Calendar of Events 2011 - 2012

January 30th - February 12th  | Longchenpa Retreat and Ceremony

Ratna Ling Retreat Center - Cazadero, CA 

with Arnaud Maitland 

The downpour of (the Buddha’s) truth, the refreshing water of pristine cognitions
With clouds of glorious bliss and happiness and prosperity,
Will fall on the pure mind of living beings, the fertile
soil of a unique occasion and the right juncture.
Therefore, with joy and from your heart engage in the
quest for the real meaning of life, straight away!

-Longchenpa, Kindly Bent to Ease Us

The all-knowing Longchenpa (1308-1364) stands at the center of the Nyingma tradition. Acknowledged by all schools of Tibetan Buddhism as one of Tibet’s greatest masters, he wrote works that cover every aspect of the Buddhist path. His writings, in clear and luminous prose, have the power to awaken our own innermost knowing and inspire us to act on the knowledge we already have.

November 14th – 23rd | Kum Nye Retreat: Expressions Of Light Being

Ratna Ling Retreat Center - Cazadero, CA
with Arnaud Maitland

Recently, Tarthang Tulku released an entire new set of Kum Nye exercises. They are quite different from what we have previously studied and serve as a wonderful complement to what has been offered in the books Kum Nye and Joy of Being. Based on a strongly developed Nye, these new exercises are gentle and firm, swift and communicative, open and rhythmic – they are expressions of light being. Study of these new exercises culminates in an exciting new way of working with Kum Nye in time, Kum Nye dance, full of symbolic gestures, a brief sample of which you can watch here.

As a complement to our Kum Nye practice, we will engage the mind in study by working with a text by Padmasambhava, which has been translated into English under the title Seeing with Naked Awareness (referring to “liberation through seeing”) that belongs to the same group as the Tibetan Book of the Dead, which is a “liberation through hearing” text.

Through learning the theory of non-dual seeing and beginning to practice this while learning about Padmasambhava and his twenty-five disciples, we aim to deepen our work with the new exercises and provide a stimulating environment for body and mind.

July 24th – August 4th | The Complete Path of Kum Nye - Retreat

Woodbrooke Study Center - Birmingham, UK

with Arnaud Maitland

Kum Nye can heal, balance, integrate and energize the whole of our being, opening channels of communication between head and heart, stomach and throat, hands and feet, and establishing contact with everything in space and time. When ignored, the experience of body, mind, space and time will contract, which shows up as stress, limited choices and fear. Practicing Kum Nye we recapture inner resources such as openness, inner freedom, inner knowing, intimacy, and timeliness. Thus, by relaxing body, mind and senses, and opening the experience of space and time, arises a rich foundation for all life’s activities.

In this intensive retreat we will learn Body Kum Nye (opening the channels and centres of energy flow); Speech Kum Nye (undoing the labeling of past experiences); Space and Time Kum Nye; and especially Mind Kum Nye, to refine the energy and relax the one who is doing Kum Nye. This meditation practice softens the reactionary patterns of mind, and allows glimpses of other ways of perceiving, thinking and being. It relieves the busy-ness that ties up so much of our mental energy, attuning the mind to space and time. Pathways to joy and meaning will open up. Awakening (Nye) the human embodiment (Kum) brings out the preciousness of human existence.

July 5th – 17th | Inner Knowing - A Training in Open Awareness

with Arnaud Maitland

"Questioning and Being Aware: These are the most precious teachers. They dwell in the heart of every human being who begins to awaken to the waste and danger of an unexamined life." - Tathang Tulku, Knowledge of Freedom

Asking questions is one of the basic aspects of being human. All discovery, invention and creation begin with a question. Questioning Mind moves us away from dogmas, limiting assumptions, and outworn ideas, and brings us ever closer to the open mind. When we ask the “right” question, inner knowing emerges as an understanding and we reconnect to the spirit of freedom. In this retreat you will learn to fine tune this process of inquiry that invites the unknown and discover within yourself the knowledge you have been yearning for, and that was yours all along.

May 7th - 8th | Living without Regret: Human Experience in the Light of Tibetan Buddhism

Ratna Ling Retreat Center - Cazadero, CA

with Arnaud Maitland

At whatever stage of life, change and transition are constants, and impermanence is a reliable truth. Embracing change and accepting inevitable loss allows you to live with wisdom and confidence.

Through lecture, dynamic inquiry, dialogue, Tibetan Meditation, and Kum Nye Yoga, experience the life-changing wisdom of living without regret. Arnaud Maitland brings the ancient teachings of the Tibetan Buddhist Nyingma lineage into contemporary world culture.

