Sadhana Practice: Expanding Our Compassion for All Beings
191 Cragsmoor Road, Cragsmoor, New York 12566, USA
June 4 - 8, 2025
Retreat Highlights
- Intimate setting with personal access to the teacher
- Interactive sessions with question and answer periods
- Shamatha and guided meditations
- Delicious all-vegetarian meals with locally sourced ingredients
- Option to extend stay on Personal Retreat
- Extensive library of dharma books
- Expansive wooded grounds with beautiful paths, flora and fauna
About this Retreat
Tulku Sherdor has been the Executive Director of the Blazing Wisdom Institute since 2004. Born in Montreal, Canada in 1961, he practiced Buddhist Insight meditation as a teenager and met his principal teacher, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, in Nepal in 1981. He was fortunate to study with many other pre-eminent Tibetan Buddhist masters of the 20th century.
Early in his life, he completed a forty-month lama retreat in the Karma and Shangpa Kagyu schools of Tibetan Buddhism under Kalu Rinpoche, and a year-long solitary retreat in the Chogling Tersar practice lineage held by Tulku Urgyen. He has since completed ten years of intensive retreats. After meeting his root guru Orgyen Kusum Lingpa in 1997, he served him faithfully and tirelessly for 13 years.
Tulku Sherdor’s work teaching, serving and translating the dharma spans four decades, and is detailed in his memoirs A Path Strewn with Flowers & Bones, and in several others among his ten published dharma books. He is also a virtuoso chant master.
Learn more at
www.blazingwisdom.org, visit the BlazingWisdom YouTube channel, listen to Tulku’s recordings on your favorite streaming platform, and follow him on Facebook and Instagram.
Details of this retreat
A Retreat with Tulku Sherdor Exploring Two-Stage Yoga Practice
RETREAT BY INVITED PRESENTER
This intensive retreat will be an exceptional opportunity to deepen your understanding and experience of development-stage sadhana practice; it includes teachings on a range of relevant topics, as well as an empowerment.
"A wonderful, peaceful supportive environment in which to fully express my practice."
DUAL PROGRAM: Pair with the 18th Annual Rimay Monlam, led by Tulku Sherdor, June 8-11, and save 10% off your accommodations. REGISTER HERE
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
We have asked Tulku Sherdor to help us unpack and deepen our understanding of sadhana practice and the creation and completion stages. Specifically, we have requested that during the retreat intensive Tulku Sherdor provide teachings on relevant topics such as the three samadhis, the four stakes, and the four stillnesses.
During the retreat we will practice a terma sadhana revealed by our teacher His Holiness Orgyen Kusum Lingpa associated with the yidam Amogapasha, a form of Avalokiteshvara (Chenrezig) whose name could be translated as “unfailing lasso.” His commitment is to rescue beings in all six realms from circulating in samsara; the lasso is one of his implements for accomplishing this goal.
The sadhana expresses the highest Nyingma Dzogchen view and at the same time is both inviting and accessible. People who have accomplished an ongoing regular practice relationship with the sadhana have reported a deep experience of non-referential compassion for all beings.
On the final day of the retreat Tulku Sherdor will lead us through a ceremony to assist recently deceased persons; the ceremony is a special application of this Amogapasha sadhana. The transmission of this practice will also include an empowerment.
Copies of the sadhana will be made available and the intensive will begin with a lung (reading transmission).
EVENT HIGHLIGHTS
Intimate setting with personal access to the teacher
Interactive sessions with question and answer periods
Guided meditations
Aspirations for the welfare of all sentient beings
Opportunity to pair with the 18th Annual Rimay Monlam and receive discounted accommodation fees
Delicious all-vegetarian meals with locally sourced ingredients
Option to extend stay on Personal Retreat
Extensive library of dharma books
Expansive wooded grounds with beautiful paths, flora and fauna
OPEN TO ALL
The retreat is open to anyone who considers themselves a Buddhist practitioner and who has taken refuge and has an interest in exploring what is known in the Tibetan Vajrayana tradition as development stage (creation and completion) practice. Due to the nature of the practice, participants should plan to be present at the initial session of the retreat and stay until the end.
