Guru Sumati Buddha Heruka Retreat
For the first time at KMC Ottawa we will be offering the opportunity to engage in a close retreat in which we recite the mantra of a specific Buddha, in this case Guru Sumati Buddha Heruka, 100,000 times. By reciting the mantra of Guru Sumati Buddha Heruka, our Spiritual Guide, we gain this special inner protection. At the end of this retreat, for those who have collected 100,000 mantras, there will be a Vajradaka burning offering to purify any mistakes.
Engaging in such a traditional retreat is a very profound and beautiful practice. It is called a close retreat because when engaged in skillfully, with wisdom, faith and the pure motivation of compassion, we naturally draw close to that Buddha, deepening our connection and enabling his or her enlightened qualities to grow stronger within us.
This retreat can be done as an actual close retreat, in which you must at least take part in two sessions a day, or you can participate in the retreat in a less formalized manner as part of your preliminary guide practice of Guru Yoga.
As such this retreat is open to all.
Following is some helpful inspiration on this retreat:
At the 2022 NKT-IKBU International Spring Festival in Malaga, Gen-la Kelsang Dekyong shared an important instruction from Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. He asked Gen-la Dekyong to give the transmission and commentary of the mantra of Guru Sumati Buddha Heruka, requesting practitioners of all New Kadampa Tradition centers to engage in retreat to collect 100,000 recitations of this mantra, as well as 10,000 Vajradaka mantras with burning offerings.
Gen-la Dekyong explained how this mantra is the very essence of the guru yoga of Guru Sumati Buddha Heruka. By reciting this mantra with faith, a pure motivation, and strong conviction in the law of cause and effect we will place very strong potentials within our mind to easily accomplish all spiritual attainments. Venerable Geshe-la said, "This is magical."
This year you will have the opportunity to fulfil Venerable Geshe-la’s request and join a Guru Sumati Buddha Heruka counting retreat at Kadampa Meditation Centre Ottawa. Not only will you receive great benefit for yourself, but as Venerable Geshe-la said, this retreat is a wishfulfilling jewel for the development of Kadam Dharma internationally.
Schedule:
Friday January 3
7-8:30pm - Introduction
January 4-9
9-10:30 session
11:30-1pm session
4-5:30pm session
7-8:30pm session
January 10
9-10:30 session
11:30-1pm session
4-5:30pm session
7-8:30pm Offering to the Spiritual Guide prayers
January 11-13
9-10:30 session
11:30-1pm session
4-5:30pm session
7-8:30pm session
January 14
9-10:30 session
11:30-1pm session
4-5:30pm session
7-8:30pm General Program class
January 15-20
9-10:30 session
11:30-1pm session
4-5:30pm session
7-8:30pm session
January 21
9-10:30 session
11:30-1pm session
4-5:30pm session
7-8:30pm General Program class
January 22
9-10:30 session
11:30-1pm session
4-5:30pm session
7-8:30pm session
January 23
9-10:30 session
11:30-1pm session
4-5:30pm session
7-8:30pm Foundation Program class
January 24
9-10:30 session
11:30-1pm session
4-5:30pm session
7-8:30pm session
January 25
Vajradaka burning offerings
9-10:30 session
11:30-1pm session
4-5:30pm session
7-8:30pm Offering to the Spiritual Guide prayers
January 26
Vajradaka burning offerings
9-10:30 session
11-12:15pm General Program class
4-5:30pm session
7-8:30pm session
January 27
Vajradaka burning offerings
9-10:30 session
11:30-1pm session
4-5:30pm session
7-8:30pm session
January 28
Vajradaka burning offerings
9-10:30 session
11:30-1pm session
4-5:30pm session
7-8:30pm General Program class
January 29
1:30-5pm Melodious Drum prayers
This retreat will be partially guided by Gen Kelsang Thekchen, who is a Kadampa Buddhist monk & senior Teacher in the New Kadampa Tradition. He has been a Teacher under the guidance of Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso Rinpoche for more than 25 years. Gen Thekchen has taught widely in Canada and in the UK, and is now the Resident Teacher at Kadampa Meditation Centre Ottawa. He is well known for his ability to present Buddha's teachings in a practical, profound and often humorous way, making them very accessible and easy to practise in everyday life.
In the beginning of our practice the most essential thing is to tame our mind, for only this will enable us to benefit all sentient beings.