Plans for Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche’s Third Anniversary – 8th October 2016

The main programme will be spiritual, therefore the Meditation Practice Retreat led by Drupon Rinpoche will start on the day of the anniversary: Saturday 8^th October.  The teaching in the Retreat will be on Shamatta, but since it is connected with Akong Rinpoche, the practice will be Guru Yoga.  This will provide an opportunity for all Rinpoche’s students to particularly remember him at this time and to practice devotion.

In the past we did the long Chod practice with ex-retreaters at the time of Rinpoche’s birthday and since he passed away it has been done on his anniversary.  Now it seems that continuing to do this will mean that many people will not be able to stay for both the Chod and the Meditation Retreat, so we will change the time of the annual Chod practice to the anniversary of Rinpoche’s birth.  Please click here for details of the Chod practice in 2017.

Samye Ling was the main place for Akong Rinpoche’s activity in the West, so it is the appropriate place for his friends and students to gather at the time of his anniversary each year.  Everyone who has time is welcome to come on the 8^th and to stay for the length of the Meditation Retreat (until lunchtime on 15^th October). 

For those who wish to participate in the anniversary commemorations who don’t have enough time to stay for a week, it is still good to come for the day on the 8^th.  There will be events in the morning and then it is possible to attend the first teaching session and practice session of the Meditation Retreat.  After that, anyone who stays for the retreat must attend every session.

The main areas of Akong Rinpoche’s activities will be represented: ie, health, Dharma/spiritual, charity, protecting the environment.

These will be represented by:

• ·         Health: everyone is encouraged to make a commitment: for example, to give up smoking, alcohol and/or other intoxicants.  It is also very beneficial to protect the lives of animals by eating less meat or becoming vegetarian. Even people who have already taken a commitment can renew it.  This can be done on the days/weeks leading up to the 8^th.  This will be arranged in conjunction with the Akong Memorial Foundation.
• ·         Protecting the environment: Drupon Rinpoche and Lama Yeshe Rinpoche will each plant a tree in the Akong Memorial Garden and also put up some prayer flags.  There will be a general planting and raising new prayer flags in the days leading up to the 8^th.
• ·         Spiritual: this will be included in the Milarepa Guru Yoga, in Drupon Rinpoche’s teaching, and meditation session.
• ·         Charity: films about Akong Rinpoche’s life and activities will be shown on the evening of 7^th October. Entrance fee is by donation and all proceeds will go to the Akong Memorial Foundation.

Provisional programme:

Friday 7^th October

20.00:                   A Film Evening: ’The Humanitarian Work of Akong Rinpoche.’ will be shown in the Lecture Hall. 

Entrance is free, but donations to the Akong Memorial Foundation would be most gratefully received.

Saturday 8^th October

09.30:    Milarepa Guru Yoga in the Temple

10.00 – 12.00:     Registration for the Meditation Retreat in Reception Office

11.00:                    Lama Yeshe Rinpoche gives a talk in the Lecture Hall or Temple

12.00:                    Drupon Rinpoche and Lama Rinpoche plant a tree in the Akong Memorial Garden and then raise a prayer flag (or a few) around the Stupa.

12.30:    Lunch in the Dining Hall

14.00 – 16.00:     First teaching session of Meditation Retreat

16.30 – 17.30:     First practice session of Meditation Retreat (followed by Mahakala prayers, 5.30 – 6pm)

18.00:                    Soup in Dining Hall

7pm – 8.30pm: Meditation Session – please note that from this point on anyone participating in the Meditation Retreat must attend every session.

Daily Programme for following days of the Meditation Retreat: 9^th to 15^th October

05.30 - 07.00:              Meditation Session

08.00 - 10.00:              Shinnay Instruction                            

10.30 - 12.00:              Meditation Session                             

14.00 - 16.00:              Lojong Teaching                                  

16.30 - 17.30:              Meditation Session                             

17.30 - 18.00:              Mahakala Prayers                                

19.00 - 20.30:              Meditation Session                              

This programme depends on Drupon Rinpoche receiving a UK Visa.  If he is not able to come the programme will be amended and instead of the Meditation Retreat there will be a Guru Rinpoche Drupcho dedicated to Choje Akong Tulku Rinpoche.