SCHEDULE
(subject to change)
Wednesday, June 4
2:00 PM
Check in begins
3:00-6:00 PM
Welcome and Introduction
Lung and initial training in the sadhana
6:00-7:00 PM
Dinner
7:00 PM
Informal discussion
10:00 PM
Lights out
Thursday, June 5 - Saturday, June 7
7:00-8:30 AM
Opening prayers and first practice session
8:30-9:30 AM
Breakfast
9:30-11:00 AM
Second practice session
11:00 AM-12:00 PM
Teachings
12:00-1:00 PM
Lunch
1:45-3:15 PM
Third practice session
3:15-3:45 PM
Tea break
3:45-4:30 PM
Teachings
4:30-6:00 PM
Fourth practice session
6:00-7:00 PM
Dinner
7:00 PM
Informal discussion
10:00 PM
Lights out
Sunday, June 8
7:00-8:30 AM
Opening prayer and first practice session
8:30-9:30 AM
Breakfast
9:30 AM-12:00 PM
Teachings, Empowerment, Practice for the deceased
Program conclusion
12:00-1:00 PM
Lunch
1:00 PM
Checkout and Departure (for those not staying)
Getting Here
Directions
CAR. You will find a link for driving directions on our website. The parking lot is immediately to your left when you enter the Center grounds. You may drive up and drop your luggage at the Welcome Center, but may not leave your car unattended there; someone will be happy to shuttle you back down to the parking lot.
TRAIN. From Newark, La Guardia and Penn Station, you can take the Metro North train into Middletown, New York, approximately a 30-minute drive from the Center. For teachings, retreats and other special events, we will provide van service at set times. Otherwise, please take a taxi from the train station to the Center.
BUS. From New York City, you can take the Shortline Bus into Ellenville, New York, approximately a 15-minute drive from the Center. For teachings, retreats and other special events, we will provide van service at set times. Otherwise, please take a taxi from the train station to the Center.
PLANE. Newark, La Guardia and Stewart Airports all offer convenient services. From Newark or LaGuardia you can complete your trip by train; from Stewart you may rent a car or take a taxi service.
Accommodation
Our two residence halls offer a simple, peaceful environment that supports your retreat experience, with rooms for those on both personal and solitary retreats. Each room has a meditation cushion and zabuton. Rates include breakfast, lunch and dinner with the resident community, as well as towels and housekeeping. All guests are welcome, but not required, to join the daily meditation and other activities (although separate tickets are required for all ticketed events).
• Our junior suites have a double bed, private bath, private terrace, a refrigerator and ample room for practice.
• Our private rooms have a double bed and room for private meditation, with a shared bath.
Rooms may be shared by those in a committed relationship.
Commuter
Our Commuter Fee covers the costs of all meals during your retreat and the use of all our facilities.
Private Room: Single
This comfortable room has a double bed and ample room for meditation. It is outfitted with a desk and small table suitable for a meditation object; it shares a bath with one or two other rooms. All rooms are furnished with linens, pillows, blankets, coverlets, and towels, as well as a meditation cushion and zabuton. The room rate includes three delicious vegetarian meals each day; in addition, there is a tea station on every hall.
Private Room: Couple
This registration fee is for two people. This comfortable room has one double bed, and may be shared by couples in a committed relationship. With ample room for meditation, it features a desk and small table suitable for a meditation object. All rooms are furnished with linens, pillows, blankets, coverlets, and towels, as well as a meditation cushion and zabuton. The room shares a bath with one or two other rooms. Room rates include three delicious vegetarian meals each day (6 total meals for a couple room); there is also a tea station on each hall.
Junior Suite: Single
These large rooms have one double bed, a private bath, private terrace, a refrigerator and ample room for practice. Each room has a small table suitable for a meditation object and a meditation cushion and zabaton, as well as a desk and an armoire. Room rates include three delicious vegetarian meals each day; there is also an in-room tea station.
Junior Suite: Couple
This reservation fee is for two people and includes three delicious vegetarian meals each day (6 total for a couple). This large room has one double bed, which may be shared by couples in a committed relationship. In addition, it has a private bath, private terrace, a refrigerator and ample room for practice. Each room has a small table suitable for a meditation object and a meditation cushion and zabaton, as well as a desk and an armoire.
Meals
Menu Types
Ancient wisdom describes food as a source of prana, or life force. The Dharmakaya Center for Wellbeing was founded on the premise that nourishing food is integral to wellbeing. Our chefs are passionate about creating meals that are both flavorful and healthy. We use the freshest, most nutritious, least processed foods available; when possible our ingredients are organic and locally sourced.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included in your accommodation fee. To promote good health, we serve delicious, varied, nutritious vegetarian food, with options at every meal. All our meals are served on a buffet, with ingredients listed next to each dish, enabling guests to avoid dairy, as well as glutens, nuts and other allergens.
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