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 their interests and availability.

Part One: June 11 – July 6, The Path of Love and Insight
In Part One of the Summer Immersive, we will learn the arc of the Mahayana Buddhist Path, focus on the development of love, compassion, joy, and equanimity, and explore the concept of interdependence-emptiness (shunyata). These teachings will unfold within the context of the “Treasury of Blessings,” a practice manual composed by the 19th Century Buddhist master, Ju Mipham Rinpoche. We will conclude Part 1 with a multi-day practice retreat.

Part Two: July 9 – August 9, The Path of Wakefulness
In Part Two we will enter into the key practices of the Vajrayana, an esoteric aspect of the Mahayana that teaches a special view of reality and relies upon the use of intricate methods for swift progress along the Buddhist path. We will learn practices to help us see the world as pure and sacred, including training in devotional practices and visualization methods. After a couple of weeks of learning and practice, we will conclude with a one-week retreat in which we practice visualizing one’s own body as the body of a Buddha, one’s own speech as the speech of a Buddha, and one’s mind as the mind of the Buddha.

At some point during the summer, we hope to welcome Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche to Gomde California for a week of profound teachings. This is an extraordinary opportunity to meet and connect with one of the greatest living Buddhist teachers.

Trips and Seminar
Throughout the summer, and specifically on our weekends, there will be opportunities to explore beautiful Northern California, such as visiting local redwood groves and coastal beaches.

Who Is This Program For?
This program is for anyone looking to deepen their understanding of Buddhist practice and connect more deeply with the qualities of love, wisdom, and dignity that are already present within us. If you’re new to Buddhism, we highly recommend taking Part 1 before proceeding to Part 2. Gomde California is a welcoming space for people from all backgrounds. The Summer Immersive provides an opportunity to clarify practice, deepen compassion, and better understand the nature of reality through Shakyamuni Buddha’s teachings.

Program Topics

• How to develop and experience peace
• How to deal with difficult emotions and the impermanence of life
• Developing love and compassion for others
• Facing death with wisdom and openness
• Learning to cherish others
• How to transform
• Practicing awareness and mindfulness in daily life
• Understanding the wisdom of emptiness
• Exploring Vajrayana practices such as deity visualization and mantra recitation

Throughout the summer, you’ll have the chance to ask questions and learn from experienced practitioners. You will also discuss how to continue integrating these practices into your life after the program.

Teachings will be offered five days per week, Wednesday through Sunday, with Mondays and Tuesdays off for personal study, practice, and enjoyment of Gomde California’s beautiful land.

Program Pricing

Residential Tuition:

Full Program: $3600

Part I or II: $1850

Residential tuition includes attendance at all major summer teaching events (such as Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche’s onsite seminar) that occur within the program period, lodging in our campground “tent cabins,” three meals per day, five days each week, and participation in daily classes and practice sessions. Optional camping trips and other social events are included. All attendees will have ample time to engage in private study and practice.

Service-Practice

All residents will be expected to contribute service-practice to the center throughout the summer and during our large seminar programs with visiting Rinpoches. Everyone will assist with the minor chores of maintaining a Buddhist practice center. If you are unable to offer physical service for a particular reason, please write to us at coordinator@gomdeca.org.

Scholarships

Limited need-based scholarships are available. To inquire, please write coordinator@gomdeca.org.

Application

To apply for the program, please register here.  Once you are accepted, an invoice will be sent to you with the remaining balance. Your reservation is complete upon payment.

Cancellations within 3 weeks of the program’s start are subject to a $100 processing fee.

Glossary of Key Buddhist Terms 

• Bodhicitta – The awakened mind or heart of compassion and wisdom. It is the wish to attain Buddhahood for the benefit of all sentient beings. Bodhicitta involves both the wish to become enlightened and the commitment to help others along the way.
• Compassion (karuna) – The deep wish to relieve the suffering of others. It is a central quality in Buddhism, developed through practices like meditation and service.
• Emptiness (shunyata) – The concept that all phenomena are empty of inherent, independent existence. Everything arises in dependence on causes and conditions. Understanding emptiness helps reduce attachment and suffering. It is one of the most profound teachings in Mahayana and Vajrayana Buddhism.
• Equanimity – A mental state of balance, neutrality, and calmness, especially in the face of challenges or extreme emotions. Equanimity allows us to respond to life’s ups and downs with wisdom and compassion.
• Luminous Nature of Mind – A Vajrayana teaching that the mind, in its essence, is inherently pure, clear, and radiant. Recognizing this nature helps us access the wisdom and qualities of an awakened being.
• Maha Yoga – A profound meditation practice that involves relating to all phenomena as deity, mantra, and wisdom.
• Mantra – Sacred sounds or phrases that are repeated in meditation to help focus the mind, invoke compassionate power, and purify the mind. Mantras are often associated with specific deities or qualities.
• Meditation – The practice of habituating the mind to a particular mental state, such as love or calmness. Meditation techniques vary across Buddhist traditions, but are usually divided into the categories of shamatha and vipashyana.
• Shamatha – Calm-abiding meditation, a practice designed to develop mental stability by either focusing on an object or sensation, or resting openly.
• Vipashyana – Insight meditation, which aims to develop a deep understanding of the nature of reality. It often involves examining thoughts, emotions, or the mind directly.
• Vajrayana – A form of Buddhism that emphasizes tantric practices, including mantra, visualization, and deity practices. It is sometimes called the “swifth path” because of its effectiveness in bringing about realization.
• Devotion – In Buddhism, it is often referred to as a heartfelt confidence and interest that arises on the basis of investigation. In Vajrayana practice, devotion is key to transforming the mind and accessing wisdom.
• Pure Perception – The practice of viewing all phenomena—including oneself and others—as inherently pure, free from negative perceptions or judgments. This is crucial in Vajrayana for realizing the sacredness of all things.
• Buddhahood – The state of complete awakening, where all obscurations and suffering are eliminated, and the full realization of wisdom and compassion is attained.
• Deity Practice – A Vajrayana meditation technique where practitioners visualize and connect with a specific deity, embodying the qualities of that deity to bring transformation to the mind.
• Samadhi – Deep meditative concentration, or sometimes, a sustained experience of realization arising from the assembly of positive conditions.
• Gomde – A term often referring to one of Shedrub Mandala’s international Buddhist retreat centers or sacred lands for meditation, teachings, and practice. The term translates to “meditation place.”
• Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery – A Tibetan Buddhist monastery located in Nepal, home to many experienced monks and lamas. It is the home monastery of Gomde California and the other international Gomdes. The abbot of Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling is Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, a highly respected Buddhist master and lineage holder. The monastery serves as a center for both monastic training and the study of Buddhism through the Rangjung Yeshe Institute.
• Buddhist Path – The journey of spiritual practice, typically outlined in terms of the Three Yanas (Theravada, Mahayana, Vajrayana) and the stages from a beginner’s approach to the realization of full Buddhahood.