Programs

Winter Seminar with Phakchok Rinpoche: The Essence of Mahayana

With Phakchok Rinpoche

January 3 - 6, 2025
Gomde California is honored to welcome our esteemed lineage master and teacher, Phakchok Rinpoche, who will teach on the “Essence of the Mahayana” from Gampopa’s Jewel Ornament of Liberation. Through Rinpoche’s teachings, we will examine the origin of samsara and how confusion arises out of emptiness and operates like a dream. The Mahayana path, predicated on buddha-nature and traversable via our precious human life, when guided by a qualified spiritual teacher’s instructions, leads us to perfect buddhahood—from which radiates spontaneous, compassionate activity. Rinpoche will address the key qualities needed on the path along with the four profound obstacles we face and…

15th Annual Winter Vajrasattva Retreat 2025

January 24 - 31, 2025
Onsite at Gomde California
Gomde’s Annual Winter Retreat focuses on the deity Vajrasattva—an expression of the ultimate purity of our intrinsic nature. Vajrasattva is the essence of all the Buddhas, so all deities are included within this single deity and all practices within this one sadhana. When you practice this short liturgy of Vajrasattva, it is as if you practice every sadhana of every deity. This profound practice of the Sangtik Dorsem was revealed by the great master, Chokgyur Lingpa, as part of the Sangtik cycle of instruction. It purifies the afflictions that arise due to our past negative actions, clears our mental obscurations, and reveals our stainless essence, the…

Secret Essence of Vajrakilaya Losar Retreat

February 21 - 28, 2025
The Sangtik Phurpa (Secret Essence of Vajrakilaya) practice belongs to the treasure teachings that were hidden by Guru Padmasambhava for the disciples of this time. In 1859 on the 8th of August, at the retreat hermitage of Jamgön Kongtrul Rinpoche in Tibet, Chokgyur Dechen Lingpa revealed the practice of Sangtik Phurpa as part of the three inner secret essence cycles of Vajrasattva, Yangdak Heruka, and Vajrakilaya. Among the Vajrakilaya revelations of Chokgyur Lingpa, the Sangtik Phurpa is considered the highest (Atiyoga) practice of Vajrakilaya. Since it is very effective in removing outer and inner obstacles, is easy to practice, and…

10-Day Trinley Nyingpo Practice Retreat

March 14 - 24, 2025
This ten-day practice retreat will focus on our primary Guru Rinpoche practice, the Trinley Nyingpo. In years past, Lama Tsultrim Sangpo has taken us into the intricacies of deity practice using this special sadhana from the Tukdrub Barche Kunsel, The Heart Practice that Dispels all Obstacles. Our upcoming retreat will be an opportunity to put his instructions into practice. *ONLINE attendees please see the bottom of this registration page.* The Tukdrub Barche Kunsel Guru Rinpoche empowerment is not required to attend this retreat, but it is required if one wishes to make the Trinley Nyingpo their daily practice. Please note…

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…

Online Treasury of Blessings Practice

With Lama Kunzang Drolma

Open Dates
Join our online practice of the Shakyamuni Buddha sadhana from home! This a perfect opportunity to come together and engage in this essential practice, hosted by Ani Kunzang Drolma. SCHEDULE Regular Schedule: Sundays at 8:00 am (Pacific Time) Summer Schedule: Sundays at 7:00 am (Pacific Time) FORMAT Click "Register Now" to enter your information and receive the Zoom link. PRICE Free

Weekend Retreat with Lama Bruce Newman: “Natural Liberation – Padmasambhava’s Teachings on the Six Bardos”

With Lama Bruce Newman

April 4 - 6, 2025
Gomde California
In 1995, Venerable Gyatrul Rinpoche introduced his American students to Natural Liberation, a profound text by the eighth-century founder of Tibetan Buddhism, Padmasambhava. This work explores the six bardos, or intermediate states of life and death. Following this, Gyatrul Rinpoche invited Lama Bruce Newman to teach the text on several occasions, and he will endeavor to do so during this weekend retreat at Gomde California. During this weekend retreat, we will engage with Guru Rinpoche’s instructions through guided meditations, primarily focusing on the bardo of this life. We will also incorporate additional meditations from other sections of the Terma or…

On Site Harmonizing with the Unconditional Love and Wisdom of our Buddha Nature with Lama John Makransky

With Lama John Makransky

May 2 - 4, 2025
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…

Dharma Gyan Summer Program at Rangjung Yeshe Gomde California

With Tsangsar Tulku Rinpoche and Khenpo Urgyen Tenphel

June 11 - August 9, 2025
The Buddhist Studies Summer Program (BSSP) is an intensive residential study and practice program. Students in the BSSP spend four to eight weeks at our remote Northern California center, participating in concentrated daily sessions of Buddhist teaching and meditation led by lamas, teachers, and translators from Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling Monastery in Nepal. This summer, we will focus on the Sutric and Tantric teachings of Indo-Tibetan Buddhist tradition, guided by skilled Tibetan monks from Ka-Nying Shedrub Ling. Daily study of these philosophical and practice traditions will be supported by regular review sessions and ample space to integrate these teachings into our…