Dzogchen Cycles
Why Dzogchen Cycles?
Dawn Mountain is blessed to hold lineage teachings from Longchen Rabjam, Jigme Lingpa, and their spiritual heirs, including Ad.zom Paylo Rinpoche and the late Khetsun Sangpo Rinpoche, our teacher for several decades. Especially destined for our era and conditions, Dzogchen teachings are a further blossoming of the ancient Dzogchen Nyingthig traditions, which we practice in light of wisdom writings by Longchenpa and Jigme Lingpa.
In Dzogchen,the Great Completeness tradition of TIbet, wisdom is there from the start. Recognizing this makes a huge difference in our hearts and in our lives. Dzogchen Cycles introduces and furthers our path to our innate wisdom.
We invite you to join Dawn Mountain, on a transformative path of practice, study, and personal growth, especially destined for our era and conditions.
Our annual Dzogchen Cycles on-line program celebrated a revelation from one of the most illustrious Dzogchen masters in Tibet today. These teachings unite the compassion of Avalokieshvara with Dzogchen spaciousness with poetic songs revealed by Adzom Paylo Rinpoche.
Rinpoche received these teachings during his day-long direct encounter with Avalokiteshvara on Potu Island, off the coast of Shanghai. This mountainous isle has for centuries been revered as the home of Avalokiteshvara, known in China as Kuan Yin.
With Rinpoche’s encouragement and blessings, these profound and simple poems from his Lotus Heart Essence cycle of Dzogchen were taught for the very first time in the West by Dawn Mountain founders Lamas Rigzin Drolma and Namgyal Dorje (Anne C. Klein & Harvey Aronson), who report that “Rinpoche revealed during this encounter, he received the entire Dzogchen teachings of Avalokiteshvara. We and Dawn Mountain are beyond honored and inspired to be sharing them with you all.”
May 13-19 2024
This retreat will be Hybrid: In person, online, and recorded.
Dzogchen, the Great Completeness, is famous for introducing us to the wholeness of our existence. Even though we often feel pulled in so many directions, life feels anything but whole, and very far from awakening. Dzogchen practice shows us a wholeness, a groundless ground, we can never lose. We learn that humans and buddhas are simply types of experiences, sharing the same ground.
This retreat takes you to the heart of training in wholeness, moving from the most fundamental teachings of buddhism to discover that there is no barrier between ordinary and awakened states.
We welcome those of you taking the course for the first time, and also those of you uncovering new depths of these trainings in your practice.
May retreat 2: Zhitro: Calm and Fierce Deities of Our Being
May 20-25
In life and in death, we rely on these embodiments of awakening. This is one of the core teachings of the Nyingthig Traditions in Tibet, and Adzom Paylo Rinpoche, based on his heart-felt visionary encounter with Mahasiddha Karma Lingpa compiled this practice, which he calls “The Infinite Ritual of the Calm and Fierce, the Actual Three Buddha Dimensions (kāya). “ This practice is also for helping the deceased after their passing. Powerful blessings from our root teacher accompany every syllable.
Fall Retreat- Chö Severance
Friday Sept 20 through Sunday September 22
Our body is our greatest attachment. It is also suffused with wisdom. With utmost efficiency, in this practice we cut ourselves free from bodily attachment, and liberate the wisdom it has obscured. We chant Jigme Lingpa’s powerful poetry, follow his instructions.
This practice is part of his own monastic curriculum and Adzom Paylo Rinpoche has framed Jigme Lingpa’s Severance practice with opening and closing segments and this is our text for the retreat.
Losar Retreat – Guru Yoga
Friday March 7th through Sunday March 9th
Open to All, New Year’s Eve Losar Celebration and Tales of Inspiration
Even if you compare it with the teachings of all nine vehicles, you will never find a path more profound than guru yoga. Though it may be classified as a preliminary or foundational practice, it is in fact the final key point of all of the main practices’ paths, a royal road to coming into attunement with one’s natural realization. Jigme Lingpa, who had his transformative visionary encounter with Guru Rinpoche, is the root source of Guru Yoga teachings for the Heart Essence, Vast Expanse (Longchen Nyingthig).
