Program Description


Treasury of Blessings — Weekly Sunday Practice

Open Dates
Join our weekly practice of the Treasury of Blessings, the Shakyamuni Buddha sadhana composed by Mipham Rinpoche. This essential practice emphasizes visualization of Shakyamuni Buddha, recitation of his dharani, and meditation to connect directly with his awakened wisdom mind. Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche teaches that Shakyamuni Buddha accumulated the merit to manifest his fully awakened body, speech, and mind over countless aeons. By meditating on these aspects—his form, mantra, and wisdom—we connect with that vast accumulation and generate inconceivable merit ourselves. It is also said in the Samādhi Rāja Sūtra that whoever places their mind upon Shakyamuni Buddha is immediately abiding…

Sang: The Practice of Smoke Offering

With Lama Tsultrim Sangpo

Open Dates
Sang is the Tibetan Buddhist practice of offering precious incense to clear away obstacles and gather auspicious conditions for our Dharma practice. While the benefits of this practice are well known, the proper method for doing so is rarely taught in detail. Therefore, in this weekend workshop, Lama Tsultrim Sangpo guides us in how to correctly offer sang, using The Condensed Smoke Offering liturgy from the Guru's Heart Practice that Dispels All Obstacles (Tukdrup Barchey Kunsel) as a basis. Guru Padmasambhava himself extolled the benefits of sang practice as follows: "When done regularly, and especially to create auspicious circumstances when…

Becoming Divine: Four Stakes that Bind the Life-Force (Concise Daily Practice)

With Lama Tsultrim Sangpo

Open Dates
In this 4-part online series, Lama Tsultrim Sangpo unpacked an essential aspect of tantric practice—the development stage. To properly realize our innate nature through sadhana practice, the great masters from Guru Padmasambhava down to our present teachers emphasize the necessity of "binding the life force" of the deity through planting four "stakes". These four points condense the essential methods of the development stage, and thus allow us to truly take hold of the deity—our own deepest nature. Lama Tsultrim, a master himself in all aspects of tantric ritual practice, guided us through an in-depth exploration these four stakes that bind…

The Concise Daily Practice of Guru Rinpoche: Exploration of the Tibetan Language

With Dr. Catherine Dalton

Open Dates
This set of recorded teachings is extremely beneficial for anyone wishing to learn the meaning of  "The Concise Daily Practice" of Guru Rinpoche, by studying the Tibetan words of the text. No previous knowledge of Tibetan is required to derive benefit from this class. In this online workshop, Dr. Catherine Dalton will elucidate the profound meaning of the Tibetan text of the Manual for Concise Daily Practice (Gyünkyi Köljang), revealed by Chokgyur Dechen Lingpa as part of his Dispeller of All Obstacles (Tukdrup Barché Künsel) treasure cycle. This simple, essential practice focuses upon Guru Padmasambhava, known affectionately as Guru Rinpoche,…

The Practice of Chöd: An In-Depth Workshop

With Dr. Catherine Dalton

Open Dates
Chöd, or “cutting through,” is a profound practice that cuts to the heart of wisdom and compassion. Traditionally attributed to the eleventh-century female practitioner Machig Labdrön, it is prevalent in many Tibetan Buddhist lineages. Combining the view of the Prajnaparamita sutras with tantric visualization methods, chöd is a direct meditational approach to severing ego-clinging. Chöd practice is also known for its hauntingly beautiful melodies, and has traditionally been used as part of Buddhist healing rituals. Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche has repeatedly emphasized the importance of practicing of chöd, and of perfecting our understanding of both its profound meaning and its lineage…

Personal Retreat at Gomde California

Open Dates
The wild beauty of Rangjung Yeshe Gomde California is an ideal environment for personal meditation practice. The waters of Eel River and Cedar Creek flow through stands of fir and redwood, and ever-changing light pours into the river valley. The natural environment of Gomde California supports a sense of awe and renunciation in our residents. In addition to the splendid setting, many Tibetan masters have blessed the land with their practice and realization. We encourage serious Buddhist practitioners who are studying under the guidance of an authentic teacher to apply for private retreat at Gomde California. Private Retreat Facilities Gomde…

Shakyamuni Sadhana in Translation and Practice

With Dr. Catherine Dalton

Open Dates
At the express wish of Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, long-time translator and Rangjung Yeshe Institute faculty member Dr. Catherine Dalton will lead an online course focused on "The Treasury of Blessings" sadhana of Shakyamuni Buddha. Composed by Jamgön Mipham Rinpoche's (1846-1912) and widely considered to be a "mind-treasure" (gongter), this sadhana is both poetically rich in composition and totally complete in its practical framework. Furthermore, Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche has extensively praised its qualities and provided teachings to unfold its depths. This course will proceed in two parts. In the first part we will engage in a linguistic approach to the sadhana…

Chötrul Düchen – Shakyamuni Buddha Retreat

February 25 - March 3, 2026
Onsite at Gomde California
Gomde California is pleased to host the second annual accumulation of the Shakyamuni Buddha mantra. Our lineage teacher, Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, has often encouraged us to place special emphasis on the practice of Shakyamuni Buddha. Through visualizing the Buddha, reciting his mantra and reading his words, and connecting with his wisdom mind, we receive the great blessing of joining with the root and source of our tradition. Join us for this special retreat in celebration of Chötrul Düchen, the Day of Miracles, honoring Shakyamuni Buddha. During this retreat, we will engage in the practice liturgy of the "Treasury of Blessings,"…

Siddhartha Tara Retreat

April 23 - 26, 2026
We are delighted to announce that the Gomde California community will host a Wish-Fulfilling Tara (Siddhartha Tara) retreat this April. This concise practice from the Lamey Tukdrub Barche Kunsel is considered to be extremely powerful for gathering positive conditions – both for the sake of realization as well as the fulfillment of virtuous worldly aspirations. The retreat is open to everyone and can be considered an enhancement to one's regular practice of the Noble Lady Tara. The Sadhana of Tara Who Fulfills All Aims (Siddhartha Tara Sadhana) is an extraordinary practice of Padmasambhava, revealed by Terton Chokgyur Dechen Lingpa as…

Opening to the Unconditional Love and Wisdom of Our Budda Naturewith Lama John Makransky 2026

With Lama John Makransky

May 8 - 10, 2026
From a Tibetan Buddhist perspective, our buddha nature is the basic space of our being that is undivided from vast capacities of awareness, warmth, love, compassion, and wisdom. These capacities are always available below our surface consciousness but often hidden by our conditioned habits of thought and reaction. In this retreat, we will learn three modes of practice derived from Tibetan Buddhism that empower each other as they harmonize us with those innate capacities. The receptive mode generates a field of care that helps us find immediate access to unconditional qualities of love and wisdom from the depth of our awareness (our…

Dharma Gyan Summer Immersive 2026

With Lama Tsultrim Sangpo

June 10 - August 9, 2026
Dharma Gyan Buddhist Summer Immersive The Dharma Gyan Summer Immersive is an 8-week residential program where students learn and practice the foundations of the Indo-Tibetan Buddhist tradition. Under the guidance of experienced monks from Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery in Nepal and resident practitioners, participants will engage in meditation, teachings, and discussions at the peaceful and forested Gomde retreat center in Northern Mendocino County. The program includes group and individual meditation, communal meals, time to explore nature, and the opportunity to connect with teachers and fellow students. Students can attend either one part or both parts of the program, depending on…