A Very Special Dzogchen Retreat 

with Lama Chris Wilkinson 

The Single Golden Letter of The Black Quintessence 

March 15 to March 18, 2022 

Offered via Zoom Only

The Retreat is from Tuesday March 15-18.

The Retreat is restricted to those in Tuesday evening Shedra classes, Tantra classes or those who have completed ten to thirty day Mahamudra or Dzogchen retreats.

It will be broadcast from the Vajragarbha three year retreat center and
will only be available by Zoom.

Four days, with four 90 minute sessions each day.

 

Tibetan and English translation will be offered.

Recommended text for the Retreat:

Ten Early Tantras of the Great Perfection: A Basket of Diamonds:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/1530836603/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_navT_a_V2JAPFZJ8HF65B3Z2JWC

 

The Yangti Nakpo (Tib. ཡང་ཏི་ནག་པོ་), the Black Quintessence, or, to give its full title, The Single Golden Letter of the Black Quintessence (ཡང་ཏི་ནག་པོ་གསེར་གྱི་འབྲུ་གཅིག, yang ti nag po gser gyi 'bru gcig), is a cycle of Dzogchen teachings that includes practices focusing on dark retreat (Yangti).

First discovered in the 15th century by Dungtso Repa 'the later', it was later rediscovered by Trulshik Dongak Lingpa, the previous incarnation of Trulshik Rinpoche. Therefore there are two lineages for the Yangti Nakpo:

The long lineage transmission (ring gyu) from Dungtso Repa 'the later' and the short lineage (nyegyü) through Trulshik Dongak Lingpa.

According to Tulku Sang-ngag Rinpoche,

‘Within the Nyingma system of Dzogchen there are the Mind category (Semdé), the Space category (Longdé), and Category of Pith Instructions (Mengakdé) classes of teachings. Within the Category of Pith Instructions, there are the Ati, Chiti, and Yangti levels of teaching. As the name suggests, the Yangti Nagpo teachings belong to the Yangti or quintessence class.’

That which is called Yangti refers to the very essence of the enlightened mind of Samantabhadra, Vajrasattva, and Vajradhara.

It is the culmination of the Heart Essence of the Lotus Born, the Dakini’s Whispered Lineage, the swift path to buddhahood.

How marvelous! What fortune to obtain this through the kindness of the guru. It is said to lead to liberation if seen, heard, or thought of. If supremely praised as such by the vajra words of truth found in the tantras of true words, no need to mention if one meditates on its actual meaning.

Without looking for buddhahood elsewhere, the Yangti path can show it directly to you right now. This amazing Dharma! In this existence, when this incomparable, peerless wish-fulfilling jewel has been obtained, don’t search for trinkets.

Although sometimes mistakenly considered to be solely focused on dark retreat, Yangti Nakpo is in fact an extensive cycle of spiritual trainings spanning the breadth of Tibetan Vajrayana practice. In Tulku Sang-ngag’s Yangti Gomde center, students are trained in these many practices within the categories of Ngöndro, kyerim, dzogrim, and Dzogchen. In both the old and new revelations of the Yangti Nakpo cycle, dark retreat is the main emphasis and the primary unique feature of these teachings setting them apart from of Dzogchen cycles. However, entering into dark retreat does not not happen right away, if at all.

 

The Yangtik Ngakpo include many texts and practices, and among them are the following:

* A Dzogchen guru sadhana, Kusum Tuktik, revealed by Chinkar Donyo Dorje

* A three roots practice of the Hundred peaceful and wrathful deities

* The Lama and Dakini practices

* A dark retreat set of instructions

* Supplemented practical instructions

Revelation and Propagation of the Terma

 

Guru Rinpoche and Yeshé Tsogyal

The Yangti Nakpo was brought to Tibet by Guru Rinpoche and hidden as a terma by Yeshé Tsogyal.

Dungtso Repa 'the later'

In the 15th century, it was discovered by Dungtso Repa 'the later' at Lake Mandal Nakpo in the Gampo Region of central Tibet, who revealed a Dzogchen guru sadhana and a dark retreat instructions.

 

Chinkar Donyo Dorje

In the 19th century, Chinkar Donyo Dorje, a contemporary and close Dharma friend of Shabkar Tsokdruk Rangdrol, made further Yangti Nakpo revelations including the guru sadhana, Kusum Tuktik. At that time however, he stated the conditions were not right for these additions to the cycle to be disseminated, and that in his subsequent incarnation he would re-reveal and transmit these teachings.

 

Trulshik Dongag Lingpa

In the 19th century, the next incarnation of Chinkar Donyo Dorje was Trulshik Dongak Lingpa, who made the prophesied re-revelations of the Yangti Nagpo.

 

About Lama Christopher Wilkinson

Christopher Wilkinson started his career in the Dharma at the age of 15, taking refuge vows from his root teacher Dezhung Rinpoche. In the years that followed Dezhung Rinpoche introduced him to Geshe Ngawang Nornang, Lama Kalu Rinpoche, Dilgo Kyentse Rinpoche, Nyoshul Khen Rinpoche, and many others. Chris identified with the Rime Non-Sectarian movement from the start. Pursuing a formal education in Tibetan and Sanskrit Languages, he graduated in 1980 with a BA in Asian Languages and Literature and another BA in Comparative Religion from the University of Washington. After two years of travel around the holy places of Asia, including time in India and Nepal, he worked for five years in refugee resettlement in Seattle, Washington. Wishing to get back into Buddhist Studies, he went to the University of Calgary, where he completed his MA in 1988. In 1990 Chris went to Sulawesi Indonesia, where he served as a professor of English language for three years, exploring the ancient Sri Vijaya empire. Back in America, he worked as a Research Associate for the Shelly and Donald Rubin Foundation, playing a small part in the early development of the Rubin Museum. He then taught as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Calgary for five years. He also became a Research Fellow with the Centre de Recherches sur les Civilisations de l'Asie Orientale, Collège de France for twelve years. Beginning in 2012 he began to release translations of Tibetan Literature, beginning with the seven volumes of the Sakya Kongma Series and presently including 30 volumes of Great Perfection Tantras, and he continues in this effort even now.

 

Further Reading

* Kunsang, Erik Pema. Wellsprings of the Great Perfection. Rangjung Yeshe Publications, 2006, pp. 294-298

* Shabkar Tsogdruk Rangdrol, The Life of Shabkar: The Autobiography of a Tibetan Yogin, translated by Matthieu Ricard (Ithaca: Snow Lion Publications, 2001), page 63.

 

For questions about this retreat contact the Retreat Coordinator at

retreatsupport@mindfulnessmeditationcenters.com.

 

 

Enrollment

This is a special restricted retreat that is open to those currently attending MMC Tuesday and/or Thursday classes and for the Three-Year Retreatants.

 

Cost

The suggested donation for this retreat is $200.

The suggested donation 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; contact Liz at donate@mindfulnessmeditationcenters.com.

 

Schedule

This retreat is from Tuesday March 15^th through Friday March 18^th.

There will be four 90 minutes sessions each day.

The retreat coordinators will email a schedule to all registrants when that is available.

 

Registration

Please fill out the form below.