Taking this all-sufficient guru yoga as the essence of your path, and having the good fortune to practice it, is due to your past purification. This is a rare situation, enjoyed only by a few.
Unique Features of Full Dzogchen Cycles Program
We encourage those of you who want to deep your overall practice and understanding of Dzogchen to take our Full Cycles program. Each year is carefully planned so that its retreats support and strengthened each other, and also complement previous years. Your learning is additionally supported because you have access to a mentor, a senior student whom we have trained to help guide you, you are also invited to a peer bi-monthly peer support group, as well as follow-ups to each of our three retreats so as to give you more time to process and received feedback on it. All included in your annual Cycles fee.
A La Carte Participation
This provides maximum flexibility; some students are attracted to one or more courses from different years. Once you are accepted to Cycles, you may take any course appropriate to your level of experience at that time. There are no other meetings nor a mentor option. Should you wish to join full cycles at some point, you need only write us, you need not reapply.
Please submit an application here. If you are interested in prior retreats, please reach out to us, and we will provide you with a link to register, and after paying the appropriate fee, you can take the class at your discretion (some retreats are limited to those with prior experience).
Past Dzochen Cycles Events
Upon approval of you application, either as a Full Cycles Member or an A La Carté participant, you are eligible to take past Dzogchen Cycles events. Here is a list of the events we have had previously.
2017-2018
Longchenpa’s Seven Trainings
Becoming Guru Rinpoche
Severance Though Offering
2018-2019
Yeshe Tsogyal: Wisdom Dakini Foundations
Secrets of Wisdom
Green Tara Practice Retreat
2019-2020
Yeshe Tsogyal: Accomplishment
Jigme Lingpa Severance: Deep Wisdom
Guru Yoga
2020-2021
Yeshe Tsogyal Practice Retreat
Troma Severance
Troma Practice Retreat
2021-2022
Yeshe Tsogyal 2021
Embodying the Elements
Dakini Element Practice
2022-2023
Avalokiteshvara’s Dzogchen Part II
Liberation Through Hearing
Dzogchen Cycles: Heart Essence Transmission
The curriculum will be guided by the teachings to date and in consultation with Rinpoche.
The full Dzogchen Cycles curriculum includes one annual seven-to-ten-day teaching retreat and two weekend retreats and access to a trained mentor for the program if requested. Additionally, three interactive webinars are provided to support practice of these teachings. Some years will include a formal practice retreat and a teaching practice retreat, either independently or attached to the May retreat.
We strongly recommend that students attend at least one retreat annually in person as it strengthens both transmission and community.
The A La Carte option allows participants to take select retreats appropriate to their background. Upon application, our lamas may suggest ideal starting points for individual situations.
No prior experience is required to join the program. Everyone is welcome to apply. Participation in all formal practice retreats such as our Yeshe Tsogyal 2021 requires having previously received the teachings.
The curriculum deepens practice opportunities for modern, Western Buddhist students. In particular, we offer connection with the wonders of one of Tibet’s most celebrated wisdom lineages, The Heart Essence Vast Expanse (Longchen Nyingthig) cycle of teachings, as well as related cycles. This includes the Luminous Heart Essence (Osel Nyingthig) cycles recently revealed by our teacher in Tibet. These cycles are taught by Lama Rigzin Drolma (Anne C. Klein, PhD.) and Lama Namgyal Dorje (Harvey B. Aronson, PhD.) who have for many years had the golden opportunity to receive personal instruction on these practices from the revealer, Ad.zom Paylo Rinpoche.
The program offers a complete path from the early stages of practice to an ever-deepening appreciation of the vast view of the Dzogchen teachings..
You are invited to watch a condensed version of Lama Rigzin and Lama Namgyal’s description of this program or the full two-hour presentation of the program. This extended video includes our lamas’ connection to the lineage, questions and answers regarding course content, and other topics as well.
Materials from previous cycles are available for purchase upon request and as appropriate for new participants.
Overview of Dawn Mountain’s 2020 – 2023 Dzogchen Cycles Programs
- May 2020: Yeshe Tsogyal Dakini Foundation and Troma Severance
Based on extensive discussion with Ad.zom Paylo Rinpoche, Cycles year 2020 began in with a formal five-day Yeshe Tsogyal Dakini Foundation practice followed by a one-week teaching and practice of Troma Severance. Both are from APR’s Luminous Heart Essence Cycle and have been archived and available for purchase by Dawn Mountain.
