Dear sangha,
Rigpe Dorje Center is delighted to announce the annual Treasury of Knowledge Retreat in San Antonio, Texas, August 22-28, 2008, with The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche. Rinpoche will be teaching on Mahamudra. There are no prerequisites for attending this program. Registration is open until Aug. 1.
For inquiries, please contact Virginia Rios at vlmrios@sbcglobal.net, (210) 695-3760, (210) 845-3277 cell.
We apologize if you have received duplicates of this email.
2008 TREASURY of KNOWLEDGE RETREAT
with
The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche
August 22 - 28, 2008
Mahamudra
"Mahamudra or 'the great seal,' refers to the seal of fundamental reality, the basic reality of our mind, the basic reality of all phenomena, which is the great emptiness, shunyata. This fundamental nature of mind is inseparable from emptiness and luminosity, emptiness and clarity. That nature is the seal, which means nothing is beyond this seal. There is no other nature. No other reality exists beyond this nature of emptiness, beyond this nature of luminosity and emptiness, beyond this nature of appearance and emptiness. Therefore it is called a seal, the Great Seal, the Mahamudra."
- The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, from The Heart of Mahamudra and Dzogchen
Mahamudra is a profound Buddhist teaching on the view and methods of realizing the true nature of one's mind. Through the skillful guidance of a realized teacher, one can follow the rich and direct path of Mahamudra which leads to the realization of fully awakened mind. The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche is just such a teacher, presenting these precious teachings with clarity, accessibility and humor.
General Information
Dates: August 22-28, 2008
Arrival: Friday, August 22
Registration: 4:00 - 7:00 pm
Orientation: 7:00 pm
First teaching: Saturday, August 23, 10:30 am
Final teaching: Thursday, August 28, 5:00 pm
Banquet: Thursday, September 28, 7:30 pm
Departure: Friday, August 29
Venue & Housing: Ye Kendall Inn, 128 West Blanco, Boerne, Texas 78006
(Individuals must call in their own room reservations)
Full program fee: $ 400 Covers tuition, teaching gifts, lunches & banquet
Sat & Sun only: $ 135 Covers tuition, teaching gifts & 2 lunches
(Housing & other meals not included in program fee)
Registration: Pre-registration required by August 1. Registration requires a deposit of $100. Full payment due by August 15.
Retreat Venue & Housing
The program will be held at Ye Kendall Inn (128 West Blanco, Boerne, Texas 78006)
www.yekendallinn.com
The Kendall Inn was established in 1859 as the stagecoach stop in Boerne, Texas. The building is considered a state and national landmark. The Inn is located off of Boerne's Main Plaza in the heart of the Texas Hill Country.
Ye Kendall Inn offers 36 guest rooms, suites and cabins. Each room is uniquely individualized to reflect the historic elegance of the original hotel.
Housing Reservations
Individuals must call in their own room reservations and pay with individual credit cards. All the rooms have been reserved at a discounted rate of $109.00 per room + 13% occupancy tax. The rooms will be released on August 1, 2008. You will need to call Ye Kendall Inn to make your room reservations by August 1. After that time, reservations will be accepted on a space-available basis.
To make reservations at Ye Kendall Inn: 1-800-364-2138 (direct no. 830-249-2138)
Ask for Chelsa Allen, the reservation manager for group programs. Chelsa will be the only person working on our reservations. Her hours are from 10:30 am to 5:30 pm, Monday - Friday.
There are a few rooms that sleep more than 2 people. If you plan to share a room with several people, you can request a "room-mate" room.
Cancellations: The hotel requires a 7 day cancellation to avoid forfeit of deposit.
Check-in: 3:00 p.m.
Check-out: 12:00 p.m.
Parking: Complimentary
Computer access / telephone: Telephone & free wireless internet access available in every room. There is also a computer available in the business center for public use.
Roommates
If you wish to share a room and need information regarding a possible roommate, contact the Registrar, Virginia Rios, at vlmrios@sbcglobal.net, (210) 695-3760, (210) 845-3277 cell. Virginia will provide you with a name, telephone number and email address of another individual of the same sex seeking a roommate. She will also give the same information to the other individual. If after talking with each other the arrangement is not suitable, contact Virginia for further information. The room-mates will need to make arrangements between themselves regarding reservations, room payment, room cancellations, etc.
If all the rooms at Ye Kendall Inn are already booked when you call, you may contact Virginia regarding other housing options.
Arrival & Departure Information
The program will be held at Ye Kendall Inn from Saturday, August 23, until Thursday, August 28. There will be 2-3 teachings daily, meditation sessions and discussion groups.
Registration will be held on Friday, August 22, from 4:00 - 7:00 pm. There will be an orientation and explanation of volunteer services at 7:00 pm. Those arriving late can register on Saturday, August 23, at 8:00 am.
The first teaching will be on Saturday, August 23, at 10:30 am.
The final teaching will be on Thursday, August 28, at 5:00 pm, followed by a banquet with The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche.
Please plan your departure for Friday morning or afternoon (August 29). The airport is about 35-45 minutes from Ye Kendall Inn, depending on traffic.
Airport Shuttle:
Hill Country Taxi Service, located in Boerne, Texas, will be providing transportation to and from the hotel. The shuttle cost is not included in the program fee, therefore you will be paying the shuttle service directly.
