191 Cragsmoor RoadCragsmoor, New York 12566
May 16 - 18, 2025
About this Retreat
H.E. Trungram Gyalwa Rinpoche is the founder and spiritual director of the Dharmakaya Center for Wellbeing. Known as a scholar, teacher and meditation master to thousands of students around the world, Rinpoche is also the first incarnate lama to earn a PhD in the West. He completed his doctoral studies in Indo-Tibetan Buddhism at Harvard University in 2004.
He is the head of the Trungram lineage, its monasteries, meditation centers, schools, dharma centers and groups around the world. One of the highest tulkus of the Kagyu lineage, he is a Rime master, having received teachings from the great masters of all four schools of Tibetan Buddhism.
Rinpoche offers students a unique blend of Eastern wisdom and Western understanding. A scholar of Sanskrit and Tibetan, Rinpoche roots his teachings in the Skills of Awareness—a path combining profound meditation techniques with essential points of Dharma study.
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Details of this retreat
A DHARMAKAYA CENTER RETREAT
Milarepa, Tibet’s renowned and beloved enlightened master, was known for his ability to present complex teachings in a simple, approachable manner through song and poetry. Through his famous 100,000 songs he guided his followers along the Buddhist path.
This program is a rare opportunity to study Milarepa's teachings with Trungram Gyalwa Rinpoche, who is recognized as an emanation of Milarepa. In this program Rinpoche uses eight of Milarepa’s songs as a framework for his teaching. To intensify our understanding, we sing the songs together; we also meditate on Milarepa's messages. It is a unique, engaging, and powerful weekend.
ONLINE OPTION: To make the teachings more broadly available, Rinpoche is also offering this program via live-stream. Please click here to register.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
Milarepa, known in Tibetan as the Lord of the Yogis, was a great sinner who became a great saint. He achieved enlightenment in one lifetime—despite having murdered 35 people, including family members. He became a revered teacher, and his ability to render any lesson into spontaneous song is one of his great legacies.
In each of our four weekend sessions, Rinpoche will give teachings on two songs, and we will sing those songs together. As Rinpoche explains, singing these texts is much richer than simply reading them and helps us really understand and internalize the teachings within them.
Because Milarepa’s actual music was not passed down, we have created new contemporary music to accompany the teachings. We distribute this music and the words approximately one month before the program to help you prepare and enable you to participate more fully.
For each song:
Rinpoche sets the context: Where was Milarepa, to whom was he singing, what were their circumstances?
Everyone sings the song together
Rinpoche teaches on the text of the song, expanding on its meaning so that we can understand it properly
Everyone sings the song again, now with a far deeper connection
Rinpoche answers questions from retreatants
Through this process, you will gain a deeper appreciation both for Buddhist teaching and for Milarepa and his legacy of illumination through song.
THE GANACHAKRA FEAST
In a ganachakra feast, practitioners gather to sing, make offerings, and share a meal as part of a sadhana or spiritual practice. During this program, we hold such a feast twice; our meal will be symbolic, including a small cookie and a few sips of wine as amrita.
SAMPLE SONG
Some songs from previous years are available on our Sound Cloud channel. Here is a sample song from 2024:
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
Intimate setting with personal access to Rinpoche
Interactive sessions with question and answer periods
Small group discussion
Group singing
Tsa-Tue yoga practice
Ganachakra Feast
Delicious all-vegetarian meals with locally sourced ingredients
Option to extend stay on Personal Retreat
Extensive library of dharma books
Expansive wooded grounds with walking trails
OPEN TO ALL
There are no prerequisites for this program; it is appropriate for all. We will supply the music and lyrics to the songs prior the program, so that you can familiarize yourself with them. We also supply percussion instruments for you to use during the program—or you can bring your own.
PRE-READING
There is no requirement to study or read in advance of the program, but many people have asked for recommendations. Over the weekend, the texts and songs will be drawn from these two books:
100,000 Songs of Milarepa
Tsangnyon Heruka, translated by Christopher Stagg
The Life of Milarepa
Tsangnyon Heruka, translated by Lobsang P. Lhalungpa
SCHEDULE
(subject to change)
Friday, May 16
3:00 PM
Check in begins
6:00-7:00 PM
Dinner
7:15-7:30 PM
Welcome and Introduction
7:30-9:30 PM
Milarepa's Story and Songs, with Rinpoche
Saturday, May 17
7:00-8:00 AM
Breakfast
8:00-10:00 AM
Milarepa's Story and Songs, with Rinpoche
10:15-10:30 AM
Ganachakra Feast
10:30-11:30 AM
Tsa-Tue Yoga
12:00-1:00 PM
Lunch
2:00-3:00 PM
Woods walk (meet outside Milarepa Hall)
3:30-4:30 PM
Small Group discussion
4:30-5:30 PM
Solitary Meditation and singing of vajra songs (around campus)
6:00-7:00 PM
Dinner
7:00-9:00 PM
Milarepa's Story and Songs, with Rinpoche
Sunday, May 18
7:00-8:00 AM
Breakfast
8:00-10:00 AM
Milarepa's Story and Songs, with Rinpoche
10:15 AM
Ganachakra Feast
10:45-11:45 AM
Closing Ceremony
12:00-1:00 PM
Lunch
1:00 PM
Checkout and Departure
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