you are interested in prior retreats, please reach out to us, and we will provide you with a link to register, and after paying the appropriate fee, you can take the class at your discretion (some retreats are limited to those with prior experience).
Past Dzochen Cycles Events
Upon approval of you application, either as a Full Cycles Member or an A La Carté participant, you are eligible to take past Dzogchen Cycles events. Here is a list of the events we have had previously.
2017-2018
Longchenpa’s Seven Trainings
Becoming Guru Rinpoche
Severance Though Offering
2018-2019
Yeshe Tsogyal: Wisdom Dakini Foundations
Secrets of Wisdom
Green Tara Practice Retreat
2019-2020
Yeshe Tsogyal: Accomplishment
Jigme Lingpa Severance: Deep Wisdom
Guru Yoga
2020-2021
Yeshe Tsogyal Practice Retreat
Troma Severance
Troma Practice Retreat
2021-2022
Yeshe Tsogyal 2021
Embodying the Elements
Dakini Element Practice