- Spring 2021: FREEING WISDOM: From Seeing to Being with Lady Wisdom, Prajnaparamita
An inspired sky-pearl through the blessings and brief words of the incomparable Ad.zom Paylo Rinpoche. Titled by him Sem Nyi Rang Grol (Mind Nature Freeing Itself) and Nyam Nyi Rang Grol (Self-Freeing Sameness), these teachings were bestowed on Rigzin Drolma in Tibet.
This is the closing retreat of the May 2020 – February 2021 year of Dzogchen Cycles!
- May 2021: Becoming Yeshe Tsogyal: Dakini Foundation and Accomplishment Practice from the Luminous Heart Essence (Osel Nyingthig)
The retreat centers on the Yeshe Tsogyal Dakini Foundational and Accomplishment Practices. Previous participation in the Dawn Mountain 2018 Yeshe Tsogyal Foundational Practice retreat is required and teachings are available upon request. This requirement may also be fulfilled through previous participation at any of Tara Mandala’s teachings on this same cycle.
During the retreat, we offered three days for revitalizing and enriching the teaching. Thereafter, the curriculum consists of four sessions of formal daily practice (Drub Cho).
- Fall 2021: Embodying the Elements –In this retreat, we learn and experientially explore the specific qualities of each of the five elements, giving special attention to addressing situations in which elements are out of balance. This repairs imbalance and ultimately yields wisdom.
- Spring 2022: Dakini Element Practice-
- May 2022: The Lotus Heart Essence: Avalokiteshvara’s Dzogchen- Immerse yourself in six short Dzogchen texts from Avalokiteshvara’s complete Dzogchen teachings, revealed to Adzom Paylo Rinpoche in 2016 on Potu island. A prayer to compassion embodied; a sādhana; feast (Tshog) practice; prayer to Rahula; liberation through hearing—quintessential instructions; and activities. Joining compassion with wisdom can take a long time in most styles of practice. Find how in Dzogchen, wisdom is there from the start. Thanks to Rinpoche’s blessing, we are offering this for the very first time in the West. Come join us and refresh your heart!
- Fall 2022: Avalokiteshvara’s Dzogchen Part II
- Lotus Heart Essence: Liberation Through Hearing
- The Great Compassionate One – Formal Accomplishment Retreat (sgrub chos), practicing in depth for the first time in its entirety The Great Compassionate One, the Avalokiteshvara Dzogchen Treasure (gTer) revealed by Ad.zom Paylo Rinpoche in 2014. This retreat is open to all who’ve participated in our Cycles year 2022-2023 and for new students, who ideally will take May 2022 retreat first, there will be
also be brief instruction to make this remarkable practice text accessible.
2023 Sunday May 7th – Saturday May 13
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The Fullness of Refuge: Sutra, Tantra, and Dzogchen– This unique refuge from Jigme Lingpa opens the way to the fullness of sutra, tantra and Dzogchen. These amazing four lines lead us to the heart of the entire teaching, culminating in the heart of Dzogchen. They also provide us in this retreat with an exploration of the oral quintessential instructions which Lama Rigzin received from Adzom Paylo Rinpoche, as a process from Seeing to Being which, Rinpoche named Sems Nyid Rang grol, Naturally Free Mindnature. These essential guidelines illuminate the entire path.
Fall 2023 Friday Sept 29- Sunday October 1
- Losar Retreat – Open to All, New Year’s Eve Losar Celebration and Tales of Inspiration, Jigme Lingpa’s Guru Yoga including for the first time retreat guidance and practice grounded in Adzom Drukpa’s commentary on Jigme Lingpa’s Guru Yoga. Guru Yoga is a heart Dzogchen teaching. For some teaching lineages, mind-nature teachings are traditionally given in the context of Guru Yoga practice. In style, content, and blessings, this particular practice embodies, the elements taught in our fall retreat of Seeing to Being.
Spring 2024 Friday February 16- Sunday February 18
