This retreat is an offering of great benefit to the committed practitioner. It offers a base of study and practice that will create a firm foundation for Vajrayana and Dzogchen practice. Following the historical development of Buddhism, this retreat will cover the three important tenets of Buddhist training: discipline, meditative concentration and wisdom. Participants will be introduced to the Vehicles (Yanas) of Tibetan Buddhism and the general history of Buddhism, and receive guidance in the related meditative practices.

Each session will follow the tradition of Noble Silence taught by the Buddha, with the exception of discussions during Dharma talks and a voluntary oral exam at the end of each session. Concentrated meditation and silence rapidly ripen one’s practice and have a deep effect on one’s being. Each day will include meditation, talks, study and a work period. Individual meditation instruction will also be available.

This retreat is essential for those who wish to study with Tsultrim in more depth. The retreat is divided into three sessions and should be attended sequentially. Participants who cannot attend the entire retreat may attend individual sessions.

Session 1: August 5 - 13
Sutrayana: Life and Teachings of the Buddha
During this session we will trace the life and teachings of the historical Buddha and simultaneously practice the techniques taught by the Buddha; sitting and walking meditation. We will also briefly examine the philosophical schools that developed after the Buddha.

Session 2: August 14 - 22
Mahayana: Vast View and Awakened Heart
This session focuses on the teachings of compassion and emptiness as they developed in the Mahayana tradition. Through practice, Dharma talks and discussion, we will explore the four immeasureables, the six paramitas, the opening of the compassionate heart, and the nature of mind itself. We will work with the classic mind trainings (lojong), the practice of compassionate giving and receiving (tonglen), and the emptiness teachings of Prajña Paramita and the sky-like mind.

Session 3: August 23 - 31
Vajrayana and Dzogchen
During this session we will look at the third historical development of Buddhism: the Vajrayana tradition. Tsultrim will offer teachings the first and last two days of this session, bookending Tsoknyi Rinpoche’s Dzogchen retreat which will be the 5 central days (more information).

Accommodation choices include our beautiful new residence hall. More information...

Fees: Sliding scale fees allow participants to pay according to individual means. Your payment above the low end directly benefits our scholarship fund.

Session 1 or Session 2
Double: $1,200 - $800
Queen Double: $1,320 - $880 - SOLD OUT
Queen Single: $1,440 - $960 - SOLD OUT
Camping: $744 - $496

Session 3
Double: $1,350 - $900 - SOLD OUT
Queen Double: $1,470 - $980 - SOLD OUT
Queen Single: $1,590 - $1060 - SOLD OUT
Camping: $894 - $596

Month-long
Double: $2,685 - $1,790 - SOLD OUT
Queen Double: $2,958 - $1,972 - SOLD OUT
Queen Single: $3,192 - $2,128 - SOLD OUT
Camping: $2,295 - $1,530

Suggested Dana per session: $320 - $160

Sustaining Sangha discounts range from 10%-20% based on your membership level and are calculated at registration. Become a Sustaining Sangha member today!

Detailed information about retreats at Tara Mandala

Session 1 (Sutrayana) registration form (PDF)
Session 2 (Mahayana) registration form (PDF)
Session 3 (Vajrayana) registration form (PDF)
Month-long registration form (PDF)

Register securely online: 50% of course cost due at registration
Financial aid available

Tsultrim Allione, M.A., was one of the first American women to be ordained as a Tibetan nun in 1970 by the 16th Karmapa. She is the author of Women of Wisdom, a groundbreaking book on the lives of great female Tibetan practitioners. Her newest book, Feeding the Demons: Ancient Wisdom for Resolving Inner Conflict, (2008, Little, Brown & Co), connects the ancient knowledge of Tibetan Buddhism with the modern psyche, addressing the major issues of our culture and the roots of our suffering. Based on her pioneering technique using five steps to feed your demons, this book offers a system to transform our inner demons by nurturing rather than fighting them.

After four years as a nun, Tsultrim returned her monastic vows, married, and raised a famity. She earned a masters degree in Buddhist Studies and Women’s Studies from Antioch University. Inspired by the vision of a Western retreat center while living in the Himalayas, and seeing the need to create a place for the reemergence of the sacred feminine, Tsultrim founded Tara Mandala in 1993 where she is now the resident teacher.

Tsultrim is collecting the lineage of Machig Labdrön, the 11th century Tibetan yogini who founded the Chöd lineage. As a long-time Chöd practitioner, Tsultrim has studied Machig’s teachings for decades and taught the practices all over the world. In 2007, Tsultrim was recognized as an emanation of Machig Labdrön by Karme Dorje Rinpoche, the resident Lama of Zangri Khangmar in Tibet (see article on opposite page).

In regards to the recognition Tsultrim has recently said, “I think [the recognition] is to make this new phase of collecting Machig’s lineage more empowered. Recognition allows more energy to flow, and Machig’s blessings can manifest more fully. It’s a kind of mirroring from the outside, validating our heartfelt intention to reinvigorate and spread Machig’s lineage in the West. It also felt very natural. We will keep doing what we have been doing already, but the recognition creates an auspicious interdependence for the teachings.”

Tsultrim’s skill at teaching arises from her dedication to the Dharma and the ways she has brought Dharma to the challenges of everyday life. She brings forth the vibrancy of the teachings in a way that makes them germane for accomplished practitioners and those new to the path.