Endless Compassion

Thirty Day Chenrezig Tantra Mahamudra Retreat

with Lama Michael Gregory

Founding Director and Beloved Dharma Teacher of MMC

Friday 5/14/21 to Saturday 6/12/21

Zoom Only Retreat

You are invited to enter the sacred inner sanctum and essential essence that is your true nature.

This is MMC’s 21st annual month long Mahamudra Nature of Mind Retreat.

This retreat offers a precious and rare guide to practice the pinnacle of the Buddha’s teachings, Mahamudra, as the Buddha of Compassion, Chenrezig. The retreat will be offered by Lama Michael Founding Director and Beloved Dharma Teacher of Mindfulness Meditation Centers. This retreat will be offered through our live and interactive online zoom classroom. The retreat will begin with Lama Michael offering Refuge, Bodhisattva Vows and Chenrezig Transmission.

“Every person whose heart is moved by love and compassion, who deeply and sincerely acts for the benefit of others without concern for fame, profit, social position, or recognition expresses the activity of Chenrezig.”
— Bokar Rinpoche

This retreat presents the profound opportunity to lovingly weave together the inseparable practices of Tantra and Mahamudra, with the highest goal in mind, compassionate enlightenment for the benefit of all beings. This retreat is appropriate with those who have a daily meditation practice and can sit for four 2 hour sessions, and in between sessions reciting the Chenrezig Mantra, Om Mani Padme Hung, and receive the instruction for entering into lucid dreaming as Chenrezig as the night practice.

May I become at all times, both now and forever
A protector of those without protection
A guide for those who have lost their way
A ship for those with oceans to cross
A bridge for those with rivers to cross
A sanctuary for those in danger
A lamp for those without light
A place of refuge for those who lack shelter
And a servant to all in need
For as long as space endures,
And for as long as living beings remain,
Until then may I, too, abide
To dispel the misery of the world.
~ Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life

* Lama Michael Gregory will offer illuminating transmissions and instructions on the meaning of True Refuge, Bodhisattva Vows and the Chenrezig Empowerment and pointing out instructions on the Nature of Mind.

“By looking directly at the nature of our mind, we can simply and directly see its nature, its emptiness. We need to do this more than once, though. The Third Karmapa explained how this works. As he put it, we need to “look again and again at the mind, which has nothing to look at.” We meditate on the mind over and over again and as we do, we become familiar with our mind and realize that there is no mind to see. In this way, through looking again and again at the unseeable, we directly realize what cannot be realized – the emptiness nature of the mind. We do this directly and don’t try and understand it inferentially. “

During the 30 days clear and lucid instructions will be given on the true meaning of practicing vows as the Bodhisattva of Compassion and how this radically fuels the path of realization.

Lama Michael’s approach is to offer the heart of these teachings in a clear, direct and transformative way that awakens the natural radiance, joy and creativity of our minds. He presents the Mahamudra teachings as a means of seeing things in, as he says, “a positive and open light,” and to transform even the most difficult of situations into the path to our awakening.

Specific and crystal clear pointing out instructions and meditations will be offered on the practice Chenrezig and Nature of Mind.

Each instruction will build experientially over 30 Days upon the other in clarity and understanding of the sessions that precede it. Each day of the retreat will offer teaching, meditation sessions and lucid dreaming instructions, In this way a powerful foundation for awakening is created within the retreat container.

Enrollment

To attend this retreat, daily meditation practice is essential. Each day there will be at least 8 hours of sitting meditation as part of each session. This retreat is open to all MMC members who have a daily meditation practice.

This retreat is also open to the general public who receive permission to attend. Please email retreatsupport@mindfulnessmeditationcenters.com with your background in Buddhist studies and meditation practice. To receive permission an interview may be arranged.

Attendance at all sessions is required.

Tuition

The suggested donation for this retreat is $950. This allows Mindfulness Meditation Centers to support the costs of running the retreat, the sharing and distribution of the teachings, and the support of our community as a whole.

Mindfulness Meditation Centers is a non-profit center and community devoted to making meditation, mindfulness, and the teachings of awakening available to all. If you are unable to donate the suggested amount, please do not let that keep you from attending. To participate please email Rose at rosecostello2216@gmail. com as financial arrangements are available.

Registration

Please fill out the form below. Zoom and password information will be sent by the Retreat Coordinator prior to the retreat.

If you have any questions about this retreat, please contact the MMC Retreat Coordinator at

retreatsupport@mindfulnessmeditationcenters.com