Date: August 8th-17th, 2025.
August 8-17, 2025, Tsegyalgar East
In-person only at the Vajra Hall,
Khandroling, Buckland, MA
More info TBA
About the Retreat:
The primordial state of Dzogchen (total completeness) is the essence of every being, so it neither needs to be created through action or effort, nor can it be received from someone else. Therefore, the teaching of Dzogchen is based not upon effort or struggle, but on knowledge and understanding. This knowledge is not intellectual, its essence being direct experience of so called instant presence or rigpa which is beyond judgement and thinking. There are numerous methods that help to have this experience which constitutes the foundation for the practice.
In Dzogchen practice, thoughts and emotions are not considered as problematic, as something that creates obstacles. Instead, they are recognized to be the display of our primordial potentiality. Rather than obscuring the primordial state, they reveal and express it. As teacher Gotsangpa stated:
The movement of thoughts and mind are the door to the real condition:
recognizing them as one’s own state is the main point of practice.
For those who recognized it, it is also said:
The more thoughts arise, the more the calm state is present.
The stronger the emotions, the clearer the wisdom.
In this retreat, we are going to apply various methods of practice such as separation of mind and nature of mind (rushen), calm state (shamatha or shine), movement (vipashyana or lhagtong), and integration of both calm state and movement (semdzin). We will learn how to deal with thoughts, emotions, and elements (water, air etc.) relying upon instructions given by Chogyal Namkhai Norbu and derived from the teachings of many important teachers of the past. To ensure their precision and relevance, the application of methods is combined with the study of the point of view based on root texts of Series of Mind which eliminate mistakes and deviations.
The retreat is intended for both new and experienced practitioners. New students can understand the essence of practice as well as learn many special methods, while experienced practitioners who sometimes lose the freshness of their practice can rekindle it.
The retreat is for those who have received teachings and transmissions from either Chogyal Namkhai Norbu or Namkhai Yeshi. Those who never met these two teachers can individually apply for participation (see registration form comment field).
The retreat begins on August 8, at 5pm, and ends on August 17, at 12:00.
Suggested Donation: $350 Full Course | $40 per Day
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Biography:
Igor Berkhin is a long term Dzogchen practitioner. Born in the USSR, he started his spiritual practice in the 80-s still behind the iron curtain. He studied with and translated for many teachers of different contemplative traditions the most important of them being Chogyal Namkhai Norbu, a renowned Dzogchen master. He was an oral translator for Dzogchen masters such as khenchen Palden Sherab and khenpo Tsewang Dongyal as well as for a Bonpo geshe Nyima Dagpa.
Having had met his root Teacher in 1996, in 2002 Igor was authorized by Chogyal Namkhai Norbu to teach the Base of Santi Maha Sangha, a study and practice program on Sutra, Tantra, and Dzogchen designed by Chogyal Namkhai Norbu. Since 2008, he’s been one of the three senior teachers of Santi Maha Sangha the other two being Jim Valby and late Elio Guarisco.
Starting from 2010, Igor has been also teaching meditation in a non-religious format using modern context to present the practical knowledge of mind preserved in ancient teachings. His meditation course in Russian language made in 2012 on request of Yoga Journal attracted 7000 subscribers. Nowadays, Igor widely teaches online both Dzogchen and secular meditation as well as travels around the world. Most of the participants of his courses are from Russia, China, Europe, Australia, and Latin America.
After having left the Ukraine in 2014 due to the civil war, Igor moved first to Russia where he co-founded the first in Russia big interdisciplinary conference on awareness. In 2016 he moved to Israel where he currently lives and teaches.