Extensive teachings from the Sutra, Tantra and Dzogchen Lineages of Buddhism. Emphasis will be placed on teachings related to the meditation practices contained in Khenpo Choga Rinpoche's book The Buddha Path.

Click HERE for an introduction to The Buddha Path.

Click HERE for a scholarly work by Rinpoche, his introduction to the classic Mahayana text, Shantideva's Bodhisattvacaryavatara.

Click HERE for Rinpoche's current travel & teaching schedule.

Meditation Practice:

Meditation practice will be incorporated and keyed to the daily teaching subjects, with the goal of moving from a superficial understanding of the Buddha's teachings to a profound and incontrovertible realization of their truth in our very lives. 

General Retreat Schedule:

The retreat will last for three weeks, from ***NEW DATES*** Sunday, July 16 through Saturday, August 5, 2006.  Students will have the options of attending for the first week, the first two weeks, or the whole three week retreat.  Students should plan on attending the retreat in entire one week sessions.

Approximate Daily Retreat Schedule:

This is an active retreat with a 24 hour schedule. There will be about eight to ten hours of scheduled practice and teaching per day. Each session will last approximately two hours. In addition, during break times, Yoga, music, dancing, art, and other Dharma activities will be available. From 10:00 PM to 6:00 AM students are required to maintain silence and try to sleep as part of their retreat commitment.

The Students:

All sincere Buddhist students, as well as anyone interested in learning and practicing Buddhism, are welcome to attend this retreat.  Students should be prepared to attend at least one full week of the retreat.

Click HERE for a link to photos from last year's retreat.

Children:

Children are much-beloved, however we have no special program or supervision for children at the retreat.  In the past, children have attended these retreats, but have only been able to do so as full, conscious, responsible participants under the immediate supervision of their parents.  If you would like to bring children to the retreat, please call first before registering and discuss this with us in detail.

Prerequisites:

There are no special pre-requisites other than the willingness and commitment to practice with the group during the period of the retreat.  You should have good enough physical and mental constitution to be able to sit with us for the daily schedule, and a good enough temperament to be able to get along with others.  There will be a few chairs available, but most people will need to be able to sit on cushions on the floor during most of the teaching and meditation activities. If you have any questions, or are just wondering if this event is for you, you should call us in advance to discuss.

The Food:

The cost of the retreat includes 3 buffet style meals and one snack meal a day.  The food will be primarily vegetarian, though not necessarily vegan.  Meat dishes will be made available approximately two times per week.  Tea and water will always be available. 

Retreatants with special dietary needs should prepare and bring their own cold food, because individual access to the kitchen for cooking will not be available.

****NEW DETAILS****

This year's retreat is scheduled to take place in at the Cedar Ridge Retreat Center near the small town of Vernonia, Oregon, about 65 kilometers northwest of Portland (about an hour drive from PDX). Retreatants will have the options of sleeping in bunk beds in a dorm, on cots in platform tents, or in their own tents. The price for these options will be the same.

This new location has much more civilized facilities, including teaching location/shrine room, dorm rooms, male/female segregated bathroom and shower facilities, and a professional kitchen and cooking staff. If you have questions about the retreat facilities and what exactly you will need to bring, please contact Kunzang, as below, to answer your questions.

Click Here for Cedar Ridge Retreat Center Website
Click Here for Directions to the Retreat Center
Click Here for a Yahoo! Map Nearest Town to Retreat Center
Click Here for Retreat Center Weather Information for July

Accommodations:

This is a residential retreat and students without exception will be expected to not leave the retreat center for the duration of their retreat.

Transportation:

Wherever possible, students should arrange their own transportation to and from the retreat center.  

Climate and What to Bring:

A suggested list of "What to bring…" items will be sent to you with your registration confirmation packet, following receipt of registration application and deposit.

Health:

The retreat provides a healthy environment of good air, good food, enough hours of sleep, and positive activities and effort.  Apart from that there are no professional medical facilities within about 30 minutes drive of the retreat. Retreatants should take care of their own health, and expect to be able to do under the somewhat rigorous teaching and meditation schedule of the retreat.

Yes:

Everyone will be expected to follow the rules of the retreat and the schedule of the retreat and, unless sick, attend all the scheduled events of the retreat. 

Yes, you may leave at any time, but you cannot leave the retreat and then return to the retreat without permission of the teacher.

You should bring any supplies you need with you for the entire duration of the retreat.

No:

No smoking, no drugs, no alcohol at the retreat.  You may of course bring with you and take any prescribed medication. 

No shopping trips. 

You should bring any supplies you need with you for the entire duration of the retreat. 

No pets are allowed.

Costs:

All Dharma teachings are offered by H.E. Dzogchen Khenpo Choga Rinpoche free of charge, with the cost charged for the retreat covering only the students' food and lodging and incidental expenses. It is traditional but not required to offer a donation directly to the Vajra Master as a gesture for recieving precioius Dharma teachings.  

Food & Lodging for 1 Week Retreat:
Sun, Jul 16 at 4 PM through Sun, Jul 23 at Noon = $385

Food & Lodging for 2 Week Retreat:
Sun, Jul 16 at 4 PM through Sun, Jul 30 at Noon = $700

Food & Lodging for 3 Week Retreat:
Sun, Jul 16 at 4 PM through Sat, Aug 5 at 2:30 PM = $945

Payment Policy:

A non-refundable 50% deposit is required to secure your registration for this event.  The balance is due prior to the start of the retreat.  Following notification of acceptance of your registration application, you can make your deposit payment by check made out to the Dzogchen Buddha Foundation and mailed to the address at the bottom of this page. You can also pay by Credit Card via PayPal by paying an additional 3% transaction fee added to these prices. No work-study options are available at this time. Ordained sangha (Buddhist monks and nuns) can make an application to the Dzogchen Buddha Foundation to attend this event free-of-charge. Any potential partial or full scholarship would only be available pending adequate donations being recieved into the Scholarship Fund. After you have had your registration confirmed by Dzogchen Buddha Foundation, please visit the payment options page and follow the payment instructions.

Refund Policy:

Your 50% deposit is non-refundable, and is required to secure your registration for this event. Note that dormitory beds are limited and will be assigned on a first-come basis, with additional preference given to retreatants attending for the entire three-week period. In the event that all beds are reserved and you have selected the dormitory option you will be notified of this in the reply you receive to your registration application. In the case you have already sent in your deposit and would like to cancel due to non-availability of your requested dormitory accomodations, then your deposit will be refunded to you in full.

Donations:

Any donation to the teacher, or Scholarship Fund, or the hosting organization should be prepared outside of your payment for the fees for food and lodging. Donations for the Scholarship fund or hosting organization can be made payable to Dzogchen Buddha Foundation, and mailed to the address below. Please indicate on the memo field the purpose of your donation. Donations to the teachers are typically made in cash during the retreat.