Their van will hold a maximum of 7 people. The cost for their service is $65 for the first person, plus $5/person for each extra person. For a full van, the cost would be $65 + $30 = $95, divided 7 ways. It is advantageous to have more people in the van, since there would be more people to split the cost.
In order to cut costs for participants, we will try to coordinate group pick-ups on August 22 (Friday) at scheduled times to be determined from input from each of you (e.g., at 12:00, 3:00, 6:00, 9:00 pm). Those participants planning on using this service should e-mail their anticipated arrival times as soon as possible to the Transportation Coordinator to assist in planning the best times for the pick-ups. Once the schedule and other pertinent information are determined, the Transportation Coordinator will communicate with you.
If you miss a group pick-up, contact Hill Country Taxi Service directly to arrange a pick-up. Due to the ongoing problems with the airlines, we cannot guarantee that you will not be the sole occupant in the van and have to pay the full fare.
For your information, Boerne has a lot of restaurants, shops and amenities within walking distance of the hotel. This may save you the expense of car rental and gas charges.
Transportation Coordinator: for inquiries regarding transportation, contact:
John Richardson, jsr@satx.rr.com, (210) 698-9542, (210) 240-6690 cell
Hill Country Taxi Service
hillcountrytaxi@yahoo.com
(830) 388-0082 (Gina)
Directions from the San Antonio International Airport:
Exit the airport on Airport Blvd and turn onto I-410 W. After 4 miles, merge onto I-10 W via Exit 16 toward El Paso. Travel approximately 21 miles and take the US -87 business exit, Exit 542, toward Boerne. Merge unto US-87 BR N. Approximately 2.1 miles, turn left onto W. Blanco Rd. End at 128 W. Blanco Rd.
Meals
Lunches: Vegetarian lunch is included in the program fee and served in a private section of the Limestone Grille (www.yekendallinn.com/limestone_grille.html), Ye Kendall Inn's award-winning restaurant. The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche will be joining students for lunch.
Banquet: A catered banquet on Thursday evening (August 28) is also included in the full-week program fee.
Other meals: Breakfast and dinner will be on your own. The hotel restaurant is open for breakfast & dinner every day (not included in program fee). There are many inexpensive and charming cafes and restaurants within walking distance of Ye Kendall Inn.
What to Bring
You need to bring: Meditation cushion/mat
Clothing: Summer in Texas is quite hot (high in 90's), but all the rooms are air-conditioned. The conference room may be cool, so you may want to bring a light sweater or shawl. The hotel has a large hot-tub (bring swim-suit). Bring comfortable clothing for yoga exercises.
Program Registration
PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED. Closing date for registration is August 1. To register, please send your registration form with $100 deposit by August 1. Final balance is due by August 15. After August 15, the deposit is non-refundable.
Participants are encouraged to register early. Late registrants should inquire with the Registrar re: availability.
Registrar: Virginia Rios, vlmrios@sbcglobal.net, (210) 695-3760, (210) 845-3277 cell
Financial
All the proceeds from this retreat will go to:
1. Teaching gifts to The Dzogchen Ponlop Rinpoche, other lamas & translator
2. Costs of transportation & meals for the lama party, rental of retreat venue and other retreat expenses
The program fee covers your tuition and teaching gifts, which will be offered to the teachers at the conclusion of the program. Daily lunches and the Thursday evening banquet costs are also included in the program fee. Transportation, housing and other meals are not included in the program fee.
Scholarship Fund
Partial scholarships will be offered to students with financial need. If you would like to contribute to the scholarship fund, please add a donation with your registration. The total amount will be applied towards the tuition of recipients. Thank you for your generosity.
Scholarship inquiries: Jan Puckett, jsrpuck@satx.rr.com, (210) 698-9542, (210) 240-3910 cell
Registration Form
Deposit must be received by August 1, 2008. Please mail form below with check payable to "Rigpe Dorje Center." Send to: Virginia Rios, 10119 Rafter S Trail, Helotes, TX 78023
Name(s)
Address
Telephone
Email (please print clearly)
Full program: [ ] $100 deposit only. I will send the balance of $300 by August 15.
(deposit is non-refundable after August 15)
[ ] Full payment of $400
[ ] A gift to the scholarship fund in the amount of $ _________________
Sat / Sun only: [ ] Full payment of $135 (nonrefundable after August 15)
[ ] A gift to the scholarship fund in the amount of $ _________________
Transportation: [ ] I will have a car during the retreat
[ ] I will be taking the airport shuttle
Airline information:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
arrival date arrival time airline flight no.
I would like to volunteer for the following services during the retreat:
Please choose at least one, or as many as you like; no talks missed.
[ ] Program set-up
[ ] Timekeeper for meditation sessions
[ ] Shrinekeeper / shrine-room up-keep
[ ] Flowers
[ ] Water service during talks
[ ] Escort for Rinpoche
[ ] Meal service for Rinpoche
[ ] Discussion group facilitator
[ ] Yoga / lujong assistant
[ ] Program take-down
[ ] Anything needed
TOTAL REMITTED $ ______________
For use by Registrar only:
Registration rec'd on ________________
Check number ________________
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