March 27th | Kum Nye: Opening the Inner Mandala &
March 28th | Inner Knowing

Instituto Nyingma do Rio de Janeiro - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

with Arnaud Maitland

March 25th | Inner Knowing  &
March 26th | Kum Nye:  Opening the Inner Mandala

Instituto Nyingma do Brasil - Sao Paulo, Brazil

with Arnaud Maitland

March 21st - 23rd | Awareness Training: Awakening Inner Knowing

La Reserva Retreat Center - Buenos Aires, Argentina  

with Arnaud Maitland

"The intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have created an environment that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift."    -Albert Einstein.

When we develop paying attention to our life, time and space, we begin to foster the alertness and mindfulness that restores our natural intelligence. At this point it is the right time to learn to ask genuine and meaningful questions. With the right question, inner knowing emerges and we will reclaim the spirit of inner freedom.

In this intensive, experiential seminar we will learn to relax in the stillness of our being and open up our experience of space and time. To gain access to the free and relevant inner knowing, we learn the method of Questioning Mind from Tarthang Tulku’s book Knowledge of Freedom. By awakening mind and heart access to open awareness will improve and our natural inner knowing will become accessible.

March 18th - 20th | Knowledge of Freedom: New Beginnings  

Colegio Amapola - Buenos Aires, Argentina

with Arnaud Maitland

"In letting go of our belief that suffering is a necessary part of human life, we can take a few steps forward."

As human beings we can choose our way of being in the world. We have consciousness; we are capable of responding creatively to our surroundings. How would you like to live, work and be with others? To begin to know something new, we first must realize that there is something we do not know. Learning to ask the right questions will strike an inner chord that attunes our mind and senses to a wider scope of possibilities. We can make the resolve to change and start fresh, without being burdened by past regrets and missed opportunities.

In this weekend seminar we will explore the stages, cycles and rhythms of our lives, to discover the openings for new beginnings while also learning to ask the right questions to discover for ourselves our true possibilities.

March 17th | Transforming Stress into Well-being: Time to Change 

The Japanese Gardens - Buenos Aires, Argentina

with Arnaud Maitland

Time is the single most important element in our life. Our lives unfold against the backdrop of time. Our energy is related to the time we have, and all that is knowable is intimately connected to time. But the nature of time itself remains mysterious.

When we are unable to incorporate time into our personal and professional life, we experience stress. We are losing grip. We tend to be late, are convinced we do not have enough time and regret the opportunities we passed by. More and more we try to manipulate time, planning and strategizing, but ultimately we have no control. If we engage in a struggle, time will always come out as the victor. Once we embrace the power of time, we understand the context of human life, and our potential will no longer elude us.

This one day seminar introduces the three elements of time and will provide a lasting, ongoing structure that you can use in all situations, giving you more time, fewer regrets and an ongoing sense of dynamic presence. This is the Skillful Means way of"having a good time".

March 16th | Transforming Stress into Well-being: Balancing Male & Female

The Japanese Gardens - Buenos Aires, Argentina

with Arnaud Maitland

Every human being, man or woman, has to balance feminine and masculine qualities. These days many people are out of balance as they magnify either the masculine at the expense of the feminine, or vice versa. In Tibetan Buddhism the union of feminine and masculine is called wisdom in action – timely, appropriate action without stress and with no mistakes. In a complete human being the female and male qualities are each developed equally and fully.

The model of Transforming Stress into Well-being is based on restoring inner and outer balance, recapturing intelligence and vitality. Instead of feeling drained, overwhelmed and fearful, you will become more alive, creative and confident. You may be in the midst of exhilarating tension, without feeling stress.

March 12th and 13th | Awakening the Heart: Philosophy, Psychology, Culture and Art

Valletierra - Buenos Aires, Argentina 

with Arnaud Maitland

The premise of Buddhism is that we need to ask the right questions. We can discover for ourselves the truths in our life. The Buddha’s teachings are vast and deep and there are countless ways to introduce them. In this three-day seminar we will choose a thematic approach that will give each of you a glimpse of Tibetan Buddhism and expand on what you know already.

Feb 10th - Aug 1st | Kum Nye Healing (6 Month Retreat)

Ratna Ling Retreat Center - Cazadero, CA 

with Arnaud Maitland

A six month intensive Kum Nye retreat for aspiring teachers and for those who love Kum Nye. 

This in-depth Kum Nye study will provide the participant with a six-month Kum Nye immersion.  For those interested in Kum Nye Teachers training, this fulfills most of the teacher training requirements (additional requirements are: one more retreat and a personal training schedule). 

The program will consist of daily Kum Nye starting at 6 am to 8 am followed by study and practice later in the morning and rest of the day, including Skillful  Means, History of Buddhism, The path of Dharma, Kum Nye classes, and the Tibetan language class is optional.

*This retreat includes an 11 day Longchenpa retreat from February 11-22 (see above), Living Without Regret weekend, and 3 week Inner Knowing retreat.