879 Somerset Street West, Ottawa

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 to the Retreat

January 4-9

8-9:30    session

10:30-12noon    session

4-5:30pm     session

7-8:30pm     session

January 10

8-9:30     session

10:30-12noon    session

4-5:30pm     session

7-8:30pm    Offering to the Spiritual Guide prayers

January 11-13

8-9:30     session

10:30-12noon    session

4-5:30pm     session

7-8:30pm     session

January 14

8-9:30     session

10:30-12noon   session

4-5:30pm     session

7-8:30pm     General Program class

January 15-20

8-9:30     session

10:30-12noon    session

4-5:30pm     session

7-8:30pm     session

January 21

8-9:30     session

10:30-12noon    session

4-5:30pm     session

7-8:30pm     General Program class

January 22

8-9:30     session

10:30-12noon     session

4-5:30pm     session

7-8:30pm     session

January 23

8-9:30     session

10:30-12noon     session

4-5:30pm     session

7-8:30pm     Foundation Program class

January 24

8-9:30     session

10:30-12noon     session

4-5:30pm     session

7-8:30pm     session

January 25

Vajradaka burning offerings

8-9:30     session

10:30-12noon    session

4-5:30pm     session

7-8:30pm     Offering to the Spiritual Guide prayers

January 26

Vajradaka burning offerings

8-9:30     session

10:30-12noon     session

4-5:30pm     session

7-8:30pm    session

January 27

Vajradaka burning offerings

8-9:30     session

10:30-12noon   session

4-5:30pm     session

7-8:30pm     session

January 28

Vajradaka burning offerings

8-9:30     session

10:30-12noon     session

4-5:30pm     session

7-8:30pm     session

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.